appropriations bill

An appropriations bill is a piece of legislation that indicates where public funds are to be allocated in a budget.

There are three types of federal appropriation bills: regular appropriation bills, continuing appropriations, and supplemental appropriation bills. Congress must pass 12 regular appropriations bills throughout the year, which are often combined into a single omnibus bill. If Congress cannot agree on regular appropriations, then they may issue a continuing appropriation, which extends an existing appropriation until an agreement is reached. A supplemental appropriation typically occurs as a result of an unanticipated event, where funds must be allocated outside of the normal appropriations process.

The requirement for Congress to issue appropriation bills comes from Article I, Section 9, Clause 7, of the U.S. Constitution, which states that: “No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law; and a regular Statement and Account of the Receipts and Expenditures of all public Money shall be published from time to time.” The clause limits the government’s power by requiring an appropriation before money may be withdrawn from public funds. Since appropriations are the primary means by which public money is allocated and spent, if an appropriations bill is not passed, then the government is not funded, and a government shutdown occurs. Additionally, Article I does not prescribe to Congress the manner in which they issue appropriations, so the rules are decided by Congress and may change.

[Last reviewed in April of 2026 by the Wex Definitions Team]

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