Term
| What is the basic axiom of fiscal law? |
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Definition
* The established rule is that the expenditure of public funds is proper only when authorized by Congress, not that public funds may be expended unless prohibited by Congress.
* US v. MacCollom (1976)
* 426 US 317 (p 3.1.7) |
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Term
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Definition
| The body law which governs the availability and use of public funds. (p 3.1.7) |
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Term
| What premise is fiscal law based on? |
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Definition
| Appropriations are only available for obligation and expenditure when specifically approved by Congress. (p 3.1.7) |
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Term
| What is the difference between common and fiscal law? |
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Definition
| With common law, as long as there is no law that says that you can't do something, then you may legally do it. With fiscal law, you can only do what the law authorizes you to do. Absence of a law prohibiting you from doing something with your funding does not give you the authority to do it; it must be authorized by law in order for you to obligate funds. (p 3.1.7) |
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Term
| What is Congress' constitutional authority to obligate and expend funds? |
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Definition
* Article 1, Section 7, empowers Congress to pass bills for the raising of revenue, and delineates how bills will pass from Congress to the President for signature or veto.
* Article 1, Section 8, Clause 1, empowers Congress to collect taxes.
* Article 1, Section 9, Clause 7, requires appropriations in law before money may be spent from the Treasury. The term appropriation applies broadly to any law that permits a Government employee to spend money, not just to the regular appropriation bills. (p 3.1.8) |
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Term
| What is the GAO Principles of Federal Appropriation Law (The Red Book)? |
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Definition
| The most authoritative source of information on the proper use of appropriated funds published by GAO, Office of the General Counsel. (p 3.1.8) |
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Term
| What did the Budget and Accounting Act of 1921 do? |
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Definition
* Require the President to sign an annual budget to Congress for all three branches of the Federal Government
* Created a budget office for the President (Bureau of the Budget, then, changed to OMB in 1970)
* Established the General Accounting Office (now the Government Accountability Office) (p 3.1.9) |
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Term
| What is the Fiduciary Certifier responsible for? |
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Definition
| Responsible for the use of appropriated funds as to the proper Purpose, Time, and Amount, and for those U.S. Codes pertaining thereto. (p 3.1.12) |
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Term
| What is a Pecuniary Certifier responsible for? |
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Definition
* Responsible for the accuracy of the disbursement of funds
* Responsible for the repayment of any disbursement made not in accordance with proper Purpose, Time, or Amount requirements
* Disbursing officers, cashiers, and collecting officers can be held personally liable for any loss or theft of funds entrusted to their care
* Certifying officers can be held personally liable for any erroneous payments, resulting from their miscertification, from the second the erroneous payment is made
* Relief can be granted for either a loss of cash or miscertification, however accountable officials are presumed negligent, unless/until he/she proves his/her innocence (p 3.1.12) |
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Term
| What is a Fund Certifying Official? |
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Definition
| Certifies that the public's funds for which he/she has been entrusted are for legal use under the Purpose, Time, and Amount restrictions placed on the use of those funds by Congress. An erroneous, willful, or knowing violation of this fiduciary responsibility may lead to an Antideficiency Act violation. (p 3.1.12) |
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Term
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Definition
Funds may be obligated and expended only for the purpose authorized in the appropriations acts or other laws.
* Leads to the greatest number of ADA violations
* 31 USC 1301
* 2 Stat 535 (1809)
* Simple, concise, direct (p 3.1.13-14) |
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Term
|
Definition
| The period of time during which budgetary resources may be used to incur new obligations (e.g. the order of new goods or services) is different from the period of time during which budgetary resources may be used to incur expenditures (i.e. pay bills). 31 USC 1502 states that payments may only be made for obligations that were properly made during the period of availability of the appropriation, or to made payments for obligations that were properly made during the period of availability, but not yet completed until after the appropriation expired. A violation results in an ADA violation. (p 3.1.13/18) |
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Term
| What is Annual Authority? |
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Definition
| Budgetary resources available for incurring new obligations for one fiscal year or less. Appropriation acts contain a general provision specifying that the appropriations provided in the act are not available beyond the current fiscal year. (p 3.1.13) |
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Term
| What is Multi-Year Authority? |
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Definition
| Budgetary resources that are available for new obligations in excess of one fiscal year. (p 3.1.13) |
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Term
| What is No-Year Authority? |
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Definition
| Budgetary resources that are available for new obligations for an indefinite period (until the purpose for which they were provided is carried out). Does not expire. Often called "X-year authority" because an "X" appears in the appropriations symbol instead of a fiscal year. (p 3.1.13) |
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Term
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Definition
| Obligations and expenditures may not exceed the amounts established in law. (p 3.1.13) |
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Term
| What is Definite Authority? |
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Definition
| When the law itself specifies an amount of budget authority available. This type of authority includes authority stated as "not to exceed" a specified amount. Most DoD appropriations are of this type. (p 3.1.13) |
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Term
| What is Indefinite Authority? |
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Definition
| When the law does not specify an amount of budget authority available (e.g. if the amount is determined by specified variable factors). For example, interest on debt, Federal retirement, social security, and the Judgment Fund. (p 3.1.13) |
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Term
| What are General Operating Expenses? |
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Definition
All agencies receive general operating funds for day-to-day operations of their organizations. The various categories of day-to-day operations, using these general appropriations, are:
* Training
* Travel
* Postage
* Books and periodicals
* Misc items incident to the federal workplace, such as:
- Certain civic, charitable, and similar community support activities
- Outplacement support, notary (p 3.1.15) |
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Term
| What are the sources of spending restrictions? |
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Definition
* Authorization Acts
* Appropriation Acts
* Comptroller General (CG) Decisions (p 3.1.16) |
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Term
| Can appropriations be used for personal items or to promote an individual? |
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Definition
| Appropriated funds may not be used to purchase items that are deemed personal or to promote an individual (e.g. coins with the picture or name of an individual). (p 3.1.16) |
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Term
| What are incentive awards? |
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Definition
| The Government Employees Incentive Awards Act (5 USC 4503) authorizes an agency head to recognize superior performance with awards of cash, time off, or merchandise, and to incur expenses determined necessary to enhance the recognition of the awardee. (p 3.1.16) |
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Term
| What is the Necessary Expense Doctrine? |
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Definition
An expenditure can be justified after meeting a three-part test:
1. The expenditure must bear a logical relationship to the appropriation sought to be charged
2. The expenditure must not be prohibited by law
3. The expenditure must not be otherwise provided for; that is, it must not be an item that falls within the scope of some other appropriation or statutory funding scheme. (p 3.1.17) |
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Term
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Definition
| Legal reservation for which payment, or expenditures, will be made in the future. (p 3.1.18) |
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Term
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Definition
| The cash payments made to liquidate an obligation. (p 3.1.18) |
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Term
| What is the Bona Fide Needs Rule? |
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Definition
| A test to determine when to obligate and for how much consumption or effort the obligation should cover. (p 3.1.19) |
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Term
| What is the Bona Fide Needs Rule for material? |
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Definition
* May only obligate for material requirements during the period of fund availability.
* If the requirement is defined as the number of items consumed in a fiscal year, procurement will be limited only to the number of items consumed; however agencies can maintain a legitimate inventory of common-use items based on reasonable and historical levels. The "need" being to maintain the inventory level as to avoid disruption of operations.
* May obligate in one fiscal year and deliver in another if production lead-time of the material requires obligation in one fiscal year in order to be available for installation in a later fiscal year. The time between ordering and delivery should not be excessive AND the procurement must not be for standard commercial items available when needed in the next fiscal year.
* Bona Fide Needs Rule occurs in the year the order is placed, not when goods or services are delivered. (p 3.1.19) |
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Term
| What are Severable Services? |
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Definition
* Are those which the Government receives something useful immediately upon the expenditure of funds or by the end of the fiscal year (e.g. routine maintenance, housekeeping services, and trash collection).
* The Government will obligate for no more than 12 months of severable service since it will receive something useful at the end of the fiscal year.
* The 12-month contract can cross fiscal years as long as it is for no more than 12 months. An agency may enter into a 12-month service contract using funds current at the time the service was entered into to fund the entire 12-month period of the contract. 10 USC 2410(a). (p 3.1.20) |
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Term
| What are Non-Severable Services? |
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Definition
* Are those that cannot be separated into increments that will provide something useful at the end of the fiscal year (e.g. overhaul of a ship that takes two or more years of development of a software program that will result in a definite end product after more than one year of work).
* The rule is that the Government will obligate for the entire amount of the undertaking at the outset in order to achieve a useable end product at the end of the contract or project order performance.
* Training tends to be non-severable and thus the entire cost for the training incurred in one fiscal year is chargeable to that year even if the training will extend into the next fiscal year. (p 3.1.20) |
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Term
| What is Multi-Year Service Contracting Authority? |
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Definition
* Exception to the Bona Fide Needs Rule
* Permits contracting for up to five years of severable service in five one-year increments included in a single contract
* DoD has the authority to budget and obligate for the full five years of effort in the year the contract is awarded or to obligate for each increment year-by-year (only if the contract is awarded under the authority of 10 USC 2306)
* DoD policy, as reflected in the DoD Financial Management Regulation, requires funding year-by-year (p 3.1.20) |
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Term
| What funds (current or prior year) is charged when there is a change in the contract's scope? |
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Definition
* Applies to the following situations: Change in quantity, mission, contract time period, or other controllables (e.g. warranty)
* If the modification exceeds the general scope of the original contract, then the modification amounts to a new obligation and is chargeable to funds current at the time the modification is made
* When an upward price adjustment is required in a subsequent fiscal year, the general approach is to ask whether the adjustment is related to a provision in the original contract
- If yes, then a within scope price adjustment is made and will be charged against the appropriation current at the time the contract was awarded, even if the appropriation may now be expired. (p 3.1.20) |
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Term
| What does the Subject to Availability clause on a contract allow? |
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Definition
| Allows final negotiation of a contract but prohibits the contractor from starting the work (i.e. incurring costs). (p 3.1.21) |
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Term
| What actions are permissible prior to the start of the new fiscal year? |
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Definition
* If the appropriation act is enacted prior to the start of the fiscal year for which the appropriations is being made, contracts may be entered into upon enactment and before the start of the fiscal year, provided that no payments or expenditures are made under them until the start of the fiscal year.
- Since an appropriation act has been enacted, there is no violation of 31 USC 1341
- A violation of 31 USC 1517 would still occur if the obligation was made prior to receipt of an apportionment of sub-apportionment of the appropriation (p 3.1.21) |
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Term
| Can the Government re-obligate funds if a contractor defaults? |
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Definition
* Contractor officially defaults before completing the terms of the contract
* Government may obligate same year funds previously obligated for a replacement contract for an amount either the same of less than the amount originally obligated if:
- Bona fide need still exists
- Same or lessor scope of work
- Replacement contract is awarded in a timely manner
* Even if in expired status, same year funds may be used (p 3.1.22) |
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Term
| Can the Government re-obligate funds if a contract is terminated for the convenience of the Government? |
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Definition
* Government contracting officer voluntarily terminates the contract before the contractor completes the terms of the contract
* Government may NOT use funds previously obligated on the contract if the funds are expired or cancelled
- If the agency is directed to terminate the contract by a court, a Board of Contract Appeals, or GAO, the agency can issue a replacement contract using expired funds
- If the KO has determined the original contract to be defective, a replacement contract can be awarded with expired funds
* Government must retain sufficient funds terminated contract to meet settlement costs estimated to be owed to the contractor (p 3.1.22) |
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Term
| What is the Military Personnel (MILPERS) Appropriation? |
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Definition
1 year obligation period. Expense type appropriation. Funds the following types of items:
* Pay and allowance of active duty and reserves
* Permanent Change of Station (PSC) moves
* Training in conjunction with PCS moves
* Subsistence
* Bonuses
* Retired pay accrual (p 3.1.24) |
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Term
| What is the Operation & Maintenance (O&M) Appropriation? |
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Definition
1 year obligation period. Expense type appropriation. Funds the following types of items and activities:
* Day-to-day operations
* Headquarters operations
* Civilian salaries
* Travel
* Fuel
* Minor construction up to $750,000 or up to $1.5 M for health or safety related requirements with Congressional approval
* Purchase of items with investment item cost of not more than $250,000
* Training and education
* Recruiting (p 3.1.24) |
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Term
| What is the Research, Development, Test, & Evaluation (RDT&E) Appropriation? |
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Definition
2 year obligation period. Funds the following types of activities:
* Development of equipment, material, or computer application software
* Developmental Test and Evaluation (DT&E)
* Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E)
* Operational costs for R&D dedicated installations (p 3.1.24) |
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Term
| What is the Procurement (excluding SCN) Appropriation? |
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Definition
3 year obligation period. Investment type appropriation. Funds the following types of items and activities:
* Purchase of major end items and defense systems
* Initial issue of spares for above items
* All costs necessary to deliver a useful end item intended for operational use (p 3.1.24) |
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Term
| What is the Shipbuilding and Conversion, Navy (SCN) Appropriation? |
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Definition
| 5 year obligation period. Investment type appropriation. Used to fund procurements and overhaul Navy ships. Part of the Procurement appropriations category, but is broken out separately due to its longer obligation period. (p 3.1.24) |
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Term
| What is the Military Construction (MILCON) Appropriation? |
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Definition
5 year obligation period. Funds the following types of items:
* Major military construction projects
* Construction of military schools
* Construction of military facilities and bases (p 3.1.24) |
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Term
| When must a No-Year account be closed? |
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Definition
A No-Year account is to be closed if:
- Agency head or President determines its purpose has been fulfilled
AND
- No disbursements have been made for two consecutive years (p 3.1.25) |
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Term
| Does the Bona Fide Needs Rule apply to No-Year appropriations? |
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Definition
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Term
| What are No-Year Appropriations? |
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Definition
* 31 USC 1555
* Used in Defense Working Capital Funds (DWCF)
* Available with fiscal-year limitations
* Language used: "to remain available until fully expended" or "without fiscal-year limitation" (p 3.1.25) |
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Term
| What is the Current Account? |
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Definition
* Phase 1 of the appropriations lifecycle
* 1-5 years, depending on the appropriation
* Available for new obligations, increased scope on existing obligations, payments and adjustments (p 3.1.26) |
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Term
| What is the Expired Account? |
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Definition
* Phase 2 of the appropriations lifecycle
* 5 years after expiration of the appropriation
* Available for payments and adjustments (up or down) to existing obligations made when the account was "current"
* Not available for new obligations or increased scope on existing obligations
* FY, appropriation, and line item identity remains to enable "charging" original obligation fund cite (p 3.1.26) |
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Term
| What is the Closed/Cancelled Account? |
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Definition
* Phase 3 of the appropriations lifecycle
* Greater than 10 years
* No longer available for payments or obligation adjustments
* Adjustments and payments are charged to currently available appropriation of the same type, up to lessor of 1% of currently available appropriation or unexpended balance of closed appropriation
* FY, appropriation, and line item identity remains only for accounting tracking purposes (p 3.1.26) |
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Term
| What is the Appropriation Lifecycle? |
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Definition
Unobligated balances and unliquidated obligations move through the following lifecycle:
1. Phase 1, Current Account (1-5 years)
2. Phase 2, Expired Account (5 years)
3. Closed/Cancelled Account (>10 years) (p 3.1.26) |
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Term
| What does 31 USC 1341 require? |
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Definition
* An officer or employee of the U.S. may not:
1. Make or authorize an expenditure of obligation exceeding an amount available in an appropriation or fund for the expenditure or obligation
OR
2. Involve the government in a contract or obligation for the payment of money before an appropriation is made unless authorized by law
* 16 Stat 251 (1870) (p 3.1.30) |
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Term
| What are the forms of Budget Authority? |
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Definition
* Appropriations
* Contract Authority
* Borrowing Authority
* Monetary Credits
* Offsetting Receipts
* Loan and Loan Guarantee (p 3.1.31) |
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Term
| What is Contract Authority? |
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Definition
| Specific statutory authority to incur obligations in anticipation or in advance of either receipts or an appropriation of liquidating cash with which to pay the obligations. (p 3.1.31) |
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Term
| What is Borrowing Authority? |
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Definition
| Authority granted to a Federal entity to borrow (e.g. from the Treasury or through the issuance of promissory notes or monetary credits to other agencies or the public) and to obligate and expend the borrowed funds. (p 3.1.31) |
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Term
| What are Monetary Credits? |
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Definition
| An authorization for a Government agency to issue monetary credits in lieu of checks to acquire property such as land or mineral rights. (p 3.1.31) |
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Term
| What are Offsetting Collections and Receipts? |
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Definition
| This includes tax receipts, custom duties, fines, fees, penalties, reimbursements and revenue. The term "collections" includes: (1) receipts, (2) reimbursements, and (3) refunds. Of these, offsetting receipts or reimbursements may offset either disbursements or the need for appropriations. (p 3.1.31) |
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Term
| What is Loan and Loan Guarantee Activity? |
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Definition
| An authorization for an agency to pledge to pay a part or all of the loan principle and interest to a lender in the event of default by a third party borrower. The family housing portion of the Military Construction appropriation provides the authority to DoD to guarantee loans to vendors/contractors building and/or rehabilitating Government quarters. (p 3.1.31) |
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Term
|
Definition
* When Congress limits the Executive Branch's authority by specifically designating, or earmarking, a part of a more general lump sum appropriation designated for a particular purpose.
* A maximum earmark may not be augmented with funds from the general appropriation, but any un-obligated amounts may be used for other objects in the general appropriation. (p 3.1.32) |
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Term
| May the Government accept voluntary services? |
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Definition
* 31 USC 1342
* An officer or employee of the US Government may not accept voluntary services for either government or employ personal services exceeding that authorized by law except for emergencies involving the safety of human life or the protection of property. (p 3.1.33) |
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Term
| What is the Funding Flow? |
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Definition
* Appropriation
* Apportionment
* Allotment
* Commitment
* Obligation
* Outlay (p 3.1.35) |
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Term
| May the Government augment an appropriation from outside sources? |
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Definition
| An agency may not augment its appropriation from outside sources without specific statutory authority. 31 USC 3302(b) states that an official or agent of the Government receiving money for the Government from any source shall deposit the money in the Treasury as soon as practicable without deduction for any charge or claim. (p 3.1.36) |
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Term
| May an agency or employee keep gifts or donations? |
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Definition
| Any gifts or donations accepted by an agency or employee must be deposited to the Miscellaneous Receipts account in the Treasury unless the agency or employee has the statutory authority to keep the gift or donation. (p 3.1.37) |
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Term
| Can the U.S. receive and accept gifts? |
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Definition
| The courts have held that the U.S. can receive and accept gifts. The gifts may be real property or personal property. (p 3.1.37) |
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Term
| May an agency accept a gift? |
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Definition
An agency may accept a gift given in the name of the U.S., but if a gift is given in the name of an agency, the agency must deposit the gift to the Treasury unless it has statutory authority to accept and keep the gift. DoD is one of the few agencies having authority to accept and keep gifts in the following situations:
- DoD may accept contributions of money or real property from any person, foreign Government, or international organization. The proceeds from the sale of property are credited to the Defense Cooperation Account in the Treasury. The funds are not immediately available to DoD, but are available for obligation only in the manner and to the extent provided in appropriations acts.
- DoD may accept services, supplies, real property, or the use of real property under a mutual defense or similar agreement. (p 3.1.37) |
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Term
| What are the ADA Penalties? |
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Definition
* Administrative - up to and including, when circumstances warrant, written reprimand, suspension from duty without pay or removal from office
* Criminal - $5,000 fine, 2 years imprisonment, or both (p 3.1.28) |
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Term
| What are the ADA Reporting Requirements? |
|
Definition
* Report to agency head within 10 days of discovery
* Report per FMR Vol. 14, Para. 030101
* If violation in fact occurred:
- Report per 31 USC 1352 and 1517(b)
- Report to the President, through OMB, Congress, and the Comptroller General (p 3.1.39) |
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Term
| Is there relief for an ADA violation? |
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Definition
| The courts have held that there is no relief for an individual found culpable of an ADA violation. (p 3.1.40) |
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Term
| What are the criteria for recording an obligation? |
|
Definition
The creation of an obligation against an appropriation is accomplished through:
* Contracts
* Loan Agreements
* Interagency Orders
* Orders Without Advertising
* Grants and Subsidies
* Pending Litigation
* Employment and Travel
* Public Utilities
* Other Legal Liabilities (p 3.1.42) |
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Term
| What is a Continuing Resolution? |
|
Definition
| A temporary appropriation act that permits an agency to continue operations of the previous year at a specific level of funding for a specific period of time. Portions of the CR can continue for the entire fiscal year if Congress determines that some or all of the remaining bills will not be enacted individually. After the regular appropriation is enacted, it supersedes the CR and governs the period of availability and amount. (p 3.1.44) |
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Term
| What is the Rate of Operations? |
|
Definition
| The rate of operations carried on within the appropriation during the prior year. (p 3.1.45) |
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Term
| What is the Current Rate? |
|
Definition
| Equivalent to the "total funds" that were available for obligation for an activity during the prior fiscal year. (p 3.1.45) |
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Term
| What is the Current Rate for Multi-Year Appropriations? |
|
Definition
| Under a CR, if there is a balance of unobligated funds that can be carried into the current fiscal year, this balance must be deducted from the current rate in determining the amount of funds appropriated under a CR. (p 3.1.46) |
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Term
| What is the Current Rate Spending Pattern? |
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Definition
| An agency may determine the pattern of its obligations under a CR so long as it operates under a plan which will keep it within the rate of operations limit set by the resolution. If an agency usually obligates most of its annual budget in the first month or first quarter of the fiscal year, it may continue that pattern under the resolution. If an agency usually obligates funds uniformly over the entire year, it will be limited to that pattern under the resolution, unless it presents convincing reasons why its pattern must be changed in the current fiscal year. (p 3.1.46) |
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Term
| What happens when the Current Rate exceeds the final appropriation? |
|
Definition
| Funds legally obligated under the authority of a continuing resolution remain available to pay the obligations incurred that exceeded the final appropriation. (p 3.1.47) |
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Term
|
Definition
| The restriction on the use of funds for "any project or activity for which appropriations, funds or other authority were not available" during the preceding fiscal year. Therefore, if an agency had funds to carry out a program or project in the preceding fiscal year, that program is not a new start even if the agency failed to actually begin the program or project in the previous fiscal year. (p 3.1.47) |
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Term
| What is an Accountable Individual? |
|
Definition
Government officer or employee who is responsible for or has custody of Government funds.
* Departmental Accountable Official (DAO)
* Certifying Officer (CO)
* Disbursing Officer (DO)
* Others (p 3.1.48) |
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Term
| What is a Certifying Officer? |
|
Definition
* A Government officer or employee whose job is or includes certifying vouchers for payment
* Has no public funds in his or her possession
* Liable for amount of illegal or improper payments
* Responsible for:
- the existence and correctness of the facts stated in the certificate, voucher, and supporting documentation
- the correctness of the computations on the voucher
- the legality of a proposed payment under the appropriation cite for payment
* Other responsibilities include questioning items that simply do not look right and not certifying items with loose or missing safeguards (p 3.1.48/49) |
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Term
| What is a Certifying Officer's liability? |
|
Definition
* Liable for the amount of any illegal or improper payment
* Liable the moment an improper payment is made as the result of an erroneous certification (p 3.1.49) |
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Term
| What factors do not affect the duty to report erroneous payments? |
|
Definition
Factors that do not affect the duty to report:
* A mistake
* Inadvertency
* Lack of intent
* Minor violation
* Difficult working conditions
* Lack of personnel (p 3.1.49) |
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Term
| What are Advance Decisions? |
|
Definition
* A Departmental Accountable Official (DAO), certifying officer, or disbursing officer has the right to seek an advance decision from the DoD General Counsel regarding the lawfulness of any payment to be certified or made
* This procedure will insulate against liability (p 3.1.50) |
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Term
| Is there relief of Accountable Individuals? |
|
Definition
* Comptroller General (CG) must grant relief if SecDef determines that relief is appropriate given the criteria specified in 31 USC 3527 and 3528
* SecDef has delegated responsibility to DFAS for making determinations as to relief
* Criteria varies depending on whether there is physical loss or improper payment
* Applies to both certifying officers and disbursing officers (p 3.1.51) |
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|
Term
| When may the Comptroller General grant relief for improper payments? |
|
Definition
The Comptroller General must grant relief if:
* Physical Loss
- The Secretary of Defense determines that the official was carrying out official duties when the loss occurred
- The loss was not the result of an illegal, improper, or incorrect payment
- The loss was not the result of fault or negligence of the official
* Illegal, Incorrect, or Improper Payment
- Payment was not the result of bad faith or lack of reasonable care
- The certification or payment was based on official records
- No law specifically prohibited the payment
- The US Government received value for the payment (p 3.1.51) |
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|
Term
| What is the statute of limitations for improper payments? |
|
Definition
* Error - 3 years from the time the Comptroller General receives the account
* Fraud - No time limit (p 3.1.52) |
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Term
| What is Budget Authority? |
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Definition
| The authority provided by Federal law to incur financial obligations that will result in immediate or future outlays. (p 3.1.53) |
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Term
| What is Budgetary Accounting? |
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Definition
| The system that measures and controls the use of resources according to the purpose for which budget authority was enacted and that records receipts and other collections by source. It tracks the use of each appropriation for specified purposes in separate budget accounts through the various stages of budget execution from appropriation to apportionment, allotment to obligation, and eventually outlay. (p 3.1.53) |
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Term
| What are Budgetary Resources? |
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Definition
| The forms of authority given to an agency allowing it to incur obligations. Includes new budget authority, unobligated balances, direct spending authority, and offsetting collections. (p 3.1.53) |
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Term
| What is an Appropriation? |
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Definition
| A form of budget authority provided by law that permits Federal agencies to incur obligations and make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. Follows enactment of authorizing legislation. Most common means of providing budget authority, but in some cases the authorizing legislation itself provides the budget authority. (p 3.1.53) |
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Term
| What is Authorization (Authorizing Legislation)? |
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Definition
| The basic substantive legislation enacted by Congress, which sets up or continues the legal operation of a Federal program or agency either indefinitely or for a specified period of time or sanctions a particular type of obligation or expenditure within a program. (p 3.1.53) |
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Term
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Definition
| An existing condition, situation, or set of circumstances involving uncertainty as to possible gain or loss to an entity that will ultimately be resolved when one or more future events occur or fail to occur. (p 3.1.53) |
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Term
| What are Expended Appropriations? |
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Definition
| The dollar amount of appropriations used to fund goods and services or benefits or grants provided. (p 3.1.54) |
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Term
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Definition
| Outflows for other using up of assets or incurrences of liabilities (or a combination of both) during a period from providing goods, rendering services, or carrying out other activities related to an entity's programs and missions, the benefits from which do not extend beyond the present operating period. (p 3.1.54) |
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Term
| What does 41 USC 6301 Feed and Forage Act authorize? |
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Definition
| Authorizes the Department of Defense to incur obligations in excess of available appropriations in procuring or furnishing clothing, subsistence, forage, fuel, quarters, transportation, or medical and hospital supplies not to exceed the necessities of the current fiscal year. (p 3.1.54) |
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Term
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Definition
| The issuance of checks, disbursement of cash, or electronic transfer of funds made to liquidate a Federal obligation. (p 3.1.55) |
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Term
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Definition
| A tabulation, calculation, or recording of activity or effort that can be expressed in quantitative or qualitative manner. (p 3.1.55) |
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Term
| What is Proprietary Accounting? |
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Definition
| Aka Financial Accounting. A process that support accrual accounting and financial reporting that attempts to show actual financial position and results of operations by accounting for assets, liabilities, net position, revenues, and expenses. (p 3.1.55) |
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Term
| What is a Revolving Fund? |
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Definition
| A fund established to finance a cycle of operations through amounts received by a fund. Within DoD, such funds include the Defense Working Capital Fund, as well as other working capital funds. Consists of a permanent appropriation and expenditure of collections, from both the public and other Government agencies and accounts that are earmarked to finance a continuing cycle of business-type operations. (p 3.1.55) |
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Term
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Definition
| The reduction or cancellation of new budget authority; unobligated balances, new loan guarantee commitments or limitations; new direct loan obligations, commitments, or limitations; spending authority; and obligation limitations. (p 3.1.56) |
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Term
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Definition
| A particular kind of external event involving the transfer of something of value concerning two or more entities. (p 3.1.56) |
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Term
| What is a Treasury Warrant? |
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Definition
| An official document that the Secretary of Treasury issues pursuant to law and that establishes the amount of monies authorized to be withdrawn from the central accounts that the Treasury maintains. (p 3.1.56) |
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Term
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Definition
| Accounts designated by law as trust funds, such that Social Security Trust Fund, for receipts earmarked for specific purposes and the associated expenditure of those receipts. (p 3.1.56) |
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