§ 1341. Limitations on Expending and Obligating Amounts

     (a)(1) An officer or employee of the United States Government or of the District of Columbia government may not—

     (A) make or authorize an expenditure or obligation exceeding an amount available in an appropriation or fund for the expenditure or obligation;

     (B) involve either government in a contract or obligation for the payment of money before an appropriation is made unless authorized by law;

     (C) make or authorize an expenditure or obligation of funds required to be sequestered under section 252 of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985; or

     (D) involve either government in a contract or obligation for the payment of money required to be sequestered under section 252 of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.

     (2) This subsection does not apply to a corporation getting amounts to make loans (except paid in capital amounts) without legal liability of the United States Government.

     (b) An article to be used by an executive department in the District of Columbia that could be bought out of an appropriation made to a regular contingent fund of the department may not be bought out of another amount available for obligation.

(Pub. L. 97–258, Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 923; Pub. L. 101–508, title XIII, § 13213(a), Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1388–621.)

Revised Section

Source (U.S. Code)

Source (Statutes at Large)

1341(a)     31:665(a), (d)(2)(last sentence related to spending and obligations).     R.S. § 3679(a), (d)(2)(last sentence related to spending and obligations); Mar. 3, 1905, ch. 1484, § 4(1st par.), 33 Stat. 1257; Feb. 27, 1906, ch. 510, § 3, 34 Stat. 48; restated Sept. 6, 1950, ch. 896, § 1211, 64 Stat. 765.

1341(b)     31:669(words after semicolon).     Aug. 23, 1912, ch. 350, § 6(words after semicolon), 37 Stat. 414.

     In subsection (b), the words "another amount available for obligation" are substituted for "any other fund" for consistency in the revised title.

References in Text

     Section 252 of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, referred to in subsec. (a)(1)(C), (D), is classified to section 902 of Title 2, The Congress.

     1990—Subsec. (a)(1)(C), (D). Pub. L. 101–508 added subpars. (C) and (D).

     This section is referred to in sections 1349, 1350, 1351 of this title; title 2 section 60a–2; title 5 section 5306; title 8 section 1363a; title 16 sections 450ss–4, 698v–4, 754c; title 19 section 2081; title 20 section 1225; title 22 sections 277d–3, 1461b, 2295b, 5857; title 26 section 7608; title 33 section 891d; title 40 section 490e; title 42 sections 2204, 2204a, 2210, 2295, 2394, 9619; title 43 section 377b; title 49 sections 40110, 40111, 40112; title 50 section 403f.