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Making further continuing appropriations for the fiscal year 1996, and for other purposes.

Public Law 104-54 · H.J.Res. 123 · 104th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Bill Clinton (D) on Nov 19, 1995 · Economics and Public Finance

Sponsor: Rep. Robert Livingston (R-LA-1)

Cosponsors: None

Passage votes

  • HouseVoice vote
  • SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Title I: Continuing Appropriations

Title II: (Unnamed)

Title I: Continuing Appropriations - (Sec. 101) Makes further continuing appropriations for FY 1996 for continuing projects and activities, including the costs of direct loans and loan guarantees, conducted in 1995 and for which appropriations or other authority would be available in the following Acts: (1) the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1996; (2) the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 1996; (3) the District of Columbia Appropriations Act, 1996; (4) the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 1996; (5) the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1996; (6) the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1996; (7) the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1996; (8) the Department of Transportation Appropriations Act, 1996; (9) the Treasury, Postal Service, and General Government Appropriations Act, 1996; and (10) the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 1996. Sets the rates of such funding.

Sets forth limitations on the use of such funds.

(Sec. 106) Provides that, unless otherwise provided for in this joint resolution or in the applicable appropriations Act, appropriations and funds made available and authority granted pursuant to this joint resolution shall be available until: (1) enactment of an appropriation for any project or activity provided for in this joint resolution; (2) the enactment of the applicable appropriations Act by both Houses without any provision for such project or activity; or (3) November 20, 1995, whichever first occurs. States that for purposes of this resolution, the period of time covered by this resolution shall be considered to have begun on November 14, 1995.

(Sec. 111) Provides in specified circumstances, except for section 106, for the maintenance of a minimum level of funding for projects or activities under any Act listed in section 101. Defines minimum level.

(Sec. 112) Requires, except for section 106 and under specified conditions, that whenever the rate for operations for any continuing project or activity would result in a furlough of Government employees, that rate for operations may be increased to a minimum level that would enable the furlough to be avoided.

(Sec. 113) Requires, except for sections 106, 111, and 112, that for those programs that had high initial rates of operation or complete distribution of funding at the beginning of FY 1995 because of distributions of funding to States, foreign countries, grantees, or others, similar distributions of funds for FY 1996 shall not be made and no grants shall be awarded for such programs funded by this resolution that would impinge on final funding prerogatives.

(Sec. 115) Provides that section 132 of the District of Columbia Appropriations Act of 1988 (which provides that amounts appropriated for the Federal Payment to the District of Columbia shall not be subject to apportionment) shall not apply for this joint resolution. Provides for including in the apportionment for the Federal Payment to the District of Columbia an additional $15 million for certain capital construction loan repayments.

(Sec. 116) Requires, except for section 106, that the authority and conditions for the application of appropriations of the Office of Technology Assessment as contained in House Report 104-212, shall be followed when applying the funding made available by this joint resolution.

(Sec. 119) Requires, except for section 106, the Securities and Exchange Commission's Salaries and Expenses amount to include, in addition to direct appropriations, the amount it collects under the fee rate and offsetting collection authority.

(Sec. 120) Requires that funding be made available for the necessary expenses of the Bureau of Mines for: (1) continuing limited health and safety and related research, materials partnerships, and minerals information activities; (2) mineral assessments in Alaska; and (3) terminating all other activities of the Bureau of Mines.

(Sec. 121) Requires, except for section 106, that funds for the Environmental Protection Agency shall be made available in the appropriation accounts which are provided in H.R. 2099 as reported on September 13, 1995.

(Sec. 122) Sets forth a special formula for determining the rate of operations for projects and activities that would be funded under the heading "International Organizations and Conferences, Contributions to International Organizations" in the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1996.

(Sec. 123) Provides, except for section 106, that the rate for operations of the following projects or activities shall be only the minimum necessary to accomplish orderly termination: (1) Administrative Conference of the United States; (2) Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (with an exception); (3) Interstate Commerce Commission; (4) Pennsylvania Avenue Development Corporation; (5) Land and Water Conservation Fund, State Assistance; and (6) Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, Rural Abandoned Mine Program.

Title II: - Waives parchment printing requirements of the enrollment of: (1) a continuing resolution; (2) a debt limit extension measure; and (3) a reconciliation bill.

(Sec. 202) Sets forth the definitions of terms used in this joint resolution.

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 18 actions.

  1. Nov 19, 1995Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 104-54.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  5. Resolving differencesResolving differences · The previous question was ordered pursuant to a previous order of the House.
  6. Resolving differencesResolving differences · On motion that the House agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to by voice vote.
  7. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Mr. Livingston moved that the House agree to the Senate amendment.
  8. FloorFloor · DEBATE - Pursuant to a previous unanimous consent request, the House proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Livingston motion.
  9. FloorFloor · CONSIDERATION OF LEGISLATION - Mr. Livingston asked unanimous consent that it be in order to take from the Speaker's table the joint resolution H.J. Res. 122, with the Senate amendment thereto, and to consider in the House a motion offered by the Chairman of the Committee on App…
  10. FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  11. FloorFloor · Amendment SP 3061 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
  12. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  13. Nov 18, 1995FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  14. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the resolution Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 416 - 0 (Roll no. 818).House roll call 818
  15. FloorFloor · Mr. Livingston moved to suspend the rules and pass the resolution.
  16. FloorFloor · CONSIDERATION OF LEGISLATION - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 275, the Chair announced that a motion to suspend the rules and pass H.J. Res. 123 would be considered later in the day.
  17. Nov 17, 1995CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Appropriations Committee
  18. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
Data notes

Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.

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Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.