On Passage — H R 6617 — Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act

Further Additional Extending Government Funding Act This bill provides continuing FY2022 appropriations for federal agencies and extends several expiring authorities. Specifically, the bill provides continuing FY2022 appropriations to federal agencies through the earlier of March 11, 2022, or the enactment of the applicable appropriations act. It is known as a continuing resolution (CR) and prevents a government shutdown that would otherwise occur if the FY2022 appropriations bills have not been enacted when the existing CR expires on February 18, 2022. The CR funds most programs and activities at the FY2021 levels with several exceptions that provide funding flexibility or additional appropriations for various programs. For example, the CR includes provisions that address the President's authority to draw down defense articles and services to respond to unforeseen emergencies, procurement of the Columbia-class submarine, the Department of Defense's response to the contamination of drinking water near the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility in Hawaii, and the Department of the Interior's implementation of enterprise cybersecurity safeguards. In addition, the bill extends several expiring authorities, including the authority for the Department of Health and Human Services to make certain appointments for the National Disaster Medical System, the special assessment under the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 on nonindigent people or entities convicted of certain criminal offenses (e.g., sexual abuse and trafficking), the temporary scheduling order issued by the Drug Enforcement Administration to place fentanyl-related substances in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, and the current Medicaid federal matching rate (also known as the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage or FMAP) for certain territories. The bill also exempts the budgetary effects of these extensions from (1) the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 (PAYGO), (2) the Senate PAYGO rule, and (3) certain budget scorekeeping rules.