Appropriations Measures for Fiscal Years Coinciding with Lame Duck Sessions: 103 rd Congress-118 th Congress Updated August 31, 2026 (R46574) Jump to Main Text of Report Contents Background Appropriations Measures Enacted Before, During, and After Lame Duck Sessions Regular Appropriations Acts No Enactment of Regular Appropriations Bills During a Lame Duck Session Enactment of Regular Appropriations Bills During a Lame Duck Session Enactment of Regular Appropriations Bills After a Lame Duck Session Continuing Resolutions No Enactment of Continuing Resolutions During Lame Duck Sessions Enactment of Continuing Resolutions During Lame Duck Sessions Enactment of Continuing Resolutions After Lame Duck Sessions Supplemental Appropriations Enacted During Lame Duck Sessions Summary of Congressional Action on Appropriations Measures Before, During, and After Lame Duck Sessions: 103 rd -118 th Congress 103 rd Congress Lame Duck Session No Lame Duck Session in the 104 th Congress 105 th Congress Lame Duck Session 106 th Congress Lame Duck Session 107 th Congress Lame Duck Session 108 th Congress Lame Duck Session 109 th Congress Lame Duck Session 110 th Congress Lame Duck Session 111 th Congress Lame Duck Session 112 th Congress Lame Duck Session 113 th Congress Lame Duck Session 114 th Congress Lame Duck Session 115 th Congress Lame Duck Session 116 th Congress Lame Duck Session 117 th Congress Lame Duck Session 118 th Congress Lame Duck Session Tables Table 1. Lame Duck Sessions of Congress: 103 rd Congress-118 th Congress Table 2. Regular Appropriations Acts Enacted Before, During, and After Lame Duck Sessions: 103 rd Congress-118 th Congress Table 3. Short-Term Continuing Resolutions Enacted Before, During, and After Lame Duck Sessions: 103 rd Congress-118 th Congress Summary Fifteen of the past 16 completed Congresses (103 rd Congress-118 th Congress) have concluded with post-election, or "lame duck," sessions. Under contemporary conditions, any meeting of Congress that occurs between a congressional election in November and the beginning of the new Congress the following January is termed a lame duck session. The defining characteristic of a lame duck session is that its participants are the sitting Members of the existing Congress, not those who have been elected to sit in the new Congress. The enactment of appropriations legislation was an element of most lame duck sessions over this period. Of the 15 Congresses that held lame duck sessions over this period, 11 featured the enactment of at least one appropriations measure. A total of 49 regular, 26 continuing (continuing resolutions, or CRs), and 5 supplemental appropriations measures were enacted during lame duck sessions held during the 106 th , 107 th , 108 th , 109 th , 111 th , 113 th , 114 th , 115 th , 116 th , 117 th , and 118 th Congresses. No appropriations measures were enacted during the lame duck sessions held during the 103 rd , 105 th , 110 th , and 112 th Congresses. There was no lame duck session held during the 104 th Congress. Congress has on occasion used lame duck sessions to complete action on some or all regular appropriations bills for the current fiscal year. In other instances, Congress completed action on regular or other full-year appropriations measures for the relevant fiscal year prior to or after a lame duck session during the new Congress. From the 103 rd through 118 th Congress, a total of 184 regular appropriations measures for fiscal years during which lame duck sessions were held were either enacted individually, enacted as part of consolidated appropriations measures, or covered under full-year CRs. Of these, 51 were enacted prior to the lame duck sessions; 49 were enacted during the lame duck sessions; and 84 were enacted after the lame duck sessions during the new Congress. The enactment of CRs has also been common during lame duck sessions. A total of 72 CRs were enacted for fiscal years during which lame duck sessions were held between the 103 rd and 118 th Congresses. Thirty-six of these CRs were enacted prior to such lame duck sessions, 26 were enacted during the lame duck sessions, and 10 were enacted after the lame duck sessions during the new Congress. Lame duck sessions have on occasion been used to enact supplemental appropriations measures. From the 103 rd through 118 th Congress, four lame duck sessions featured the enactment of at least one supplemental appropriations measure. A total of five supplemental appropriations measures were enacted during these sessions, all of which were enacted as part of measures also containing either regular appropriations bills or CRs. T he activities of most federal agencies are at least partially funded by means of annual appropriations acts. 1 These appropriations are typically provided in the regular appropriations bills that are enacted for each fiscal year. 2 Some or all of the regular appropriations bills may be enacted before the fiscal year begins on October 1. In recent decades, however, it has been common for most or all regular appropriations bills to be enacted after the start of the fiscal year. When action on regular appropriations bills is delayed beyond the start of the fiscal year, one or more continuing appropriations acts (commonly known as continuing resolutions or CRs) may be enacted to provide interim funding. 3 Congress has completed action on regular appropriations measures in recent decades with the enactment of all of the regular appropriations bills for the current fiscal year or, on occasion, the enactment of a CR providing full-year appropriations for activities normally funded through one or more of the regular appropriations bills (known as a "full-year CR"). 4 In several recent instances, the consideration of appropriations measures for the current fiscal year has continued beyond congressional elections held in November of each even-numbered year. This has included action by the existing Congress during post-election, or "lame duck," sessions. Fifteen of the past 16 completed Congressesâthe 103 rd Congress through the 118 th Congressâhave concluded with "lame duck" sessions. 5 The enactment of appropriations measures has occurred during most of these sessions. This report provides information on appropriations measures enacted for fiscal years in which lame duck sessions were held from the 103 rd Congress (i.e., the lame duck session beginning in November 1994) through the 118 th Congress (i.e., the lame duck session beginning in November 2024). Appropriations measures discussed in this report include those for FY1995, FY1999, FY2001, FY2003, FY2005, FY2007, FY2009, FY2011, FY2013, FY2015, FY2017, FY2019, FY2021, FY2023, and FY2025. Background A lame duck session is a session of Congress that occurs during the period following Election Day and before the convening of a new Congress about two months later in early January. Under the Twentieth Amendment to the Constitution, Congress is required to convene at noon on January 3 following the election unless by statute it designates a different day. 6 In recent years, new Congresses have convened during the first week of January in each odd-numbered year, but not necessarily on January 3. 7 As described in a CRS report, Since 1935, the constitutional term of a Congress has begun on January 3 of each odd-numbered year and has ended on January 3 of the next odd-numbered year. As a result, any meeting of Congress that occurs between the congressional election in November of an even-numbered year and the following January 3 is a lame duck session. The significant characteristic of a lame duck session is that its participants are the sitting Members of the existing Congress, not those who will be entitled to sit in the new Congress. 8 Several factors may contribute to the scheduling of lame duck sessions, including the need to deal with unfinished business or urgent matters that have arisen suddenly. For example, lame duck sessions have been used for such matters as the consideration of authorization measures for the Department of Defense and intelligence activities, finalization of a measure establishing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), House impeachment proceedings against President Bill Clinton, and enactment of legislation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lame duck sessions have been used by most recent Congresses to act on regular or continuing appropriations bills for the current fiscal year. Lame duck sessions were held at the end of 25 of the 45 Congresses between the 74 th and 118 th Congresses (i.e., after elections held between 1934 and 2024). 9 Ten of the 25 lame duck sessions occurred between 1934 and 1990, an average of one out of every three Congresses during this period. The frequency of lame duck sessions has increased in recent decades, however. As shown in Table 1 , the remaining 15 lame duck sessions over this period occurred within the span of just 16 Congresses (the 103 rd -118 th ). 10 This report covers appropriations measures enacted for fiscal years coinciding with these latter 15 lame duck sessions. Table 1. Lame Duck Sessions of Congress: 103 rd Congress-118 th Congress Congress Dates of Lame Duck Session a House Senate 118 th November 12, 2024-January 3, 2025 November 12, 2024-January 3, 2025 117th November 14, 2022-January 3, 2023 November 14, 2022-January 3, 2023 116th November 16, 2020-January 3, 2021 November 9, 2020-January 3, 2021 115th November 13, 2018-January 3, 2019 November 13, 2018-January 3, 2019 114th November 14, 2016-January 3, 2017 November 14, 2016-January 3, 2017 113th November 12, 2014-January 2, 2015 November 12, 2014-December 16, 2014 112th November 13, 2012-January 3, 2013 November 13, 2012-January 2, 2013 111th November 15, 2010-December 22, 2010 November 15, 2010-December 22, 2010 110th November 19, 2008-January 3, 2009 November 19, 2008-January 2, 2009 109th November 13, 2006-December 9, 2006 November 13, 2006-December 9, 2006 108th November 13, 2004-December 9, 2004 November 13, 2004-December 9, 2004 107th November 7, 2002-November 22, 2002 November 7, 2002-November 20, 2002 106th November 13, 2000-December 15, 2000 December 5, 2000-December 15, 2000 105th December 17, 1998-December 19, 1998 None 104th None None 103rd November 29, 1994 November 30, 1994-December 1, 1994 Sources : CRS Report R45154, Lame Duck Sessions of Congress, 1935-2022 (74th-117th Congresses) , by Jane A. Hudiburg and Congress.gov. a. The first day of the lame duck session is the first day of consecutive sessions following the election. The last day is the day of final sine die adjournment of Congress. The calendar length of a lame duck session does not necessarily reflect the number of days the House or Senate held daily sessions over these periods. For more information on the number of days in daily session for the House and Senate during these lame duck sessions, see CRS Report R45154, Lame Duck Sessions of Congress, 1935-2022 (74th-117th Congresses) , by Jane A. Hudiburg. Appropriations Measures Enacted Before, During, and After Lame Duck Sessions From the 103 rd Congress through the 118 th Congress, Congress developed and considered appropriations legislation for 15 fiscal years during which lame duck sessions were held. 11 For these fiscal years, Congress and the President enacted a total of 184 regular appropriations measures either individually, as part of consolidated appropriations measures, or that were covered under full-year CRs. Congressional practice regarding the enactment of regular appropriations measures before, during, and after such lame duck sessions varied over this period. In some cases, some or all regular appropriations bills were enacted prior to the lame duck sessions. In most other cases, the consideration of regular appropriations measures continued during the lame duck session and/or after the lame duck session during the new Congress. The enactment of full-year CRs to cover some or all regular appropriations acts for a given fiscal yearâwhen it occurred over this periodâoccurred exclusively after the corresponding lame duck session during the new Congress. In addition, a total of 72 short-term, or "interim," CRs were enacted for these fiscal years. In all years except one, at least one CR was enacted to provide interim funding prior to the lame duck session. 12 One or more additional short-term CRs were enacted for most of these fiscal years during the lame duck sessions. In fewer cases, one or more additional short-term CRs were enacted after the lame duck session during the new Congress. Five supplemental appropriations measures were enacted during lame duck sessions over this period. Most supplemental appropriations measures enacted for these fiscal years were enacted after the corresponding lame duck session during the new Congress, however. Table 1 and Table 2 provide information on appropriations measures enacted before, during, and after each lame duck session held from the 103 rd Congress through the 118 th Congress. The section of this report titled " Summary of Congressional Action on Appropriations Measures Before, During, and After Lame Duck Sessions: 103rd-118th Congress " provides additional information on the consideration and enactment of appropriations measures for each fiscal year coinciding with a lame duck session over this period. Regular Appropriations Acts Table 2 provides information on regular appropriations measures signed into law for each fiscal year during which a lame duck session was held from the 103 rd Congress through the 118 th Congress. The table counts regular appropriations bills enacted individually or as part of consolidated appropriations measures, as well as regular appropriations bills covered under full-year CRs. In total, 51 regular appropriations measures for these fiscal years were enacted prior to the applicable lame duck session, 49 were enacted during the lame duck session, and 84 were enacted after the lame duck session during the new Congress. 13 Table 2. Regular Appropriations Acts Enacted Before, During, and After Lame Duck Sessions: 103 rd Congress-118 th Congress Congress Fiscal Year Number of Regular Appropriations Bills a Number of Regular Appropriations Acts Enacted: Before Lame Duck Session During Lame Duck Session After Lame Duck Session b 118 th 2025 12 0 0 12 c 117 th 2023 12 0 12 0 116 th 2021 12 0 12 0 115 th 2019 12 5 0 7 114 th 2017 12 1 0 11 113 th 2015 12 0 11 1 112 th 2013 12 0 0 12 d 111 th 2011 12 0 0 12 e 110 th 2009 12 3 0 9 109 th 2007 11 2 0 9 f 108 th 2005 13 4 9 0 107 th 2003 13 2 0 11 106 th 2001 13 8 5 0 105 th 1999 13 13 0 0 103 rd 1995 13 13 0 0 Total 184 51 49 84 Source : Prepared by CRS using the CRS Appropriations Status Table and the final edition of Calendars of the United States House of Representatives and History of Legislation, One Hundred Third Congress . Notes: Unless specified otherwise in the table notes, all appropriations acts reflected in this table are regular appropriations acts enacted either individually or as part of consolidated appropriations measures. The table excludes the 104 th Congress because no lame duck session was held. All regular appropriations bills for FY1997âthe fiscal year that would have corresponded with a lame duck session at the end of the 104 th Congressâwere enacted prior to the start of the fiscal year. a. During the 109 th Congress (2005-2006), the number of regular appropriations acts was reduced from 13 to 11 due to a reorganization of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees. At the beginning of the 110 th Congress, a further reorganization of the appropriations subcommittees took effect, which resulted in an increase in the number of regular appropriations acts to 12. For more, see CRS Report RL31572, Appropriations Subcommittee Structure: History of Changes from 1920 to 2025 , by James V. Saturno. b. For the purpose of this report, the term "After Lame Duck Session" refers to actions taken on appropriations measures for specified fiscal years by the Congress immediately succeeding the Congress in which the relevant lame duck session was held. For example, appropriations measures for FY2025 enacted by the 119 th Congress are considered as appropriations measures enacted after the lame duck session held at the end of the 118 th Congress. c. The 12 regular appropriations bills for FY2025 were covered under a full-year CR (Division A of P.L. 119-4 , enacted on March 15, 2025). d. Seven of the regular appropriations bills for FY2013 were covered under a full-year CR (Division F of P.L. 113-6 , enacted on March 26, 2013). e. Eleven of the regular appropriations bills for FY2011 were covered under a full-year CR (Division B of P.L. 112-10 , enacted on April 15, 2011). f. Nine of the regular appropriations bills for FY2007 were covered under a full-year CR ( P.L. 110-5 , enacted on February 15, 2007). No Enactment of Regular Appropriations Bills During a Lame Duck Session No regular appropriations bills were enacted during 10 of the 15 lame duck sessions since the 103 rd Congress (lame duck sessions held during the 103 rd , 105 th , 107 th , 109 th , 110 th , 111 th , 112 th , 114 th , 115 th , and 118 th Congresses). For two of these lame duck sessions (103 rd and 105 th Congresses), no action was taken on regular appropriations bills because all regular appropriations bills for the applicable fiscal years (FY1995 and FY1999) had been enacted prior to the start of the lame duck session. For the others (107 th , 109 th , 110 th , 111 th , 112 th , 114 th , 115 th , and 118 th Congresses), no regular appropriations bills were enacted during the lame duck session despite some or all regular appropriations bills for the applicable fiscal years remaining unenacted during the session. For three of these lame duck sessions (111 th , 112 th , and 118 th Congresses), none of the regular appropriations bills were enacted either prior to or during the lame duck session, thus leaving the enactment of all regular appropriations bills for the applicable fiscal years (FY2011, FY2013, and FY2025) to the new Congress. Enactment of Regular Appropriations Bills During a Lame Duck Session Enactment of regular appropriations bills occurred during five lame duck sessions since the 103 rd Congress (lame duck sessions held during the 106 th , 108 th , 113 th , 116 th , and 117 th Congresses). During four of these lame duck sessions (106 th , 108 th , 116 th , and 117 th Congresses), Congress completed action on all remaining regular appropriations bills for the applicable fiscal year during the lame duck session (FY2001, FY2005, FY2021, and FY2023). During two of these lame duck sessions (116 th and 117 th Congresses), all regular appropriations for the applicable fiscal year (FY2021 and FY2023) were enacted during the lame duck session. Eleven of the 12 regular appropriations bills for FY2015 were enacted during the lame duck session held during the 113 th Congress. 14 Enactment of Regular Appropriations Bills After a Lame Duck Session Consideration of regular or other full-year appropriations measures for the applicable fiscal year continued beyond lame duck sessions and into the new Congress on nine occasions since the 103 rd Congress (after the lame duck sessions held during the 107 th , 109 th , 110 th , 111 th , 112 th , 113 th , 114 th , 115 th , and 118 th Congresses). On three occasions (111 th , 112 th , and 118 th Congresses), no regular appropriations bills were enacted either prior to or during the lame duck sessions, thus leaving all regular or other full-year appropriations measures (for FY2011, FY2013, and FY2025) to be enacted by the new Congresses. In all three cases, some or all regular appropriations bills for these fiscal years were covered by a full-year CR enacted by the new Congress. 15 Continuing Resolutions CRs have been an integral component of the annual appropriations process for decades. When one or more regular appropriations bills have not been enacted by the start of the new fiscal year on October 1, Congress has typically enacted one or more CRs to provide interim funding, thereby avoiding lapses in funding ("funding gaps") and resulting disruptions in agency operations ("government shutdowns"). 16 Short-term, or "interim," CRs provide interim funding for a portion of the fiscal year (i.e., a matter of days, weeks, or months). These CRs differ from "full-year" CRs, which provide full-year appropriations for covered activities. Interim CRs typically provide covered activities with funding through an expiration date specified in the measure. The duration of a CR may be a source of debate during its development and consideration. For example, with any given CR, some in Congress may favor a shorter duration to incentivize the enactment of regular appropriations bills at an earlier date. Others may favor longer durations to postpone final actions on regular appropriations beyond a certain date. These debates may be amplified in the context of lame duck sessions due to political considerations related to election outcomes and the upcoming new Congress. 17 At least one interim CR has been enacted for every fiscal year since FY1998. As such, at least one interim CR has been enacted for 14 of the past 15 fiscal years during which a lame duck session was held. This includes the enactment of CRs before, during, and after such lame duck sessions. As shown in Table 3 , a total of 72 CRs were enacted for fiscal years during which a lame duck session was held from the 103 rd Congress through the 118 th Congress. Thirty-six CRs for these fiscal years were enacted prior to the applicable lame duck session, 26 were enacted during the lame duck session, and 10 were enacted after the lame duck session during the new Congress. 18 Table 3. Short-Term Continuing Resolutions Enacted Before, During, and After Lame Duck Sessions: 103 rd Congress-118 th Congress Congress Fiscal Year Number of Short-Term Continuing Resolutions Enacted: Before Lame Duck Session During Lame Duck Session After Lame Duck Session a Total 118 th 2025 1 1 0 2 117 th 2023 1 2 0 3 116 th 2021 1 4 0 5 115 th 2019 1 1 1 3 114 th 2017 1 1 1 3 113 th 2015 1 3 1 5 112 th 2013 1 0 0 1 111 th 2011 1 3 3 7 110 th 2009 1 0 1 2 109 th 2007 1 2 0 3 108 th 2005 1 2 0 3 107 th 2003 4 1 3 8 106 th 2001 15 6 0 21 105th 1999 6 0 0 6 103 rd 1995 0 0 0 0 Total 36 26 10 72 Source : Prepared by CRS using the CRS Appropriations Status Table and the final edition of Calendars of the United States House of Representatives and History of Legislation, One Hundred Third Congress . Notes: This table only counts short-term, or "interim," continuing resolutions enacted for each fiscal year. Table 2 of this report includes information on full-year continuing resolutions enacted over this period. The table excludes the 104 th Congress because no lame duck session was held. All regular appropriations bills for FY1997âthe fiscal year that would have corresponded with a lame duck session at the end of the 104 th Congressâwere enacted prior to the start of the fiscal year. a. For the purpose of this report, the term "After Lame Duck Session" refers to actions taken on appropriations measures for specified fiscal years by the Congress immediately succeeding the Congress in which the relevant lame duck session was held. For example, appropriations measures for FY2025 enacted by the 119 th Congress are considered as appropriations measures enacted after the lame duck session held at the end of the 118 th Congress. No Enactment of Continuing Resolutions During Lame Duck Sessions No CRs were enacted during four lame duck sessions held from the 103 rd Congress through the 118 th Congress (the lame duck sessions held during the 103 rd , 105 th , 110 th , and 112 th Congresses). No CRs were needed during the lame duck sessions held at the end of the 103 rd and 105 th Congresses because all regular appropriations bills for FY1995 and FY1999 had been enacted prior to the lame duck session. 19 No CRs were enacted during the lame duck sessions held during the 110 th and 112 th Congresses due to the prior enactment of CRs (for FY2009 and FY2013) providing interim funding beyond the duration of the lame duck session. On both occasions, the CRs enacted prior to the lame duck session provided interim funding into March of the next calendar year (i.e., during the new Congress). 20 Enactment of Continuing Resolutions During Lame Duck Sessions Eleven of the 15 lame duck sessions held from the 103 rd Congress through the 118 th Congress featured the enactment of at least one interim CR for the then-current fiscal year. In all 11 cases, the lame duck session was preceded by enactment of an interim CR that was set to expire between Election Day and the convening of the new Congress. This effectively required the enactment of either a new interim CR or all regular appropriations bills during a lame duck session to avoid funding gaps and government shutdowns. Most of these lame duck sessions featured the enactment of one or two interim CRs, including the lame duck sessions held during the 107 th (one CR), 108 th (two CRs), 109 th (two CRs), 114 th (one CR), 115 th (one CR), 117 th (two CRs), and 118 th (one CR) Congresses. Three interim CRs for FY2011 and FY2015, respectively, were enacted during the lame duck sessions held at the end of the 111 th and 113 th Congresses. Four interim CRs for FY2021 were enacted during the lame duck session held at the end of the 116 th Congress. Six interim CRs were enacted for FY2001 during the lame duck session held at the end of the 106 th Congress (15 CRs for FY2001 had been enacted before the session began). Enactment of Continuing Resolutions After Lame Duck Sessions One or more additional interim CRs were enacted after a lame duck session during the new Congress for six fiscal years during which lame duck sessions were held from the 103 rd through 118 th Congress. One interim CR for each of fiscal years 2009, 2015, 2017, and 2019 was enacted by the 111 th , 114 th , 115 th , and 116 th Congresses, respectively, after lame duck sessions held during the preceding Congresses. Three interim CRs for each of FY2003 and FY2011 were enacted by the 108 th and 112 th Congresses, respectively, after lame duck sessions held during the preceding Congresses. Supplemental Appropriations Enacted During Lame Duck Sessions For any given fiscal year, Congress may develop and consider supplemental appropriations measures intended to provide funding in addition to amounts provided in regular appropriations bills and/or CRs. Such measures are most often developed and considered to address urgent and/or unforeseen funding needs (e.g., disaster relief), though there are no formal restrictions on the accounts or activities that can receive funding through supplemental appropriations measures. From the 103 rd through 118 th Congress, a total of five supplemental appropriations measures were enacted across four lame duck sessions (the lame duck sessions held during the 114 th , 116 th , 117 th , and 118 th Congresses). All five measures were enacted as part of legislative vehicles that also included either regular appropriations bills or CRs. These measures include the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2025 (Division B of P.L. 118-158 , the American Relief Act, 2025); the Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023 (Division M of P.L. 117-328 , the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023); the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023 (Division N of P.L. 117-328 , the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023); the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (Division M of P.L. 116-260 , the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021); and the Security Assistance Appropriations Act, 2017 (Division B of P.L. 114-254 , the Further Continuing and Security Assistance Appropriations Act, 2017). Most supplemental appropriations measures for fiscal years coinciding with lame duck sessions from the 103 rd through 118 th Congress were enacted after the lame duck session during the new Congress. 21 Summary of Congressional Action on Appropriations Measures Before, During, and After Lame Duck Sessions: 103 rd -118 th Congress The following sections provide summaries of congressional action on appropriations measures for each fiscal year during which a lame duck session was held from the 103 rd Congress through the 118 th Congress. 103 rd Congress Lame Duck Session At the end of the 103 rd Congress, lame duck sessions were held in the House on November 29, 1994, and in the Senate from November 30, 1994, to December 1, 1994. All 13 regular appropriations acts for FY1995 were enacted prior to the start of the fiscal year on October 1, 1994. All were enacted separately and no CRs were needed. Congress did not consider any appropriations legislation for FY1995 during the lame duck session. No Lame Duck Session in the 104 th Congress Neither chamber held a lame duck session at the end of the 104 th Congress. All regular appropriations acts for FY1997 were enacted prior to the start of the fiscal year on October 1, 1996. Seven of the regular appropriations bills were enacted individually between August 6, 1996, and September 30, 1996, and the remaining six were enacted in a consolidated appropriations measure ( P.L. 104-208 ) on September 30, 1996. 105 th Congress Lame Duck Session At the end of the 105 th Congress, the House held a lame duck session from December 17, 1998, to December 19, 1998. The Senate did not hold a lame duck session at the end of the 105 th Congress. All 13 regular appropriations acts for FY1999 were enacted prior to the lame duck session. Five of the bills were enacted individually between September 20, 1998, and October 21, 1998. The remaining eight regular appropriations bills for FY1999 were enacted on October 21, 1998, in the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1999 ( P.L. 105-277 ). Over the three days of its lame duck session, the House considered and passed a resolution of impeachment against President Bill Clinton. 106 th Congress Lame Duck Session At the end of the 106 th Congress, lame duck sessions were held in the House from November 13, 2000, to December 15, 2000, and in the Senate from December 5, 2000, to December 15, 2000. Eight of the 13 regular appropriations acts for FY2001 were enacted between July 13, 2000, and November 6, 2000, prior to the lame duck session. Six were enacted separately and two were enacted as part of a consolidated appropriations measure ( P.L. 106-377 , enacted October 27, 2000). 22 Fifteen short-term CRs with durations spanning 1 day to 10 days were enacted prior to the lame duck session. President Bill Clinton also vetoed three regular appropriations bills for FY2001 passed by Congress prior to the lame duck session. 23 The five remaining regular appropriations acts for FY2001 were enacted during the lame duck session. 24 A consolidated appropriations measure, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2001 ( P.L. 106-554 ; enacted December 21, 2000), included the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies; Legislative Branch; and Treasury and General Government appropriations acts. The FY2001 District of Columbia ( P.L. 106-522 ; enacted November 22, 2000) and Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies ( P.L. 106-553 ; enacted December 21, 2000) appropriations acts were enacted separately. Six short-term CRs with durations spanning 1 day to 21 days were also enacted during the lame duck session to provide further interim funding until action on regular appropriations bills was complete. 107 th Congress Lame Duck Session At the end of the 107 th Congress, lame duck sessions were held in the House from November 7, 2002, to November 22, 2002, and in the Senate from November 7, 2002, to November 20, 2002. Two of the regular appropriations acts for FY2003âthe Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2003 ( P.L. 107-248 ), and the Military Construction Appropriations Act, 2003 ( P.L. 107-249 )âwere enacted on October 23, 2002, prior to the lame duck session. Four CRs for FY2003 were also enacted prior to the lame duck session. The only action on appropriations legislation during the lame duck session was the enactment of a short-term CR ( P.L. 107-294 ) on November 23, 2002. 25 The CR provided interim funding through January 11, 2003, roughly one week into the 108 th Congress. Three more short-term CRs were enacted after the lame duck session during the 108 th Congress, the last of which provided interim funding through February 20, 2003. The 11 remaining regular appropriations acts for FY2003 were enacted during the 108 th Congress on February 20, 2003, in P.L. 108-7 , the Consolidated Appropriations Resolution, 2003. 108 th Congress Lame Duck Session At the end of the 108 th Congress, lame duck sessions were held in both chambers from November 13, 2004, to December 9, 2004. Four regular appropriations acts for FY2005 were enacted prior to the lame duck sessionâthe Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2005 ( P.L. 108-287 , enacted August 5, 2004); the Military Construction Appropriations Act, 2005 (Division A of P.L. 108-324 , enacted October 13, 2004); the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2005 ( P.L. 108-334 , enacted October 18, 2004); and the District of Columbia Appropriations Act, 2005 ( P.L. 108-335 , enacted October 18, 2004). One short-term CR was enacted prior to the lame duck session, which provided interim funding from October 1, 2004, through November 20, 2004. Two additional short-term CRs for FY2005 were enacted during the lame duck session. The first ( P.L. 108-416 , enacted November 21, 2004) extended interim funding through December 3, 2004. The second ( P.L. 108-434 , enacted December 3, 2004) further extended such funding through December 8, 2004. Congress completed action on the regular appropriations acts for FY2005 during the lame duck session with the enactment of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005 ( P.L. 108-447 ) on December 8, 2004. The measure included the nine remaining regular appropriations acts for FY2005. 109 th Congress Lame Duck Session At the end of the 109 th Congress, lame duck sessions were held in both chambers from November 13, 2006, to December 9, 2006. Two of the 11 regular appropriations acts for FY2007 were enacted prior to the lame duck sessionâthe Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2007 ( P.L. 109-289 , enacted September 29, 2006) and the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2007 ( P.L. 109-295 , enacted October 4, 2006). A short-term CR ( P.L. 109-289 ) was enacted to provide interim funding for the nine remaining regular appropriations bills through November 17, 2006. Two additional short-term CRs were enacted during the lame duck session. The second of these ( P.L. 109-383 ) provided interim funding through February 15, 2007, roughly one and a half months into the 110 th Congress. No regular appropriations bills for FY2007 were enacted during the lame duck session. The 110 th Congress completed action on the nine remaining regular appropriations acts for FY2007 by enacting a full-year CR ( P.L. 110-5 , enacted February 15, 2007) covering all nine bills through the end of the fiscal year. 110 th Congress Lame Duck Session At the end of the 110 th Congress, lame duck sessions were held in the House from November 19, 2008, to January 3, 2009, and in the Senate from November 19, 2008, to January 2, 2009. The Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009 ( P.L. 110-329 ), was signed into law on September 30, 2008, prior to the lame duck session. The act included three regular appropriations acts for FY2009âthe Department of Defense (Division C), Department of Homeland Security (Division D), and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs (Division E) appropriations acts. Division A of the act included a short-term CR providing interim funding for the nine remaining regular appropriations bills through March 6, 2009, or roughly three months into the 111 th Congress. Congress took no action on appropriations measures during the lame duck session. The nine remaining regular appropriations acts for FY2009 were enacted during the 111 th Congress through the Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009 ( P.L. 111-8 ), which was signed into law on March 11, 2009. 111 th Congress Lame Duck Session At the end of the 111 th Congress, lame duck sessions were held in both chambers from November 15, 2010, to December 15, 2010. None of the regular appropriations bills for FY2011 were enacted prior to the lame duck session. A short-term CR ( P.L. 111-242 ) was enacted on September 30, 2010, which provided interim funding for the 12 regular appropriations bills through December 3, 2010. Three additional short-term CRs were enacted during the lame duck session to extend this interim funding. The last of these ( P.L. 111-322 , enacted December 22, 2010) extended the interim funding through March 4, 2011, roughly three months into the 112 th Congress. Three additional short-term CRs for FY2011 were enacted during the first months of the 112 th Congress. The last of these ( P.L. 112-8 , enacted April 9, 2011) provided interim funding through April 15, 2011. The 112 th Congress completed action on regular appropriations bills for FY2011 by enacting the Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011 ( P.L. 112-10 ) on April 15, 2011. Division A of the act included the regular Department of Defense appropriations act for FY2011. Division B included a full-year CR covering the 11 remaining regular bills through the end of the fiscal year. 112 th Congress Lame Duck Session At the end of the 112 th Congress, lame duck sessions were held in the House from November 13, 2012, to January 3, 2013, and in the Senate from November 13, 2012, to January 2, 2013. None of the regular appropriations bills for FY2013 were enacted prior to the lame duck session. A short-term CR ( P.L. 112-175 ) was enacted on September 28, 2012, providing interim funding for all 12 regular bills through March 27, 2013, roughly four months into the 113 th Congress. Congress took no action on appropriations measures during the lame duck session. The 113 th Congress completed action on regular appropriations bills for FY2013 by enacting the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013 ( P.L. 113-6 ) on March 26, 2013. Divisions A through E of the act each included one regular appropriations act for FY2013. Division F of the act included a full-year CR covering the seven remaining regular bills through the end of the fiscal year. 113 th Congress Lame Duck Session At the end of the 113 th Congress, lame duck sessions were held in the House from November 12, 2014, to January 2, 2015, and in the Senate from November 12, 2014, to December 16, 2014. None of the regular appropriations bills for FY2015 were enacted prior to the lame duck session. A short-term CR ( P.L. 113-164 ) was enacted on September 19, 2014, to provide interim funding for all 12 regular bills through December 11, 2014. Two short-term CRs covering the 12 regular bills were enacted during the lame duck session. The first ( P.L. 113-202 , enacted December 12, 2011) provided interim funding through December 13, 2014. The second ( P.L. 113-203 , enacted December 13, 2014) provided interim funding through December 17, 2014. Eleven regular appropriations acts for FY2015 were enacted during the lame duck session on December 16, 2014, through the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015 ( P.L. 113-235 ). Divisions A through K of the act each included one regular appropriations act for FY2015. Division L included a short-term CR for the one remaining regular billâDepartment of Homeland Securityâthat provided interim funding for the agency through February 27, 2015, roughly two months into the 114 th Congress. One additional short-term CR was enacted during the 114 th Congress to provide further interim funding for the Department of Homeland Security through March 6, 2015 ( P.L. 114-3 , enacted February 27, 2015). The Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2015 ( P.L. 114-4 ), was enacted on March 4, 2015. 114 th Congress Lame Duck Session At the end of the 114 th Congress, lame duck sessions were held in both chambers from November 14, 2016, to January 3, 2017. One regular appropriations act for FY2017âDivision A of P.L. 114-223 , the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017âwas enacted prior to the lame duck session. Division C of the act included a short-term CR providing interim funding for the 11 remaining bills through December 9, 2016. One additional short-term CR (Division A of P.L. 114-254 , enacted December 10, 2016) was enacted during the lame duck session, providing further interim funding for the remaining 11 regular bills through April 28, 2017, roughly five months into the 115 th Congress. Division B of the measure included the Security Assistance Appropriations Act, 2017, a supplemental appropriations measure for FY2017. One more short-term CR for FY2017 was enacted during the 115 th Congress to provide further interim funding for the 11 remaining regular bills through May 5, 2017 ( P.L. 115-30 , enacted April 28, 2017). The 11 remaining regular bills for FY2017 were enacted in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 ( P.L. 115-31 ), which was signed into law May 5, 2017. 115 th Congress Lame Duck Session At the end of the 115 th Congress, lame duck sessions were held in both chambers from November 13, 2018, to January 3, 2019. Two consolidated appropriations measures ( P.L. 115-244 , enacted September 21, 2018, and P.L. 115-245 , enacted September 28, 2018), containing a total of five regular appropriation bills for FY2019, were enacted prior to the lame duck session. Division C of P.L. 115-245 included a short-term CR providing interim funding for the seven remaining regular bills through December 7, 2018. A second short-term CR ( P.L. 115-298 , enacted December 7, 2018) was enacted during the lame duck session to provide further interim funding for the seven remaining regular bills through December 21, 2018. The House and Senate were unable to reach agreement on a third short-term CR ( H.R. 695 ) during the lame duck session, causing funding to lapse on December 22, 2018, for activities funded through the seven remaining bills. The funding lapse continued for 34 full days until January 25, 2019, when a third short-term CR ( P.L. 116-5 ) was enacted during the 116 th Congress to provide interim funding for the seven remaining regular bills through February 15, 2019. The seven remaining regular appropriations acts were enacted in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019 ( P.L. 116-6 ), on February 15, 2019. 26 116 th Congress Lame Duck Session At the end of the 116 th Congress, lame duck sessions were held in the House from November 16, 2020, to January 3, 2021, and in the Senate from November 9, 2020, to January 3, 2021. No regular appropriations bills for FY2021 were enacted prior to the lame duck session. A short-term CR (Division A of P.L. 116-159 , enacted October 1, 2020) was enacted to provide interim funding for the 12 regular bills through December 11, 2020. During the lame duck session, four additional short-term CRs were enacted, the last of which ( P.L. 116-246 , enacted December 22, 2020) provided interim funding for the 12 regular bills through December 28, 2020. On December 21, 2020, during the lame duck session, the House and Senate passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, which the President signed into law on December 27, 2020 ( P.L. 116-260 ). Divisions A-L of the act each included one regular appropriations bill for FY2021. Division M of the measure included the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023. 117 th Congress Lame Duck Session At the end of the 117 th Congress, lame duck sessions were held in both chambers from November 14, 2022, to January 3, 2023. None of the regular appropriations bills for FY2023 were enacted prior to the start of the lame duck session. An initial short-term CR (Division A of P.L. 117-180 ) was enacted on September 30, 2023, to provide interim funding for all 12 bills through December 16, 2023. During the lame duck session, two additional short-term CRs were enacted to continue this interim funding. The first (Division A of P.L. 117-229 , enacted December 16, 2022) provided interim funding through December 23, 2022. The second (Division A of P.L. 117-264 , enacted December 23, 2022) provided interim funding through December 30, 2022. On December 22, 2022, during the lame duck session, the Senate passed H.R. 2617 , the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, a consolidated appropriations measure containing the 12 regular appropriations bills for FY2023. Divisions A through L of the act each contained one regular appropriations bill. The measure also included two supplemental appropriations measuresâDivision M, the Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023; and Division N, the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023. The House passed the measure the following day, on December 23, 2022. The President signed the measure into law ( P.L. 117-328 ) on December 29, 2022. 118 th Congress Lame Duck Session At the end of the 118 th Congress, lame duck sessions were held in both chambers from November 12, 2024, to January 3, 2025. None of the regular appropriations bills for FY2025 were enacted prior to the lame duck session. An initial short-term CR (Division A of P.L. 118-83 ) was enacted on September 26, 2024, to provide interim funding for all 12 regular bills through December 20, 2024. One additional short-term CR for FY2025 was enacted during the lame duck session (Division A of P.L. 118-158 , enacted December 21, 2024), to provide interim funding for the 12 regular bills through March 14, 2025, roughly three and a half months into the 119 th Congress. Division B of the act included the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2025. The 119 th Congress completed action on regular appropriations bills for FY2025 by enacting the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2025 (Division A of P.L. 119-4 ) on March 15, 2025. The act included a full-year CR covering the 12 regular appropriations bills through the end of the fiscal year. Prior versions of this report were written by Robert Keith, formerly a Specialist in American National Government at CRS; Jessica Tollestrup, Specialist in Social Policy; Megan Lynch, Specialist on Congress and the Legislative Process; and Kevin P. McNellis, formerly an Analyst on Congress and the Legislative Process. The listed author is available to respond to inquiries on the subject from congressional clients. Footnotes 1 . For more on the annual appropriations process, see CRS Report R47106, The Appropriations Process: A Brief Overview , by James V. Saturno and Megan S. Lynch. 2 . Regular appropriations bills may be enacted individually or as part of a consolidated appropriations act (commonly referred to as an "omnibus"). For more information on omnibus appropriations acts, see CRS Insight IN12324, Omnibus Appropriations: Overview of Recent Practice . 3 . For more on continuing resolutions, see CRS Report R46595, Continuing Resolutions: Overview of Components and Practices , coordinated by James V. Saturno. 4 . For more on full-year CRs, see CRS Report R48731, Full-Year Continuing Resolutions: Frequently Asked Questions , by Drew C. Aherne, Dominick A. Fiorentino, and Taylor N. Riccard. 5 . No lame duck sessions were held at the end of the 104 th Congress after the 1996 election. 6 . Section 2 of the Twentieth Amendment states: "The Congress shall assemble at least once in every year, and such meeting shall begin at noon on the 3d day of January, unless they shall by law appoint a different day." See "Constitution Annotated" on the CRS website at https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/amendment-20/ . 7 . For more information, see CRS Report RS20722, The First Day of a New Congress: A Guide to Proceedings on the Senate Floor and CRS Report RL30725, The First Day of a New Congress: A Guide to Proceedings on the House Floor , by Christopher M. Davis. 8 . CRS Report R45154, Lame Duck Sessions of Congress, 1935-2022 (74th-117th Congresses) , by Jane A. Hudiburg. 9 . According to CRS Report R45154, Lame Duck Sessions of Congress, 1935-2022 (74th-117th Congresses) , by Jane A. Hudiburg, "The possibility of a lame duck session of Congress in the modern sense began with the ratification of the Twentieth Amendment to the Constitution. Under this amendment, ratified in 1933, the terms of Members begin and end on January 3 of odd-numbered years. Congress convenes in a regular session on January 3 of each year unless it passes a law changing the date. Thus, the 74 th Congress (1935-1937) was the first to begin its first session and the terms of its Members on the new date." 10 . This includes lame duck sessions held after the 1994, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024 elections. 11 . FY1995, FY1999, FY2001, FY2003, FY2005, FY2007, FY2009, FY2011, FY2013, FY2015, FY2017, FY2019, FY2021, FY2023, and FY2025. 12 . All 13 regular appropriations bills for FY1995 were enacted prior to October 1, 1994. As a result, no CR was needed prior to the lame duck session held at the end of the 103 rd Congress. 13 . In 2000, the House and Senate passed five regular appropriations acts for FY2001 during the lame duck session, but four of them were signed into law on December 21, six days after the session had ended. For purposes of this report, all five acts are regarded as having been enacted during the lame duck session. 14 . The remaining regular appropriations bill for FY2015âthe Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2015 ( P.L. 114-4 )âwas enacted March 4, 2015, during the 114 th Congress. 15 . Eleven of the regular appropriations bills for FY2011 were covered under a full-year CRâDivision B of P.L. 112-10 âenacted on April 15, 2011; 7 of the regular appropriations bills for FY2013 were covered under a full-year CRâDivision F of P.L. 113-6 âenacted on March 26, 2013; and all 12 regular appropriations bills for FY2025 were covered under a full-year CRâDivision A of P.L. 119-4 âenacted on March 15, 2025. 16 . For more on funding gaps, see CRS Report RS20348, Federal Funding Gaps: A Brief Overview , by James V. Saturno. For more on government shutdowns, see CRS Report RL34680, Shutdown of the Federal Government: Causes, Processes, and Effects , coordinated by Clinton T. Brass. 17 . For example, see Juliegrace Brufke, "Johnson Rallies House GOP on Shutdown Fight," Axios , September 4, 2024, https://www.axios.com/2024/09/04/johnson-rallies-house-gop-on-shutdown-fight . See also Hans Nichols, "Scoop: White House, Dems Plot 3-Month Funding Plan," Axios , September 8, 2024, https://www.axios.com/2024/09/08/spending-bill-congress-white-house . 18 . In 2002, a CR for FY2003 ( P.L. 107-294 ) passed both chambers of Congress during the lame duck session, but was not signed into law until November 23, the day after the session ended. For purpose of this report, this CR is included among those enacted during a lame duck session. 19 . All regular appropriations bills for FY1995 were enacted prior to the start of the fiscal year and thus before the lame duck session began. All regular appropriations bills for FY1999 were enacted before the lame duck session began but not prior to the start of the fiscal year. Six CRs were enacted for FY1999 prior to action being completed on all regular appropriations bills on October 21, 1998. 20 . The Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2009 (Division A of P.L. 110-329 ), enacted September 30, 2008, provided interim funding for FY2009 from October 1, 2008, through March 6, 2009. The Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2013 ( P.L. 112-175 ), enacted September 28, 2012, provided interim funding for FY2013 from October 1, 2012, through March 27, 2013. 21 . For more, see Congressional Budget Office (CBO), "CBO Report: Supplemental Appropriations Enacted Since Fiscal Year 2000 (as of December 21, 2024)," June 13, 2025, https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2025-06/2024-12-21-Supplemental-Appropriations.pdf ; and CBO, "Supplemental Appropriations in the 1990s," March 2001, https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2018-07/1990s.pdf . 22 . The measure enacted into law by reference H.R. 5482 , the Department of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2001, and H.R. 5483 , the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, 2001. 23 . On October 7, 2000, President Clinton vetoed H.R. 4733 , the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, 2001. On October 11, 2000, the House voted 315-98 to override the President's veto, but the Senate did not take similar action to override the veto, so the measure did not become law. On October 30, 2000, President Clinton vetoed H.R. 4516 , the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2001. Division B of this act also would have enacted by reference H.R. 4985 , the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act, 2001. Neither the House nor Senate took action to override the President's veto, so the measure did not become law. 24 . The House and Senate passed five regular appropriations acts for FY2001 during the lame duck session, but four of them were signed into law on December 21, 2000, six days after the session ended. For purposes of this report, all five acts are regarded as having been enacted during the lame duck session. 25 . Congress passed the CR during the lame duck session, but it was not signed into law until November 23, the day after the session ended. For the purpose of this report, the CR is considered to have been enacted during the lame duck session. 26 . For more information on the appropriations process for FY2019, see CRS Report R45906, Congressional Action on FY2019 Appropriations Measures: 115th and 116th Congresses .