Authorization
An authorization is a law or other legal provision that establishes, continues, or defines a government program or activity and may set limits or conditions on it. Authorization and appropriation are different: authorization provides legal permission or policy direction, while an appropriation provides budget authority to spend money.
An authorization is a law or other legal provision that establishes, continues, or defines a government program or activity and may set limits or conditions on it. Authorization and appropriation are different: authorization provides legal permission or policy direction, while an appropriation provides budget authority to spend money.
Example: The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024, Public Law 118-31, authorized defense programs and policies for that fiscal year.
Common misconception: An authorization automatically provides all the money a program needs. Congress generally must provide spending authority through appropriations.
Sources: https://www.congress.gov/118/plaws/publ31/PLAW-118publ31.pdf; https://www.gao.gov/legal/appropriations-law