US Code

Public Law 119-73 (01/23/2026)

31 U.S.C. § 1517

Prohibited obligations and expenditures

(a)
An officer or employee of the United States Government or of the District of Columbia government may not make or authorize an expenditure or obligation exceeding—
(1)
an apportionment; or
(2)
section 1514(a) of this title the amount permitted by regulations prescribed under .
(b)
If an officer or employee of an executive agency or of the District of Columbia government violates subsection (a) of this section, the head of the executive agency or the Mayor of the District of Columbia, as the case may be, shall report immediately to the President and Congress all relevant facts and a statement of actions taken. A copy of each report shall also be transmitted to the Comptroller General on the same date the report is transmitted to the President and Congress.

Pub. L. 97–25896 Stat. 932Pub. L. 108–447, div. G, title I, § 1401(b)118 Stat. 3192(, , ; , , .)

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised Section

Source (U.S. Code)

Source (Statutes at Large)

1517(a)

31:665(h).

R.S. § 3679(h), (i)(2)(related to (h)); 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. 768.

1517(b)

31:665(i)(2)(related to (h)).

section 9 of the Act of June 26, 191237 Stat. 184In subsection (a), before clause (1), the words “District of Columbia government” are added because of (ch. 182, ). In clause (1), the word “apportionment” is substituted for “apportionment or reapportionment” because of section 1512(a)(last sentence) of the revised title.

81 Stat. 948Pub. L. 93–19887 Stat. 78984 Stat. 2085In subsection (b), the word “Mayor” is used because of Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1967 (eff. , ) and sections 421, 422, and 771 of the District of Columbia Self-Government and Governmental Reorganization Act (, , 818). The word “President” is substituted for “President, through the Director of the Office of Management and Budget” because sections 101 and 102(a) of Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1970 (eff. , ) designated the Bureau of the Budget as the Office of Management and Budget and transferred all functions of the Bureau to the President.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

Pub. L. 108–4472004—Subsec. (b). inserted at end “A copy of each report shall also be transmitted to the Comptroller General on the same date the report is transmitted to the President and Congress.”