From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
           [Extracted from House Document 104-272,(Interim Issue)
                       104th Congress, 2nd Session]


               JURISDICTION OF THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                   
                   
    (b) Committee on Appropriations.
      (1) <<NOTE: Sec. 671a. Appropriations.>>   Appropriation of the 
revenue for the support of the Government.
      (2) Rescissions of appropriations contained in appropriation Acts.
      (3) Transfers of unexpended balances.
      (4) The amount of new spending authority (as described in the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974) which is to be effective for a fiscal 
year, including bills and resolutions (reported by other committees) 
which provide new spending authority and are referred to the committee 
under clause 4(a).

The committee shall include separate headings for ``Rescissions'' and 
``Transfers of Unexpended Balances'' in any bill or resolution as 
reported from the committee under its jurisdiction specified in 
subparagraph (2) or (3), with all proposed rescissions and proposed 
transfers listed therein; and shall include a separate section with 
respect to such rescissions or transfers in the accompanying committee 
report. In addition to its jurisdiction under the preceding provisions
of this paragraph, the committee shall have the fiscal oversight function 
provided for in clause 2(b)(3) and the budget hearing function provided
for in clause 4(a).

  This Committee was established in 1865, when all the general 
appropriation bills were confided to its care. In 1885 a portion of the 
bills were distributed to other committees. On July 1, 1920, the 
Committee again was given jurisdiction over all appropriations by an 
amendment to the rules adopted June 1, 1920 (VII, 1741).
  Effective <<NOTE: Sec. 671b. Responsibilities under Budget Act.>> July 
12, 1974, special Presidential messages on rescissions and deferrals of 
budget authority submitted pursuant to sections 1012 and 1013 of the 
Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 683-4), as well as rescission 
bills and impoundment resolutions defined in section 1011 (2 U.S.C. 682) 
and required in section 1017 (2 U.S.C. 688) to be referred to the 
``appropriate'' committee, are referred to the Committee on 
Appropriations if the proposed rescissions or deferrals involve funds 
already appropriated or obligated. Also effective July 12, 1974, the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (sec. 404(a); 88 Stat. 320) gave the 
Committee jurisdiction later perfected by the Committee Reform 
Amendments of 1974 (H. Res. 988, 93d Cong., Oct. 8, 1974, p. 34470), 
over rescissions of appropriations (subpara. (2)), transfers of 
unexpended balances (subpara. (3)), and the amount of new spending 
authority to be effective for a fiscal year including measures reported 
by other committees which exceed the appropriate allocation of new 
budget authority contained in the most recently agreed to concurrent 
resolution on the budget for such fiscal year as provided in clause 
4(a)(2) of rule X (subpara. (4)).
  In the 95th Congress this paragraph was amended to correct a 
typographical error (H. Res. 5, Jan. 4, 1977, p. 53).
  While this Committee has authority to report appropriations, the power 
to report legislation relating thereto belongs to other committees (IV, 
4033; clause 2 of rule XXI), and a general appropriation bill reported 
from this Committee may not contain items of appropriation not 
authorized by law or provisions amending existing law (except 
retrenchments and rescissions of appropriations) (clause 2 of rule XXI), 
and may not contain reappropriations of unexpended balances except 
within agencies (clause 6 of rule XXI). General appropriation bills may 
not be considered in the House until reports and hearings have been 
available for three days (clause 7 of rule XXI), and other reports from 
the Committee likewise may not be considered until available for the 
time prescribed in clause 2(l)(6) of rule XI.
  The authority to conduct studies and examinations of the organization 
and operation of executive departments and agencies was first given to 
this Committee on February 11, 1943 (p. 884); continued by resolution
of January 9, 1945 (p. 135); and incorporated into permanent law in 
section 202(b) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (60 Stat. 
812). This authority was first made part of the standing rules on 
January 3, 1953 (pp. 17, 24), and is now listed as a general oversight 
responsibility of the Committee in clause 2(b)(3) of rule X, effective 
January 3, 1975 (H. Res. 988, 93d Cong., Oct. 8, 1974, p. 34470). The 
Committee is also authorized and directed to hold hearings on the budget 
as a whole in open session within 30 days of its submission (clause 
4(a)(1)(A) of rule X), and to study on a continuing basis provisions of 
law providing spending authority or permanent budget authority and to 
report to the House recommendations for terminating or modifying such 
provisions (clause 4(a)(3) of rule X). The requirement of section 139 of 
the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (60 Stat. 812) that the 
Committees on Appropriations of the House and Senate develop a standard 
appropriation classification schedule was superseded by section 202(a) 
of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970 (84 Stat. 1167), which now 
imposes that responsibility upon the Secretary of the Treasury and the 
Office of Management and Budget. The further requirement of section 139 
of the 1946 Act that the Appropriations Committees study existing 
permanent appropriations and recommend which, if any, should be 
discontinued was made the responsibility of all standing committees of 
the House by clauses 4(f)(1) and (2) of rule XI, through enactment of 
section 253 of the 1970 Act (84 Stat. 1175).