Military Family Legislative Action Guide - (Page 4) AutHoRiZAtioN Vs. APPRoPRiAtioNs BiLLs Even the most seasoned lobbyist can at times get confused when talking about “authorization” and “appropriations” bills. It’s important to distinguish between the Defense Appropriations Bill and the Defense Authorization Bill. Congress considers both bills at about the same time, and that’s a source of confusion every year. The authorization bill includes the law changes needed to authorize troop levels, weapons procurement, new programs and upgrades in pay and benefits. The appropriations bill, on the other hand, provides the funding to pay for the things that are approved in the authorization bill. PRocess The legislative process begins when a U.S. representative or senator introduces a bill in Congress and it is assigned a bill number and referred to a House or Senate committee. The chart below shows a visual look at the process. 4
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