Entitlement Authority / Entitlement Program (CongressionalGlossary.com)

From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms

Entitlement Authority

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A provision of law that requires payments to any person, business, or unit of government that meets the eligibility requirements established by such law. Entitlements constitute a binding obligation on the part of the federal government, and eligible recipients have legal recourse if the obligation is not fulfilled. Entitlement legislation requires annual appropriations unless the existing appropriation is permanent.

Authority to make payments (including loans and grants) for which budget authority is not provided in advance by appropriation acts to any person or government if, under the provisions of the law containing such authority, the U.S. government is legally required to make the payments to persons or governments that meet the requirements established by law (2 U.S.C. § 622(9)).

Under the Budget Enforcement Act (BEA), new entitlement authority was defined as direct spending and was subject to the pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) provisions.

Examples of entitlement programs are Social Security benefits and veterans’ compensation.

See also

• Appropriated Entitlement
• Authorization / Authorization Act (CongressionalGlossary.com)
• Budget Enforcement Act
• Direct Spending / Mandatory Spending (CongressionalGlossary.com)
• Pay-as-You-Go.)
• Chapter 7.G. Authorizations in Congressional Procedure

More

• “Basic Federal Budgeting Terminology,” CRS Report 98-410 (6-page PDF)
• “Social Security Reform,” CRS Report RL32822 (18-page PDF)
• “Health Care: Constitutional Rights and Legislative Powers,” CRS Report R40846 (24-page PDF)
• “Trends in Discretionary Spending,” CRS Report RL34424 (52-page PDF)
• Restoring GI Bill Fairness Act of 2011, 112th Congress, H.R. 1383, Pub. L. 112-26, July 21, 2011 (Congress.gov)
• “Unfunded Mandates Reform Act: History, Impact, and Issues,” CRS Report R40957 (64-page PDF)
• “A Balanced Budget Constitutional Amendment: Background and Congressional Options,” CRS Report R41907 (53-page PDF)

Courses

• Congressional Operations Briefing – Capitol Hill Workshop
• Drafting Federal Legislation and Amendments
• Writing for Government and Business: Critical Thinking and Writing
• Custom, On-Site Training
• Congressional Operations Poster, with Federal Budget Process Flowchart
• Federal Budgeting, a Five-Course series on CD
• Congress, the Legislative Process, and the Fundamentals of Lawmaking Series, a Nine-Course series on CD

Publications

The Federal Budget Process 2E

Pocket Constitution

Citizen’s Handbook to Influencing Elected Officials: A Guide for Citizen Lobbyists and Grassroots Advocates

Congressional Procedure

CongressionalGlossary.com, from TheCapitol.Net