H.R. 7397: To provide further additional continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2019, and for other purposes.

115th Congress · introduced 2018-12-22 · Economics and Public Finance · Latest: Referred to the Committee on Appropriations, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

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Where it came from: introduced 2018-12-22 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Hoyer, Steny H. [D-MD-5] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Committee on Appropriations, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
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What does this mean?

Official title

To provide further additional continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2019, and for other purposes.

Plain summary

DIVISION A--FURTHER ADDITIONAL CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019 Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2019 (Sec. 101) This division amends the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2019 to provide continuing FY2019 appropriations to several federal agencies through the earlier of February 8, 2019 (December 21, 2018, under current law), or the enactment of the applicable appropriations legislation. It is known as a continuing resolution (CR) and ends the partial government shutdown that began when the existing CR expired because seven of the remaining FY2019 appropriations bills have not been enacted. (Five of the FY2019 appropriations bills were enacted earlier this year, including: the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2019; the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019; the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019; the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2019; and the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019.) The CR extends through February 8, 2019: the Department of Homeland Security Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards Program; the authority for the Department of Health and Human Services Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority to withhold from public disclosure certain technical data or scientific information that reveals vulnerabilities of existing medical or public health defenses against biological, chemical, nuclear, or radiological threats; and an exemption from antitrust laws for meetings and consultations to discuss the development of certain vaccines and drugs related to public health threats such as bioterrorism, pandemics, or epidemics. Additionally, the CR has the effect of extending through February 8, 2019, several authorities and programs that were extended in prior CRs, including: the National Flood Insurance Program, the Violence Against Women Act, the authority for the Environmental Protection Agency to collect and spend certain fees related to pesticides, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, and several authorities related to immigration. The CR also delays the release of required Congressional Budget Office and Office of Management and Budget sequestration reports. DIVISION B--MEDICAID EXTENDERS (Sec. 101) The division amends the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 to make appropriations for FY2019, and otherwise revise, the Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration Program (Under this program, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services must award grants to state Medicaid programs to assist states in increasing the use of home and community care for long-term care and decreasing the use of institutional care.) (Sec. 102) Additionally, the division temporarily extends the applicability of Medicaid eligibility criteria that protect against spousal impoverishment for recipients of home and community-based services. (Sec. 103) The division also reduces the federal medical assistance percentage (i.e., federal matching rate) for states that have not implemented asset-verification programs for determining Medicaid eligibility. (Sec. 104) The division reduces funding available to the Medicaid Improvement Fund beginning in FY2021. (Sec. 105) This section exempts the budgetary effects of this division from: (1) the Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) rules established by the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 and the FY2018 congressional budget resolution, and (2) certain budget scorekeeping guidelines. It also requires any debits on the statutory PAYGO scorecard for 2019 to be transferred to the 2020 scorecard. (The Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 prohibits certain legislation from increasing the budget deficit. PAYGO scorecards are used to enforce the requirements and determine whether a sequestration order implementing spending cuts is necessary.)

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

To provide further additional continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2019, and for other purposes.

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Hoyer, Steny H. [D-MD-5] · 0 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Hoyer, Steny H. [D-MD-5] reported raising $402,851 (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (10)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
CBO cost estimate: The Congressional Budget Office's estimate of how a federal bill would change government spending and revenue. CBO is nonpartisan.
Continuing resolution: A temporary law that keeps government agencies funded, usually at the previous year's levels, when the regular yearly spending bills are not finished by the start of the fiscal year.
Exemption: A rule that removes certain people, property or activities from a tax or requirement.
Fiscal year: The 12-month period a government uses for its budget. The federal fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30 and is named for the calendar year in which it ends. Most states use July 1 to June 30.
Resolution: A formal statement or decision by a legislative body. Simple resolutions often only express an opinion or set rules for one chamber; they do not become law.
Rulemaking: The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.
Securities: Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.
Statute: A written law passed by a legislature. A statute can be changed by a later law; changing a constitution needs an amendment.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-115hr7397.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/115/hr>

Record fed-us-cong115-hr7397 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong115 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong115