{"id":353837,"date":"2016-04-04T10:47:11","date_gmt":"2016-04-04T15:47:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/military\/administrative-issues-benefits\/the-anti-deficiency-act-what-you-need-to-know.html"},"modified":"2016-06-20T20:25:06","modified_gmt":"2016-06-21T01:25:06","slug":"the-anti-deficiency-act-what-you-need-to-know","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/military\/administrative-issues-benefits\/the-anti-deficiency-act-what-you-need-to-know.html","title":{"rendered":"The Anti-Deficiency Act: What You Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The Anti-Deficiency Act: What You Need to Know<\/h1>\n
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Created by FindLaw’s team<\/a> of legal writers and editors<\/i><\/p>\n\n | Last updated\n

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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

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Often times, Congress limits funds only for certain purposes for a certain period of time. Federal agencies are under an obligation to spend their funds according only to these congressional mandates.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n\n

While some people think there\u2019s little accountability for federal spending, it happens to be taken very seriously, especially in the military. Under our system of government, Congress is responsible for appropriating<\/a> funds for executive agencies, including directions for how, when, and where such funds can be spent. <\/p>\r\n

That\u2019s where the Anti-Deficiency Act <\/a>(ADA) comes into play. The ADA establishes civil and criminal penalties for federal employees who fail to comply with laws appropriating and authorizing the use of federal funds. Specifically, the ADA prohibits federal employees from spending money:<\/p>\r\n