Authorizing language has expired for programs covering nearly $307 billion worth of appropriated funds, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) found in its annual report on the subject.

Each year, CBO examines programs that Congress has funded and checks if the laws authorizing the use of the funds have expired.

The government is unable to spend appropriated money for such programs until they are authorized, and the money sits unused in the meantime.

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CBO found that 257 laws that included 971 instances of authorizing language were no longer in effect for 2019.

The $307 billion in lapsed appropriations number is a drop from last year’s figure of $341 billion.

In both years, the vast majority of the expired authorization came from 14 laws. Among them were laws pertaining to violence against women, veterans, foreign relations, housing, health and education and weather monitoring.

Another $143 billion worth of programs are set to expire by the end of fiscal 2020, according to the report.

The annual report is usually issued in January, but was delayed this year because 2019 funding was not completed for much of the government by that time.