Status update standard
We label the federal government funded when enacted appropriations cover the relevant agencies. We label a shutdown only when funding has lapsed and affected agencies have begun or are directed to begin shutdown procedures. A bill passing one chamber, a negotiated framework, or a public prediction does not change the status.
For a status change, we seek at least one controlling primary source, such as enacted legislation or an official executive-branch instruction. We use OPM’s Washington, DC, operating status as a separate office-operations signal because it does not by itself establish whether appropriations exist.
Source hierarchy
- Enacted laws and official legislative records
- Official agency notices and contingency plans
- Nonpartisan institutional analysis from CRS, GAO, and CBO
- Direct statements from responsible officials
- Reputable reporting used for context or to locate primary evidence
How we write impact guidance
A service may continue because it has permanent or fee funding, because the law permits an exception, or because funds remain available from another source. We identify these distinctions and avoid promising that a specific payment, appointment, trip, or application will proceed.
We do not claim first-hand experience, private access, or professional legal or financial advice. We do not invent experts, quotes, or credentials.
Dates and maintenance
Status and deadline pages are reviewed when legislation or official operating guidance changes. Evergreen guides are reviewed around major funding deadlines and after a shutdown reveals a material change in practice. An updated date means the page’s core claims and links were checked, not that every sentence was rewritten. History pages include both government-wide and partial lapses when CRS or enacted law documents them; we do not treat a departmental lapse as invisible because other agencies stayed open.
Advertising
Advertising may appear through an automated advertising service. Editorial topics, conclusions, and links are chosen independently. Paid placement is not presented as editorial advice.
Corrections
Material factual errors are corrected promptly and documented when the correction changes the page’s conclusion or a user’s likely action. See our corrections policy.