Final answer:
An Active Status Program can indeed extend over multiple fiscal years, as federal agencies are often reauthorized to continue their operations beyond a single fiscal year. Additionally, the federal budget process and the use of Continuing Resolutions allow for the allocation of funds to carry over into subsequent years to ensure program continuity.
Step-by-step explanation:
It is indeed possible for an Active Status Program to extend across multiple fiscal years. Federal agencies, including those dedicated to foreign policy, are typically reauthorized every three to five years to maintain their legal standing and ability to spend federal funds. This reauthorization ensures programs can continue even if they span more than one fiscal year.
Moreover, the process of establishing the federal budget incorporates consultations with various departments and agencies to determine funding for the upcoming fiscal year, which runs from October 1 to September 30. In situations where the President and Congress cannot agree on a budget, a Continuing Resolution may be passed to prevent government shutdowns and sustain government programs temporarily. This mechanism allows programs to operate across fiscal years if the budget has not been finalized.
Finally, under the 2010 PAYGO (Pay-As-You-Go) Act, budgetary constraints are managed to prevent increasing the federal deficit. Even with these constraints, Active Status Programs can still span multiple fiscal years, provided their budgetary impacts are balanced out over time.