---
title: "Prepare the commitment record before a federal contract is signed"
url: "https://ailawframework.com/practice/government-procurement-and-tendering/prepare-the-commitment-approval-record-before-the-contract-is-signed/united-states"
type: "task_jurisdiction_version"
site: "AI Law Framework"
id: "A50-E20261018-2-US"
practice_area: "Government Procurement & Tendering"
tier: "red"
lawyer_review: "required"
jurisdictions: ["US"]
last_reviewed: "2026-10-22"
---

# Prepare the commitment record before a federal contract is signed

> List the appropriation or fund the contracting officer identifies, the amount available as the contracting officer states it, and the amount of the proposed obligation.…

Canonical page: https://ailawframework.com/practice/government-procurement-and-tendering/prepare-the-commitment-approval-record-before-the-contract-is-signed/united-states  
Last reviewed: 2026-10-22

Site index for agents: https://ailawframework.com/llms.txt

## Key facts

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Practice area | [Government Procurement & Tendering](https://ailawframework.com/practice/government-procurement-and-tendering.md) |
| Human involvement | Red: Lawyer writes; AI may check, clarify or collect data |
| How AI is used | List the appropriation or fund the contracting officer identifies, the amount available as the contracting officer states it, and the amount of the proposed obligation. Do not state that funds are available and do not sign the contract. |
| What the lawyer must review | 31 U.S.C. § 1341(a)(1) provides that, except as specified in that subchapter or any other provision of law, an officer or employee of the United States Government or of the District of Columbia government may not make or authorize an expenditure or obligation exceeding an amount available in an appropriation or fund for the expenditure or obligation, or involve either government in a contract or obligation for the payment of money before an appropriation is made unless authorized by law. FAR 17.207(c)(1) separately requires the contracting officer, before exercising an option, to determine that funds are available. The record lines up the figures the contracting officer supplies. The contracting officer decides whether the statute and the FAR permit the obligation. The tool does not. |
| Written for | United States |
| Applies to | [Prepare the commitment approval record before the contract is signed](https://ailawframework.com/practice/government-procurement-and-tendering/prepare-the-commitment-approval-record-before-the-contract-is-signed.md) |

## Checking plan

- What the AI does: List the appropriation or fund the contracting officer identifies, the amount available as the contracting officer states it, and the amount of the proposed obligation. Do not state that funds are available and do not sign the contract.
- Basis: Checked against the linked sources on 22 October 2026. Confirm the current instrument before reliance.

## Notes

- The record does not decide that an obligation is authorized by law. That is the contracting officer's determination.
- Section 1341 is about government officers and employees. It is not a rule for a private company's own spending.

## Sources

- [31 U.S.C. § 1341 (limitations on expending and obligating amounts)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/31/1341) (checked 2026-10-22)
- [FAR 17.207(c)(1) (funds available before an option is exercised)](https://www.acquisition.gov/far/17.207) (checked 2026-10-22)

*Practice guidance for planning and review. Confirm current primary sources and the requirements of the actual matter. This is general information, not legal advice.*