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The bona fide needs rule is a fundamental rule of appropriations law.  It mandates that a fiscal year’s appropriations be obligated only to meet a legitimate—or bona fide—need arising in (or sometimes before) the fiscal year for which the appropriation was made.  It restricts this year’s appropriated funds from being used to fund next fiscal year’s requirement.  For example, annual funds (such as operations and maintenance funding) appropriated for FY2012 are to be used…