After months of delays, lawmakers recently approved a federal funding bill narrowly averting a government shutdown, but advocates say it may bring more questions than answers for disability programs.

The spending measure will fund the federal government through September at largely level amounts. However, in an unusual move, Congress opted to grant agencies broad discretion over where funds are allocated.

Typically, these types of bills detail how much money will go toward special education, vocational rehabilitation, home and community-based services and a myriad of other disability programs. But this time around, lawmakers were far less specific, opting to primarily provide just top-line figures for each agency.

The legislation indicates that funding for the U.S. Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and related agencies, for example, was reduced from $1.47 billion to $1.25 billion, while spending on the Departments of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and related agencies remains level.

Now, it will be up to each agency to determine how much will go toward particular programs.

“With the $13 billion reduction in non-defense spending, there are many unanswered questions surrounding which programs would be impacted due to the lack of any explanatory statements,” said Christopher Banks, president and CEO of the Autism Society of America. “Any reduction in funding for disability services, Medicaid and employment supports threatens essential programs that ensure access to health care, education and community inclusion.”

Leaving such discretion to federal agencies could mean that certain types of programs are more vulnerable than others, said Denise S. Marshall, CEO of the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, or COPAA, a nonprofit that advocates for the rights of students with disabilities and their families.

Within special education, Marshall said that it would be “politically very risky” to tamper with funding for school-age kids through Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or early intervention for infants and toddlers through IDEA Part C, given that states depend on this money to support millions of children with disabilities. But, she indicated that funding for Part D — which includes preparation for special educators, parent training and special education research — could be at risk since these programs don’t seem to align with the Trump administration’s priorities.

“This sets dangerous precedent in appropriations,” Marshall said. “Without line-item spending details, the Trump administration is now free to maneuver funds as they wish.”

The vague spending plan comes as the Trump administration is already making cuts and imposing huge changes across the federal government, leaving federally funded programs with incredible uncertainty.

“The absence of any budget tables explaining how specific programs will be funded is extremely concerning,” said Erin Prangley, director of policy at the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities. “State Councils on Developmental Disabilities rely on this funding for day-to-day operations, as do programs that help people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families across the country. These councils, operating under a level funding scenario, need assurances that funding is, indeed, level so they can continue to do their important work and complete the fiscal year.”