mandatory

From October 2024, it became a mandatory requirement for local authorities to share their figures.

Most operators opt to have their deep-sea subs certified - but it is not mandatory.

This is a line of spending which is “mandatory”, meaning it must be spent by law on those eligible.

Other large mandatory lines of government expenditure include Medicare - a government-funded health insurance program primarily serving Americans aged over 65.

In theory, discretionary spending would be easier for the incoming Trump administration to cut than mandatory spending.