In what situation is a line-item veto applicable?

A line-item veto is applicable specifically to certain provisions within appropriation bills. This mechanism allows an executive, typically the president or a governor, to selectively veto specific items or expenditures in a budget or appropriations bill without having to reject the entire legislation. The intention behind this power is to enable the executive to eliminate unnecessary spending or provisions that may be included within larger funding measures, thereby maintaining fiscal responsibility and administrative efficiency.

In contrast, the other options do not align with the function of a line-item veto. Whole laws passed by Congress cannot be affected by this veto; they must be accepted or rejected in their entirety. Essential legal agreements such as international treaties do not fall under the purview of a line-item veto, as such treaties are ratified or rejected as a whole. Continued funding of agencies involves budgetary decisions that may be influenced by a line-item veto, but it is the specific appropriations within those budgets that the veto is directly applied to.