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California Capitol Hill Bulletin

Volume 21, Bulletin 29 – December 14, 2014 [online/pdf]

Appropriations: Congress Sends FY15 Funding Bill To President

After another round of last minute snags in both chambers, the House and Senate passed H.R. 83, funding the federal government for Fiscal Year 2015. The House vote of 219-206 occurred on December 11, 2014, with just hours to go before the government would have shutdown. The House also passed a short-term continuing resolution to give the Senate time to act on the bill. The Senate was finally able to bring the bill to a vote on December 13^th, clearing the measure 56-40.

The bill comports with the 2013 Budget Act (the “Ryan-Murray Agreement”), providing a total of $1.013 trillion for the operation of the federal government, and meeting the $521 billion defense and $492 billion non-defense budget caps.

The legislation contains full funding for fiscal year 2015 for 11 of the 12 regular annual Appropriations bills, with the exception of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The Homeland Security portion is funded under a temporary Continuing Resolution (CR). This CR maintains DHS funding at the current fiscal year 2014 level, and expires on February 27, 2015. The limited funding term for DHS was included in order to give the new Republican-controlled Senate and House an opportunity early next year to act against the President’s executive actions on immigration.

Highlights of the funding in the bill, include:

Department of Justice (DOJ) – The bill funds DOJ at $26.7 billion. Included in this funding is a total of $2.3 billion for various state and local grant programs, which is $65 million above the fiscal year 2014 enacted level. This includes: $185 million for the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (FY14 funding was $180 million); $430 million for Violence Against Women programs; $376 million for Byrne Justice Assistance Grants;$68 million for missing and exploited children programs; and $41 million for a new program to address the sexual assault kit backlog at law enforcement agencies.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) – NASA is funded at $18 billion in the bill, an increase of $364 million above the fiscal year 2014 enacted level. Within this total, $4.4 billion is provided for Exploration, including funding to keep the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle and Space Launch System on schedule.

National Science Foundation (NSF) – The legislation funds NSF at $7.3 billion, an increase of $172 million above the fiscal year 2014 enacted level. This funding is targeted to programs that help strengthen U.S. innovation and economic competitiveness, including funding for advanced manufacturing science, and for research in cybersecurity and cyber-infrastructure.

Transportation – The bill includes $17.8 billion in discretionary appropriations for the Department of Transportation (DOT) – the same as the fiscal year 2014 enacted level and $4.8 billion below the President’s request. Within this total, the legislation provides $500 million for the TIGER program, which funds competitive grants for state and local road, transit, port, and railroad construction projects.

Highways – The bill provides almost $41 billion in obligation limitation funding for the Federal Highway program – the same level authorized in the MAP-21 transportation authorization legislation, which expires on May 31, 2015. This is the same as the fiscal year 2014 level.

Rail – The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is funded at $1.6 billion, an increase of $23 million above the fiscal year 2014 enacted level. No funding is provided for high-speed rail.

Transit – The bill contains $2.3 billion for the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) – an increase of $141 million over the fiscal year 2014 enacted level. The legislation also allows $8.6 billion in state and local transit grant funding from the Mass Transit Account (of the Highway Trust Fund), consistent with MAP-21, to help local communities build, maintain, and ensure the safety of their mass transit systems. The legislation provides a total of $2.1 billion for Capital Investment Grants (“New Starts”), full funding for state and local “Small Starts,” and funding for all current “Full Funding Grant Agreement” projects within FTA. These programs provide competitive grants for major transit investments – including rapid rail, light rail, bus rapid transit, and commuter rail – that are planned and operated by local communities.

Housing and Urban Development (HUD) – The legislation includes a total of $35.6 billion for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, an increase of $2.8 billion above the fiscal year 2014 enacted level. However, when accounting for a decrease in offsets related to Federal Housing Administration collections, the HUD portion of the bill is actually $90 million below last year.

Department of Education – The bill funds the Department of Education at $70.5 billion. This is $133 million below the fiscal year 2014 enacted program level.

        Title I Program – These basic grants to local school districts are funded at $14.4 billion, an increase of $25 million above the 2014 level.

Pell Grants – As per existing statute, the maximum Pell Grant award is increased to $5,830, funded by a combination of discretionary and mandatory funds.

Administration Initiatives – The bill provides no funding for the Race to the Top program, nor funding for the creation of preschool grants.

Early Childhood Education and Care – The bill provides $17.8 billion in discretionary resources for the Administration for Children and Families, which is a $108 million increase. This includes a $75 million increase for activities within the Child Care and Development Block Grant. The bill also continues increased funding provided in fiscal year 2014 for the expansion of the Early Head Start program, providing additional early education opportunities for toddlers from low-income families throughout the country.

Energy and Water – The legislation totals $34.2 billion – an increase of $142 million above the enacted 2014 level.

Army Corps of Engineers – The Army Corps of Engineers is funded at $5.5 billion, an increase of $15 million above the fiscal year 2014 enacted level. Within the total, the bill provides:

– $2.3 billion for navigation projects and studies;

– $1.1 billion from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund, for harbor maintenance, construction, and operations activities;

– $281 million – including the full amount of anticipated revenues into the Inland Waterways Trust Fund – for construction and rehabilitation of the nation’s inland waterways infrastructure; and

– $1.6 billion for public health and flood and storm damage reduction activities.

Energy Programs – The bill provides $10.2 billion for energy programs within the Department of Energy (DOE) – a $22 million increase above the fiscal year 2014 enacted level. Included in the funding is $1.9 billion for energy efficiency and renewable energy programs – placing priority on advanced manufacturing and weatherization assistance. This is $380 million – or 16%  – below the President’s request.

Science Research – The bill includes $5.1 billion for science research, the same as the fiscal year 2014 enacted level. This funding supports basic energy research, development of high-performance computing systems, and research into the next generation of clean energy sources.

The bill funds the domestic fusion energy program at $318 million.

Department of the Interior – The legislation contains $1.1 billion – $27 million above the fiscal year 2014 enacted level – for the Department of the Interior. The Bureau of Reclamation’s budget remains the same at $1.1 billion. Other funding also remains the same, with CALFED funded at $37 million, the Title XVI program at $21.5 million, and WaterSMART at $19 million. An additional $50 million was added to Reclamation’s budget to help combat drought in Western States.

Department of Agriculture – The bill provides $20.6 billion in discretionary funding – $305 million below the fiscal year 2014 enacted level.

        Agricultural Research – The bill provides $2.7 billion for agriculture research programs, including the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Within this amount, the bill includes $325 million for the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative for competitive agricultural research grants, $45 million to begin to rehabilitate the high-priority ARS facilities, and funding to maintain important investments in the nation’s land-grant colleges and universities.

Animal and Plant Health – The legislation includes $871.3 million – a $49.5 million increase above the fiscal year 2014 enacted level – for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). This funding will support programs to control or eradicate plant and animal pests and diseases. This also includes increases to fight citrus greening and an epidemic porcine virus.

Payments-in-Lieu-of-Taxes – PILT is funded at $372 million. Combined with the amount authorized in Defense Authorization Act, total funding is $442 million.

Food and Nutrition Programs

– WIC – This program provides supplemental nutritional foods needed by pregnant and nursing mothers, babies and young children. The bill provides full funding for WIC at $6.6 billion – $93 million below the fiscal year 2014 enacted level. The bill also includes $25 million for states to transfer from paper vouchers to a more efficient electronic benefit transfer (EBT) system.

– Child nutrition programs – The bill allows $21.3 billion in required mandatory funding.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – The bill allows $81.8 billion in required mandatory spending. This is $332 million below the fiscal year 2014 enacted level and $2.4 billion below the President’s request.

For more information, go to: http://appropriations.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=393925 .