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The Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bill includes funding for most of the Department of the Interior (DOI) and for agencies within other departments—including the Forest Service within the Department of Agriculture and the Indian Health Service within the Department of Health and Human Services. It also provides funding for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), arts and cultural agencies, and numerous other entities.
For FY2017, the President requested $33.1318 billion for the approximately 30 agencies and entities typically funded in the annual Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations law. For the 10 major DOI agencies in Title I of the bill, the request was $12.24 billion, or 36.9% of the total requested. For EPA, funded by Title II of the bill, the request was $8.27 billion, or 25.0% of the total. For the 20 agencies and other entities funded in Title III of the bill, the request was $12.62 billion, or 38.1% of the total.
The President's request of $33.13 billion would be an increase of $907.6 million (2.8%) compared to the total FY2016 enacted appropriations of $32.23 billion in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 (P.L. 114-113), Division G. The FY2016 total included $452.0 million for the Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program, which compensates counties and local governments for nontaxable lands within their jurisdictions. The FY2017 request did not include funding for PILT because the President proposed to fund this program through mandatory appropriations. In addition, the President's request included a proposal for a new adjustment to the discretionary spending limits in law that would provide an additional $1.15 billion for wildfire suppression for FY2017. FY2016 enacted appropriations did not include such a discretionary cap adjustment.
Under the President's proposal, the total for each of the three titles of the bill would increase by varying amounts over FY2016 enacted appropriations. DOI agencies would receive an increase of $225.8 million (1.9%), funding for EPA would increase by $127.3 million (1.6%), and the total for all Related Agencies in Title III would increase by $554.5 million (4.6%).
Appropriations for FY2016 for Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies totaled $32.93 billion. This total included $700.0 million in additional, emergency appropriations for wildland fires. The President's request of $33.18 billion would be an increase of $250.6 million (0.8%) compared with the total FY2016 enacted appropriations. By contrast, both H.R. 5538 as passed by the House and S. 3068 as reported from the Senate Appropriations Committee would provide lower appropriations than enacted for FY2016. The House bill would be $779.3 million (2.4%) less than the FY2016 appropriation, whereas the Senate bill contains $163.6 million (0.5%) less than FY2016.
The FY2016 appropriation, and FY2017 appropriations requested by the President, approved by the House, and reported by the Senate Appropriations Committee, differed in a number of ways. For instance, only the President's request did not include discretionary appropriations for the Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program, as the President proposed mandatory funds for this program. PILT compensates counties and local governments for nontaxable lands within their jurisdictions. The total amounts also represent different levels of funding for wildland fires on DOI and Forest Service lands, as well as varied approaches to providing funds. The President proposed a new adjustment to the discretionary spending limits in law for wildfire suppression, the House bill included funding for the FLAME Wildfire Suppression Reserve Accounts, and the Senate bill would provide some wildfire funds as emergency appropriations. The FY2016 appropriation included FLAME and emergency funding, but not a discretionary cap adjustment.
Other differences relate to the amount of funds proposed for particular agencies. For example, whereas the President sought an increase in funds over FY2016 for EPA, the House and Senate bills would provide lower funding. In other cases, the President, House, and Senate Committee proposed increased funds of varying amounts over the FY2016 level, as for the National Park Service, Indian Affairs bureaus, Indian Health Service, and Smithsonian Institution, among other agencies. In still other cases, decreased funds relative to FY2016 were included in the President's, House, and Senate Committee proposals, as in the case of the Forest Service.
This report focuses on FY2017 appropriations for Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies. It first presents a brief overview of the agencies in the bill. It then provides a description of the appropriations requested by the President for FY2017. Next, it compares the President's request for FY2017 with appropriations enacted for FY2016.
It then compares the FY2017 House-passed and Senate-committee reported appropriations with each other, with FY2016 enacted appropriations, and with FY2017 appropriations requested by the President.Appropriations are complex. Budget justifications for requests for some agencies are large, generally several hundred pages long and containing numerous funding, programmatic, and legislative changes for congressional consideration. Further, appropriations laws provide funds for numerous accounts, activities, and sub-activities, and the accompanying explanatory statements provide additional directives and other important information. This report does not provide information at the account and sub-account levels, nor does it detail budgetary reorganizations or legislative changes enacted in law or proposed by the President. For information on a particular agency or individual accounts, programs, or activities administered by a particular agency, contact the key policy staff listed at the end of this report. In addition, for selected reports related to appropriations for Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, such as individual agencies (e.g., National Park Service) or cross-cutting programs (e.g., Wildland Fire Management), see the Congressional Research Service (CRS) website at http://www.crs.gov/Cli/SubIssue?cliid=2346.
The annual Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bill1 includes funding for agencies and programs in three separate federal departments as well as for numerous related agencies.2 The Interior bill typically contains three primary titles. Title I provides funding for most Department of the Interior (DOI) agencies,3 many of which manage land and other natural resource or regulatory programs. Title II contains appropriations for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Title III currently funds 20 agencies in other departments, such as the Forest Service in the Department of Agriculture and the Indian Health Service in the Department of Health and Human Services; arts and cultural agencies, such as the Smithsonian Institution; and various other entities. Title III of the bill is referred to as "Related Agencies." Selected major agencies in the Interior bill are briefly described below.
DOI's mission is to protect and manage the nation's natural resources and cultural heritage; provide scientific and other information about those resources; and exercise trust responsibilities and other commitments to American Indians, Alaska Natives, and affiliated island communities.4 DOI agenciesThere are eight DOI agencies and two other broad accounts funded in the Interior bill5 that carry out this mission include the following:
EPA's mission is to protect human health and the environment. Primary responsibilities include the implementation of federal statutes regulating air quality, water quality, pesticides, toxic substances, management and disposal of solid and hazardous wastes, and cleanup of environmental contamination. EPA also awards grants to assist states and local governments in implementing federal law and complying with federal requirements to control pollution.8
There are 20 agencies, organizations, and other entities funded by Title III of the Interior bill, collectively referred to hereinafter as the 20 "Related Agencies." Among the Related Agencies funded in the Interior bill, roughly 95% of the funding is typically provided to the following agencies and organizations:
For FY2017, the President requested $33.1318 billion for the approximately 30 agencies and entities typically funded in the annual Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. For the 10 major DOI agencies in Title I of the bill, the request was $12.24 billion, or 36.9% of the total requested. For EPA, funded in Title II of the bill, the request was $8.27 billion, or 25.024.9% of the total. For the 20 agencies and other entities currently funded in Title III of the bill, the request was $12.6267 billion, or 38.12% of the total.
The President's request included a proposal for a new adjustment to the discretionary spending limits in law that would provide an additional $1.15 billion for wildfire suppression for FY2017.911 Of the total proposed adjustment for FY2017, $290.0 million was for DOI Wildland Fire Management and $864.1 million was for Forest Service Wildland Fire Management.
Appropriations for agencies vary widely for reasons relating to the number, breadth, and complexity of agency responsibilities; alternative sources of funding (e.g., mandatory appropriations); and Administration and congressional priorities, among other factors. Thus, although the President's FY2017 request covered approximately 30 agencies, funding for a small subset of these agencies accounted for most of the total. For example, the requested appropriations for three agencies—EPA, Forest Service, and Indian Health Service—were nearly three-fifths (57.9%) of the total request. Further, more than three-quarters (76.10%) of the request was for these three agencies and two others, National Park Service and Indian Affairs.
For DOI agencies, the FY2017 requests ranged from $80.2 million for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to $3.10 billion for the National Park Service. The requests for 6 of the 10 agencies exceeded $1 billion. Nearly half (49.3%) of the $12.24 billion requested for DOI agencies was for two agencies—Indian Affairs ($2.93 billion) and the National Park Service.
For Related Agencies in Title III, the requested funding levels exhibited even more variation. The President sought amounts ranging from $1.4 million for grants under National Capital Arts and Cultural Affairs to $5.74 billion for the Forest Service. The Indian Health Service would be the only other agency to receive more than $5 billion. The next-largest request was for the Smithsonian Institution, at $922.2 million. By contrast, 14 agencies would receive less than $80 million each, including 65 with appropriations of less than $10 million each.
Figure 1 identifies the share of the President's request for particular agencies in the Interior bill. Table 1 , at the end of this report, contains the amount requested by the President for FY2017 for each agency, FY2016 enacted appropriations for each agency, and the percentage change between FY2016 enacted appropriations and the President's request for FY2017, the appropriations included in H.R. 5538 as passed the House, and the appropriations contained in S. 3068 as reported by the Senate Appropriations Committee.
The President's request of $33.1318 billion for FY2017 would be an increase of $907250.6 million (20.8%) over the total FY2016 enacted appropriations of $32.23 billion. 93 billion. This FY2016 total includes $700.0 million in emergency funding for Wildland Fire Management by the Forest Service (P.L. 114-53, Section 135).12 These funds were provided for urgent fire suppression, but also could be transferred to other accounts to repay monies that had been borrowed for fire suppression. Unlike the President's FY2017 request, the FY2016 enacted appropriations did not include a cap adjustment to discretionary spending limits in law (for Wildland Fire Management).
The FY2016 appropriations included $452.0 million for the Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program, whereas the President did not seek discretionary funding for PILT for FY2017. Instead, the President supported mandatory funding for PILT for FY2017, which would require a change in law.10 Unlike the President's FY2017 request, the FY2016 enacted appropriations did not include a cap adjustment to discretionary spending limits in law (for Wildland Fire Management).
Under the President's proposal, the total for eachtwo of the three titles of the bill would increase by varyingdifferent amounts. DOI agencies would receive an increase of $225.8 million (1.9%), and funding for EPA would increase by $127.3 million (1.6%), and. However, the total for all Related Agencies in Title III would increase by $554decrease by $102.5 million (4.60.8%).
With regard to DOI, the President proposed increases above FY2016 enacted levels for 8 of the 10 agencies. The increases varied in dollar amount and percentage of appropriations, with the lowest dollar increase of $6.0 million (8.0%) for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the highest of $250.2 million (8.8%) for the National Park Service. Some of the National Park Service increase was intended to enhance park units in light of the agency's 2016 centennial. Activities receiving additional funds would include repair, rehabilitation, and maintenance of facilities; line item construction; visitor services for young people and families; historic preservation; and the Centennial Challenge program (a federal matching program to leverage donations for park units).
In addition to the National Park Service, three other DOI agencies would receive increases of more than $100.0 million under the President's request. Proposed increases are as follows: Department-Wide Programs, $170.3 million (15.8%); Indian Affairs, $137.6 million (4.9%); and U.S. Geological Survey, $106.8 million (10.1%). Under Department-Wide Programs, Wildland Fire Management on DOI lands would receive the largest increase. The second-largest increase would be for the Working Capital Fund, primarily for cybersecurity and DOI compliance with the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act of 2014 (DATA Act, P.L. 113-101). For Indian Affairs, the President requested increases for many activities, among them education, natural resource management, and social services. For the U.S. Geological Survey, the President requested additional funds across agency activities, including ecosystems, climate and land use change, natural hazards, water resources, and facilities.
Two DOI agencies, Departmental Offices and the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, would receive decreased appropriations under the President's FY2017 request. For Departmental Offices, the decrease was primarily because the President did not seek discretionary funding under this account for PILT, as noted. For the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, the decrease was primarily because the President did not request to continue the FY2016 appropriation of $90.0 million for grants to three states for reclamation of abandoned mine lands, together with economic and community development activities.
Within the overall increase for EPA, the President sought additional funds for each of the agency's accounts except State and Tribal Assistance Grants (STAG). The $239.2 million (9.2%) increase for the Environmental Programs and Management account was the largest overall dollar increase proposed for EPA accounts. This account funds a broad array of activities supporting EPA's development and enforcement of pollution-control regulations and standards, technical assistance, and administrative and operational expenses. The $40.2 million (3.7%) increase for the Hazardous Substance Superfund account was the second-largest overall dollar increase for EPA accounts. This account supports the assessment and cleanup of sites contaminated from the release of hazardous substances. EPA administers these activities under the Superfund program, as authorized in the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA; 42 U.S.C. §§9601 et seq.).11 The overall decrease from FY2016 enacted levels proposed for STAG14 The President also sought $50.0 million for the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Program, through a proposed new account to consolidate resources for loans to improve water infrastructure.15
The overall decrease from FY2016 enacted levels proposed for EPA's account for State and Tribal Assistance Grants ($237.8 million, or 6.8%) includes both decreases and increases for programs within the account. For instance, grants to states for wastewater infrastructure projects through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund would decline by $414.4 million (29.7%), whereas funding for drinking water infrastructure grants to states through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund would increase by $157.3 million (18.2%).
FourteenThirteen of the 20 Title III agencies would receive increases over FY2016 enacted levels under the President's FY2017 proposal, and two of the threethe 3 largest agencies would receive the biggest dollar increases. Specifically, the President sought an additional $377.4 million (7.9%) for the Indian Health Service, and $82.0 million (9.8%) for the Smithsonian Institution, and $76.1 million (1.3%) for the Forest Service. The Indian Health Service would receive increases for many programs and activities, including hospitals and health clinics, mental health, alcohol and substance abuse, contract support costs, and construction of health care and other facilities. The Smithsonian Institution's additional funds would be directed to facilities maintenance, operations, security, and construction, among other purposes. The Forest Service increase would be used primarily for suppressing wildland fires and other wildland fire management activities. By contrast, two Title III agencies would receive level funding and four agencies would receive decreases.12
Table 1. Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2017 Appropriations Requested by the President Compared with FY2016 Enacted Appropriations
($ in thousands)
Bureau or Agency |
FY2016 Enacted Approps. |
FY2017 Requested Approps. |
Percentage Change |
||||||||||||||||||
Title I: Department of the Interior |
|
| |||||||||||||||||||
Bureau of Land Management |
$1,236,735 |
$1,245,185 |
0.7 | ||||||||||||||||||
Bureau or Agency |
FY2016 Enacted Approps. |
FY2017 Requested Approps. |
Percentage Change, FY2016 Enacted- FY2017 Requested |
FY2017 House Passed (H.R. 5538) |
FY2017 Senate Committee Reported (S. 3068) |
Title I: Department of the Interior |
|||||||||||||||
Bureau of Land Management |
$1,236,735 |
$1,245,185 |
0.7 |
$1,227,003 |
$1,243,528 |
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
1,508,368 |
1,562,899 |
3.6 |
1,491,918 |
|||||||||||
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
1,508,368 |
1,562,899 |
3.6 |
||||||||||||||||||
National Park Service |
2,851,245 |
3,101,450 |
8.8
|
2,930,048 2,913,918 |
|||||||||||||||||
U.S. Geological Survey |
1,062,000 |
1,168,803 |
10.1
|
1,080,006 1,068,135 |
|||||||||||||||||
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management |
74,235 |
80,194 |
8.0 |
74,362 |
74,616 |
||||||||||||||||
Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement |
88,464 |
96,337 |
8.9 |
88,337 |
83,141 |
||||||||||||||||
Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement |
240,556 |
157,925 |
-34.4 |
251,603 |
236,845 |
||||||||||||||||
Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education |
2,796,120 |
2,933,715 |
4.9 |
2,869,934 |
2,854,579 |
||||||||||||||||
Departmental Offices |
1,080,086a |
646,831 |
-40.1 |
1,087,092b
630,169 |
|||||||||||||||||
Office of the Secretary |
721,769a |
278 |
- | 61.4
741,922b
265,000 |
|||||||||||||||||
Insular Affairs |
103,441 |
102 |
-0.7 |
90,294 |
110,335 |
||||||||||||||||
Office of the Solicitor |
65,800 |
69 |
5.5 |
65,800 |
65,758 |
||||||||||||||||
Office of Inspector General |
50,047 |
55 |
11.7 |
50,047 |
50,047 |
||||||||||||||||
Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians |
139,029 |
140 |
1.0 |
139,029 |
139,029 |
||||||||||||||||
Department-Wide Programs |
1,078,622 |
1,248,890 |
15.8 |
1,028,822 |
1,678,839 |
||||||||||||||||
Wildland Fire Management |
993,745 |
1 |
12.2 |
943,945 |
1,113,962 |
||||||||||||||||
Central Hazardous Materials Fund |
10,010 |
13 |
35.0 |
10,010 |
10,010 |
||||||||||||||||
Natural Resource Damage Assessment Fund |
7,767 |
9 |
18.8 |
7,767 |
7,767 |
||||||||||||||||
Working Capital Fund |
67,100 |
111 |
66.2 |
67,100 |
67,100 |
Payments in Lieu of Taxes |
0c
0 |
0 |
0c
480,000 |
||||||||||||
Subtotal, Title I: Department of the Interior |
12,016,431 |
12 |
1.9
|
12,129,125 12,280,193 |
|||||||||||||||||
Subtotal, Title II: Environmental Protection Agency |
8,139, 887 |
8 |
1.6 |
7,868,071 |
8,108,715 |
||||||||||||||||
Title III: Related Agencies |
|||||||||||||||||||||
Forest Service |
|
5,740,428 |
1.3
|
5,437,701 5,744,978 |
|||||||||||||||||
Indian Health Service |
4,807,589 |
5,185,015 |
7.9 |
5,078,636 |
4,993,778 |
||||||||||||||||
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences |
77,349 |
77,349 |
0 |
77,349 |
77,349 |
||||||||||||||||
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry |
74,691 |
74,691 |
0 |
74,691 |
74,691 |
||||||||||||||||
Council on Environmental Quality and Office of Environmental Quality |
3,000 |
3,015 |
0.5 |
3,000 |
3,000 |
||||||||||||||||
Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board |
11,000 |
12,436 |
13.1 |
11,000 |
11,000 |
||||||||||||||||
Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation |
15,000 |
15,431 |
2.9 |
15,431 |
15,431 |
||||||||||||||||
Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development |
11,619 |
11,835 |
1.9 |
11,619 |
15,212 |
||||||||||||||||
Smithsonian Institution |
840,243 |
922,224 |
9.8 |
863,347 |
860,243 |
||||||||||||||||
National Gallery of Art |
147,552 |
158,401 |
7.4 |
153,365 |
155,525 |
||||||||||||||||
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts |
36,400 |
35,260 |
-3.1 |
36,400 |
35,260 |
||||||||||||||||
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars |
10,500 |
10,400 |
-1.0 |
10,500 |
10,500 |
||||||||||||||||
National Endowment for the Arts |
147,949 |
149,849 |
1.3
|
149,849 148,449 |
|||||||||||||||||
National Endowment for the Humanities |
147,942 |
149,848 |
1.3 |
149,848 |
148,442 |
||||||||||||||||
Commission of Fine Arts |
2,653 |
2,762 |
4.1 |
2,762 |
2,653 |
||||||||||||||||
National Capital Arts and Cultural Affairs |
2,000 |
1,400 |
-30.0 |
2,000 |
2,000 |
||||||||||||||||
Advisory Council on Historic Preservation |
6,080 |
6,493 |
6.8 |
6,480 |
6,493 |
||||||||||||||||
National Capital Planning Commission |
8,348 |
8,099 |
-3.0 |
8,099 |
8,099 |
||||||||||||||||
U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum |
54,000 |
57,000 |
5.6 |
57,000 |
57,000 |
||||||||||||||||
Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission |
1,000 |
|
80.0
|
0
|
1,000
|
Women's Suffrage Centennial Commission
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0 2,000 |
|||||||||||
Subtotal, Title III: Related Agencies |
12, |
12, |
4.6
|
12,149,077 12,373,103 |
|||||||||||||||||
Total: Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies |
32, |
33, |
32,146,273 32,762,011 |
Source: Prepared by CRS with data from the House and Senate Appropriations Committee.
a. This figure includes $452.0 million for the Payments in Lieu of Taxes program.
b. This figure includes $480.0 million for the Payments in Lieu of Taxes program. c. Funding for the Payments in Lieu of Taxes program is included in another account—Departmental Offices. d. For additional information on appropriations enacted for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for FY2016, see CRS Report R44208, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): FY2016 Appropriations, by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed]. For information on appropriations requested for EPA for FY2017, see CRS In Focus IF10383, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): FY2017 President's Budget Request, by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed].
ce.
This figure includes $1.8 million for salaries and expenses and $43.0 million for construction of a memorial to Dwight D. Eisenhower.
f.
The FY2016 appropriations figure reflects appropriations in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 (P.L. 114-113), Division G, of $32.29 billion, $700.0 million in emergency appropriations for Forest Service Wildland Fire Management in Section 135 of P.L. 114-53, and rescissions of $68.0 million. The FY2017 request reflects appropriations of $32.0105 billion, a proposed discretionary cap adjustment of $1.15 billion, and rescissions of $30.0 million.
Author Contact Information
Key Policy Staff
Area of Expertise |
Name |
Phone |
|
Coordinator |
[author name scrubbed] |
[phone number scrubbed] |
[email address scrubbed] |
Bureau of Indian Affairs, coordinator |
[author name scrubbed] |
[phone number scrubbed] |
[email address scrubbed] |
Bureau of Indian Education |
[author name scrubbed] |
[phone number scrubbed] |
[email address scrubbed] |
Bureau of Land Management |
[author name scrubbed] |
[phone number scrubbed] |
[email address scrubbed] |
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management |
[author name scrubbed] [author name scrubbed] |
[phone number scrubbed] [phone number scrubbed] |
[email address scrubbed] [email address scrubbed] |
Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement |
[author name scrubbed] [author name scrubbed] |
[phone number scrubbed] [phone number scrubbed] |
[email address scrubbed] [email address scrubbed] |
Environmental Protection Agency |
[author name scrubbed] |
[phone number scrubbed] |
[email address scrubbed] |
Fish and Wildlife Service |
[author name scrubbed] |
[phone number scrubbed] |
[email address scrubbed] |
Forest Service |
[author name scrubbed] |
[phone number scrubbed] |
[email address scrubbed] |
Indian Health Service |
[author name scrubbed] |
[phone number scrubbed] |
[email address scrubbed] |
Land and Water Conservation Fund |
[author name scrubbed] |
[phone number scrubbed] |
[email address scrubbed] |
Office of Insular Affairs |
[author name scrubbed] |
[phone number scrubbed] |
[email address scrubbed] |
Office of Natural Resources Revenue |
[author name scrubbed] |
[phone number scrubbed] |
[email address scrubbed] |
Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement |
[author name scrubbed] |
[phone number scrubbed] |
[email address scrubbed] |
National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities |
[author name scrubbed] |
[phone number scrubbed] |
[email address scrubbed] |
National Park Service |
[author name scrubbed] |
[phone number scrubbed] |
[email address scrubbed] |
Smithsonian Institution |
[author name scrubbed] |
[phone number scrubbed] |
[email address scrubbed] |
U.S. Geological Survey |
[author name scrubbed] |
[phone number scrubbed] |
[email address scrubbed] |
Wildland Fire Management |
[author name scrubbed] |
[phone number scrubbed] |
[email address scrubbed] |
1. |
Hereinafter, the annual Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bill is sometimes referred to as the Interior bill. |
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2. |
Many of the agencies that receive discretionary appropriations through the Interior bill also receive mandatory appropriations under various authorizing statutes. This report does not address mandatory appropriations. |
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3. |
The exceptions are the Bureau of Reclamation and the Central Utah Project, which receive appropriations through Energy and Water Development appropriations laws. For information on |
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4. |
This statement is taken from the Department of the Interior (DOI) website at http://www.doi.gov/whoweare/mission-statement.cfm. |
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5. |
In addition, Interior appropriations bills provide funding within two broad DOI accounts covering diverse programs. The Departmental Offices account funds the Office of the Secretary (including the Office of Natural Resources Revenue), Insular Affairs, Office of the Solicitor, Office of Inspector General, and Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians. Discretionary appropriations for the Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program are also shown within this account for FY2016. The Department-Wide Programs account funds DOI Wildland Fire Management, the Central Hazardous Materials Fund, the Natural Resource Damage Assessment Fund, and the Working Capital Fund. |
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6. |
This is the acreage over which the Fish and Wildlife Service has primary jurisdiction, excluding acreage in marine national monuments. |
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7. |
Hereinafter in this report, "Indian Affairs" refers to the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Bureau of Indian Education.
For information on FY2016 and FY2017 appropriations for the Environmental Protection Agency beyond that contained in this report, see CRS Report R44208, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): FY2016 Appropriations, by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed] and CRS In Focus IF10383, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): FY2017 President's Budget Request, by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed]. |
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Budget authority designated for certain purposes would cause the limits to be adjusted, making such authority effectively not subject to the limits. The President sought a new cap adjustment for some of the costs of wildland fire management. For additional information on |
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|
13.
The FY2016 total of $32.93 billion, including the $700.0 million in emergency appropriations for Forest Service Wildland Fire Management, is used throughout this report. |
See CRS Report RL31392, PILT (Payments in Lieu of Taxes): Somewhat Simplified, by [author name scrubbed], for additional information on PILT beyond that contained in this report. |
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The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA; 42 U.S.C. §§9601 et seq.) requires responsible parties to pay for the cleanup of environmental contamination and authorizes the cleanup of sites where the responsible parties cannot pay or cannot be found. |
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12. | Agencies that would receive level appropriations are the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Agencies that would receive decreases are the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, National Capital Arts and Cultural Affairs, National Capital Planning Commission, and Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.
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The program was funded in FY2016 through the Environmental Programs and Management account. 16.
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Both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees report "302(b)" allocations for the House and Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittees (and other appropriations subcommittees). These allocations function as ceilings on the Interior bill. For the Senate Interior Subcommittee for FY2017, the discretionary allocation was $32.03 billion and the total allocation (including mandatory budget authority) was $32.10 billion. See S.Rept. 114-286, issued on June 27, 2016. The House Interior Subcommittee is operating under an interim allocation for FY2017; the discretionary allocation was $32.10 billion and the total allocation (including mandatory budget authority) was $32.16 billion. See H.Rept. 114-632 on H.R. 5538, June 21, 2016. For an overview of 302(b) allocations, see CRS Report RS20144, Allocations and Subdivisions in the Congressional Budget Process, by [author name scrubbed] 17.
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As noted, the total FY2016 appropriation included $700 million in additional, emergency funding for Wildland Fire Management by the Forest Service. 18.
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H.Rept. 114-632 on H.R. 5538, p. 4. |