Department of State and Foreign Operations
Appropriations: A Fact Sheet on Legislation,
FY1995-FY2015
Susan B. Epstein
Specialist in Foreign Policy
October 6, 2014
Congressional Research Service
7-5700
www.crs.gov
R43751

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Department of State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Fact Sheet

Introduction
Congress currently appropriates foreign affairs funding through annual Department of State,
Foreign Operations, and Related Programs appropriations.1 Prior to FY2008, however, Congress
provided funds for the Department of State and international broadcasting within the Commerce,
Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies appropriations (CJS) and separately
provided foreign aid funds within Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs
appropriations. The transition between the different alignments occurred in the 109th Congress
with a change in appropriations subcommittee jurisdiction. For that Congress, the House of
Representatives appropriated State Department funds separately from foreign aid, as in earlier
Congresses, but the Senate appropriated State and foreign aid funds within one bill—the
Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations. By the 110th
Congress, funding for both the Department of State and foreign aid were aligned into the
Department of State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Appropriations in both the House
and Senate.
Nearly all the foreign affairs appropriations within the last 21 years were passed within omnibus,
consolidated, or full-year continuing resolutions, and usually after the start of the new fiscal year.
Many foreign policy experts contend that stand-alone appropriation legislation would allow for a
more rigorous debate on specific foreign policy activities. They also believe that the practice of
delayed appropriations has constrained ongoing program operating levels and the ability to
introduce or fund new programs that did not exist in the previous year’s budget.
In addition to annual appropriations, several laws require Congress to authorize foreign affairs
funding prior to expenditure.2 Before 2003, Congress typically provided authorization in a
biannual Foreign Relations Authorization bill. This practice not only authorized funding for
obligation and expenditure, but also provided a forum for more rigorous debate on specific
foreign affairs policies and a legislative vehicle for congressional direction. In recent years the
House and Senate have separately introduced or considered foreign relations authorization bills,
but none have been enacted.
Table 1 below provides a 21-year history of enacted foreign affairs appropriations laws
(excluding short-term continuing resolutions and supplemental appropriations), and dates they
were sent to the President and signed into law. Some observations follow:
• Since FY1995, Congress appropriated foreign affairs funding in on-time,
freestanding bills once—in 1994 for the FY1995 appropriations year. The last
time Congress passed foreign affairs funding on time, but not in freestanding
legislation, was for FY1997.

1 For more detail, see CRS Report R43569, State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs: FY2015 Budget and
Appropriations, by Susan B. Epstein, Alex Tiersky, and Marian L. Lawson.
2 Laws requiring authorization, but waived within the General Provisions of the appropriations law since 2003, include
Section 10 of P.L. 91-672, Sec. 15 of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956, Sec. 313, P.L. 103-236, and
Sec. 504(a)(1) of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3094(a)(1)).
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Department of State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Fact Sheet

• In the past 21 years, Congress appropriated foreign affairs funds twice prior to
the start of the new fiscal year—FY1997 (in an omnibus) and FY1995 (in
stand-alone measures).
• Congress included foreign affairs funding within an omnibus, consolidated, or
full-year continuing resolution 17 of the last 21 years.
• FY2006 was the last time State Department and foreign operations
appropriations were enacted as freestanding appropriations bills.
• Four times over the past 21 years, Congress sent the State/foreign operations
appropriations to the President in March or April—six to seven months into the
next fiscal year.
Table 1. History of Department of State and Foreign Operations Appropriations,
FY1995-FY2015
Commerce, Justice,
Foreign
The Department of
State, the Judiciary,
Operations, Export
State, Foreign
Date Sent to
and Related
Financing, and
Operations, &
President and
Fiscal Year
Agencies
Related Programs
Related Programs
Signed
FY2015

P.L.
113-164 —
To Pres. 09/19/14;
Continuing Resolution
signed 09/19/14
Appropriation, 2015,
not a final-year
appropriation
FY2014

P.L.
113-76—
To Pres. 1/17/14;
Consolidated
signed 1/17/14
Appropriations Act,
2014
FY2013


P.L. 113-6, Div. F—
To Pres. 3/22/13;
Consolidated and
signed 3/26/13
Further Continuing
Appropriations Act,
2013
FY2012


P.L. 112-74, Div. I—
To Pres. 12/21/11;
Consolidated
signed 12/23/11
Appropriations Act,
2012
FY2011


P.L. 112-10 Title XI—
To Pres. 4/15/11;
Dept. of Defense and
signed 4/15/11
Ful -Year Continuing
Appropriations Act,
2011
FY2010

P.L.
111-117—
To Pres. 12/15/09;
Consolidated
signed 12/16/09
Appropriations Act,
2010
FY2009

P.L.
111-8 —
To Pres. 3/11/09;
Consolidated
signed 3/11/09
Appropriations Act,
2009
FY2008

P.L.
110-161 —
To Pres. 12/24/07;
Consolidated
signed 12/26/07
Appropriations Act,
2008
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Department of State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Fact Sheet

Commerce, Justice,
Foreign
The Department of
State, the Judiciary,
Operations, Export
State, Foreign
Date Sent to
and Related
Financing, and
Operations, &
President and
Fiscal Year
Agencies
Related Programs
Related Programs
Signed
FY2007
P.L. 109-289 (CR) and
P.L. 109-289 (CR) and
Full-year CR to Pres.
P.L. 110-5 — Revised
P.L. 110-5 — Revised
2/15/07; signed
Continuing
Continuing
2/15/07
Appropriations,
Appropriations,
2007(Ful -year CR
2007(Ful -year CR
through Sept. 30,
through Sept 30, 2007)
2007)
FY2006 P.L.
109-108 —
P.L. 109-102 —
P.L. 109-108 to Pres.
Science, State, Justice,
Foreign Operations,
11/18/05; signed
Commerce and
Export Financing, and
11/22/05
Related Agencies
Related Programs
P.L. 109-102 to Pres.
Appropriations Act,
Appropriations Act,
11/10/05; signed
2006
2006
11/14/05
FY2005 P.L.
108-447 —
P.L. 108-447 —
To Pres. 12/7/04;
Consolidated
Consolidated
signed 12/8/04
Appropriations Act,
Appropriations Act,
2005, Div. B.
2005, Div. D.
FY2004 P.L.
108-199 —
P.L. 108-199 —
To Pres. 1/22/04;
Consolidated
Consolidated
signed 1/23/04
Appropriations Act,
Appropriations Act,
2004, Div. B
2004, Div. D
FY2003 P.L.
108-7,
P.L. 108-7,
To Pres. 2/19/03;
Consolidated
Consolidated
signed 2/20/03
Appropriations Act,
Appropriations Act,
2003, Div. B
2003, Div. E
FY2002 P.L.
107-77 —
P.L. 107-115 —
P.L. 107-77 to Pres.
Departments of
Foreign Operations,
11/16/01; signed
Commerce, Justice,
Export Financing, and
11/28/01
and State, the
Related Programs
P.L. 107-115 to Pres.
Judiciary, and Related
Appropriations Act,
1/04/02; signed
Agencies
2002
1/10/02
Appropriations Act,
2002
FY2001 P.L.
106-553 —
P.L. 106-429 —
P.L. 106-553 to Pres.
Federal Funding, Fiscal
Foreign Operations,
10/27/00; signed
Year 2001, Appendix
Export Financing, and
12/21/00
B, Title IV
Related Programs
P.L. 106-429 to Pres.
Appropriations Act,
11/06/00; signed
2001
11/06/00
FY2000 P.L.
106-113 —
P.L. 106-113 —
To Pres. 11/22/99;
Consolidated
Consolidated
signed 11/29/99
Appropriations Act,
Appropriations Act,
2000
2000
FY1999 P.L.
105-277 —
P.L. 105-277 —
To Pres. 10/21/98;
Omnibus Consolidated Omnibus Consolidated
signed 10/21/98
and Emergency
and Emergency
Supplemental
Supplemental
Appropriations Act,
Appropriations Act,
1999
1999
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Department of State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Fact Sheet

Commerce, Justice,
Foreign
The Department of
State, the Judiciary,
Operations, Export
State, Foreign
Date Sent to
and Related
Financing, and
Operations, &
President and
Fiscal Year
Agencies
Related Programs
Related Programs
Signed
FY1998 P.L.
105-119 —
P.L. 105-118 —
P.L. 105-119 to Pres.
Departments of
Foreign Operations,
11/24/97; signed
Commerce, Justice,
Export Financing, and
11/26/97
and State, the
Related Programs
P.L. 105-118 to Pres.
Judiciary, and Related
Appropriations Act,
11/19/97; signed
Agencies
1998
11/26/97
Appropriations Act,
1998
FY1997 P.L.
104-208 —
P.L. 104-208 —
To Pres. 9/30/96;
Omnibus
Omnibus
signed 9/30/96
Appropriations Act,
Appropriations Act,
1997
1997
FY1996 P.L.
104-134 —
P.L. 104-134 —
To Pres. 4/25/96;
Omnibus Consolidated Omnibus Consolidated
signed 4/26/96
Rescissions and
Rescissions and
Appropriations Act of
Appropriations Act of
1996
1996
FY1995 P.L.
103-317 —
P.L. 103-306 —
P.L. 103-317 to Pres.
Departments of
Foreign Operations,
8/22/94; signed
Commerce, Justice,
Export Financing, and
8/26/94
and State, the
Related Programs
P.L. 103-306 to Pres.
Judiciary, and Related
Appropriations Act,
8/12/94; signed
Agencies
1995
8/23/94
Appropriations Act,

1995
Source: Legislative Information System (LIS), http://www.lis.gov. See also http://www.congress.gov.
Note: Except for FY2015, this table excludes short-term continuing resolutions and supplemental
appropriations.


Author Contact Information
Susan B. Epstein
Specialist in Foreign Policy
sepstein@crs.loc.gov, 7-6678

Congressional Research Service
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