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January 26, 2015
FY2015 Agriculture and Related Agencies Appropriations
Scope of Agricultural Appropriations
Figure 1. FY2015 Agriculture Appropriations
(budget authority in billions of dollars)
The annual Agriculture appropriations bill funds the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA), except for the Forest
Service. It funds the Food and Drug Administration (FDA),
and—in even-numbered fiscal years (tied to jurisdiction)—
the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
Agriculture appropriations include both mandatory and
discretionary spending. Discretionary amounts are the
primary focus, since mandatory levels generally are set by
laws such as the farm bill. The FY2015 appropriation
provides $20.58 billion of discretionary funding. Mandatory
spending carried in the bill totals $126.49 billion.
Figure 1 shows that the largest discretionary spending
items are the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for
Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); agricultural research;
FDA; rural development; foreign food aid and trade; farm
assistance programs; food safety inspection; conservation;
and animal and plant health programs (see also Table 1).
Source: CRS, compiled from P.L. 113-235 for FY2015.
The main mandatory spending items are the Supplemental
The law also includes policies on the National School
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), child nutrition, crop
Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program nutrition
insurance, and farm commodity and conservation programs
standards, which were updated by a January 2012
paid by the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC).
regulation. These standards required schools to serve more
fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and to design weekly
The FY2015 Agriculture appropriation was enacted on
menus meeting upper limits on calories, saturated fat, and
December 16, 2014, as part of an omnibus appropriation,
sodium. The enacted law requires USDA to allow states to
P.L. 113-235. The fiscal year had begun under a continuing
exempt from the current whole grain requirement schools
resolution. The Senate Appropriations committee approved
that demonstrate hardship implementing it. Such schools
an agriculture bill on May 22, 2014 (S. 2389). The House
may meet the lower whole grain requirements that were in
Appropriations committee approved its version on May 29
place during school year 2013-2014. The law also requires
(H.R. 4800). Both went to the floor in each chamber in June
certain scientific evidence before sodium reduction targets
2014, but each was left unfinished until the omnibus.
that are lower than the current target can go into effect.
The discretionary total in the Agriculture appropriation is
The appropriations act includes language that prevents the
$90 million less than (-0.4%) the comparable amount for
Grain Inspection, Packers, and Stockyards Administration
FY2014 that excludes CFTC (a Senate jurisdiction basis).
from finalizing proposed rules on livestock and poultry
In addition, the act includes another $116 million of
marketing practices that were required in the 2008 farm bill.
emergency spending for conservation and Ebola.
The rider continues prohibitions in effect since FY2012.
The act includes a rider that effectively bans horse slaughter
Notable Policy Issues
by prohibiting USDA from inspecting horses. In place since
Although the WIC program’s “food package” regulation
FY2006, the ban on horse slaughter lapsed in FY2012 and
FY2013, but was reinstated in FY2014. In addition, the act
bars participants from using WIC benefits to purchase white
also includes a rider that prohibits processed (cooked)
potatoes (CRS Report IN10060, Following the Debate on
chicken imported from in China from being used in the
White Potatoes in the WIC Program), the FY2015
National School Lunch Program and other USDA child
appropriation includes a policy rider to allow white potatoes
in the WIC “food package” by preventing USDA from
nutrition programs.
excluding certain types of vegetables. However, the
For more details, see the longer CRS Report R43669,
language also requires a review of the WIC food package,
Agriculture and Related Agencies: FY2015 Appropriations.
which would determine whether white potatoes would
remain eligible.
https://crsreports.congress.gov
FY2015 Agriculture and Related Agencies Appropriations
Table 1. Agriculture and Related Agencies Appropriations (budget authority in $ millions)
FY2014
FY2015
Change from FY2014
to FY2015
P.L. 113-76
Request
H.R. 4800
S. 2389
P.L. 113-235
(P.L. 113-235)
Dept. Admin. (incl. all Under Secretaries)
532.2
387.0
366.2
385.7
370.6
-161.6
-30.4%
Agricultural Research Service
1,122.5
1,104.4
1,275.3
1,139.7
1,177.6
+55.1
+4.9%
National Institute of Food & Agriculture
1,277.1
1,335.5
1,273.8
1,292.4
1,289.5
+12.4
+1.0%
National Agricultural Statistics Service
161.2
179.0
169.4
178.2
172.4
+11.2
+6.9%
Economic Research Service
78.1
83.4
85.8
85.4
85.4
+7.3
+9.4%
Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service
824.9
837.5
870.7
875.6
874.5
+49.6
+6.0%
Agricultural Marketing Service
81.3
84.2
82.4
83.0
82.4
+1.1
+1.4%
Section 32 (M)
1,107.0
1,122.0
1,122.0
1,122.0
1,284.0
+177.0
+16.0%
Grain Inspection, Packers & Stockyards
40.3
44.0
43.7
44.0
43.0
+2.8
+6.9%
Food Safety & Inspection Service
1,010.7
1,001.4
1,005.2
1,022.8
1,016.5
+5.8
+0.6%
Farm Service Agency (incl. loans, other)
1,592.2
1,539.4
1,605.1
1,589.1
1,603.3
+11.0
+0.7%
Risk Management Agency
71.5
76.8
77.1
76.8
74.8
+3.3
+4.7%
Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (M)
9,502.9
8,668.0
8,666.0
8,668.0
8,666.0
-836.9
-8.8%
Commodity Credit Corporation (M)
12,538.9
9,067.3
9,067.3
9,067.3
13,444.7
+905.8
+7.2%
Conservation Operations
812.9
814.8
843.1
849.3
846.4
+33.5
+4.1%
Watershed Rehabilitation Program
12.0
—
25.0
—
12.0
+0.0
+0.0%
Rural Development (salaries & expenses)
657.4
659.6
678.2
682.9
678.2
+20.8
+3.2%
Rural Housing Service
1,279.6
1,228.6
1,310.4
1,307.0
1,298.4
+18.7
+1.5%
Rural Business-Cooperative Service
130.2
139.2
99.6
111.7
103.2
-27.0
-20.7%
Rural Utilities Service
501.6
357.6
501.8
504.4
501.7
+0.2
+0.0%
Child Nutrition Programs (M)
19,288.0
20,537.0
20,523.8
20,497.0
21,300.2
+2,012.2
+10.4%
WIC Program
6,715.8
6,823.0
6,623.0
6,623.0
6,623.0
-92.8
-1.4%
SNAP, Food & Nutrition Act Programs (M)
82,169.9
84,256.4
82,251.1
82,251.4
81,837.6
-332.4
-0.4%
Commodity Assistance Programs
269.7
275.7
275.7
275.7
278.5
+8.8
+3.3%
Nutrition Programs Administration
141.3
155.0
150.8
155.0
150.8
+9.5
+6.7%
Foreign Agricultural Service
184.6
189.3
189.3
189.5
188.2
+3.6
+1.9%
P.L. 480 and admin. expenses
1,468.7
1,402.5
1,468.5
1,468.5
1,468.5
-0.2
-0.0%
McGovern-Dole Food for Education
185.1
185.1
198.1
185.1
191.6
+6.5
+3.5%
Food and Drug Administration
2,560.7
2,584.2
2,582.9
2,597.3
2,597.3
+36.6
+1.4%
Commodity Futures Trading Commission
215.0
280.0
217.6
[280.0]
[250.0]
+35.0
+16.3%
General Provisions: Limits, disaster, misc.
-880.4
-1,019.0
-792.0
-673.7
-679.4
+201.0
-22.8%
Scorekeeping adjustments (incl. disaster)
-191.0
-398.0
-398.0
-498.0
-514.0
-323.0
+169.1%
Discretionary: Senate basis w/o CFTC
[20,665.0]
20,139.8
[20,662.4]
20,575.4
20,575.0
-90.0
-0.4%
Discretionary: House basis w/ CFTC
20,880.0
20,419.8
20,880.0
[20,855.4]
[20,825.0]
-55.0
-0.3%
Mandatory (M)
124,582.0
123,581.2
121,578.7
121,580.8
126,492.0
+1,910.0
+1.5%
Total: Senate basis, w/o CFTC
145,247.0
143,720.9
142,241.2
142,156.1
147,067.0
+1,820.0
+1.3%
Source: CRS, using appropriations committee and unpublished CBO tables. [Bracketed amounts] are not in official totals due to jurisdiction.
https://crsreports.congress.gov
FY2015 Agriculture and Related Agencies Appropriations
IF10056
Jim Monke, Specialist in Agricultural Policy
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