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Updated December 5, 2019
U.S. EPA FY2020 Appropriations
EPA FY2020 Proposed Appropriations
The funding in the House and Senate-passed bills would
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and
generally support the existing federal and state framework
other federal departments and agencies are operating under
for implementing and enforcing requirements under
a continuing resolution (CR), P.L. 116-69 (H.R. 3055),
multiple federal pollution-control statutes. The bills would
generally at FY2019 enacted levels through December 20,
not approve the President’s request to eliminate funding for
2019. The legislative vehicle for the CR, H.R. 3055, was
certain programs and activities or to return some federal
previously passed by the House as a five-bill omnibus
responsibilities to states and reduce funding for state
appropriations package on June 25, 2019, and by the Senate
implementation grants.
as a four-bill amendment on October 31, 2019. Division C
Title II of H.R. 3052 (H.Rept. 116-100, reported June 3,
of the House- and Senate-passed bills, the Department of
2019), the Department of the Interior, Environment, and
the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
Related Agencies Appropriations, 2020, provided the basis
Appropriations Act, 2020, included funding for EPA.
for the EPA funding included in House-passed H.R. 3055.
Title II of Division C in House-passed H.R. 3055 would
Title II of S. 2580 (S.Rept. 116-123), the Department of the
provide $9.53 billion for EPA for FY2020, $3.31 billion
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
(53.1%) above the FY2020 request of $6.22 billion and
Appropriations, 2020, provided the basis for the Senate-
$264.2 million (2.9%) more than the FY2019 total enacted
passed amendment. The House and Senate Appropriations
appropriations of $9.26 billion (includes Titles II and IV of
Committees emphasized that the proposed FY2020
Division E in P.L. 116-6 and emergency supplemental
appropriations for EPA program activities take into account
appropriations in Title VII of P.L. 116-20) after rescissions
funding amounts reported in EPA’s FY2019 operating plan,
of unobligated balances. Title II of Division C in Senate-
which reflect rescission reductions. The Senate committee
passed H.R. 3055 would provide $9.01 billion for EPA for
refers to this adjustment as “Budget Rebaselining.”
FY2020, $516.9 million (5.4%) less than the House-passed
EPA Appropriations Accounts
bill, $2.79 billion (44.8%) above the FY2020 request, and
More than a dozen federal laws authorize EPA operations.
$252.6 million (2.7%) less than the total FY2019 enacted
Funding is annually appropriated to EPA among 10
appropriations after rescissions. Figure 1 presents trends in
accounts established by Congress over time: State and
requested and enacted appropriations for EPA from
Tribal Assistance Grants (STAG), Environmental Programs
FY2008 through FY2019 and proposed for FY2020.
and Management (EPM), Hazardous Substance Superfund
Figure 1. EPA Appropriations: Requested and Enacted
(“Superfund”), Science and Technology (S&T), Leaking
FY2008-FY2019, FY2020 Requested and Proposed
Underground Storage Tank (LUST) Trust Fund Program,
(Not Adjusted for Inflation)
Buildings and Facilities, Office of Inspector General, Inland
Oil Spill Program, Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest
System Fund, and Water Infrastructure Finance and
Innovation Act (WIFIA) Program.
Historically, the STAG and EPM accounts have received
the largest shares of funding, followed by the Superfund
and S&T accounts. The STAG account funds grants for
water infrastructure, brownfields site assessment and
remediation, diesel emissions reduction, targeted airsheds,
and “categorical” grants to states and tribes for
implementing federal pollution control programs. The EPM
account funds additional grants and many cross-cutting
Source: CRS using information from the Congressional Record; House,
agency activities. The Superfund account supports the
Senate, and conference reports; and EPA’s FY2020 Congressional
environmental remediation of priority sites elevated for
Budget Justification. Enacted amounts reflect rescissions and
federal attention. The S&T account funds scientific research
supplemental appropriations, including $7.22 bil ion for EPA in the
to inform agency regulatory decisions.
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-5).
As indicated in Figure 2, the proportional distribution of
funding among the EPA appropriations accounts has
Unlike recent proposed and enacted appropriations, House-
remained similar over the past decade. House-passed H.R.
passed H.R. 3055 and the Senate-passed amendment do not
3055 would fund each account generally at the FY2019
include rescissions of unobligated balances for EPA. The
President’s FY2020 request proposed a
level or greater and the Senate-passed amendment generally
total $377.0 million
the same or less, not including rescissions.
rescission, and P.L. 116-6 rescinded a total of $210.5
million in unobligated balances for FY2019.
https://crsreports.congress.gov
U.S. EPA FY2020 Appropriations
Figure 2. EPA Appropriations by Account: FY2008-
The STAG account in House-passed H.R. 3055 would
FY2019 Enacted, and FY2020 Requested and
provide a combined total of $182.0 million, and the Senate-
Proposed (Not Adjusted for Inflation)
passed amendment $120.0 million for FY2020 for grant
programs authorized by the Water Infrastructure
Improvements for the Nation Act (P.L. 114-322) and
America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 (P.L. 115-270).
Within the WIFIA account, House-passed H.R. 3055 would
provide $50.0 million, and the Senate amendment $73.0
million for FY2020 for loan subsidization and related
administrative expenses, compared to the FY2019
combined total of $68.0 million included in Titles II and IV
in Division E of P.L. 116-6 and $25.0 million requested for
FY2020 within the WIFIA account.
The House and Senate-passed bills would also continue
funding in FY2020 for certain geographic programs,
Source: Prepared by CRS using information from the Congressional
including $320.0 million and $310.0 million respectively
Record; House, Senate, and conference committee reports; and EPA’s
for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). The
FY2020 Congressional Budget Justification. Enacted amounts include
President’s FY2020 request included $300.0 million for the
supplemental appropriations—including $7.22 bil ion for EPA in the
GLRI, the same as enacted for FY2019, but proposed to
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-5) and
eliminate other geographic programs, including the
across-the-board rescissions—but do not include additional
National Estuary Program, the Chesapeake Bay Program,
rescissions of prior-year funds among specific accounts.
and other programs to restore specific water bodies.
Assistance to States
Agency Staffing
Congress appropriates funds to EPA to support the agency’s
Although Congress does not set specific staffing levels for
primary responsibilities under multiple federal
EPA in annual appropriations acts, the size and structure of
environmental pollution control statutes in coordination
the agency’s workforce was a topic of debate for FY2020,
with states and tribes. EPA awards categorical grants to
as it was for FY2019 and FY2018. As with the FY2019
states with delegated authority, as well as tribes and local
enacted appropriations, House-passed H.R. 3055 and the
governments, to implement and enforce federal pollution
Senate-passed amendment would not fund the President’s
control requirements. The adequacy of funding for these
FY2020 request for EPA “workforce reshaping.”
categorical grants, which generally focus on specific
Fee Authorization
environmental media, wastes, or pollution sources, is
House- and Senate-passed H.R. 3055 would reauthorize the
perennially an issue of debate. House-passed H.R. 3055
collection and use of registration and service fees under the
would provide $1.11 billion and the Senate-passed
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act
amendment $1.09 billion for FY2020 for state and tribal
through the end of FY2020 (“Administrative Provisions”
categorical grants, compared to $1.08 billion enacted for
for Division C, Title II). Within the EPM account, House-
FY2019 and $580.3 million included in the President’s
passed H.R. 3055 and the Senate-passed amendment would
request for FY2020.
provide $5.0 million from fees authorized in the Toxic
The President’s request also proposed to reduce funding to
Substances Control Act for chemical risk reviews.
states from the LUST Trust Fund account by nearly half to
Regulatory Prohibitions/Limitations
$47.8 million in FY2020, compared to $93.4 million
General Provisions included in Division C, Title IV of
enacted for FY2019 (including $1.5 million in emergency
House-passed H.R. 3055 do not contain provisions similar
funding provided in P.L. 116-20). House-passed H.R. 3055
to recently enacted EPA annual appropriations that
would provide $94.4 million for the LUST account for
prohibited the use of funds for certain regulatory actions.
FY2020 and the Senate-passed amendment $91.9 million.
The Senate-passed amendment does contain these
Title II of Division C in House-passed H.R. 3055 would
provisions, which include restricting the use of funds for
provide a total of $1.78 billion for the Clean Water State
permitting air emissions from livestock production,
Revolving Fund (CWSRF) capitalization grants and $1.30
reporting greenhouse gas emissions from manure
billion for Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF)
management systems, regulating lead content of
capitalization grants for FY2020 within the STAG account.
ammunition or fishing tackle, regulating air emissions from
The Senate-passed amendment would provide $1.64 billion
small remote solid waste incinerators in Alaska, and
for the CWSRF and $1.13 billion for the DWSRF. The
permitting discharges of dredged or fill material for certain
FY2019 enacted total of $1.74 billion for the CWSRF and
agricultural activities. House-passed H.R. 3055 includes
$1.46 billion for the DWSRF included $1.39 billion for the
different provisions that would restrict the use of FY2020
CWSRF and $864.0 million for the DWSRF in Division E,
funds for finalizing certain other EPA proposed regulatory
Title II, of P.L. 116-6 and an additional $300.0 million each
actions.
in Title IV. Subsequently, P.L. 116-20 provided an
additional $53.3 million for the CWSRF and $296.1 million
Robert Esworthy, Specialist in Environmental Policy
for the DWSRF in emergency supplemental funding. The
FY2020 request proposed $1.12 billion and $863.2 million
IF11276
for the CWSRF and DWSRF, respectively.
https://crsreports.congress.gov
U.S. EPA FY2020 Appropriations
Disclaimer
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Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of information that has
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF11276 · VERSION 7 · UPDATED