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Updated December 9, 2019
U.S. EPA FY2020 Appropriations
EPA FY2020 Proposed Appropriations
rescission, and P.L. 116-6 rescinded a total of $210.5
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and
million in unobligated balances for FY2019.
other federal departments and agencies are operating under
a continuing resolution (CR), P.L. 116-69 (H.R. 3055),
The funding in the House and Senate-passed bills would
generally at FY2019 enacted levels through December 20,
generally support the existing federal and state framework
2019. The legislative vehicle for the CR, H.R. 3055, was
for implementing and enforcing requirements under
previously passed by the House as a five-bill omnibus
multiple federal pollution control statutes. The bills would
appropriations on June 25, 2019, and by the Senate as a
not approve the President’s request to eliminate funding for
four-bill amendment on October 31, 2019. Division C of
certain programs and activities or to return some federal
the House- and Senate-passed bills—the Department of the
responsibilities to states and reduce funding for state
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
implementation grants.
Appropriations Act, 2020—included funding for EPA.
Reported June 3, 2019, Title II of H.R. 3052 (H.Rept. 116-
100)—the Department of the Interior, Environment, and
Title II of Division C in House-passed H.R. 3055 would
Related Agencies Appropriations, 2020—provided the basis
provide $9.53 billion for EPA for FY2020, $3.31 billion
for the funding for EPA included in House-passed H.R.
(53.1%) above the FY2020 request of $6.22 billion and
3055. Title II of S. 2580 (S.Rept. 116-123)—the
$264.2 million (2.9%) more than the FY2019 total enacted
Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related
appropriations of $9.26 billion (includes Titles II and IV of
Agencies Appropriations, 2020—provided the basis for the
Division E in P.L. 116-6 and emergency supplemental
Senate- passed amendment. The House and Senate
appropriations in Title VII of P.L. 116-20) after rescissions
Appropriations Committees emphasized that the proposed
of unobligated balances. Title II of Division C in Senate-
FY2020 appropriations for EPA program activities take into
passed H.R. 3055 would provide $9.01 billion for EPA for
account funding amounts reported in EPA’s FY2019
FY2020, $516.9 million (5.4%) less than the House-passed
operating plan, which reflect rescission reductions. The
bill, $2.79 billion (44.8%) above the FY2020 request and
Senate committee refers to this adjustment as “Budget
$252.6 million (2.7%) less than the total FY2019 enacted
Rebaselining.”
appropriations after rescissions. Figure 1 presents trends in
requested and enacted appropriations for EPA from
EPA Appropriations Accounts
FY2008 through FY2019 and proposed for FY2020.
More than a dozen federal laws authorize EPA operations.
Funding is annually appropriated to EPA among 10
Figure 1. EPA Appropriations: Requested and Enacted
accounts established by Congress over time: State and
FY2008-FY2019, FY2020 Requested and Proposed
Tribal Assistance Grants (STAG), Environmental Programs
(Not Adjusted for Inflation)
and Management (EPM), Hazardous Substance Superfund
(“Superfund”), Science and Technology (S&T), Leaking
Underground Storage Tank (LUST) Trust Fund Program,
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 share of funding, followed by the Superfund and
S&T accounts. The STAG account funds grants for water
infrastructure, brownfields site assessment and remediation,
Source: CRS using information from the Congressional Record; House,
diesel emissions reduction, targeted airsheds, and
Senate, and conference reports; and EPA’s FY2020 Congressional
“categorical” grants to states and tribes for implementing
Budget Justification. Enacted amounts reflect rescissions and
federal pollution control programs. The EPM account funds
supplemental appropriations, including $7.22 bil ion for EPA in the
additional grants and many cross-cutting agency activities.
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-5).
The Superfund account supports the environmental
remediation of priority sites elevated for federal attention.
Unlike recent proposed and enacted appropriations, House-
The S&T account funds scientific research to inform
passed H.R. 3055 and the Senate-passed amendment do not
agency regulatory decisions.
include rescissions of unobligated balances for EPA. The
President’s FY2020 request proposed a total $377.0 million
As indicated in Figure 2, the proportional distribution of
funding among the EPA appropriations accounts has
https://crsreports.congress.gov
U.S. EPA FY2020 Appropriations
remained similar over the past decade. House-passed H.R.
in Title IV. Subsequently, P.L. 116-20 provided an
3055 would fund each account generally at the FY2019
additional $53.3 million for the CWSRF and $296.1 million
level or greater and the Senate-passed amendment generally
for the DWSRF in emergency supplemental funding. The
the same or less, not including rescissions.
FY2020 request proposed $1.12 billion and $863.2 million
for the CWSRF and DWSRF, respectively.
Figure 2. EPA Appropriations by Account: FY2008-
FY2019 Enacted, and FY2020 Requested and
The STAG account in House-passed H.R. 3055 would
Proposed (Not Adjusted for Inflation)
provide a combined total of $182.0 million and the Senate-
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.
Source: Prepared by CRS using information from the Congressional
The House and Senate-passed bills would also continue
Record; House, Senate, and conference committee reports; and EPA’s
funding in FY2020 for certain geographic programs,
FY2020 Congressional Budget Justification. Enacted amounts include
including $320.0 million and $310.0 million respectively
supplemental appropriations—including $7.22 bil ion for EPA in the
for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). The
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-5) and
President’s FY2020 request included $300.0 million for the
across-the-board rescissions—but do not include additional
GLRI, the same as enacted for FY2019, but proposed to
rescissions of prior-year funds among specific accounts.
eliminate other geographic programs, including the
Assistance to States
National Estuary Program, the Chesapeake Bay Program,
and other programs to restore specific water bodies.
Congress appropriates funds to EPA to support the agency’s
primary responsibilities under multiple federal
Agency Staffing
environmental pollution control statutes in coordination
Although Congress does not set specific staffing levels for
with states and tribes. EPA awards categorical grants to
EPA in annual appropriations acts, the size and structure of
states with delegated authority, as well as tribes and local
the agency’s workforce was a topic of debate for FY2020 as
governments, to implement and enforce federal pollution
it was for FY2019 and FY2018. As with the FY2019
control requirements. The adequacy of funding for these
enacted appropriations, House-passed H.R. 3055 and the
categorical grants—which generally focus on specific
Senate-passed amendment would not fund the President’s
environmental media, wastes, or pollution sources—is
FY2020 request for EPA “workforce reshaping.”
perennially an issue of debate. House-passed H.R. 3055
would provide $1.11 billion and the Senate-passed
Fee Authorization
amendment $1.09 billion for FY2020 for state and tribal
House- and Senate-passed H.R. 3055 would reauthorize the
categorical grants, compared to $1.08 billion enacted for
collection and use of registration and service fees under the
FY2019 and $580.3 million included in the President’s
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act
request for FY2020.
through the end of FY2020 (“Administrative Provisions”
for Division C, Title II). Within the EPM account, House-
The President’s request also proposed to reduce funding to
passed H.R. 3055 and the Senate-passed amendment would
states from the LUST Trust Fund account by nearly half to
provide $5.0 million from fees authorized in the Toxic
$47.8 million in FY2020, compared to $93.4 million
Substances Control Act for chemical risk reviews.
enacted for FY2019 (including $1.5 million in emergency
funding provided in P.L. 116-20). House-passed H.R. 3055
Regulatory Prohibitions/Limitations
would provide $94.4 million for the LUST account for
General Provisions included in Division C, Title IV of
FY2020, the Senate-passed amendment $91.9 million.
House-passed H.R. 3055 do not contain provisions similar
to recently enacted EPA annual appropriations that
Title II of Division C in House-passed H.R. 3055 would
prohibited the use of funds for certain regulatory actions.
provide a total of $1.78 billion for the Clean Water State
The Senate-passed amendment does contain these
Revolving Fund (CWSRF) capitalization grants and $1.30
provisions, which include restricting the use of funds for
billion for Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF)
permitting air emissions from livestock production,
capitalization grants for FY2020 within the STAG account.
reporting greenhouse gas emissions from manure
The Senate-passed amendment would provide $1.64 billion
management systems, regulating lead content of
for the CWSRF and $1.13 billion for the DWSRF. The
ammunition or fishing tackle, regulating air emissions from
FY2019 enacted total of $1.74 billion for the CWSRF and
small remote solid waste incinerators in Alaska, and
$1.46 billion for the DWSRF included $1.39 billion for the
permitting discharges of dredged or fill material for certain
CWSRF and $864.0 million for the DWSRF in Division E,
agricultural activities. House-passed H.R. 3055 includes
Title II, of P.L. 116-6 and an additional $300.0 million each
https://crsreports.congress.gov
U.S. EPA FY2020 Appropriations
different provisions that would restrict the use of FY2020
Robert Esworthy, Specialist in Environmental Policy
funds for finalizing certain other EPA proposed regulatory
actions.
IF11276
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF11276 · VERSION 8 · UPDATED