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August 27, 2021
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
FY2022 Budget Request and Appropriations
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s
1). Since FY2013, the direct obligation amounts enacted in
(NOAA’s) mission is to understand and predict changes in
the PAC account have ranged from about 27% to 41% of
weather, climate, oceans, and coasts; to share that
the total enacted direct obligations (e.g., for FY2021, PAC
information with others; and to conserve and manage
was 27.4% of the enacted amount).
coastal and marine ecosystems and resources. NOAA’s
work is divided among six line offices: National
Figure 1. NOAA Direct Obligations for ORF and PAC
Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service
Accounts, FY2013-FY2022 ($ in billions, nominal)
(NESDIS); National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS);
National Ocean Service (NOS); National Weather Service
(NWS); Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research
(OAR); and Office of Marine and Aviation Operations
(OMAO). NOAA also has an overall Mission Support (MS)
office, which provides planning, administrative, financial,
information technology, and other services to NOAA’s line
offices.
Congress provides NOAA, an agency of the Department of
Commerce (DOC), with mandatory and discretionary
appropriations. Mandatory appropriations generally form a
small percentage of total NOAA funding and are disbursed
to a variety of funds that support programs in NOS, NMFS,
and OMAO. Discretionary appropriations typically are
Source: CRS, from NOAA budget justifications and congressional
included in the annual Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS),
explanatory statements.
Notes: ORF = operations, research, and facilities; PAC =
and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. Discretionary
procurement, acquisition, and construction. Direct obligations include
appropriations support two broad accounts—operations,
annual appropriations, transfers, and recoveries from prior year
research, and facilities (ORF) and procurement, acquisition,
obligations. Amounts do not include supplemental appropriations.
and construction (PAC)—and a few smaller accounts. This
CRS product focuses on NOAA’s requested FY2022
Issues for Congress
discretionary funding for ORF and PAC and will be
According to NOAA’s FY2022 budget summary, the
updated if either chamber passes a CJS appropriations bill.
requested budget would expand investments in climate-
(The House Appropriations Committee reported H.R. 4505
related activities (research, observations, and forecasting;
containing discretionary appropriations for NOAA.) The
restoration and resilience; offshore wind; and equity),
product also explores potential issues for Congress,
marine and aviation fleet support, and satellite operations
including NOAA’s proposed climate-related activities,
(including observational satellites and space weather
marine and aviation fleet support, and satellite operations.
activities).
Agency Funding
Climate-Related Activities
NOAA requested a total of $7.19 billion in discretionary
For FY2022, NOAA has requested increases to existing
direct obligations for ORF and PAC for FY2022, including
activities and proposed new activities to implement
$6.92 billion in appropriations (Table 1). Direct obligations
Executive Order 14008, “Tackling the Climate Crisis at
include annual appropriations, transfers, and recoveries
Home and Abroad.” According to the agency, the requested
from prior year obligations. Under P.L. 116-260, Congress
climate-related increases and new expenditures total $855.1
provided $5.65 billion for ORF and PAC discretionary
million over FY2022 base levels. Of that total, NOAA has
direct obligations in FY2021, including $5.37 billion in
requested $321.3 million for grants, subsidies, and
appropriations. The NOAA FY2022 request is $1.54 billion
contributions, or GSC (i.e., grants to states and territorial
above the FY2021 enacted level and $1.41 billion over the
governments, academic institutions, etc.). Most of the GSC
FY2022 base level. (NOAA calculates the FY2022 base
request would go toward NOS ($143.8 million) and OAR
level as equal to the FY2021-enacted amount plus expected
($106.2 million) to support nonfederal efforts in coastal
“Adjustments-To-Base,” such as certain inflationary
resilience and observing systems. The Trump
adjustments.)
Administration had proposed decreases or terminations to
most of these activities each year; instead, Congress largely
Over the last 10 years, enacted NOAA ORF and PAC direct
retained level funding or increased GSC amounts.
obligations (in nominal dollars) peaked in FY2018 (Figure
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Table 1. NOAA Direct Obligations and Appropriations for ORF and PAC Accounts, by Line Office
($ in millions, nominal)
FY2022
FY2021
FY2022
Budget
Line Offices
Enacted
Base Levela
Request
NESDIS
1,518.5
1,521.6
2,029.0
NMFS
964.9
985.3
1,099.3
NOS
628.2
632.9
862.4
NWS
1,204.4
1,269.4
1,328.7
OAR
614.1
618.9
815.7
OMAO
373.7
393.5
605.1
Mission Support
345.8
354.5
450.7
Total Direct Obligationsb
5,649.5
5,776.1
7,191.0
Total Appropriationsc
5,372.9
5,501.1
6,916.4
Sources: CRS, using explanatory statement accompanying P.L. 116-260; and NOAA, Budget Estimates Fiscal Year 2022, Congressional Submission,
p. Control Table-8–Control Table-12.
Notes: ORF = operations, research, and facilities; PAC = procurement, acquisition, and construction.
a.
NOAA calculated the FY2022 base level as equal to the FY2021-enacted amount plus expected “Adjustments-To-Base,” such as certain
inflationary adjustments.
b. “Total Direct Obligations,” or total program or funding level, include annual appropriations, transfers, and recoveries from prior year
obligations but exclude any supplemental appropriations. Components may not sum to totals shown due to rounding.
c.
“Total Appropriations” are a part of the total direct obligations. Total Appropriations include annual appropriations but exclude any
supplemental appropriations.
Marine and Aviation Fleet Support
Satellite Operations
NOAA, through OMAO and its Commissioned Officer
NOAA, through NESDIS, manages three portfolios of
Corp (NOAA Corps), maintains a variety of specialized
environmental satellites and data acquisition: low-earth
ships and aircraft that gather oceanographic, atmospheric,
orbiting (LEO), geostationary (GEO), and space weather
hydrographic, and fisheries data to support the agency’s
(SW). NOAA requested a net increase of $507.5 million
missions. For FY2022, the agency has requested additional
over the FY2022 base level in ORF and PAC funding for
funds ($101 million) over the FY2022 base level to support
some activities under these portfolios. NOAA’s largest
the maintenance, repair, and construction of existing and
proposed increase is $455.0 million for the GEO Extended
new vessels and aircraft. Congress has previously expressed
Observations program, which contributes data to weather
concern with maintenance of the marine and aviation fleets.
forecasts and detects and monitors environmental hazards
For example, in the explanatory statement accompanying
(e.g., wildfires, smoke, fog). NOAA’s largest proposed
the FY2021 appropriations law (P.L. 116-260), Congress
decrease is $252.8 million for planned reductions in Polar
expressed its “frustration” over the lack of an agency
Weather Satellite activities.
request for maintenance funding for the NOAA Ship
Ronald H. Brown and directed NOAA to allocate
NOAA proposed and Congress approved satellite budget
appropriations toward maintenance.
structure changes in FY2020 and FY2021. For FY2022,
NOAA has requested to create two new subactivities (LEO
OMAO also provides coordination, support, and guidance
and space weather) to focus on portfolios of satellites and
for uncrewed marine and aircraft systems (UxS) across
“maintain a flat overall budget.” Congress has previously
NOAA. NOAA currently uses UxS for seafloor and habitat
expressed concern over satellite acquisition and
mapping, ocean exploration, marine mammal and fishery
construction costs. For example, in the explanatory
assessments, emergency response, and at-sea observations.
statement accompanying P.L. 116-260, Congress noted
The agency requested and Congress approved the
“with exasperation the continuing trend of NOAA
establishment of the NOAA UxS Operations Center
underestimating the costs,” and directed the Government
(UxSOC) in FY2020. NOAA has requested an increase of
Accountability Office to conduct an audit of NOAA’s cost
$1.5 million above base level for UxSOC in FY2022. In the
estimation procedures and provide recommendations.
explanatory statement accompanying P.L. 116-260,
Congress also appropriated funding to the DOC Office of
Congress directed the agency to allocate appropriations
Inspector General in FY2021 to carry out investigations and
toward UxS extramural partnerships and commercial data
audits related to satellite acquisition and construction.
acquisition.
Eva Lipiec, Analyst in Natural Resources Policy
IF11914
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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) FY2022 Budget Request and Appropriations
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