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May 22, 2023
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
FY2024 Budget Request and Appropriations
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Figure 1. ORF and PAC Annual Direct Obligations,
(NOAA) is an agency in the Department of Commerce
FY2014-FY2024 ($ in billions, nominal and adjusted)
whose mission is to understand and predict changes in
weather, climate, oceans, and coasts; to share that
information with others; and to conserve and manage
coastal and marine ecosystems and resources. NOAA’s
work is divided among six line offices: National
Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service
(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 provides planning, leadership,
finances, information technology, educational
programming, and other support across the line offices,
known as Mission Support (MS).
Congress provides NOAA with annual mandatory and
discretionary appropriations. Mandatory appropriations,
which generally comprise a small percentage of total
NOAA funding, are disbursed to various accounts that
support programs in NOS, NMFS, and OMAO. NOAA’s
discretionary appropriations typically are included in the
annual Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
Sources: CRS, from NOAA budget justifications, congressional
appropriations acts. Discretionary appropriations support
explanatory statements, and Office of Management and Budget,
two broad accounts—Operations, Research, and Facilities
Historical Tables, Table 10.1.
(ORF) and Procurement, Acquisition, and Construction
Notes: ORF = Operations, Research, and Facilities; PAC =
(PAC)—as well as a few smaller accounts. This product
Procurement, Acquisition, and Construction. Figure does not include
focuses on NOAA’s FY2024 discretionary funding for ORF
supplemental appropriations. Direct obligations include
and PAC. The product also notes potential topics of interest
appropriations, transfers, and recoveries from prior year obligations.
for Congress, including NOAA’s satellite operations,
science and data for economic development, and climate-
Supplemental Appropriations Available in FY2024
related products and services.
Congress also has provided NOAA with supplemental
Agency Funding
appropriations for ORF and PAC to remain available
through FY2024 or beyond, including
NOAA requested $7.15 billion in discretionary direct
•
obligations for ORF and PAC for FY2024, including $6.76
$52.2 million for PAC expenses related to hurricanes
billion in appropriations (Figure 1 and Table 1; NOAA
and wildfires in 2020 and 2021 (P.L. 117-43);
requested a total of $7.34 billion in direct obligations).
• $2.23 billion for restoration, observation, modeling,
Direct obligations include annual appropriations, transfers,
forecasting activities, and other purposes (Infrastructure
and recoveries from prior year obligations. For FY2023,
Investment and Jobs Act [IIJA]; P.L. 117-58);
Congress provided $6.54 billion in annual ORF and PAC
direct obligations and an additional $150.8 million in
• $3.31 billion for conservation, restoration, protection,
supplemental funding through P.L. 117-328, for a total of
construction, reviews, research and forecasting,
$6.69 billion (Table 1). According to NOAA, the
computing capacity, aircraft acquisition, and other
supplemental amounts are considered “base or discretionary
purposes (Inflation Reduction Act of 2022; P.L. 117-
funding designated as emergency.” Additional
169); and
supplemental appropriations are described in the right
• $527.5 million for expenses related to hurricanes,
column. Figure 1 does not show the supplemental
typhoons, flooding, and wildfires in 2022; fishing gear
appropriations. The NOAA FY2024 requested direct
and techniques; aircraft acquisition and other uses (P.L.
obligations amount for ORF and PAC is $461.1 million
117-328, of which $150.8 million is included in Table 1
above the FY2023 enacted level.
amounts).
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Table 1. NOAA Annual Direct Obligations and Appropriations for Discretionary ORF and PAC Accounts
($ in millions, nominal)
Line Office and CPF/CDS
FY2023 Enacteda
FY2024 Base Levelb FY2024 Requestb
FY2024 Enacted
NESDIS
1,705.7
1,716.5
2,073.9
NA
NMFS
1,093.3
1,161.7
1,154.9
NA
NOS
693.4
744.4
687.7
NA
NWS
1,356.7
1,403.9
1,380.1
NA
OAR
761.3
792.0
786.3
NA
OMAO
460.7
469.9
459.0
NA
Mission Support
503.8
533.5
605.6
NA
CPF/CDS
111.5
NA
NA
NA
Total Direct Obligationsc
6,686.4
6,821.9
7,147.4
NA
Total Appropriationsd
6,305.5
6,430.8
6,756.3
NA
Sources: CRS using the explanatory statement accompanying P.L. 117-328; NOAA, Budget Estimates Fiscal Year 2024, Congressional Submission.
Notes: CPF/CDS = community project funding/congressional y directed spending; NA = not available/not applicable. See text for additional
abbreviations. Components may not sum to totals shown due to rounding.
a. As documented in the explanatory statement accompanying P.L. 117-328. Amounts include both FY2023 annual direct obligations and the
supplemental appropriations in Division N, Title II.
b. As documented in the NOAA FY2024 Budget Estimates. NOAA calculated the FY2024 base level as equal to the FY2023 enacted amount
plus expected “Adjustments-To-Base,” such as certain inflationary adjustments.
c. Total Direct Obligations, or total program or funding levels, include annual appropriations, transfers, and recoveries from prior year
obligations, but exclude any supplemental appropriations, except FY2023 Enacted includes some supplemental appropriations from
Division N, Title II, of P.L. 117-328.
d. Total Appropriations are a part of the total direct obligations. Total Appropriations include annual appropriations but exclude any
supplemental appropriations, except FY2023 Enacted includes some supplemental appropriations from Division N, Title II, of P.L. 117-328.
Issues for Congress
Congress provided a total of $183.5 million for PWS and
NOAA’s FY2024 requested budget proposed changes to
$285.0 million for GeoXO in FY2023.
multiple activities, the largest portion of which was
increased funding for certain satellites, science and data for
Science and Data for Economic Development
economic development activities, and climate products and
NOAA requested $81.4 million above the FY2024 base
services, among other activities. The agency proposed
level, across NMFS, NOS, NWS, OAR, and MS, for
reducing or eliminating funding for several activities, across
activities to “foster environmental stewardship and optimize
all of the line offices, including for the National Coastal
advances in science and technology to create value-added,
Resilience Fund (to be funded with monies from IIJA), for
data-driven sustainable economic development, with a
OMAO ship and aircraft construction and maintenance (to
particular focus on the New Blue Economy.” The agency
be funded with previously enacted funds), and for some
requested the largest increases under this theme to improve
grant programs in NMFS, NOS, and NWS (to fund other
space situational awareness (i.e., keeping track of objects in
priorities).
orbit; $17.7 million increase) and support the national
program to mitigate the effects of offshore wind energy
Satellite Operations
activities on NMFS scientific surveys ($14.6 million).
NOAA, through NESDIS, manages several portfolios of
NOAA has previously requested additional funding for
environmental satellites. The agency requested $2.1 billion
similar activities; Congress provided some of the funds
for NESDIS in FY2024, an increase of $368.3 million
requested in FY2023.
above the FY2023 enacted level (Table 1). The request
includes an increase of $158.9 million ($342.4 million total)
Climate Products and Services
for the Polar Weather Satellites (PWS) program and $132.4
NOAA requested $78.2 million above the FY2024 base
million ($417.4 million total) for the Geostationary
level, across all of the line offices, for activities to
Extended Observations (GeoXO) program. PWS includes
implement Executive Order 14008, “Tackling the Climate
the Joint Polar Satellite System and Polar Follow-On
Crisis at Home and Abroad.” The largest proposed
missions, which provide global meteorological observations
increases would provide additional funding to the National
for short- and midterm forecasts and weather warnings.
Marine Sanctuary System ($17.8 million) and support at-
GeoXO is the next generation of space-based weather and
sea data collection and other critical mission requirements
environmental monitoring (e.g., wildfires, smoke, fog).
($16.2 million).
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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) FY2024 Budget Request and Appropriations
IF12406
Eva Lipiec, Analyst in Natural Resources Policy
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF12406 · VERSION 1 · NEW