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Updated October 18, 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; 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’s Mission Support
provides planning, leadership, finances, information
technology, educational programming, and other support
across the line offices.
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
appropriations acts. Discretionary appropriations support
Sources: CRS, from NOAA budget justifications, congressional
two broad accounts—Operations, Research, and Facilities
explanatory statements, and Office of Management and Budget,
(ORF) and Procurement, Acquisition, and Construction
Historical Tables, Table 10.1.
(PAC)—as well as a few smaller accounts. This product
focuses on NOAA’s FY2024 discretionary funding for ORF
Notes: ORF = Operations, Research, and Facilities; PAC =
and PAC. The product also notes potential topics of interest
Procurement, Acquisition, and Construction. Figure does not include
for Congress from NOAA’s FY2024 budget request,
supplemental appropriations. Direct obligations include
including NOAA’s satellite operations, science and data for
appropriations, transfers, and recoveries from prior year obligations.
economic development, and climate-related products and
Supplemental Appropriations Available in FY2024
services.
Congress also has made supplemental appropriations
Agency Funding
available to NOAA for ORF and PAC, including
•
NOAA requested over $7.1 billion in discretionary direct
$52.2 million for expenses related to hurricanes and
obligations for ORF and PAC for FY2024, including
wildfires in 2020 and 2021, through FY2024 (P.L. 117-
almost $6.8 billion in appropriations (Figure 1 and Table
43);
1). NOAA requested a total of $7.3 billion in direct
• $1.2 billion for restoration, observation, modeling,
obligations for all accounts. Direct obligations include
forecasting activities, and other purposes, through
annual appropriations, transfers, and recoveries from prior
FY2024 (Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act; P.L.
year obligations. For FY2023, Congress provided $6.5
117-58);
billion in annual ORF and PAC direct obligations and an
additional $150.8 million in supplemental funding through
• $3.3 billion for conservation, restoration, protection,
P.L. 117-328, for a total of $6.7 billion (Table 1).
construction, reviews, research and forecasting,
According to NOAA, the supplemental amounts are
computing, aircraft acquisition, and other purposes,
considered “base or discretionary funding designated as
through FY2026 (Inflation Reduction Act of 2022; P.L.
emergency.” Supplemental appropriations are described in
117-169); and
the right column. For FY2024, a draft House
• $527.5 million for expenses related to hurricanes,
Appropriations Committee bill would provide a total of
typhoons, flooding, and wildfires in 2022; fishing gear
$5.8 billion in direct obligations; S. 2321, reported by the
and techniques; aircraft acquisition; and other uses,
Senate Appropriations Committee, would provide $6.9
through FY2024 or until expended (P.L. 117-328, of
billion in direct obligations.
which $150.8 million is included in Table 1 amounts).
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Table 1. NOAA Annual Direct Obligations and Appropriations for Discretionary ORF and PAC Accounts
($ in millions, nominal)
FY2023
FY2024
FY2024
Draft
S. 2321 and
FY2024
Line Office and CPF/CDS
Enacteda
Base Levelb
Requestb
House Billc
S.Rept. 118-62
Enacted
NESDIS
1,705.7
1,716.5
2,073.9
NA
1,916.7
NA
NMFS
1,093.3
1,161.7
1,154.9
NA
1,112.8
NA
NOS
693.4
744.4
687.7
NA
694.7
NA
NWS
1,356.7
1,403.9
1,380.1
NA
1,353.6
NA
OAR
761.3
792.0
786.3
NA
751.3
NA
OMAO
460.7
469.9
459.0
NA
447.7
NA
Mission Support
503.8
533.5
605.6
NA
494.8
NA
CPF/CDS
111.5
37.7
0
NA
85.2
NA
Total Direct Obligationsd
6,686.4
6,821.9
7,147.4
5,771.3
6,856.7
NA
Total Appropriationse
6,305.5
6,430.8
6,756.3
5,380.3
6,455.7
NA
Sources: CRS using the explanatory statement accompanying P.L. 117-328; NOAA, Budget Estimates Fiscal Year 2024, Congressional Submission;
draft House Appropriations Committee bill, Full Committee Print; S.Rept. 118-62; and S. 2321, as reported.
Notes: CPF/CDS = community project funding/congressionally directed spending; NA = not available/not applicable. See text for additional
abbreviations. Components may not sum to totals shown due to rounding. Values are rounded to the nearest tenth.
a. Amounts include both FY2023 annual direct obligations and the supplemental appropriations in Division N, Title II, of P.L. 117-328.
b. NOAA calculated the FY2024 base level as equal to the FY2023 enacted amount plus expected “Adjustments-To-Base,” such as certain
inflationary adjustments.
c. The draft House Appropriations Committee bill does not list amounts for each line office or CPF.
d. 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.
e. 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
Science and Data for Economic Development
NOAA’s FY2024
NOAA requested $81.4 million above the FY2024 base
requested budget proposed changes to
level across NMFS, NOS, NWS, OAR, and MS for
multiple activities, the largest portion of which was
activities that “foster environmental stewardship and
increased funding for activities under the agency-identified
optimize advances in science and technology to create
themes of satellites, science and data for economic
value-added, data-driven sustainable economic
development activities, and climate products and services.
development, with a particular focus on the New Blue
The agency also proposed reducing or eliminating funding
Economy.” NOAA requested $88.0 million ($70.0 million
for several activities across all of the line offices.
enacted in FY2023) for the Office of Space Commerce
Satellites
(OSC) and $223.2 million ($203.9 million enacted in
NOAA requested nearly $2.1 billion in FY2024 (Table 1),
FY2023) to minimize the effects of offshore wind energy
$357.4 million above the FY2024 base level, to support
activities on NMFS scientific surveys, the two largest
NESDIS, which manages several portfolios of
increases under this theme. S.Rept. 118-62 would maintain
environmental satellites. S. 2321 would provide $1.9 billion
the FY2023 amounts for OSC and NMFS in FY2024.
to NESDIS for FY2024 (Table 1). NOAA’s request
Climate Products and Services
includes increases for the Polar Weather Satellites (PWS)
NOAA requested $78.2 million above the FY2024 base
and Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO)
level across all of the line offices to continue implementing
programs. PWS includes the Joint Polar Satellite System
Executive Order 14008, “Tackling the Climate Crisis at
and Polar Follow-On missions, which provide global
Home and Abroad.” Under the theme, the agency requested
meteorological observations for short- and midterm
$87.9 million for the National Marine Sanctuary System
forecasts and weather warnings. GeoXO is the next
($68.0 million enacted in FY2023) and $224.3 million
generation of space-based environmental monitoring
($204.0 million enacted in FY2023) for OMAO for
satellites. NOAA requested $342.4 million ($183.5 million
additional at-sea data collection and mission requirements.
enacted in FY2023) for PWS and $417.4 million ($285.0
S.Rept. 118-62 would maintain the FY2023 amounts for the
million enacted in FY2023) for GeoXO programs. S.Rept.
sanctuaries and OMAO in FY2024.
118-62 accompanying S. 2321 would provide the requested
amount for PWS and did not state an amount for GeoXO.
Eva Lipiec, Analyst in Natural Resources Policy
IF12406
https://crsreports.congress.gov
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) FY2024 Budget Request and Appropriations
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