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Updated April 17, 2024
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: FY2024 Appropriations
Congress generally funds the civil works activities of the
In addition, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in annual Energy
(IIJA; P.L. 117-58) provided $1.05 billion in advance
and Water Development appropriations acts. These
appropriations for FY2024—$1.00 billion for O&M
activities include the planning and construction of
activities and $50 million for coastal flood damage
authorized water resource projects and the operation and
reduction construction. (See CRS Insight IN11723,
maintenance (O&M) of infrastructure and navigation
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Funding for U.S.
improvements managed by USACE. USACE uses most of
Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Civil Works.) The
its appropriations for work on specific studies and projects
Administration allocated these supplemental funds toward
authorized by Congress. Nonfederal project sponsors or
eligible USACE activities in FY2024 IIJA spend plans.
users often share in project construction costs. For more on
USACE annual appropriations in general, see CRS Report
USACE FY2024 Annual Appropriations
R46320, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Annual
The O&M account, which funds maintenance of existing
Appropriations Process.
USACE infrastructure, accounted for 64% of USACE’s
$8.68 billion in FY2024 annual appropriations (Figure 2).
For FY2024 annual appropriations, Congress provided
Some accounts decreased in funding compared with
$8.68 billion for USACE civil works (after accounting for
FY2023 annual appropriations, including the Formerly
$22 million in recissions) in Title I of the Energy and Water
Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (-$100 million)
Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act,
and Investigations (-$40 million). The explanatory
2024 (Division D of P.L. 118-42). This total is 17% above
statement listed Investigations appropriations, which fund
the FY2024 President’s budget request (see Figure 1).
studies and design work to contemplate USACE projects, in
Congress included an explanatory statement providing
two categories: (1) Feasibility and (2) Preconstruction,
further direction to USACE. The act directed $1.46 billion
Engineering, and Design (PED).
of unobligated Construction account funding from prior
appropriations to fund FY2024 Construction account
Figure 2. USACE FY2017-FY2024 Annual
activities. That is, the act provided for $8.68 billion in new
Appropriations, Percentage of Total by Account
appropriations (Figure 1) and redirected the use of $1.46
billion in previous unobligated appropriations (not shown in
Figure 1 and Figure 2).
Figure 1. Annual USACE Budget Requests and
Appropriations, FY2017-FY2024
(nominal $, in bil ions)
Source: CRS, based on appropriations laws from FY2017-FY2024.
Notes: ASA = Assistant Secretary of the Army; FCCE = Flood
Control and Coastal Emergencies; FUSRAP = Formerly Utilized Sites
Remedial Action Program; MR&T = Mississippi River and Tributaries;
O&M = Operation and Maintenance; Regulatory = Regulatory
Program; WIFIP = Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation
Program. Does not reflect supplemental appropriations or
Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on
redirection of prior year funds.
appropriations laws from FY2017-FY2024.
Notes: Does not reflect supplemental appropriations and redirection
For the Construction account, the act directs $3.32 billion
of prior year appropriations.
for projects and activities funded under the account. This
total includes $1.85 billion in annual appropriations and, as
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U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: FY2024 Appropriations
mentioned previously, directs prior unobligated
Engineers: Continuing Authorities Programs.) President
appropriations to fund FY2024 Construction account
Biden’s FY2024 request included $4.5 million for four of
activities. The appropriations are
the nine authorized CAPs. FY2024 annual appropriations
funded nine CAPs at $54.9 million total, including $2.1
• $1.43 billion from unobligated and unallocated prior
million for CPF/CDS projects. As previously stated, the act
year IIJA Construction appropriations, and
assigned $34.8 million from unobligated and unallocated
•
CAP appropriations to the FY2024 Construction account.
$35 million from unobligated and unallocated prior year
Continuing Authorities Program (CAP) appropriations.
Environmental Infrastructure Assistance
Since 1992, Congress has authorized and funded USACE to
The act directs that USACE use the prior year IIJA
provide environmental infrastructure (EI) assistance (e.g.,
appropriations to fund projects listed in the explanatory
design and construction of municipal drinking water and
statement and that the projects receiving these
appropriations “shall be subject to the
wastewater infrastructure projects in specified locations).
terms and
conditions” of IIJA Construction funding.
(See CRS Report R47162, Overview of U.S. Army Corps of
For instance,
Engineers Environmental Infrastructure (EI) Assistance.)
based on a provision of the IIJA, FY2024 projects receiving
IIJA funds are not limited in how much a project’s total
Until FY2024, no Administration had requested funding for
EI assistance. The Biden Administration requested $5.0
costs can exceed its authorization of appropriations without
million for FY2024. Congress provided appropriations that
being required to obtain additional congressional
funded CPF/CDS requests for specific EI assistance
authorization (i.e., 33 U.S.C. §2280 would not apply).
authorities and $17.9 million in additional funding for these
Community Project Funding and Congressional
authorities for USACE to allocate in its Construction work
Directed Spending
plan.
The 112th through the 116th Congresses limited
Corps Water Infrastructure Financing Program
congressionally directed funding of site-specific studies and
In 2014, Congress authorized USACE to provide credit
projects, which are sometimes referred to as earmarks. The
assistance (i.e., direct loans or loan guarantees) for a range
117th and 118th Congresses, in enacted FY2022, FY2023,
of water projects (Water Infrastructure Finance and
and FY2024 annual appropriations, included community
Innovation Act, or WIFIA; 33 U.S.C. §§3901-3914, as
project funding (CPF) and congressionally directed
amended). USACE’s program is referred to as the Corps
spending (CDS) requested by Representatives and Senators,
Water Infrastructure Financing Program (CWIFP) and is
respectively, for site-specific studies and projects. Congress
funded from the Water Infrastructure Finance and
also enacted funding for broad categories (referred to as
Innovation Program account. (See CRS Insight IN12021,
additional funding), such as navigation and flood and storm
Corps Water Infrastructure Financing Program (CWIFP).)
damage reduction.
From FY2021 through FY2023, Congress limited CWIFP’s
lending to nonfederal dam safety projects. Of the program’s
In the FY2024 explanatory statement, Congress funded
$7.2 million enacted for FY2024, $5.0 million is for
$1.49 billion for CPF/CDS items and provided $1.12 billion
program administration and $2.2 million is for credit
in additional funding. The act directs USACE to develop
assistance for nonfederal dam safety and levee projects.
work plans within 60 days of enactment that distribute the
additional funding to individual studies and projects. In
Direction Relating to Prior Supplemental
addition, in the Construction work plan, USACE is to
Appropriations
allocate the IIJA Construction appropriations to projects
Congress in Division D of P.L. 118-42 included general
listed in the explanatory statement.
provisions related to funding USACE studies and projects
New Starts
that have previously received supplemental appropriations.
Congress directed that certain appropriations—specific
New start is a term to describe USACE studies or projects
prior supplemental and emergency appropriations and
receiving appropriations for the first time. The explanatory
appropriations from the act and future acts—may be used
statement named most of the new starts allowed for
for certain studies and projects that have received funding
FY2024: the Administration’s request for five new studies
from the following accounts:
and the first construction funds for Cape Cod Canal bridges,
MA, and new studies and construction projects from
• the USACE Construction account in P.L. 113-2;
CPF/CDS requests. The explanatory statement also directed
• the USACE Investigations and Construction accounts in
USACE to select four additional new starts to receive
P.L. 115-123; and
additional funding: one new construction project for flood
and storm damage reduction and three new studies for flood
• the USACE Investigations account in P.L. 117-58.
and storm damage reduction authorized in the Water
Resources Development Act of 2022 (Title LXXXI of
Further, Congress directed that “any additional funds for
Division H of P.L. 117-263) and in states that had a Federal
such studies and projects shall be subject to the same terms
Disaster Emergency declared in 2022.
and conditions applicable to the headings of those acts” as
listed above.
Continuing Authorities Programs
Anna E. Normand, Specialist in Natural Resources Policy
USACE plans and constructs projects of limited scope and
Nicole T. Carter, Specialist in Natural Resources Policy
cost without project-specific authorizations through its
CAPs. (See CRS In Focus IF11106, Army Corps of
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U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: FY2024 Appropriations
IF12370
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