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Updated May 28, 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 directed $3.32 billion
of prior year appropriations.
to fund construction projects and activities. This total
included $1.85 billion in annual appropriations provided by
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U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: FY2024 Appropriations
the act and the use of the following prior unobligated
Biden’s FY2024 request included $4.5 million for four of
appropriations, as mentioned previously:
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. A portion of the CAP total
year IIJA Construction appropriations, and
was funded by the previously mentioned prior year
•
unobligated and unallocated CAP appropriations.
$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 directed that the projects receiving IIJA
appropriations “shall be subject to the terms and
provide environmental infrastructure (EI) assistance (e.g.,
conditions” of IIJA Construction funding.
design and construction of municipal drinking water and
For instance,
wastewater infrastructure projects in specified locations).
because of a provision of the IIJA, FY2024 projects
(See CRS Report R47162, Overview of U.S. Army Corps of
receiving IIJA funds are not limited in how much a
project’s total costs can exceed its authorization of
Engineers Environmental Infrastructure (EI) Assistance.)
Until FY2024, no Administration had requested funding for
appropriations without being required to obtain additional
EI assistance. The Biden Administration requested $5.0
congressional authorization (i.e., 33 U.S.C. §2280 would
million for FY2024. Congress funded $197.7 million for EI
not apply).
assistance in FY2024 through use of prior year IIJA
Community Project Funding and Congressional
appropriations, including $179.8 million to fund 48
Directed Spending
CPF/CDS requests for specific EI assistance authorities and
$17.9 million that USACE allocated to eight EI authorities
The 112th through the 116th Congresses limited
in its Construction work plan.
congressionally directed funding of site-specific studies and
projects, which are sometimes referred to as earmarks. The
Corps Water Infrastructure Financing Program
117th and 118th Congresses, in enacted FY2022, FY2023,
In 2014, Congress authorized USACE to provide credit
and FY2024 annual appropriations, included community
assistance (i.e., direct loans or loan guarantees) for a range
project funding (CPF) and congressionally directed
of water projects (Water Infrastructure Finance and
spending (CDS) requested by Representatives and Senators,
Innovation Act, or WIFIA; 33 U.S.C. §§3901-3914, as
respectively, for site-specific studies and projects. Congress
amended). USACE’s program is referred to as the Corps
also enacted funding for broad categories (referred to as
Water Infrastructure Financing Program (CWIFP) and is
additional funding), such as navigation and flood and storm
funded from the Water Infrastructure Finance and
damage reduction.
Innovation Program account. (See CRS Insight IN12021,
Corps Water Infrastructure Financing Program (CWIFP).)
In the FY2024 explanatory statement, Congress approved
From FY2021 through FY2023, Congress limited CWIFP’s
$1.49 billion for CPF/CDS items and $1.12 billion in
lending to nonfederal dam safety projects. Of the program’s
additional funding. Following the direction of Congress,
$7.2 million enacted for FY2024, $5.0 million is for
USACE developed work plans distributing the additional
program administration and $2.2 million is for credit
funding. In the Construction work plan, USACE identified
assistance for nonfederal dam safety and levee projects.
which appropriations (e.g., FY2024 annual appropriations,
prior year IIJA appropriations, or prior year CAP
Direction Relating to Prior Supplemental
appropriations) were funding certain projects.
Appropriations
New Starts
Congress in Division D of P.L. 118-42 included general
provisions related to funding USACE studies and projects
New start is a term to describe USACE studies or projects
that have previously received supplemental appropriations.
receiving appropriations for the first time. The explanatory
Congress directed that certain appropriations—specific
statement named most of the new starts allowed for
prior supplemental and emergency appropriations and
FY2024: the Administration’s request for five new studies
appropriations from the act and future acts—may be used
and the first construction funds for Cape Cod Canal bridges,
for certain studies and projects that have received funding
MA, and new studies and construction projects from
from the following accounts:
CPF/CDS requests. The explanatory statement also directed
USACE to select four additional new starts to receive
• the USACE Construction account in P.L. 113-2;
additional funding: one new construction project for flood
• the USACE Investigations and Construction accounts in
and storm damage reduction and three new studies for flood
P.L. 115-123; and
and storm damage reduction authorized in the Water
Resources Development Act of 2022 (Title LXXXI of
• the USACE Investigations account in P.L. 117-58.
Division H of P.L. 117-263) and in states that had a Federal
Disaster Emergency declared in 2022. In total, 20 new
Further, Congress directed that “any additional funds for
studies and six new projects were funded in FY2024.
such studies and projects shall be subject to the same terms
and conditions applicable to the headings of those acts” as
Continuing Authorities Programs
listed above.
USACE plans and constructs projects of limited scope and
Anna E. Normand, Specialist in Natural Resources Policy
cost without project-specific authorizations through its
Nicole T. Carter, Specialist in Natural Resources Policy
CAPs. (See CRS In Focus IF11106, Army Corps of
Engineers: Continuing Authorities Programs.) President
IF12370
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U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: FY2024 Appropriations
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