FY2020 Appropriations: District of Columbia
June 10, 2020
FY2020 Appropriations: District of Columbia
The U.S. Constitution provides Congress with plenary
Needy Families), fees (e.g., Ballpark Fee), and other
legislative authority over the District of Columbia (DC), as
sources (e.g., fines).
the federal capital. With the passage of the District of
3. General provisions, which can be grouped into several
Columbia Self-Government and Governmental
distinct but overlapping categories, with the most
Reorganization Act of 1973, P.L. 93-198 (Home Rule Act),
predominant being provisions relating to fiscal and
Congress granted DC limited home rule authority and
budgetary directives and controls. Other provisions
empowered DC residents to elect a mayor and city council.
include administrative directives and controls,
Congress retained its authority to review and approve all
limitations on lobbying for statehood or congressional
DC laws, including the district’s annual budget.
voting representation, congressional oversight, and
Local Budget Autonomy
congressionally imposed res trictions and prohibitions
related to social policy.
In 2013, DC enacted the Local Budget Autonomy Act of
2012. The act amended DC’s home rule charter by
At times, Congress has included language authorizing new
programmatic initiatives or amendments to the DC Home
decreasing the length of the congressional review/layover
Rule Charter in DC’s appropriations bill. For example, in
period for its local budget to 30 days, consistent with other
2004, Congress included statutory provisions creating a
DC laws. The District of Columbia Board of Elections
school voucher program as part of the DC appropriations,
placed the proposed charter amendment on an April 23,
which was a component of a consolidated appropriations
2013, ballot. DC voters approved the local budget
act, P.L. 108-199.
autonomy charter amendment with 83% of the vote in
support of the amendment. The act faced various legal and
The President’s FY2020 Budget Request
federal legislative challenges but has been observed by the
On March 11, 2019, the Trump Administration submitted
DC government since 2016.
its detailed budget request for FY2020. The President’s
District of Columbia Budget Process
proposed budget for federal payments to the District of
Columbia was included in an appendix for “Other
As required by the Home Rule Act, the DC Council must
Independent Agencies.” The Administration’s proposed
approve a budget within 70 days after receiving from the
budget included $716.6 million in special federal payments
DC mayor a budget proposal, which generally is submitted
to the District of Columbia, for activities including court
in March. The budget consists of a federal portion and a
services, offender supervision and public defender services,
local portion. Once approved, the federal portion is
which represented a $9.1 million decrease from the FY2019
transmitted by the mayor to the President, who forwards it
appropriations of $725.7 million for DC.
to Congress for its review, possible modification, and
approval through the annual appropriations process. The
District of Columbia FY2020 Budget
local portion is submitted by the Chairman of the Council to
Mayor Muriel Bowser submitted a proposed FY2020
the Speaker of the House of Representatives, for a 30-day
budget to the DC Council on March 20, 2019. The Council
period of review by Congress.
approved a $15.5 billion budget, of which $8.6 billion was
local funding. The budget was signed by the mayor and
Since FY2006, the DC appropriations act has been included
forwarded to Congress for review on July 30, 2019.
in a multi-agency appropriations bill, currently the
Financial Services and General Government appropriations
The special federal payments section of the budget request
bill (FSGG).
as passed by the DC Council differed from the
Administration’s budget submission in several programs.
DC appropriations acts typically include the following three
For instance, DC requested the continuation of federal
components:
payments for DC resident tuition support and increases in
payments for emergency planning and security costs, the
1. Special federal payments, appropriated by Congress
DC Water and Sewer Authority, the DC Courts, judicial
to be used to meet certain statutory obligations and to
commissions, and the Criminal Justice Coordinating
fund particular initiatives or activities of interest to
Council.
Congress or the Administration.
2. DC’s operating budget expenditures, intended to
Congressional Action
cover the day-to-day functions, activities, and
The House Appropriations Committee reported the FSGG
responsibilities of the DC government. These
Appropriations Act, 2020 (H.R. 3351) on June 11, 2019, by
expenditures are paid for by revenues generated
a vote of 30-21. The bill proposed $741.3 million in federal
through local taxes (sales and income), funds for
payments to DC. Among other provisions, the bill sought to
federal programs (e.g., Temporary Assistance for
allow DC to continue to operate during any federal
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FY2020 Appropriations: District of Columbia
government shutdowns in FY2021. The House passed H.R.
shutdown due to the expiration of a continuing resolution or
3351 on June 26, 2019.
regular appropriations bill in FY2021.
The Senate Appropriations Committee marked up and
District of Columbia Issues and
reported the FSGG Appropriations Act (S. 2524) on
Appropriations
September 19, 2019, by a vote of 31-0. The bill included a
In past appropriations bills, Congress has included
provision prohibiting the sale of recreational marijuana in
provisions prohibiting or restricting the use of funds for
DC, among other provisions restricting DC legislation.
various activities in DC. Title VIII of Division C in the
FY2020 appropriations act includes several similar
No further action was taken on these bills. The FSGG
provisions, including:
Appropriations Act, 2020, was included as Division C of
the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (H.R. 1158).
a prohibition on the use of funds to legalize or reduce
The House and Senate passed the act on December 17 and
penalties on the possession, use, or sale of schedule I
19, 2019, respectively. The President signed the act into law
substances;
(P.L. 116-93) on December 20, 2019.
a prohibition on the use of federal funds by DC officials
Consolidated Appropriations
or entities to seek DC voting representation in Congress;
The District of Columbia Appropriations Act, 2020 (Title
IV of Division C of the Consolidated Appropriations Act
a prohibition on the use of federal funds for needle
(P.L. 116-93) appropriated $741 million in federal
distribution programs; and
payments to DC, including:
a restriction on the use of funds for abortion.
Federal Payment for Resident Tuition Support:
$40,000,000
COVID-19 Related Supplemental
Appropriations
Federal Payment for Emergency Planning and Security
Congress has passed and the President has signed four
Costs: $18,000,000
FY2020 supplemental appropriations acts in response to the
COVID-19 pandemic (P.L. 116-123, P.L. 116-127, P.L.
Federal Payment to the District of Columbia Courts:
116-136, and P.L. 116-139). Title V of the Coronavirus
$250,088,000
Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act, P.L.
116-136) established the Coronavirus Relief Fund to
Federal Payment For Defender Services in District of
address certain costs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Columbia Courts: $46,005,000
The fund appropriated $150 billion for states, territories,
and tribal areas, with an option for some local governments
Federal Payment to the Court Services and Offender
to receive direct allocations. DC received a portion of the
Supervision Agency for the District of Columbia:
amount allocated to the U.S. territories. This was
$248,254,000
significantly less than the amount DC would have received
had it been defined as a state, as it was elsewhere in Title V
Federal Payment to the District of Columbia Public
of the act.
Defender Service: $44,011,000
On May 15, 2020, the House of Representatives passed
Federal Payment to the Criminal Justice Coordinating
H.R. 6800, the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus
Council: $2,150,000
Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act. As passed in the
House, the bill would treat DC as a state for a subsequent
Federal Payment to the Criminal Justice Coordinating
round of Coronavirus Relief Fund appropriations. The bill
Council: $600,000
would also retroactively treat DC as a state under the
Coronavirus Relief Fund in the CARES Act. The bill has
Federal Payment For School Improvement: $52,500,000
been referred to the Senate.
Federal Payment for the District of Columbia National
For More Information/CRS Reports
Guard: $413,000
CRS Appropriations Status Table, Appropriations Status
Table, at crs.gov
Federal Payment for Testing and Treatment of
HIV/AIDS: $4,000,000
CRS Report R45295, Financial Services and General
Government (FSGG) FY2019 Appropriations: Overview, by
Federal Payment to the District of Columbia Water and
Baird Webel
Sewer Authority: $8,000,000—with a required 100%
match from the Water and Sewer Authority
CRS In Focus IF11443, District of Columbia Statehood and
Voting Representation, by Joseph V. Jaroscak
The act also approved the expenditure of DC local funds as
outlined in the Fiscal Year 2020 Budget Request Act of
Joseph V. Jaroscak, Analyst in Economic Development
2019. Additionally, the act authorized DC to continue
Policy
operations using local funds in the event of a federal
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FY2020 Appropriations: District of Columbia
IF11571
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