U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Funding in the CARES Act (P.L. 116-136)

April 13, 2020 IN11331

Enacted March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (P.L. 116-136) provides supplemental appropriations for the Department of the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies, which includes the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Title VII in Division B provides a total of $7.23 million within four of EPA's 10 appropriations accounts to "prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus, domestically or internationally." The appropriation supplements EPA's total FY2020 enacted appropriations of $9.36 billion included in the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (P.L. 116-94, Division D, Title II) enacted December 19, 2019, and $304.0 million supplemental appropriations included in Title IX of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act (P.L. 116-113), enacted January 29, 2020.

A portion of the funding provided in the CARES act is to be used for "necessary expenses for cleaning and disinfecting equipment or facilities of, or for use by, EPA." All funding is available until September 30, 2021. Following is a summary of the funding amounts and purposes for EPA included in the CARES Act and the FY2020 total appropriations included in the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (P.L. 116-94), by appropriations account:

  • Science and Technology (S&T) Account ($2.25 million CARES Act): $1.5 million for research on methods to reduce the risks from environmental transmission of coronavirus via contaminated surfaces or materials; $750,000 for cleaning and disinfecting EPA equipment and facilities. (Total FY2020 appropriations for the S&T account in P.L. 116-113: $716.45 million.)
  • Environmental Programs and Management (EPM) Account ($3.91 million CARES Act): $1.5 million for expediting registration and other actions related to pesticides to address coronavirus; $2.41 million for cleaning and disinfecting EPA equipment and facilities. (Total FY2020 appropriations for the EPM Account in P.L. 116-113: $2.66 billion.)
  • Buildings and Facilities (B&F) Account ($300,000 CARES Act): The full amount is for cleaning and disinfecting EPA equipment and facilities. (Total FY2020 appropriations for the B&F account in P.L. 116-113: $33.60 million.)
  • Hazardous Substance Superfund (Superfund) Account ($770,000 CARES Act): The full amount is for cleaning and disinfecting EPA equipment and facilities. (Total FY2020 appropriations for the Superfund account, prior to transfers to other EPA accounts, in P.L. 116-113: $1.18 billion.)

For additional information regarding EPA's FY2020 appropriations, see CRS In Focus IF11276, U.S. EPA FY2020 Appropriations, by Robert Esworthy.

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)

Title VII in Division B of the CARES Act also appropriates $12.50 million to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) for Toxic Substances and Environmental Public Health. The funding supplements the total $76.69 million FY2020 appropriations included in P.L. 116-34. Of the total, $7.50 million is for "necessary expenses of the Geospatial Research Analysis and Service Program to support spatial analysis and Geographic Information System mapping of infectious disease hot spots, including cruise ships." The remaining $5.0 million is for awards to Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units and state health departments for purposes of providing guidance and outreach regarding safe practices for disinfecting homes, schools, and daycare facilities. Although housed within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, funding for ATSDR is provided annually within the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations.