The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Budget for FY2006: President’s Request, Congressional Appropriations, and Related Issues

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Budget for FY2006: President’s Request, Congressional Appropriations, and Related Issues

Order Code RS22109
Updated December 16, 2005
CRS Report for Congress
Received through the CRS Web
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) Budget for FY2006:
President’s Request, Congressional
Appropriations, and Related Issues
Wayne A. Morrissey
Information Research Specialist (Science and Technology)
Knowledge Services Group
Summary
This report tracks congressional appropriations action on the President’s FY2006
funding request for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Also, it discusses issues of possible congressional concern about NOAA appropriations
for FY2006, such as the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy Final Report and the
President’s U.S. Ocean Action Plan, both of which recommend an ocean science
initiative led by NOAA. FY2005 emergency supplemental appropriations provided the
NOAA National Weather Service with $17.4 million to upgrade U.S. tsunami warning
systems. The President requested emergency appropriations for FY2006 for Hurricane
Katrina recovery, which would provide the agency an additional $55 million. The
Administration and Congress have also considered proposals for a NOAA Organic Act
(H.R. 50). This report will be not be updated.
Agency Funding
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) mission is to
understand and predict changes in the Earth’s environment and conserve and manage
coastal and marine resources to meet the nation’s economic, social, and environmental
needs. In terms of funding, NOAA is the largest agency of the Department of Commerce
(DOC). It accounted for about 64% of DOC’s budget request of $5.7 billion for FY2006
(excluding $3.7 billion requested for DOC by President Bush for the “Economic
Development Challenge”). For FY2006, NOAA was funded in the Science, State, Justice,
and Commerce Appropriations Act (hereafter, SSJC Appropriations).
On February 6, 2005, President Bush requested $3.58 billion for NOAA. On June
16, 2005, the House passed H.R. 2862 (SSJC Appropriations), with an amendment and
provided $3.38 billion or $50 million less than House Appropriations Committee
recommendations. The Senate Appropriations Committee recommended $4.47 billion
Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress

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for NOAA on June 23, 2005. However, the Senate voted for $4.48 billion on September
15, 2005. Conferees on H.R. 2862 agreed to $3.94 billion for the agency on November
4, 2005. President Bush signed the act into law as P.L. 109-108 on November 22, 2005.
Also, because of the devastation wreaked by Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005, and
the following days, President Bush in his third emergency appropriations request for the
2005 hurricane season proposed an additional $54.6 million for NOAA.1
Table 1 shows NOAA budget lines organized by three primary accounts: (1)
Operations, Research, and Facilities (ORF), which funds five line offices, the Office of
Policy and Planning Integration, and Program Support; (2) Procurement, Acquisition, and
Construction (PAC), which is for multi-year, capital-intensive outlays; and (3) Other
Accounts, including amounts for NOAA Fisheries operations, the Pacific Coastal Salmon
Recovery Fund (PCSRF), proceeds from the Promote and Develop American Fisheries
Fund, which is transferred as budget authority for NOAA. Also, an agreed amount of fees
collected in the Coastal Zone Management Fund (CZMF) is transferred to ORF.
Table 1. The President’s Budget and Appropriations Actions
($ millions)
P.L. 108-
FY2006
H.R.
S.Rept.
P.L. 109-
NOAA Accounts
447a
Req.b
2862c
109-88d
108e
National Ocean Service (NOS)
672.3
408.7
394.2
728.6
595.6
ORF
544.4
394.2
382.2
610.5
503.0
PAC
127.9
14.5
12.0
118.1
92.6
National Marine Fisheries Service
700.0
627.5
562.6
770.3
696.0
(NMFS)
ORF
668.8
625.5
556.6
763.8
678.5
PAC
31.2
2.0
6.0
16.5
17.5
Oceanic & Atmospheric Research
415.4
372.2
335.8
480.7
383.2
(OAR)
ORF
406.0
361.7
326.3
470.1
373.7
PAC
9.4
10.5
9.5
10.6
9.5
National Weather Service (NWS)
778.7
839.2
855.9
863.3
837.3
ORF
699.1
744.8
759.1
772.8
745.3
PACf
79.6
94.4
96.8
90.5
92.0
National Enviro. Satellite, Data, &
912.9
963.9
971.2
1,000.1
964.6
Info. Service (NESDIS)
ORF
176.9
154.0
158.3
180.4
179.3
PAC
736.0
809.9
812.9
819.7
785.3
Policy Planning &Integration
2.5
2.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
Program Support (PS)
407.2
377.7
363.2
520.9
483.8
ORF
345.4
342.0
360.4
402.5
356.4
PAC
61.8
35.7
2.8
118.4
127.4
Corporate Services (CS)g
171.0
199.4
189.0
195.9
179.0
1 On Oct. 28, 2005, in “Letter to the President,” Joshua B. Bolton, Director of the Office of
Management and Budget, requested “$55 million” in appropriations for NOAA from the Disaster
Relief Fund be used for repairs, actions to accelerate storm surge and flood forecasting, and
reconstruction of a fisheries management science center damaged by Hurricane Katrina.

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P.L. 108-
FY2006
H.R.
S.Rept.
P.L. 109-
NOAA Accounts
447a
Req.b
2862c
109-88d
108e
Educational Pgms. (Ed)h
14.4
0.0
28.9
36.2
34.0
Off. Marine &Aviation Ops.
188.2
120.5
122.2
132.4
132.4
(OMAO)
Marine O&M
108.9
99.8
88.8
98.6
98.6
Aviation Ops.
18.5
18.6
18.6
18.6
18.6
Fleet Replace/Acq.
60.8
35.7
15.8
15.2 15.2
Facilities (FAC)i,j
33.5
22.1
22.1
54.1
58.0
Maint./Enviro.
33.5
22.1
22.1
22.1
11.0
Construction
—
—
—
32.0
47.0
Intl. Ocean Obs. Sys. (IOOS)j
—
—
—
24.0
18.0
deobligs./transfersk
(78.6)
(93.0)
(95.9)
(59.0)
(70.0)
Total ORFl
2,793.5
2,531.1
2,447.0
3,202.3
2,763.2
Total PAC
1,053.3
965.1
936.0
1,195.0
1,124.3
Other Discretionary
78.4
85.0
46.0
78.0
64.8
PCSRF
88.8
90.0
50.0
90.0
67.5
Fisheries Finance
(7.5)
(2.0)
(1.0)
(9.3)
(9.0)
CZMF
(2.9)
(3.0)
(3.0)
(3.0)
(3.0)
Grand Total NOAAm
$3,925.3
$3,581.3
$3,379.1
$4,476.0
$3,946.0
Source: Compiled by CRS from sources noted below. Program Support funding details not added in NOAA totals.
a. Funding figures for P.L. 108-447, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005 (H.Rept. 108-792), Congressional
Record, Nov. 19, 2004, pp. H10448-H10465, which are adjusted for an 0.80% across-the-board rescission.
b. NOAA funding requested for FY2006 (See note c.)
c. House Appropriations Committee recommendations reported in SSJC Appropriations, 2006 (H.Rept. 109-118) as
passed (amended) by the House on Jun. 16, 2005.
d. Senate Appropriations Committee recommendations amending SSJC Appropriations, 2006 (S.Rept. 109-88).
e. FY2006 funding tables for H.R. 2682, conference levels in Congressional Record, Nov. 15, 2005, pp. E2350-E2351.
Line office budget details are from H.Rept. 109-272, November 7, 2005.
f. For FY2005, FAC maintenance funding was consolidated in the ORF Facilities account, including maintenance
funding previously allocated directly to the NWS line office.
g. Funding for Corporate Services (CS) includes the Offices of the Under Secretary for Commerce for Oceans and
Atmosphere (USAO) and the division of Policy Formulation and Development (PFD). For FY2006 the House
and the Senate Appropriations Committee consolidated OPPI under USAO, as did conferees on H.R. 2862.
h. In FY2005, NOAA consolidated all of its educational programs as a subactivity under CS. The President, House,
Senate Appropriations Committee, and conferees continued that budget practice for FY2006.
I. For FY2006, Congress funded Weather Forecast Office maintenance under NWS.
j. For FY2006, SSJC Senate and Conference reports include certain construction projects in the FAC budget line.
k. A new PAC-Program Support subactivity for FY2006 (S.Rept. 109-88), which part of an agency-wide
recommendation of $109.7 million to establish an integrated Coastal & Ocean Observation System.
l. ORF totals exclude other spending authority such as deobligations (previous fiscal year budget savings), mandatory
transfer of funding from PDAFF, and NOAA use of fees collected for CZMF, all of which are subtracted here.
m. For FY2005, NOAA received emergency supplemental appropriations of (1) $20.7 million in Military Construction
Approps., FY2005 (P.L. 108-324), including $17 million for reseeding, rehabilitation and restoration of oyster
reefs in AL, FL, LA, and MS, and $3.8 million for NOAA lab construction through FY2006; and (2) $17.3
million in P.L. 109-13 to upgrade U.S. tsunami early warning system capabilities and expand the National
Tsunami Mitigation Program. These amounts are included in P.L. 108-447 totals (as reported by the House)
in Congressional Record, Nov. 15, 2005, pp. E2351-E2352.
Strategic Goals. Since FY2003, NOAA has organized its mission around five
agency-wide strategic goals named: (1) Ecosystems, (2) Climate, (3) Weather & Water,
(4) Commerce and Transportation, and (5) Mission Support, a business model known as
matrix management. For additional information, see the FY2006 NOAA Budget in Brief
at [http://www.publicaffairs.noaa.gov/budget2006/], visited December 8, 2005. For

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appropriations purposes, Congress has voiced preference for the way in which NOAA
traditionally organized its budget, as shown in Table 1, however.
President’s Budget Request. President Bush’s request of $3.58 billion for
FY2006 was $327 million (or 8.4%) less than FY2005 appropriations of $3.91 billion and
$208 million (or 6.2%) more than the $3.37 billion he requested for FY2005. It included
funding of $2.53 billion for ORF, $965.1 million for PAC, and a net sum of $85.0 million
for NOAA’s Other Accounts. On February 7, 2005, NOAA’s Administrator, Vice
Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr. (Ret-USN), stated that the President’s request
provided $200 million in new funding for NOAA (compared with the $3.37 billion he
requested for FY2005). He stated further that any increase above FY2005 appropriations
levels (rescinded 0.8%) would be offset in part by program terminations. NOAA’s
FY2006 NOAA Budget in Brief featured 122 program terminations proposed to create
$427 million in budget savings. The President identified most of these programs as
“unauthorized congressional earmarks.” Some of these were one-year appropriations and
others were construction projects completed in FY2005. Terminations proposed for ORF
would be $259 million and $168 million for PAC. “Other Accounts” had no terminations.
Administration Priorities Compared With FY2005 Appropriation Levels.
Major changes in funding levels for NOAA, both positive and negative, would have
happened if the President’s budget was enacted as introduced. For example, the President
requested $6 million for NWS operations to strengthen and expand U.S. tsunami warning
network capabilities.2 A $67 million increase was slated for procuring next generation
satellite hardware, satellite data and information systems upgrades, and improvement of
quality of NESDIS data products (e.g., satellite imagery). Funding for polar orbiting
satellite programs would decrease by $33.3 million and geostationary satellite-programs
would decrease by $30.2 million. The President proposed combining the National
Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NOS) under a single funding line, and transferring
facilities funding of $7 million back to NWS for weather forecast office maintenance.
NOAA-wide Salaries and Expenses (PS) would have been cut by $54 million. OMAO
would receive $34 million to procure a fourth fishery research vessel, complete
construction on a third, and refurbish older vessels. The PCSRF would increase by $1.2
million.
House Appropriations. On June 16, 2005, the House passed H.R. 2862
(amended), SSJC Appropriations, FY2006, and provided $3.38 billion for NOAA. (See
Table 1, above.) The House Appropriations Committee had recommended a total of
$3.43 billion (H.Rept. 109-118, June 10, 2005). However, on June 14, 2005, the House
approved H.Amdt. 260 to H.R. 2862, sponsored by Representative David Dreier, that
reduced ORF appropriations by $50 million.3 The House appropriation was $200 million
(or 5.9%) less than the President’s request and about $530 million (or 15.7%) below the
2 That amount was requested as regular FY2006 NOAA appropriations. President Bush also
sought emergency funding in response to the December 26, 2004, tsunami disasters in the Indian
Ocean. See CRS Report RL32739, Tsunamis: Monitoring, Detection, and Early Warning
Systems, by Wayne Morrissey.
3 In floor debate, Rep. Mollohan stated that the ORF reduction would be applied as follows:
NOS, $8 million; NMFS, $12 million; OAR, $7 million; NWS, $14.9 million; NESDIS, $3
million; and Program Support, $5 million. Congressional Record, June 14, 2005, H4464-H4465.

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FY2005 appropriation of $3.91 billion (after an agency-wide rescission of 0.8% effected
by P.L. 108-447). The committee had recommended $2.44 billion for ORF, $936.0
million for PAC, and $46 million for Other Accounts. (A negative fisheries financing
account balance in effect reduced recommended funding for PCSRF by $4 million.)
Additional spending authority for ORF was derived from $77 million transferred from the
PDAFF, use of $3 million in CZMF fees, and $19 million from FY2005 deobligations.
Senate Appropriations Committee Recommendations. On June 23, 2005,
the Senate Appropriations Committee recommended $4.5 billion for NOAA (S.Rept. 109-
88). This amount is almost $919 million (or 32%) more than House appropriations for
FY2006; $895 million (or 26%) more than the FY2006 request; and $550 million (or
15%) more than the FY2005 appropriation. The committee recommended that a total of
$666.2 million be allocated agency-wide to implement recommendations of the
September 2004 U.S. Oceans Commission report. Of that amount, an additional $142
million was recommended for related programs funded in FY2005. The Senate passed
H.R. 2862 on September 15, 2005, and approved S.Amdt. 1659 (Shelby), which provided
$0.5 million for additional staff (43 FTEs) at the National Hurricane Center.
Conference Committee Actions. On November 4, 2005, H.R 2862 was
reported by the conference committee (H.Rept. 109-272, November 7, 2005). Funding
of $3.94 billion was approved for NOAA. The House approved the report on November
8, 2005. The Senate passed it on November 16, 2005. H.R. 2862 was signed into law by
President Bush on November 22, 2005, as P.L.109-108. Title VII of the act requires a
0.28% rescission for all discretionary accounts it funds. Title VI of the act rescinds $25
million of NOAA’s unobligated balances.
FY2006 Budget Outcome. Enacted November 22, 2005, P.L. 109-108 is the
middle ground between large budget cuts as proposed by the Administration and approved
by the House and generous funding levels agreed to by the Senate for FY2006. There
were exceptions, however. Congress backed House appropriation levels for Corporate
Services funding under Program Support of $10 million more than the request. Congress
restored $34 million for NOAA education programs slated for termination by the
President, and provided $5 million for the NOS Ocean Health Initiative, that would also
be terminated to save $17.5 million. It appropriated $24 million for an Integrated Ocean
Observation System (IOOS) as recommended by the Senate. It increased funding for
NOAA satellite acquisition and upgrade; however, at a funding level that was less than
the Senate or House proposals, taking a similar funding tact as it had with NWS. It
established a Joint Implementation Commission to implement USOPC recommendations
(S.Rept. 109-88). Large reductions between the FY2006 request and final appropriations
included a cut of $15 million (or 30.0%) for PCSRF. Base funding for the National Sea
Grant and National Undersea Research Programs under Oceans, Coastal, and Great Lakes
Research (OAR) were cut by $8.0 million (13.8%) and $8.2 million (48.0%) respectively.
A NOAA Organic Act
In the first session of the 109th Congress, legislation was reintroduced to create an
organic act for NOAA. An organic act would provide funding authorization for all of the
agency’s programs and operations under a single law. NOAA is funded by several legal
authorities identified in its annual budget justification. Various stakeholders have called
for establishing an organic act for NOAA since 1970, when President Nixon’s

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Reorganization Plan No. 4 created the agency in DOC by merging programs and budget
authorities from various federal agencies. NOAA was last authorized “as an agency” on
October 29, 1992, after President George H. W. Bush signed the NOAA Authorization
Act, 1992 (P.L. 102-567) that funded about four-fifths of the agency’s programs under
jurisdiction of the congressional science committees. The latest call for an organic act
arose out of the 2004 U.S. Oceans Commission (USOC) report, which recommended that
NOAA lead a coordinated national oceanic research and exploration effort. President
George W. Bush supported certain USOC recommendations in his Ocean Action Plan.4
Legislation in the 109th Congress, First Session
H.R. 50 (Ehlers). On January 4, 2005, Representatives Ehlers for the House
Committee on Science and Gilchrest for the House Committee on Resources introduced
H.R. 50, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Act of 2005, which provides
administrative, organizational, and budgetary direction to implement recommendations
of the USOC report.5 NOAA would be retained within DOC; a deputy director position
for implementing the act created; NOAA’s Science Advisory Board codified; and a
science deputy appointed. Section 14 of H.R. 50 directs the Administrator of NOAA to
follow congressional guidelines prior to any facility closure.6 H.R. 50 was marked up on
March 15, 2005, and reported favorably to the House Science Committee. The President
submitted his own organic act bill to Congress on April 6, 2005, elements of which were
incorporated on May 17, 2005, when H.R. 50 was ordered reported as an amendment in
the nature of a substitute bill. A new Section 16 requires NOAA to notify Congress about
changes in status and schedules of satellite programs. No further legislative action has
occurred on H.R. 50, although it may be reconsidered in the second session of the 109th
Congress.
S. 1224 (Boxer). As a tribute to Senator Hollings, S. 1224, the National Ocean’s
Protection Act of 2005 was introduced on June 9, 2005, and was referred to the Senate
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. It would establish NOAA as an
independent agency and confer all NOAA-related authorities of the Secretary of DOC to
the NOAA Administrator. The measure may be reconsidered during the second session
of the 109th Congress.
4 For more information on OPC recommendations and the Ocean Action Report, see CRS Issue
Brief IB10132, Ocean Commissions: Ocean Policy Review and Outlook, by Eugene H. Buck.
5 H.R. 50 was reintroduced as Title I of H.R. 4546 in the 108th Congress. See U.S. Congress,
House Committee on Science, Compilation of Markups in the 108th Cong, 1st and 2nd Sessions,
serial no. 108-69 (Washington, DC: GPO, Dec. 31, 2004), pp. 465-563.
6 Sec. 13(d) defines a facility as a “laboratory, operations office, administrative service center,
or other establishment of the Administration with an annual budget of $1 million or greater.”