On Tuesday, May 8, 2012, the House is scheduled to consider H.R. 5326, the Departments of Commerce and Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, under an open rule. The bill was introduced on May 2, 2012, by Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) and referred to the Committee on Appropriations. The bill is scheduled to be considered under an open rule (H.Res. 643) providing for one hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations. The open rule provides for consideration of any amendment offered that complies with the House rules. Under the rule, the bill would be read for amendment by paragraph and all amendments would be considered pursuant to the five-minute rule.
H.R. 5326 would provide $51.131 billion in discretionary appropriations for agencies and programs funding through the Commerce/Justice/Science appropriations bill for FY 2013. Funding provided under the legislation would be $1.61 billion or 3 percent below the amount of funding provided for FY 2012. The amount of funding provided is $731 million or 1.4 percent below the amount requested by the president for FY 2013.
The Commerce/Justice/Science appropriations bill provides funding for the Department of Commerce, the Department of Justice, and Federal science agencies, such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the National Science Foundation (NSF), and related agencies. Appropriations for Justice programs in the bill provides money for the Federal Bureau of Investigate as well as the Federal Prison System and the U.S. Marshals Service.
Title I—Department of Commerce
H.R. 5326 would provide $7.7 billion in discretionary budget authority for the Department of Commerce in FY 2013. Funding for the Department of Commerce represents an increase of $96 million or 1.3 percent above last year’s level and a reduction of $280 million or 3.5 percent below the president’s request.
Census Bureau: The bill would provide $878.6 million for the Census Bureau, a reduction of $9.6 million form FY 2012 and $91.7 million below the president’s request.
EDA: The bill would provide $219 million for the Economic Development Administration (EDA), a reduction of $238 million from FY 2012 and $219,000 below the president’s request. FY 2011 funding for the EDA includes $200 million for disaster assistance in response to natural disaster declarations during fiscal year 2011. The EDA operates a number of taxpayer funded economic development programs.
NOAA: The bill would provide $4.96 billion for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), an increase of $68 million over FY 2012 and a reduction of $93 million from the president’s request.
ITA: The bill would provide $458 million for the International Trade Administration (ITA), which is $2.7 million above FY 2012 and $58 million below the president’s request.
NIST: The bill would provide $830 million for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), an increase of $79 above FY 2012 and a reduction of $26.8 million from the president’s request.
Title II—Department of Justice
H.R. 5326 would provide $27.41 billion in discretionary budget authority for the Department of Justice (DOJ) in FY 2013. Funding for the DOJ represents an increase of $11 million above last year’s level and $44 million below the president’s request.
FBI: The bill would provide $8.26 billion for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), an increase of $148 million above FY 2012 and $34 million above the president’s request. The bill includes increases for national security programs, investigations of cyber-attacks and violent crime and gang reduction programs.
Prisons: The bill would provide $6.9 billion for the Federal Prison System, an increase of $268 million above FY 2012 and a reduction of $9 million from the president’s request.
Local Assistance: The bill would provide $1.84 billion for state and local law enforcement assistance grants, a reduction of $377 million below FY 2012 and $51 million above the president’s request.
DEA: The bill would provide $2.04 billion for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), an increase of $9 million over FY 2012 and a reduction of $7 million below the president’s request. The bill includes an increase of $31 million for regulatory and enforcement efforts to combat prescription drug abuse, and $12.5 million (by transfer) to assist states and communities with hazardous material clean-up at meth lab sites.
U.S. Marshals: The bill would provide $2.8 billion for the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), which is an increase of $1.65 billion over FY 2012 and a reduction of $35 million below the president’s request.
BATF: The bill would provide $1.15 billion for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, an increase of $1.3 million above FY 2012 and the same amount as the president’s request.
Title III—Science
H.R. 5326 would provide $24.9 billion in discretionary budget authority for the for science programs in FY 2013. Funding for science programs would represent an increase of $74 million above FY 2012 and $178 million below the president’s request.
NASA: The bill would provide $17.57 billion for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), a reduction of $226 million below FY 2012 and $137 million below the president’s request. Funding for NASA includes $3.7 billion for Exploration, $59 million below fiscal year 2012. This includes funding to keep NASA on schedule for upcoming Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle and Space Launch System flight milestones and to maintain progress in a reconfigured commercial crew program. The bill includes $4 billion for Space Operations, which is $249 million below fiscal year 2012. The legislation will continue the closeout of the Space Shuttle program for a savings of $503 million. The bill would provide $5.1 billion for NASA Science programs, $5 million above fiscal year 2012. This includes $1.4 billion for planetary science to ensure the continuation of critical research and development programs that were imperiled by the President’s request. This also includes $628 million, as requested, for the James Webb Space Telescope.
National Science Foundation:The bill would provide $7.3 billion in funding for the National Science Foundation, an increase of $299 million above FY 2012 and a reduction of $40 million below the president’s request.
Title IV—Related Agencies
Commerce/Justice/Science appropriations bill for FY 2013 includes $846 million in spending for a number of related agencies, which is a reduction of $10 million or 1 percent below FY 2012 and $82 million or 9 percent below the president’s request.
Commission on Civil Rights: The bill would provide $9.1 million for the Commission on Civil Rights, which is responsible for investigating charges of citizens being deprived of voting and other civil rights. The funding level is the same as FY 2012 and $207,000 below the president’s request.
EEOC: The bill would provide $366 million for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the government agency with jurisdiction over employment discrimination issues. The funding is a $6 million reduction from FY 2012 and $7 million below the president’s request.
Legal Services: The bill would provide $328 million for the Federal Legal Services Corporation (LSC), a reduction of $20 million below FY 2012 and $74 million below the president’s request. The program gives taxpayer funds to provide free civil legal aid for low-income individuals. The program distributes the vast majority of its funding to nonprofit legal aid entities.
FY 2013 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations (Discretionary Appropriations in Thousands of Dollars) | |||||||
Program | FY 2012 | President Request | H.R. 5326 | Change from FY 2012 | Change from Request | % Change from FY 2012 | % Change from Request |
Title I - Department of Commerce | |||||||
International Trade Administration | 455,561 | 517,000 | 458,298 | 2,737 | -58,702 | 0.60% | -11.4% |
Bureau of Industry and Security | 101,000 | 102,328 | 101,000 | 0 | -1,328 | 0.00% | -1.3% |
Economic Development Administration | 457,500 | 219,719 | 219,500 | -238,000 | -219 | -52.02% | -0.1% |
Minority Business Development Agency | 30,339 | 28,689 | 28,689 | -1,650 | 0 | -5.44% | 0.0% |
Census Bureau | 888,336 | 970,425 | 878,693 | -9,643 | -91,732 | -1.09% | -9.5% |
National Telecommunications and Information Administration | 45,568 | 46,925 | 45,568 | 0 | -1,357 | 0.00% | -2.9% |
National Institute of Standards and Technology | 750,824 | 857,000 | 830,173 | 79,349 | -26,827 | 10.57% | -3.1% |
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | 4,893,675 | 5,054,546 | 4,961,669 | 67,994 | -92,877 | 1.39% | -1.8% |
Commerce Departmental Management | 88,946 | 86,793 | 83,753 | -5,193 | -3,040 | -5.84% | -3.5% |
Title I - Total Discretionary Appropriations | 7,607,749 | 7,983,694 | 7,703,343 | 95,594 | -280,351 | 1.26% | -3.5% |
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Title II - Department of Justice | |||||||
DOJ General Administration | 262,129 | 161,093 | 143,748 | -118,381 | -17,345 | -45.16% | -10.8% |
Administrative Review and Appeals | 301,000 | 309,438 | 309,438 | 8,438 | 0 | 2.80% | 0.0% |
Detention Trustee | 1,580,595 | - | - | -1,580,595 | 0 | -100.00% | |
DOJ Office of Inspector General | 84,199 | 85,985 | 84,199 | 0 | -1,786 | 0.00% | -2.1% |
US Parole Commission Salaries and Expenses | 12,833 | 12,772 | 12,772 | -61 | 0 | -0.48% | 0.0% |
General Legal Activities | 863,367 | 903,603 | 863,367 | 0 | -40,236 | 0.00% | -4.5% |
Antitrust Division Salaries and Expenses | 51,587 | 49,753 | 44,587 | -7,000 | -5,166 | -13.57% | -10.4% |
US Attorneys Salaries and Expenses | 1,960,000 | 1,974,378 | 1,965,000 | 5,000 | -9,378 | 0.26% | -0.5% |
Foreign Claims Settlement Commission | 2,000 | 2,139 | 2,000 | 0 | -139 | 0.00% | -6.5% |
Fees and Expenses of Witnesses | 270,000 | 270,000 | 270,000 | 0 | 0 | 0.00% | 0.0% |
Community Relations Service | 11,456 | 12,036 | 11,456 | 0 | -580 | 0.00% | -4.8% |
US Marshals Service | 1,189,000 | 2,881,723 | 2,845,871 | 1,656,871 | -35,852 | 139.35% | -1.2% |
National Security Division | 87,000 | 90,039 | 90,039 | 3,039 | 0 | 3.49% | 0.0% |
Interagency Crime and Drug Enforcement | 527,512 | 524,793 | 521,793 | -5,719 | -3,000 | -1.08% | -0.6% |
Federal Bureau of Investigation | 8,117,973 | 8,232,003 | 8,265,989 | 148,016 | 33,986 | 1.82% | 0.4% |
Drug Enforcement Administration | 2,035,000 | 2,050,904 | 2,043,904 | 8,904 | -7,000 | 0.44% | -0.3% |
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives | 1,152,000 | 1,153,345 | 1,153,345 | 1,345 | 0 | 0.12% | 0.0% |
Federal Prison System | 6,643,981 | 6,922,106 | 6,912,917 | 268,936 | -9,189 | 4.05% | -0.1% |
State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance | 2,227,300 | 1,798,387 | 1,849,800 | -377,500 | 51,413 | -16.95% | 2.9% |
Title II - Total Discretionary Spending | 27,407,713 | 27,463,278 | 27,419,006 | 11,293 | -44,272 | 0.04% | -0.2% |
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Title III - Science | |||||||
Office of Science and Technology Policy | 4500 | 5850 | 5850 | 1,350 | 0 | 30.00% | 0.0% |
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) | 17,800,000 | 17,711,400 | 17,573,800 | -226,200 | -137,600 | -1.27% | -0.8% |
National Science Foundation | 7,033,095 | 7,373,100 | 7,332,513 | 299,418 | -40,587 | 4.26% | -0.6% |
Title III - Total Discretionary Appropriations | 24,837,595 | 25,090,350 | 24,912,163 | 74,568 | -178,187 | 0.30% | -0.7% |
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Title IV - Related Agencies | |||||||
Commission on Civil Rights | 9,193 | 9,400 | 9,193 | 0 | -207 | 0.00% | -2.2% |
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission | 360,000 | 373,711 | 366,568 | 6,568 | -7,143 | 1.82% | -1.9% |
International Trade Commission | 80,000 | 82,800 | 83,000 | 3,000 | 200 | 3.75% | 0.2% |
Legal Services Corporation | 348,000 | 402,000 | 328,000 | -20,000 | -74,000 | -5.75% | -18.4% |
Marine Mammal Commission | 3,025 | 3,081 | 3,025 | 0 | -56 | 0.00% | -1.8% |
Office of the U.S. Trade Representative | 51,251 | 53,041 | 51,251 | 0 | -1,790 | 0.00% | -3.4% |
State Justice Institute | 5,121 | 5,121 | 5,121 | 0 | 0 | 0.00% | 0.0% |
Title IV -Total Discretionary Spending | 856,590 | 929,154 | 846,158 | -10,432 | -82,996 | -1.22% | -8.9% |
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Total | 52,744,000 | 51,862,000 | 51,131,000 | -1,613,000 | -731,000 | -3.06% | -1.4% |
According to CBO, H.R. 5326 would provide $51.131 billion in discretionary budget authority for programs funded through the Commerce/Justice/Science Appropriations bill in FY 2013.
