[Senate Report 118-198]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Calendar No. 444
118th Congress } { Report
SENATE
2d Session } { 118-198
======================================================================
DEPARTMENTS OF COMMERCE AND JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES
APPROPRIATIONS BILL, 2025
_______
July 25, 2024.--Ordered to be printed
Mrs. Shaheen, from the Committee on Appropriations,
submitted the following
REPORT
[To accompany S. 4795]
The Committee on Appropriations reports an original bill
(S. 4795) making appropriations for the Departments of Commerce
and Justice, Science, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year
ending September 30, 2025, and for other purposes, reports
favorably thereon without amendment and recommends that the
bill do pass.
Total obligational authority, fiscal year 2025
Total of bill as reported to the Senate................. $76,207,000,000
Amount of 2024 appropriations........................... 69,866,398,000
Amount of 2025 budget estimate.......................... 77,183,938,000
Bill as recommended to Senate compared to--
2024 appropriations................................. +6,340,602,000
2025 budget estimate................................ -976,938,000
56-290 PDF
CONTENTS
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Page
Purpose of the Bill.............................................. 4
Summary of the Bill.............................................. 4
Fighting Waste, Fraud, and Abuse................................. 6
Reprogrammings, Reorganizations, and Relocations................. 7
Congressional Budget Justifications.............................. 8
Reporting Requirements........................................... 9
Reductions-in-Force.............................................. 9
Appropriations Liaisons.......................................... 9
Access to High-Quality Affordable Child Care for Federal
Employees...................................................... 9
Federal Trust and Treaty Responsibilities........................ 9
Title I: Department of Commerce.................................. 11
International Trade Administration........................... 11
Bureau of Industry and Security.............................. 14
Economic Development Administration.......................... 17
Minority Business Development Agency......................... 22
Economic and Statistical Analysis............................ 22
Bureau of the Census......................................... 23
National Telecommunications and Information Administration... 24
United States Patent and Trademark Office.................... 26
National Institute of Standards and Techology................ 27
Nation Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration................ 35
Departmental Management...................................... 73
General Provisions--Department of Commerce................... 77
Title II: Department of Justice.................................. 79
Office of Inspector General.................................. 93
United States Parole Commission.............................. 95
Legal Activites.............................................. 95
United States Marshals Service............................... 100
National Security Division................................... 101
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces................. 102
Federal Bureau of Investigation.............................. 102
Drug Enforcement Administration.............................. 108
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.......... 111
Federal Prison System........................................ 113
State and Local Law Enforcement Activities................... 120
Office on Violence Against Women............................. 124
Office of Justice Programs................................... 126
Community Oriented Policing Services......................... 144
General Provisions--Department of Justice.................... 147
Title III: Science............................................... 149
Office of Science and Technology Policy...................... 149
National Space Council....................................... 150
National Aeronautics and Space Administration................ 150
National Science Foundation.................................. 170
Title IV: Related Agencies....................................... 185
Commission on Civil Rights................................... 185
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission...................... 185
International Trade Commission............................... 186
Legal Services Corporation................................... 186
Marine Mammal Commission..................................... 187
Office of the United States Trade Representative............. 187
State Justice Institute...................................... 190
Title V: General Provisions...................................... 192
Compliance With Paragraph 7, Rule XVI of the Standing Rules of
the
Senate......................................................... 194
Compliance With Paragraph 7(c) Rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of
the Senate..................................................... 197
Compliance With Paragraph 12, Rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of
the Senate..................................................... 198
Budgetary Impact of Bill......................................... 199
Disclosure of Congressionally Directed Spending Items............ 200
Comparative Statement of Budget Authority........................ 220
Purpose of the Bill
The bill provides funding for (1) the Department of
Commerce [DOC]; (2) the Department of Justice [DOJ]; (3)
several independent science agencies: the Office of Science and
Technology Policy [OSTP], the National Space Council; the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration [NASA], and the
National Science Foundation [NSF]; and (4) several related
commissions and agencies: the Commission on Civil Rights, the
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission [EEOC], the United
States International Trade Commission [ITC], the Legal Services
Corporation [LSC], the Marine Mammal Commission, the Office of
the United States Trade Representative [USTR], and the State
Justice Institute [SJI].
Summary of the Bill
The total amount of regular discretionary budget authority
recommended by the Committee for fiscal year 2025 is
$73,735,000,000, which is $5,197,602,000 above the fiscal year
2024 enacted level for regular discretionary amounts.
Additionally, the Committee makes available $1,900,000,000
through the Crime Victims Fund [CVF] for victim compensation
and victim services. This is $400,000,000 above the President's
Request and restores the CVF to the fiscal year 2023 enacted
level. The Committee remains concerned about the health of the
CVF and its ability to continue to support compensation to and
services for survivors of crime in future years. Therefore, the
Committee directs the DOJ to continue to advise litigating
components of the availability of the CVF as a repository for
fines, fees, and other penalties.
The Committee's recommendation is consistent with the
allocation for the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related
Agencies appropriations bill. The Committee has made difficult
but necessary decisions to craft a bill that meets strict
fiscal limitations established by the Fiscal Responsibility Act
of 2023 (Public Law 118-5). Within these boundaries, the
Committee has strived to achieve a careful balance between the
competing priorities of law enforcement, national security,
economic development, scientific research, and space
exploration, while having limited resources. As a result, this
bill represents responsible spending at a time when the United
States is living within a constrained Federal budget.
The DOC is charged with addressing and executing several
critical functions, which include ensuring the effective
operation of our Nation's world class weather satellites and
forecasting severe storms; enforcing trade laws to ensure
American businesses can compete on a level playing field;
collecting economic and population data; working with
distressed communities to spur economic development; and
properly managing our Nation's fisheries.
The Committee has made a concerted effort to spur U.S.
economic growth both domestically and abroad through targeted
investments in the Economic Development Administration [EDA]
and our Nation's trade agencies such as the USTR and the ITC,
as well as the International Trade Administration [ITA] and the
Bureau of Industry and Security [BIS] within DOC. Together,
these agencies help businesses get started, compete
internationally, and grow.
Additionally, the changing landscape of criminal activity
and national security both at home and abroad continues to test
the DOJ's ability to deal with and adapt to emerging threats.
The Committee believes that our Federal law enforcement
agencies must work collaboratively to focus and streamline
limited resources in a manner that safeguards taxpayer dollars
while preserving public safety. The fiscal year 2025 bill
provides funding for grants to help State, local, and Tribal
law enforcement responsibly and safely protect our Nation's
communities, help survivors of domestic violence and sexual
assault, and respond to substance use disorder, including
opioids, and fentanyl, and drug trafficking. The Committee also
provides the necessary funding for the Bureau of Prisons to
continue implementation of criminal justice reforms and
programming created by the First Step Act (Public Law 115-391).
For the science agencies, the Committee provides targeted
investments to enable progress toward the goal of returning
Americans to the Moon and enhancing the United States'
leadership in space and science. Within NSF, the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA], and the National
Institute of Standards and Technology [NIST], the Committee
recommendation supports initiatives to enhance American
competitiveness through research in climate science and
resiliency, quantum computing, artificial intelligence, and
other strategic fields. The bill also makes targeted
investments in NSF to continue its core research, develop the
scientific workforce, and fund programs in the Directorate of
Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships [TIP].
CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 Implementation.--The
Committee provides $11,194,844,000 to continue implementing the
bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 (Public Law 117-167).
The CHIPS and Science Act sets out an ambitious goal of
doubling funding for science and technology programs by 2027 to
help drive U.S. economic competitiveness. Continuing these
investments will allow the United States to keep pace with the
People's Republic of China and other competitors in scientific
discoveries that can power the economy in fields like
artificial intelligence, quantum computing, microelectronics,
clean energy, and advanced communications.
The Committee provides $9,550,000,000 for NSF, including
$7,528,280,000 for the NSF Research and Related Activities
account to implement the CHIPS and Science Act, including
significant support for the new Technology, Innovation, and
Partnerships [TIP] Directorate. The Committee provides
$1,225,000,000 for NSF's education and training programs to
build tomorrow's innovation workforce.
The Committee provides $1,644,844,000 for DOC programs
reauthorized or newly created by the CHIPS and Science Act.
This includes: $100,000,000 for the EDA Regional Technology and
Innovation Hub Program, to provide grants to create
geographically-distributed ``regional technology hubs,''
focusing on technology development, job creation, and expanding
U.S. innovation capacity; $175,000,000 for the NIST
Manufacturing Extension Program to improve competitiveness of
domestic manufacturers and strengthen domestic supply chains;
$50,000,000 for the Manufacturing USA program; and $110,000,000
for NIST Construction of Research Facilities to prioritize
addressing the comprehensive capital needs of the NIST campuses
and facilities.
Fighting Waste, Fraud, and Abuse
The departments, agencies, boards, offices, and commissions
funded in this bill can and should continue to reduce operating
expenses by placing greater scrutiny on overhead costs. Savings
can and should be achieved by reducing non-essential travel,
office supply, rent, and utility costs. The Committee also
calls on departments, agencies, boards, offices, and
commissions funded in this bill to continue to achieve savings
by lowering travel contractor costs related to air fares. The
Committee continues longstanding restrictions on first class
travel.
The Committee is extremely concerned about the persistent
pattern of cost overruns and schedule slippages on major
projects and missions carried out by the agencies within this
bill. In addition, reports have exposed a culture within many
agencies that exhibits a lack of accountability and oversight
of grant funding. Therefore, the Committee continues bill-wide
provisions to ensure greater oversight and fiscal
responsibility of taxpayer dollars.
First, the bill requires each agency to notify the
Committee immediately upon identification of program cost
overruns greater than 10 percent.
Second, the bill requires the Inspectors General of the
DOC, DOJ, NASA, NSF, and LSC to conduct reviews of grant and
contract funds to ensure funds are being spent appropriately.
In addition, the Government Accountability Office [GAO] will
review a random sample of Congressionally Directed Spending
projects.
Third, the bill requires all departments and agencies to
link all contracts that provide award fees to successful
acquisition outcomes, and prohibits funds to pay for award or
incentive fees for contractors with below satisfactory
performance.
The Committee also supports long-standing provisions that
were once solely included in this bill but have since become
government-wide provisions. These include requiring each
department, agency, board, and commission funded in this bill
to report spending on large conferences to the Inspectors
General for audit; requiring all departments and agencies
funded in this bill to provide full access to documents and
data for their respective Inspectors General to conduct
investigations and audits; and prohibiting funds from being
used for contracts, memoranda of understanding, cooperative
agreements, grants, or loan activities if the proposed
recipient has unpaid Federal tax liabilities or was convicted
of a felony criminal violation.
Finally, the Committee intends to continue to work with the
GAO to expand the review of selected large-scale acquisition
and construction projects. Specifically, the Committee directs
ongoing GAO reviews of large NASA projects, major research
equipment and facilities construction at the NSF, with reports
to the Committee on a semiannual basis. The Committee
recommendation includes funding for agencies' Offices of
Inspectors General [OIG] to ensure strong accountability and
oversight of Federal programs in this bill.
Agencies shall provide access to all necessary data, as
determined by GAO, in order for these reviews to be completed
and provided to the Committee in a timely manner. The Committee
believes that these project status reports are valuable in
identifying cost overrun and schedule slippage problems early
so they can be addressed immediately and has used information
in the reviews to develop this recommendation.
Federal Vehicle Fleet Management.--The General Services
Administration [GSA] issues guidance on Federal fleet
management, but the Federal vehicle fleet is decentralized,
with each agency maintaining flexibility to manage vehicle
utilization as appropriate. In order to provide better
transparency and accountability of funding for Federal
vehicles, the Committee directs agencies funded in this bill to
conduct an annual review of fleet utilization during the third
quarter of each fiscal year and provide their corresponding
OIGs with supporting documentation on the method used for
determining optimal fleet inventories and justification for any
deviation from GSA's Federal Property Management Regulations.
OIGs shall be responsible for conducting annual audits of fleet
management practices and make the subsequent results for non-
law enforcement sensitive agencies publicly available.
Reducing Duplication and Improving Efficiencies.--The
Committee directs each agency funded in this bill to report to
the Committee, within 1 year of enactment of this act, on all
efforts made to address the duplication of Federal programs
identified by annual GAO reports along with identifying
substantive challenges and legal barriers to implementing GAO's
recommendations and suggested legislative recommendations that
could help the agency to further reduce duplication.
Reprogrammings, Reorganizations, and Relocations
Section 505, contained in the General Provisions of Title V
of the bill, provides procedures for the reprogramming of
funds. To reprogram is to change the use of funds from the
specific purposes provided for in the bill and the accompanying
explanatory statement or, in the absence of direction from the
Committee, from the specific purposes provided for in the
administration's budget request. Each title of the bill has
also traditionally included separate provisions that define
permissible transfers of resources between appropriation
accounts. These transfer authority provisions are also pursuant
to section 505 and were initiated in the early 1990s to provide
additional flexibility to the agencies under the subcommittee's
jurisdiction.
The Committee expects each department and agency to closely
follow the reprogramming procedures listed in section 505.
These procedures apply to funds provided under this bill,
provided under previous appropriations acts that remain
available for obligation or expenditure in fiscal year 2025, or
provided from any accounts in the Treasury available to the
agencies funded by this bill. Section 505 requires that the
Committee be notified by letter, at least 15 days prior to
reprogramming of funds, whether permanent or temporary, in
excess of $500,000 or 10 percent, whichever is less, between
programs, projects, or activities. Section 505 of this act is
also applicable in cases where funding for an activity is
reduced by 10 percent. In addition, the Committee is to be
notified of reprogramming actions which are less than these
amounts if such actions would have the effect of committing the
agency to significant funding requirements in future years;
increasing funds or personnel by any means for any program,
project, or activity for which funds have been previously
denied or restricted by Congress; creating new programs,
offices, agencies, or commissions or substantially augmenting
existing programs, offices, agencies, or commissions;
relocating offices or employees; or reorganizing offices,
programs, or activities.
The Committee also expects that any items that are subject
to interpretation will be reported. The Committee expects that
each department and agency funded in the bill will follow these
notification policies precisely and will not reallocate
resources or reorganize activities prior to submitting the
required notifications to the Committee. Reprogramming or
transfer requests shall be submitted only in the case of an
unforeseen emergency or situation that could not have been
anticipated when formulating the budget request for the current
fiscal year.
Congressional Budget Justifications
The Committee directs that all departments and agencies
funded within this bill shall submit all of their fiscal year
2026 budget justifications concurrently with the official
submission of the administration's budget to Congress. Further,
all departments and agencies with classified programs funded
within this act are directed to submit their classified budget
justification documents to the Committee, through appropriate
means, at the same time the unclassified budget justifications
are transmitted.
These justifications shall include a sufficient level of
detailed data, exhibits, and explanatory statements to support
the appropriations requests, including tables that outline each
agency's programs, projects, and activities for fiscal years
2025 and 2026. For example, when requesting an enhancement of
resources, the justification should detail the existing program
and what the new resources would buy. The Committee directs the
chief financial officer of each department or agency funded in
this act's jurisdiction to ensure that adequate justification
is given to each increase, decrease, and staffing and function
change proposed in the fiscal year 2026 budget, particularly
within the departmental operations and management accounts.
The Committee expects that the fiscal year 2026 submissions
will include sufficient detail to justify all programs,
projects, and activities contained in each department, agency,
office, or commission budget request. Budget justifications are
prepared not for the use of the agencies but are the primary
tool the Committee uses to evaluate the resource requirements
and proposals requested by the administration.
Reporting Requirements
The Committee directs the departments and agencies funded
in this bill to submit reports by the deadlines detailed herein
or to provide advance notification if there is sufficient
reason why deadlines cannot be met, along with the expected
date of submission.
The Committee also recognizes that some enduring reporting
requirements from previous appropriations laws may no longer be
necessary for congressional oversight purposes. In the interest
of reducing government waste and expediting responses to
current report mandates, each department or agency is invited
to submit a list of reporting requirements that it considers
outdated or no longer relevant for the review of the Committees
on Appropriations. Any list submitted for review shall cite the
original authority, as well as a justification for eliminating
each reporting requirement.
Reductions-in-Force
The Committee directs departments or agencies funded in the
accompanying bill that are planning to conduct a reduction-in-
force to notify the Committee in writing 30 days in advance of
the date of the proposed personnel action.
Appropriations Liaisons
The Committee prefers to channel the majority of its
inquiries and requests for information and assistance through
the budget offices or comptroller offices of the departments
and agencies which it oversees but reserves the right to call
upon any individual or organization in any agency under its
jurisdiction.
Access to High-Quality Affordable Child Care for Federal Employees
The Committee directs the departments and agencies funded
in this bill to report to the Committee, within 180 days of the
date of enactment of this act, and include in annual budget
justifications thereafter, on their efforts to help provide
access to high-quality affordable child care for the children
of those Federal employees. The reports shall detail all
current programs or efforts that assist department or agency
employees with child care, identify programs-including for
recruitment and retention-that assist with child care, provide
the number of employees utilizing such programs, and detail
associated costs. Additionally, departments and agencies shall
survey employees on the level of interest in such programs or
efforts if they are not currently provided by a department or
agency. Where possible, departments and agencies shall identify
whether access to child care hinders recruitment or retention
efforts, provide the geographical locations where such
hindrance occurs, and identify targeted solutions for such
hindrances.
Federal Trust and Treaty Responsibilities
The Committee reminds agencies funded by this act of their
obligation to uphold the federal trust and treaty
responsibilities to Tribes and Federal obligations to the
Native Hawaiian Community. This includes upholding treaty and
reserved rights, and any other rights and obligations under
Federal law; supporting self-determination efforts by Native
communities; fulfilling obligations under Presidential
Memoranda and Executive Orders; and conducting early and robust
government-to-government consultation with Tribes, and
meaningful outreach and engagement with Native Hawaiians.
TITLE I
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
The Committee recommends a total of $11,544,569,000 for the
Department of Commerce [DOC]. The recommendation is
$717,177,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and
$79,837,000 above the budget request.
The DOC is responsible for a variety of activities critical
to our Nation's well-being, including economic development,
intellectual property protection, standards and measurements,
trade enforcement, weather forecasting, and fisheries
management. Our Nation relies on the Department to maintain
America's competitiveness within today's foreign markets while
promoting and expanding international trade opportunities. The
Department brings together a diverse set of bureaus,
specialized experts, research laboratories, and applied
technology programs to support and expand opportunities for
growth in the private sector. Few departments have such
potential to directly impact the strength and sustainability of
our communities and local businesses.
International Trade Administration
OPERATIONS AND ADMINISTRATION
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $623,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 657,500,000
Committee recommendation................................ 648,000,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $648,000,000 for
the International Trade Administration [ITA]. The
recommendation is $25,000,000 above the fiscal year 2024
enacted level and $9,500,000 below the budget request. The
discretionary appropriation is offset by $12,000,000 in fee
collections.
Offsetting Fee Collections.--ITA shall continue to identify
and include an accurate assessment of expected fee collections
and corresponding expenditures.
Travel and Tourism.--The Committee notes the importance of
travel and tourism as economic engines for communities across
the country. The Committee provides up to $3,500,000 for ITA to
continue implementing the ``Visit America Act.''
Staffing Levels at Foreign and Domestic Offices.--The
Committee is concerned that Global Markets [GM] staff vacancies
within client-facing positions are hindering opportunities for
U.S. businesses to compete in international markets and
compromising foreign direct investment opportunities within the
U.S. The Committee directs ITA to brief the Committee, within
180 days of enactment of this act, on its strategy to ensure
client-facing staff vacancies are addressed so that GM services
are not degraded.
Improving Customer Experience [CX].--The Committee applauds
ITA's work to improve its CX practices and commends the recent
re-design of its Export Solutions on-line presence. This re-
design showcased the integration of CX and digital experience
practices enabling high-value interactions and long-lasting
positive impact on how ITA serves its customers. The Committee
also encourages the ongoing collaboration between GM and ITA's
Organizational Excellence & Strategic Delivery team as they
work to integrate best practices into other customer focused
workstreams.
Supply Chain Center.--The Committee requests a briefing,
within 180 days of enactment of this act, on the status of the
Commerce Supply Chain Center and efforts to analyze supply
chain risks, develop supply chain policy recommendations, and
collaborate with private sector and interagency stakeholders.
The briefing should include a breakdown of funding requests to
support those efforts and articulate how those funds would be
utilized to fulfill the intent of the agency's supply chain
resiliency and competitiveness efforts, across different
internal teams and functions and help advance U.S.
competitiveness. In the context of assessing progress-to-date,
the Committee also requests that the agency offer
recommendations about what additional resources, if any, are
needed to support execution of the strategies outlined in the
briefing.
Essential Medical Devices.--The Food and Drug
Administration issued a safety communication in November 2023
warning consumers, healthcare providers, and healthcare
facilities to avoid syringes that are manufactured in the
People's Republic of China [PRC] due to quality concerns.
However, foreign needles and syringes, particularly from the
PRC, continue to be imported into the U.S. These products are
being widely used throughout the U.S. healthcare system despite
the serious risks to patients and the resulting erosion of the
domestic manufacturing base. The Committee directs the
Department of Commerce, in consultation with relevant
departments and agencies, as necessary, to provide a report,
within 1 year after enactment of this act, identifying and
assessing the most vulnerable priority essential medical
devices with respect to imports from the PRC. The report shall
also address U.S. domestic manufacturing capability, providing
policy recommendations to support a secure and resilient U.S.
supply chain and raise any other relevant issues identified
during the analysis. The study should also cover priority
essential medical devices identified by the Department of
Health and Human Services such as products needed for immediate
medical response, including personal protective equipment.
Critical and Emerging Technology Supply Chains.--The
Committee is concerned about efforts by the PRC to use non-
market policies and practices, including state subsidization,
to develop semiconductors and optical components that are
essential for telecommunications infrastructure, quantum
computing, hypersonics, space communications, and other
critical applications. The Committee directs ITA to brief the
Committee, within one year after the enactment of this act, on
analysis of critical and emerging technology supply chains and
how the U.S. Government can make the supply chain analysis and
action more proactive and strategic. The briefing should
identify and make recommendations to address any challenges,
including data gaps, to secure related supply chains and U.S.
domestic manufacturing of these inputs.
United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement [USMCA]
Secretariat.--The Committee provides not less than the fiscal
year 2024 enacted level for ITA to continue to support the U.S.
Section of the Secretariat, authorized by the USMCA
Implementation Act (Public Law 116-113).
PRC Solar Panel Stockpiling.--The Committee is concerned
that PRC-based solar companies are circumventing necessary
tariffs on panels by sending components through Southeast Asian
countries before importation to the United States. The
Committee directs the Department to enforce the anti-
stockpiling Utilization Requirement concerning the Antidumping
and Countervailing Duty Orders on Crystalline Silicon
Photovoltaic Cells and Modules Imported from Cambodia,
Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, as detailed in 88 FR 57419.
Within 120 days of enactment of this act, ITA shall update the
Committee on this issue, detailing compliance efforts in
coordination with Customs and Border Protection to enforce the
Utilization Requirements and duty collection efforts.
Budget and Staffing Oversight.--The Committee directs ITA
to continue to submit, no later than 30 days after the end of
each fiscal quarter, an update on the previous quarter's
accomplishments, upcoming activity, milestones, and budget and
staffing updates. Furthermore, the update shall contain recent
hiring activity within GM's U.S. Commercial Service.
Silane.--The Committee recognizes the importance of silane
gas in building a competitive domestic advanced semiconductor
supply chain. The limited number of domestic sources for
silane, along with the potential export of available silane for
foreign use, represent risks to national security. Multiple
domestic sources of silane are needed to maintain the country's
leadership in advanced semiconductors and to support job
creation through building a robust domestic battery industry.
Within 180 days of enactment of this act, ITA is directed to
coordinate with the Department of Energy's Office of
Electricity to provide a report to the Committee on anticipated
silane demand growth over the next decade, existing efforts to
diversify and increase domestic production of silane, and risks
to semiconductor, battery, and solar panel supply chains posed
by our reliance on imported silane.
Increased International Commercial Engagement and Export
Promotion.--The Committee is concerned by the continuing
erosion of the U.S. share of the global export market and
believes that the Department must prioritize ITA's commercial
engagement efforts to level the international playing field for
U.S. exporters. In particular, the Committee remains concerned
that the Federal Government does not have adequate resourcing
in place to significantly increase exports to Africa, Latin
America, the Caribbean, and the Pacific region. The Committee
is pleased that the request articulates these same concerns and
proposes increased investment areas with a focus on increasing
U.S. export competitiveness and countering unfair trade
practices and economic coercion by the PRC. Prior to obligating
funds to open any new international office and hire additional
staff, ITA shall provide the Committee with a detailed spending
plan, which shall include a staffing plan and a justification
for the establishment of any new office.
General Data Protection Regulation [GDPR].--The Committee
urges ITA to continue its efforts to educate small businesses
about the GDPR. The Committee is concerned that small
businesses may be unaware of compliance obligations as a result
of GDPR and could be vulnerable to fines and significant
financial risk. The Committee encourages ITA to work with
Federal, State, and local partners to raise awareness about
GDPR obligations on American small businesses.
Rural Export Assistance.--The Committee encourages the
Secretary to prioritize expanding international trade
opportunities for rural businesses. The Committee provides not
less than the fiscal year 2024 enacted level for rural export
centers [REC] and not less than $1,500,000 for the national
rural export center. Prior to obligating funds to open any new
REC, hire additional staff based at such new centers, and
modify existing rural export centers, ITA shall submit a
detailed spending plan, which shall include a staffing plan and
a justification for the establishment of any new center or
modification of an existing center.
Post-conflict Support for Ukraine.--The Committee
encourages ITA to engage in post-conflict reconstruction
planning for Ukraine, including the expansion of U.S.
activities to strengthen economic engagement with Ukraine.
Outbound Investments.--The Committee supports ITA's efforts
to gather and analyze information regarding certain outbound
investments from the United States into critical sectors. The
Committee provides up to the requested level for this purpose.
United Kingdom [UK] Tariff Rate Quota [TRQ] Attestation.--
The Committee is appreciative of the work that DOC and ITA have
done to protect domestic steel and aluminum producers,
including its work in establishing the 2022 TRQ with the UK
However, the Committee is concerned with the UK's seeming lack
of transparency with parts of the TRQ, specifically as it
pertains to the verification of the results of the audits
conducted on British steel producers that are owned or
controlled by PRC stakeholders. The Committee urges ITA to
continue working with the UK to publish data and audit
information used to make the determination in the UK's
attestation.
U.S.-European Union [EU] Trade and Technology Council
[TTC].--The Committee recognizes the importance of the TTC as a
forum for promoting U.S. and EU competitiveness and prosperity
through increasing transatlantic trade, investment, and
engagement on matters related to critical and emerging
technology. The Committee awaits receipt of the joint report on
the U.S.-EU TTC, as directed by the joint explanatory statement
accompanying Public Law 118-42.
Bureau of Industry and Security
OPERATIONS AND ADMINISTRATION
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $191,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 223,392,000
Committee recommendation................................ 206,000,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $206,000,000 for
the Bureau of Industry and Security [BIS]. The recommendation
is $15,000,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and
$17,392,000 below the budget request.
BIS is the principal agency involved in the development,
implementation, and enforcement of export controls for
commercial technologies and for many military technologies as a
result of export control reform. The Export Enforcement
Division detects, prevents, investigates, and assists in the
sanctioning of illegal exports of such items.
Export Control Regulatory Compliance Assistance.--The
Committee directs BIS to continue its exporter outreach program
to educate companies of all sizes on their obligations related
to export controls. In this effort, BIS, working with ITA U.S.
Export Assistance Centers, should continue targeting small- and
medium-sized businesses and working with State and local trade
and export associations, in addition to working with national
industry groups, to ensure that small- and medium-sized
businesses have clear, easy-to-understand information about
complying with export control regulations.
Enforcement of Russia Export Controls.--The Committee
continues to support BIS' aggressive enforcement of Russian and
Belarussian export controls and other BIS efforts to counter
Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The Committee recommendation
fully supports the efforts articulated in the request to
forcefully respond to Russia's aggression.
Revision of Firearms License Requirements.--To understand
the impact BIS's interim final rule [IFR] (89 FR 34680) has on
U.S. manufacturers and their suppliers and national security
interests, the Committee directs BIS to provide a report,
within 120 days of enactment of this act, that details the
national security and economic impacts of the IFR.
Export Controls and Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
[Huawei].--In 2019, the Department of Commerce placed Huawei on
the BIS Entity List because of the U.S.'s indictment of Huawei
for violating U.S. restrictions on trade with Iran. The
company's presence in telecommunications infrastructure in the
U.S. and abroad raises national security concerns. Beginning in
2019, the interagency review process administered by BIS has
approved multiple export licenses of low-level semiconductor
technology for Huawei since its addition to the Entity List.
These decisions may warrant reconsideration in light of
Huawei's ongoing efforts to develop and produce advanced chips.
The Committee directs the Secretary of Commerce, within 90 days
of enactment of this act, to certify to the Committee that BIS
has reviewed all licenses issued to entities to export,
reexport, or transfer (in-country) to Huawei or any of its
subsidiaries listed on the Entity List and, through the
interagency license review process, rescind licenses, as
appropriate.
Review of Entity List Application to Subsidiaries and
Affiliates.--The Committee is concerned that foreign
adversaries are exploiting U.S. export control policy through a
web of subsidiary and shell companies. Therefore, the Committee
directs BIS to review all parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, or
successor entities of Entity-listed companies to determine
whether they meet regulatory standards for addition to BIS'
Entity List within 180 days of the enactment of this act and
for every new entity added to the Entity List thereafter.
Report on Countries of Diversion Concern.--The Committee is
concerned about the diversion of sensitive U.S. technology
through third party countries. Therefore, the Committee directs
BIS to submit to the Committee a report containing a list of
countries that: 1) receive U.S. exports, and 2) have a history
or high risk of diversion of sensitive technologies to the PRC
or Russia.
Transparency Over Sensitive Exports to China.--The
Committee directs BIS to submit a report within 180 days of the
enactment of this act and annually thereafter on the number of
export licenses that are approved during the preceding year for
exports to PRC entities currently on the BIS entity list.
Restrictions on Advanced GPUs to Countries that Host PRC
Military Bases.--The Committee is concerned by the United Arab
Emirates' [UAE] growing ties to the PRC in artificial
intelligence, and directs BIS to reevaluate its export
licensing review posture for Export Control Classification
Numbers 3A090 and 4A090--high-performance integrated circuits--
to any person based in the UAE with the goal of preventing the
reexport of or access to such GPUs by persons located or
headquartered in the PRC.
Preventing Malign Investments in the United States.--The
Committee supports BIS efforts to prevent foreign adversaries
from investing in U.S. emerging and foundational technologies.
Within 180 days of enactment of this act, BIS shall provide a
report to the Committee on the feasibility of adding all
technologies identified by the Office of National Science and
Technology Council in February 2024 as ``critical and emerging
technologies'' to the list of emerging and foundational
technologies controlled pursuant to section 1758 of the Export
Control Reform Act of 2018.
Investigation on PRC-based Light Detection and Ranging
[LIDAR] Companies.--The Committee is concerned about the
potential national security threat posed by PRC-based LIDAR
companies. The Committee directs BIS to investigate PRC-based
LIDAR companies to evaluate whether they meet the requirements
to be added to the Entity List.
Report on BIS Export Control Execution.--The Committee
directs BIS to conduct a review of the execution of its export
controls program. The Department is directed to provide a
report, within 180 days of enactment of this act, on instances
of evasion of export controls and identify gaps in the export
control regime that have allowed controlled U.S. technology,
especially controlled semiconductor technology, to flow to
entities in the PRC without a license. In addition, the
Department is directed to provide a list of recommendations
that would increase BIS' ability to: process export control
licenses; enforce restrictions on already covered entities;
identify and respond to any evasion of export controls;
integrate data analytics, artificial intelligence, and other
technologies as needed; and increase coordination for export
control enforcement across the Federal Government.
Feasibility of On-chip Mechanisms for Export Control.--The
Committee encourages the Department to study the feasibility of
on-chip mechanisms for export-controlled semiconductors that
are used in the development of advanced artificial
intelligence, including the research and development necessary
to address tampering with on-chip mechanisms, advance
commitments to update export controls that would incentivize
firms to develop secure on-chip mechanisms, and resulting
benefits for hardware security and the safety of artificial
intelligence. Within 180 days of enactment of this act, the
Committee directs the Department to report to the Committee
regarding the feasibility of future steps in this area.
Trade Restrictions on Electric Vehicles [EVs] from the
PRC.--The Committee is concerned about the potential for
heavily subsidized, EVs flooding the U.S. market from the PRC
in the near future, threatening U.S. automotive manufacturing
jobs and our national security. The Committee supports the
potential regulatory action related to Information and
Communications Technology and Services [ICTS] that are integral
to PRC-connected vehicles announced by BIS under Executive
Order 13873, and urges BIS to take necessary action, as
appropriate. The Committee is also concerned by reports that
PRC-based electric vehicle manufacturers may be seeking to
enter the U.S. market by opening manufacturing plants in
Mexico. The Committee directs BIS to brief the Committee,
within 90 days of enactment of this act, with regard to its
work to prevent PRC-based companies from circumventing
prohibitions to gain a foothold in the U.S. market.
Economic Development Administration
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $468,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 522,864,000
Committee recommendation................................ 483,000,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $483,000,000 for
the Economic Development Administration [EDA]. The
recommendation is $15,000,000 above the fiscal year 2024
enacted level and $39,864,000 below the budget request.
EDA provides assistance to local governments and nonprofit
agencies for public works, planning, and other projects
designed to facilitate economic development. This assistance
could come in the form of grants, contracts for research and
technical assistance, or prize competitions that incentivize
entities beyond EDA's usual set of eligible recipients to think
through and address broad economic development issues. The
Committee directs EDA to coordinate with regional development
organizations to support projects that will address some of the
pressing issues that challenge rural economic development.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $400,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 437,000,000
Committee recommendation................................ 410,000,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $410,000,000 for
Economic Development Assistance Programs. The recommendation is
$10,000,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and
$27,000,000 below the budget request. The Committee directs EDA
to focus on its core programs and mission to aid the most
distressed communities across the country. The Committee
expects EDA to use all available carryover and prior year
recoveries to the maximum extent possible. EDA shall consider
geographic equity in making all award decisions and shall
ensure that rural projects are adequately represented among
those selected for funding. Of the amounts provided, funds are
to be distributed as follows, and any deviation shall be
subject to the procedures set forth in section 505 of this act:
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
[In thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Committee
Recommendation
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Public Works............................................ 100,000
Economic Adjustment Assistance.......................... 51,000
Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms................... 13,500
Regional Innovation Program............................. 50,000
Partnership Planning.................................... 35,500
Technical Assistance.................................... 15,500
Research and Evaluation................................. 2,000
Recompete Pilot Program................................. 10,000
STEM Apprenticeships.................................... 2,500
Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs................. 100,000
Good Jobs Challenge..................................... 25,000
Assistance to Indigenous Communities.................... 5,000
---------------
Total............................................. 410,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Outdoor Recreation Projects.--The Committee notes that
projects supporting outdoor recreation are a catalyst for
economic development and should be eligible for EDA funding.
EDA is encouraged to consider such projects when consistent
with a region's Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy.
Economic Development Representatives.--The Committee
strongly supports EDA's effort to promote access to its
economic development assistance programs through the use of
Economic Development Representatives in under-resourced
communities. Accordingly, the Committee directs EDA to
maintain, or restore as is necessary, all State-level Economic
Development Representative positions occupied as of the
beginning of fiscal year 2024. The Committee expects that each
State with an Economic Development Representative position
within its borders at the start of fiscal year 2024 will
continue to have such coverage from an Economic Development
Representative who is located within that State. The Committee
directs EDA to submit a report within 180 days of the enactment
of this act demonstrating its compliance with this directive.
EDA Grant Award Equity.--The Committee notes that Congress
has recently authorized and appropriated several large-scale
grant programs through EDA, including the Build Back Better
Regional Challenge, the Regional Technology and Innovation
Hubs, and the Recompete Pilot program. For future large-scale
EDA grant programs or subsequent rounds of competitions for the
aforementioned programs, the Committee encourages EDA to
prioritize making awards to States that did not receive these
awards in the past.
Prize Competitions.--The Committee encourages EDA to use
prize competitions, where appropriate, to help find innovative
answers to challenging, long-standing economic development
issues. Prize competitions have the potential to spur
innovation and surface the solutions needed to unlock economic
opportunity.
Economic Adjustment Assistance [EAA].--EAA is EDA's most
flexible economic development program, providing funding for
projects ranging from disaster recovery to business
accelerators and incubators. Within funding for EAA, the
Committee provides not less than the fiscal year 2024 enacted
level to support EDA's collaborations with the Delta Regional
Authority, the Appalachian Regional Commission, and the
Northern Border Regional Commission to assist distressed
communities. Additionally, EDA is directed to begin
collaboration with the Southwest Border Regional Commission.
The Committee also notes that EAA can assist communities
dealing with the closures of energy plants, resulting in job
losses and dramatic reductions to local tax bases. The
Committee appreciates the work EDA has undertaken in prior
years to assist communities impacted by recent or scheduled
plant closures, including communities addressing nuclear power
plant closures and coal-fired power plant closures. The
Committee directs EDA to consider the needs of these
communities in awarding EAA grants. Within the funding provided
for EAA, $4,500,000 shall be for assistance to biomass power
plant closure communities.
Assistance to Manufacturing Communities and Distressed
Communities.--The Committee encourages EDA to invest in public-
private partnerships that target distressed areas seeking to
diversify their local workforce through advanced manufacturing
operations. When working with distressed communities, EDA shall
work to identify the best funding sources to meet community
needs and to assist with the technical requirements that must
be included in each grant proposal. The Committee reminds EDA
that distressed communities most in need of funding are often
poorly positioned to produce a technical and sophisticated
proposal required for agency funding.
Regional Innovation Program [RIP].--The Committee provides
$50,000,000 for the RIP program and directs EDA to invest in
university based, high-tech business incubators that encourage
entrepreneurship and patent creation, grow the workforce, and
promote technology commercialization, particularly for
distressed manufacturing and legacy communities, and support
the development of regional innovation clusters that focus on
clean and renewable energy technologies. EDA shall continue to
ensure that RIP awards go to multiple grantees in multiple and
diverse geographic areas, including an increased focus on
organizations and States that have not previously received
funding from the program. Furthermore, within funds provided
for RIP, EDA shall award not less than 40 percent of grants to
support rural communities.
Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs [Tech Hubs].--The
Committee provides $100,000,000 for the Tech Hubs program. The
agreement encourages EDA to support consortia that have
developed proven regional strategies that bridge urban and
rural economies to deliver innovative solutions in partnership
with rural areas.
Working Waterfronts.--Working waterfronts have long been an
important component of the U.S. economy, supporting commercial
and recreational activities. The Committee provides not less
than $7,000,000 for projects to revitalize, expand, and upgrade
the physical infrastructure of working waterfronts to attract
new industry, encourage business expansion, diversify local
economies, and generate or retain long-term private sector jobs
and investment.
New Forest Products.--The Committee notes that many forest-
based economies have experienced disruption and decline in
recent years. EDA is encouraged to work, including through RIP,
with communities and regions that have been adversely impacted
by rapid changes in the timber and pulp marketplaces and to
support projects that help these communities develop related
industries, including commercialization of new forest products
using low-grade wood. This work may include the coordination of
economic development efforts across multiple States or Economic
Development Districts. Additionally, the Committee reiterates
that communities facing job losses are eligible for all EDA
programs.
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math [STEM]
Apprenticeships and Workforce Development.--The Committee notes
the recent growth of STEM-related industries across the
country. Given this trend, the Committee provides $2,500,000 to
create and expand STEM apprenticeship and other workforce
training models to help workers develop the skills necessary to
join this growing industry. Within the funds provided, the
Committee directs EDA to prioritize implementation grants, to
the extent practicable.
Rural Economic Development.--The Committee recognizes the
economic development challenges rural communities face and
encourages EDA, in coordination with regional development
organizations, including regional councils, to continue to
support projects that address these challenges.
Prioritizing Housing Supply.--The Committee is encouraged
by EDA's inclusion of housing density in its investment
priorities, in recognition that economic development can only
benefit all residents if housing is abundant. The Committee
encourages EDA to provide guidance for the inclusion of a
component of Comprehensive Economic Development Strategies
related to housing supply and address land use and zoning
barriers to housing. The Committee also encourages EDA to
ensure projects funded through its Planning and Local Technical
Assistance programs include such a component if they are to be
funded in accordance with EDA investment priority six. Within
90 days of enactment of this act, the Committee directs EDA to
update the Committee on ways EDA funds could support
residential density and housing supply priorities.
Program Duplication.--EDA is directed to ensure, to the
greatest extent practicable, that its grant programs, including
the Tech Hubs program, avoid duplication and overlap with any
other Federal grant programs. The Committee directs the
Government Accountability Office [GAO] to include EDA in its
annual analysis of potentially duplicative programs.
Capacity Building for Business Districts.--Business
districts drive entrepreneurship, local business ownership,
economic growth, and job creation. They are an essential part
of the economic development ecosystem for towns, cities, and
rural communities. Local business district organizations are
well positioned to provide technical assistance to drive job
creation and job retention in these communities, but often face
significant challenges in accessing EDA funds due to the
relatively small scale and highly local scope of their
operations. To help overcome these challenges, increase
efficiency, and minimize administrative costs, the Committee
encourages EDA to leverage national non-profit networks and
their existing infrastructure to provide support to local
business district organizations through capacity building
grants, technical assistance, training, and dissemination of
best practices.
EDA Disaster Recovery Projects.--The Committee is committed
to ensuring Federal post-disaster economic recovery efforts are
executed efficiently and effectively. EDA plays an increasingly
important role in post-disaster economic recovery under the
National Disaster Recovery Framework. The Committee awaits
receipt of GAO's report on this topic, as directed in the joint
explanatory statement accompanying Public Law 118-42.
Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research
[EPSCoR] States and the Tech Hubs Program.--The Committee
directs EDA, in accordance with section 10621 of Public Law
117-167, to ensure that, subject to available appropriations,
at least one eligible consortium so designated as a regional
technology hub is headquartered in a low population State that
is eligible to receive funding from the EPSCoR program of the
National Science Foundation.
Economic Development Research.--The Committee recognizes
the importance of university-based research in investigating
the myriad economic development challenges facing many regions
in the U.S., especially in places that have not benefited from
recent technological developments and places transitioning from
legacy industries, among others. The Committee provides up to
$2,000,000 to support Research and Evaluation to better inform
economic development decision-making.
Assistance to Indigenous Communities.--The recommendation
provides $5,000,000 to provide resources to address the needs
of Indigenous communities that have historically suffered from
a lack of investment in core economic development needs.
Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience
[NATIVE] Act.--Of amounts provided for Technical Assistance, up
to $1,000,000 shall be available to provide technical
assistance to eligible entities, consistent with the NATIVE Act
(Public Law 114-221).
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $68,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 85,864,000
Committee recommendation................................ 73,000,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $73,000,000 for
salaries and expenses. The recommendation is $5,000,000 above
the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and $12,864,000 below the
budget request.
Grant Oversight.--EDA personnel play an essential oversight
role to ensure that grant awards reach the communities they
were meant to serve. The Committee remains concerned that the
ratio of grant awards to EDA post-award management personnel is
unsustainable, jeopardizing the agency's oversight
responsibility as stewards of Federal dollars. Lack of
personnel also slows down the pace of new awards. These facts
underscore the need for additional post-award management
personnel. Therefore, within the funds provided, EDA is
directed to continue exercising proper oversight of existing
grant awards and ensuring new grant awards are made in a timely
manner.
Minority Business Development Agency
MINORITY BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $68,250,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 80,000,000
Committee recommendation................................ 70,000,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $70,000,000 for the
Minority Business Development Agency [MBDA]. The recommendation
is $1,750,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and
$10,000,000 below the budget request. MBDA is the only Federal
agency dedicated to promoting the growth of minority-owned
firms and assists small, medium, and large minority business
enterprises in increasing revenues and creating jobs.
Native Entities.--The Committee's recommendation provides
not less than $5,000,000 for grants to American Indian, Alaska
Native, and Native Hawaiian entities qualified to provide
business, financing, and technical assistance services to
Tribes and encourages MBDA to coordinate with the Department's
Office of Native American Business Development on these
efforts.
Economic and Statistical Analysis
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $125,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 138,500,000
Committee recommendation................................ 130,000,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $130,000,000 for
Economic and Statistical Analysis [ESA], including $8,000,000
for the Office of the Under Secretary for Economic Affairs. The
recommendation is $5,000,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted
level and $8,500,000 below the budget request. ESA conducts
research to provide a better understanding of the U.S. economy,
helping government make more informed policy decisions.
Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account.--The Committee
recognizes the National economic importance of the outdoor
recreation industry. Not less than the fiscal year 2024 enacted
amount is provided to continue implementing the Outdoor
Recreation Jobs and Economic Impact Act of 2016 (Public Law
114-249). The Committee directs the Department to continue
working with the outdoor recreation industry, nongovernmental
organizations, and other interested stakeholders to refine the
National-level statistics and to continue developing regional
statistics.
Commodity Checkoff Programs.--The Committee recognizes that
the Commerce Department's Concrete Masonry Checkoff Program is
an industry-led program funding the research and promotion of
concrete masonry products. The Committee encourages the
Department to maximize the effectiveness of its checkoff
programs by utilizing available escrow funds, managing agency
cost reimbursements or developing other administrative
remedies, where practicable, to ensure program resources are
fully utilized for their intended purpose.
Distributional Measures of Growth.--The Committee's
recommendation supports ESA's efforts to improve and expand
distributional measures of growth. The Committee directs ESA to
further research methods that will allow a quarterly release
schedule with minimal delay.
Bureau of the Census
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $1,382,500,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 1,577,691,000
Committee recommendation................................ 1,577,691,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $1,577,691,000 for
the Census Bureau. The recommendation is $195,191,000 above the
fiscal year 2024 enacted level and equal to the budget request.
CURRENT SURVEYS AND PROGRAMS
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $328,500,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 367,347,000
Committee recommendation................................ 367,347,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $367,347,000 for
current surveys and programs. The recommendation is $38,847,000
above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and equal to the
budget request. This account provides for the salaries and
expenses associated with the statistical programs of the Bureau
of the Census, including measurement of the Nation's economy
and the demographic characteristics of the population.
PERIODIC CENSUSES AND PROGRAMS
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $1,054,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 1,210,344,000
Committee recommendation................................ 1,210,344,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $1,210,344,000 for
periodic censuses and programs. The recommendation is
$156,344,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and equal
to the budget request.
This account provides for the constitutionally mandated
Decennial Census as well as other cyclical programs.
Additionally, the Census Bureau conducts individual surveys for
other Federal agencies on a reimbursable basis.
American Community Survey [ACS].--The census stakeholder
and data user communities are interested in ensuring the
integrity, utility, and reliability of data from the ACS. Given
that the Census Bureau did not fully release one-year ACS
estimates in 2021, the Committee requests an update on steps
the Census Bureau has taken and intends to take to modernize
the ACS, especially increasing the survey's sample size,
expanding nonresponse follow up operations, and reducing
respondent burden. The Committee seeks specific feedback
estimating the cost of these and any other ACS enhancements
that the Census Bureau is considering. The Committee also
directs the Census Bureau to report on how improvements to the
ACS relate to the Bureau's broader operational transformation
efforts. The Committee directs the Census Bureau to provide the
Committee with a report addressing these matters within 180
days of enactment of this act.
Utilizing Libraries and Community Partners for Census
Surveys.--The Committee directs the Census Bureau to continue
to conduct outreach to public libraries and other community
technology centers to ensure that they are fully informed about
and equipped to support residents' participation in Census
Bureau surveys. The Bureau should work with libraries, in
coordination with the Institute of Museum and Library Services,
as part of the overall strategy to maximize response to the
ACS, other surveys, and the Decennial Census. Such outreach
should include coordinating with library organizations,
providing libraries with informational materials, and offering
webinars or conference presentations to library audiences, as
appropriate for Census surveys and tests.
National Telecommunications and Information Administration
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $59,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 67,000,000
Committee recommendation................................ 61,650,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $61,650,000 for the
National Telecommunications and Information Administration
[NTIA]. The recommendation is $2,650,000 above the fiscal year
2024 enacted level and $5,350,000 below the budget request.
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $57,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 65,000,000
Committee recommendation................................ 59,650,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $59,650,000 for
NTIA salaries and expenses. The recommendation is $2,650,000
above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and $5,350,000 below
the budget request.
The Committee retains language from previous years allowing
the Secretary to collect reimbursements from other Federal
agencies for a portion of the cost resulting from the
coordination of spectrum management, analysis, and operations.
NTIA shall submit a report to the Committee no later than June
1, 2025, detailing the collection of reimbursements from other
agencies.
Broadband Expansion.--The Committee directs the NTIA to
prioritize broadband deployment to unserved and then
underserved areas in accordance with Public Law 117-58. The
Committee further directs NTIA to coordinate with the Federal
Communications Commission [FCC] to maintain broadband coverage
maps completed in accordance with Public Law 116-130.
Consistent with relevant statutes, NTIA's broadband programs
are not to distribute funds to States or any providers without
basing such decision upon the FCC's National Broadband Map and
Broadband Funding Map, to the extent applicable, and NTIA shall
direct States distributing funds to subgrantees to do the same.
Broadband Investments under the Infrastructure Investment
and Jobs Act [IIJA].--In Public Law 117-58, Congress made a
historic $65,000,000,000 investment in broadband
infrastructure, equity, and affordability with the goal of
connecting all Americans to high-speed, reliable, and
affordable Internet service. As eligible entities develop and
submit their initial proposals to run their Broadband Equity,
Access, and Deployment [BEAD] grant programs, the Committee
emphasizes the importance of timely technical assistance.
Further, the Committee directs NTIA to fully consider and
account for each eligible entity's unique challenges when
evaluating proposals, including by exercising authority under
47 U.S.C. 1702(f) to ensure resilience of broadband
infrastructure. The Committee also emphasizes that funds
dedicated to administer the BEAD program shall be used to
properly implement the Buy America and Build America, Buy
America standards, consistent with title IX of division G of
Public Law 117-58 and all other applicable Federal laws.
Technical Assistance and BEAD State Plans.--In notifying
Eligible Entities of deficiencies in their proposals, the
Committee directs NTIA to clearly communicate any deficiency
and to work with Eligible Entities to cure any deficiency to
ensure proposals are promptly approved. To ensure fairness and
transparency for all Eligible Entities, NTIA is directed to
comply with all statutory directives under Section 60102(h)(5)
of Public Law 117-58.
Next Generation Broadband in Rural Areas.--The Committee
recognizes that access to broadband in all communities across
the Nation, including in rural areas, is essential for
improving economic growth, education, job creation, civic
engagement, public safety and health, global competitiveness,
and quality of life. NTIA is encouraged to coordinate with
other relevant Federal agencies to identify and pursue policies
that enable effective and efficient broadband deployment in
rural areas while advancing next-generation technologies, such
as 5G networks, and to avoid efforts that could duplicate
existing networks.
Supply Chain and Workforce.--In administering its broadband
programs, NTIA shall consider the effect of supply chain,
workforce shortages, and uniform guidance procurement
requirements, in addition to other known barriers such as
permit approvals, to determine whether providers can reasonably
meet deployment deadlines. If NTIA determines these factors
unduly impact project commitments or will deter program
participation, the agency may use its discretionary authority
to provide waivers of such requirements, in conjunction with
other relief, as necessary.
Policy and Technical Training.--The Committee encourages
NTIA to work with the FCC and the Department of State to
provide support for activities provided under section 7 of
Public Law 98-549 and provides not less than the fiscal year
2024 enacted level for these activities. As part of these
activities, NTIA may provide assistance and guidance in policy
and technical training to impart best practices to information
technology professionals from developing countries.
Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program.--The Committee notes
the historic investments Congress has made through the Tribal
Broadband Connectivity Program in the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116-260) and the IIJA. The
Committee directs NTIA to continue engaging with eligible
entities to ensure the full potential of these investments is
realized. The Committee also directs NTIA to accept
applications for the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program by
mail in addition to online.
Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth [OICG].--As part
of the ACCESS BROADBAND Act, enacted into law as part of Public
Law 116-260, Congress created and NTIA established the OICG to
further the deployment and use of broadband technology. NTIA
shall coordinate with other Federal agencies with broadband
programs to improve overall data collection, efficiently manage
broadband investments, identify funds used to upgrade systems
versus new systems, and unify metrics and measurements to
accurately represent the outcomes of BEAD and other Federal
broadband programs.
FirstNet Authority's Lack of Contract Oversight for Device
Connection Targets.--The Committee is disappointed in NTIA and
in the First Responder Network Authority [FirstNet Authority]
for their poor oversight of the Nationwide Public Safety
Broadband Network [NPSBN]. The Committee is also alarmed and
disappointed in the FirstNet Authority response to the DOC
OIG's report that highlights the lack of oversight potentially
impacting first responders' use of the NPSBN. NTIA shall brief
the Committee, no later than 60 days of enactment of this act,
detailing how FirstNet is providing the proper oversight of the
NPSBN contract and how FirstNet Authority plans to implement
the DOC OIG's audit recommendations.
FACILITIES MANAGEMENT AND CONSTRUCTION
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $2,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 2,000,000
Committee recommendation................................ 2,000,000
The recommendation includes $2,000,000 to support the
restoration and modernization of NTIA's facilities, including
the telecommunication infrastructure, roads, and grounds of
NTIA's government-owned facilities. This amount is equal to the
budget request.
United States Patent and Trademark Office
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
(INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $4,195,799,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 4,554,940,000
Committee recommendation................................ 4,554,940,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $4,554,940,000 for
the United States Patent and Trademark Office [USPTO], which is
$359,141,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and equal
to the budget request, to be derived from offsetting fee
collections.
USPTO examines patent applications, grants patent
protection for qualified inventions, and disseminates
technological information disclosed in patents. USPTO also
examines trademark applications and provides Federal
registration to owners of qualified trademarks.
Transfer to the OIG.--The Committee provides $2,450,000 for
the OIG to continue oversight and audits of USPTO operations
and budget transparency, and USPTO is directed to work with the
Department to implement all OIG recommendations.
Reprogramming and Spend Plan.--USPTO shall follow the
reprogramming procedures outlined in section 505 of this act
before using excess fee collections to forward fund expenses
beyond fiscal year 2025.
Intellectual Property [IP] Attaches.--The IP Attache
Program advocates internationally to improve IP systems and
assist U.S. stakeholders, providing assistance in all areas of
IP to U.S. rights holders. This includes entering new foreign
markets, resolving issues related to obtaining IP rights in
foreign jurisdictions, and helping address IP enforcement
challenges abroad. To further the goals of the IP Attache
Program and to provide more assistance to U.S. stakeholders,
the Committee directs USPTO to expand the IP Attache Program by
adding four more IP attaches in key markets that currently lack
attaches. USPTO shall keep the Committee apprised of the new
locations and its plan to staff the locations no later than 90
days after enactment of this act.
The Committee remains concerned that USPTO's IP attaches
may not have adequate access to their foreign government
counterparts and are not consistently involved in embassy or
consulate conversations regarding intellectual property
matters. The Secretary is encouraged to work with USPTO, ITA,
and the Department of State to ensure that the attaches are
appropriately utilized, including in discussions and
negotiations at the counselor rank and above.
Northern New England Community Outreach Office.--The
Unleashing American Innovators Act of 2022 directed USPTO to
open a Northern New England Community Outreach Office [NNECOO]
to serve New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont. USPTO announced its
selection of the location of the NNECOO on December 13, 2023.
The Committee expects USPTO to open and staff the office as
quickly as possible. The Committee directs USPTO to provide
quarterly updates to the Committee on its progress in opening
this office, including site selection, facilities, staff
hiring, and all related matters.
IP Theft.--The Committee remains concerned with the growing
theft of IP by and on behalf of foreign government actors,
especially by the PRC, as made clear in the United States Trade
Representative's Section 301 report, ``Findings of the
Investigation into China's Acts, Policies, and Practices
Related to Technology Transfer, Intellectual Property, and
Innovation under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974.'' The
Committee urges USPTO to work with all relevant agencies to
protect U.S. IP through education, outreach, foreign IP
attaches, and ongoing trade negotiations.
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $1,460,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 1,498,500,000
Committee recommendation................................ 1,534,844,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $1,534,844,000 for
the National Institute of Standards and Technology [NIST]. The
recommendation is $74,844,000 above the fiscal year 2024
enacted level and $36,344,000 above the budget request. Within
funds provided, up to $9,000,000 may be transferred from the
Scientific and Technical Research and Services [STRS] account
to the Working Capital Fund.
NIST's mission is to promote U.S. innovation and industrial
competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards,
and technology in ways that enhance economic security and
improve our quality of life.
SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL RESEARCH AND SERVICES
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $1,080,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 975,000,000
Committee recommendation................................ 1,064,244,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $1,064,244,000 for
NIST Scientific and Technical Research and Services [STRS]. The
recommendation is $15,756,000 below the fiscal year 2024
enacted level and $89,244,000 above the budget request. The
Committee directs NIST to provide a detailed spending plan for
NIST's highest priority laboratory programs that describes
resources used for each program, project, or activity [PPA].
Artificial Intelligence [AI] Safety Testing and
Evaluations.--To further expand its critical work in AI, the
Committee provides up to the requested level to advance AI
research, standards, testing, and the U.S. AI Safety Institute
[USAISI].
The Committee is pleased that NIST has created the USAISI
tasked with creating guidance and benchmarks for evaluating and
auditing AI capabilities, with a focus on capabilities through
which AI could cause harm, such as in the areas of
cybersecurity, biosecurity, and nuclear security. The Committee
is also pleased that NIST requested information from the public
about how to design AI red-teaming exercises for different
types of model risks, including specific security risks such as
chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear risks. The
Committee directs NIST to continue these workstreams and
prioritize evaluating, auditing, and red-teaming AI
capabilities with the potential to cause large-scale
catastrophic harm. The Committee also encourages NIST to build
infrastructure and capacity to enable testing of the most
capable AI models ahead of their release and to work towards
performing such testing with its AI Safety Institute and
partners in fiscal year 2025.
Quantum Information Science [QIS].--The Committee supports
NIST's research program in QIS, as authorized in section 201 of
the National Quantum Initiative Act (Public Law 115-368) and
provides not less than the fiscal year 2024 enacted level for
these activities. QIS promises to yield revolutionary new
approaches to computing, sensing, and communication, among
others. The Committee provides up to the requested amount for
Advancing QIS and Technology Readiness.
Near-Term Application Identification.--The Committee
supports NIST's efforts to identify use cases for near-term
quantum application development through the work of the Quantum
Economic Development Consortium as created by the National
Quantum Initiative Act. (Public Law 115-368). The Committee
encourages NIST to continue its coordination with the Quantum
Economic Development Consortium to conduct workshops and
develop reports identifying public and private use cases that
can benefit from near-term quantum applications. Such workshops
shall be inclusive of the wide variety of quantum technologies
and identify use cases where applications can be developed in
under 24 months.
Quantum Crossroads.--The Committee supports funding to
create quantum network connections between regional research
centers, educational and workforce training centers and
emerging quantum industries.
Cryptographic Module Validation Program [CMVP] Backlog.--
The Committee encourages NIST to continue its ongoing efforts
to streamline the review process and provide updates about
planning for new announcements and future requirements as it
continues to address its CMVP backlog. Additionally, the
Committee urges NIST to consider liaising with or detailing
qualified cryptographic professionals from other parts of the
Federal Government. The current CMVP backlog poses a potential
security risk to Federal Information Processing Standards,
which will only increase as emerging quantum computing
challenges grow.
Cybersecurity.--The Committee remains concerned about the
number of cyberattacks affecting the Nation and provides not
less than the fiscal year 2024 enacted level for cybersecurity
research, outreach, industry partnerships, and other activities
at NIST, including the National Cybersecurity Center of
Excellence. Within the funds provided, the Committee directs
NIST to support National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education
cooperative agreements with Regional Alliances and
Multistakeholder Partnerships to Stimulate for cybersecurity
education and workforce development as authorized in section
9401 of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (Public Law 116-283).
In addition, the Committee encourages NIST to bolster the
technology foundations and put in place the practical steps
needed to ensure the security and integrity of the technology
supply chain, in partnership with the private sector, in
accordance with Executive Order 14028.
Protecting Against Power Analysis Attacks on Semiconductor
Hardware.--The Committee encourages NIST to expand research and
analysis on power analysis attacks on semiconductor hardware.
Firmware Resiliency.--The Committee recognizes that
enhancing the private sector's cybersecurity resilience is a
critical component to protecting national security. Therefore,
the Committee recommends that NIST undertake the development of
cybersecurity guidelines for private companies to implement
specific firmware security. This would include ways to maintain
software inventories, like the Software Bill of Materials, to
document all components of the software in use to enable quick
identification of potential vulnerabilities in their systems.
Digital Twin Technology.--The Committee recognizes the
importance of developing technology to create virtual models to
simulate real-life outcomes of manufacturing and semiconductor
production. The Committee encourages NIST to partner with
institutions of higher education that specialize in high-
performance computing to develop new digital twin technologies
through high-performance computing avenues.
Gene Synthesis Safety.--The Committee is pleased that NIST
entered into a 2-year cooperative research agreement with the
nonprofit Engineering Biology Research Consortium to develop
screening and safety tools to defend against the potential
misuse of AI related to nucleic acid synthesis. In developing
such screening and safety tools, the Committee directs NIST to,
at a minimum, prioritize work on tools to guard against any
pathogen capable of potentially causing a pandemic, or any
gene(s) specific to potential pandemic pathogens that either
are by themselves hazardous or could enhance pathogenicity or
transmissibility.
Facial Recognition Technologies.--The Committee encourages
NIST to continue to improve and meet the growing demand for the
Facial Recognition Vendor Test. The Committee is aware that
this test is an important resource for government, commercial,
and academic developers to assess the quality of their facial
recognition technologies. As more companies and government
users invest in this technology, the test will continue to be a
critical step for responsible use. The Committee encourages
NIST to: expand testing to include a more diverse combination
of demographics and environmental settings in the test data;
develop educational material and work on image quality
standards for data collection; expand testing to improve
enhanced privacy technologies for better template protection;
and expand existing testing infrastructures in support of these
improvements. The Committee provides up to the fiscal year 2024
enacted level for those purposes.
Forensic Sciences.--The Committee provides not less than
the fiscal year 2024 enacted level for forensic science
research, including level funding to support the Organization
of Scientific Area Committees and technical merit evaluations.
Circular Economy.--The Committee provides not less than the
fiscal year 2024 enacted level for circular economy related
research. In addition, the Committee provides not less than the
fiscal year 2024 enacted level for competitive external grants
for academic institutions to investigate plastic and polymeric
materials, as well as novel methods to characterize both known
and newly-developed materials. Such investigations should
address ways to increase the strength of recycled plastics and
better understand mechanical properties, including tensile
stress, compressive stress, thermal properties, and
nanostructure of polymeric materials that could serve as
industry standards for recycled plastic products.
Climate and Energy Measurement, Tools, and Testbeds.--The
Committee recognizes the important role that NIST laboratories
play to address climate change through climate measurements and
modeling of greenhouse gas emissions as well as research and
tools to build more resilient communities. The Committee
provides not less than the fiscal year 2024 enacted level for
climate and energy measurement, tools, and testbeds.
In addition, the Committee encourages NIST to collaborate
with post-secondary academic institutions to evaluate community
resilience in coastal communities, including in the northern
Gulf of Mexico. This research should include evaluating various
state-of-the-art community resilience planning tools, including
NIST's Community Resilience Planning Guide and EDGe$ tool,
among others. These efforts should focus on the potential
compounding impacts of chronic stressors and acute events and
broadly include risks to natural and nature-based
infrastructure that supports socioeconomic functions and risks
to build.
Forward-Looking Building Standards.--The Committee remains
concerned about how climate change will impact the built
environment, and that standards previously set with an
assumption of a stable climate system will expose many Federal
and non-Federal investments to significant, but avoidable,
risk. Therefore, the Committee directs NIST to continue to work
with NOAA and other appropriate Federal agencies and interested
non-Federal parties, as needed, to identify a consistent and
authoritative set of climate information that emphasizes
forward-looking climate data and projections that should be
utilized in the standard-setting process. These data shall
include projections of both chronic climate impacts, such as
sea level rise, and extreme weather events, like hurricanes,
floods, and droughts. This effort shall serve to aid both
Federal and non-Federal bodies to develop standards, building
codes, and voluntary standards that take into account
increasingly extreme weather events and other climate change
challenges. Further, the Committee directs NIST to provide
technical assistance to standards developing organizations
regarding use of the identified forward-looking information.
Urban Dome.--The Committee recognizes the value of NIST's
Greenhouse Gas Measurements Program and Urban Dome Initiative
and the importance of accurate measurement science for
environmental monitoring and human health. These cost-effective
capabilities expand and broaden NIST laboratory capabilities
for investigating and developing measurement tools that support
independent means for determining the accuracy of emissions
inventory data at urban and regional scales. The Committee
provides up to the fiscal year 2024 enacted amount for the
Greenhouse Gas Measurements Program and Urban Dome Initiative
to continue support for the established testbed activities and
to expand sensor network deployments locations.
Wildfire Risk Reduction.--The Committee notes that new
homes continue to be built within the ``wildland-urban
interface'' [WUI] and that as many as 4.5 million homes are at
high or extreme risk of wildfires. Increased understanding of
WUI fire dynamics and structure ignition mechanisms is critical
to improving structure and community resistance to WUI fires.
The Committee encourages NIST to develop, in coordination with
the U.S. Forest Service, the Federal Emergency Management
Agency, the U.S. Fire Administration, the Office of Wildland
Fire on behalf of the Department of Interior's land management
agencies, a framework and recommendations to create greater
alignment and support among Federal agencies for development
and implementation of research-based methods to increase fire
safety and build resilient communities incentivizing projects
that increase the resilience of existing structures, as well as
the adaptation of building codes and construction practices to
increase ignition resistance of the built environment.
Natural Disasters.--The Committee is concerned about
increasing costs associated with repairing homes damaged by
natural disasters including floods, tornadoes, and hurricanes.
The Committee directs NIST to provide a report estimating the
reduction in costs, and the benefits to housing affordability
that could be achieved through more resilient construction
methods.
NIST Center of Excellence and Full-Scale Testing Center for
Building Technologies.--There is a pressing need for more
resilient communities by reducing losses and disruptions due to
climate-driven hazards. Environmental shifts are fueling more
intense and more dangerous storms, and cutting-edge research
and testing capabilities are needed to meet the Nation's
evolving risks. The Committee directs NIST to develop
recommendations, within 180 days of enactment of this act, on
what would be needed to establish a NIST Center of Excellence
and Full-Scale Testing Center for Building Technologies. The
proposed center should support community hardening in extreme
wind, surge, and wave events, and shall be established at an
institution with a multi-hazard research focus to further
accelerate research, adoption of new technologies, and
establishment of national standards and measurements to reduce
losses and disruptions due to environmental-driven and natural
hazards.
Composites.--The Committee encourages NIST to work with
academic institutions, in collaboration with State and industry
partners, to develop new composite technologies to solve
problems in the manufacturing space and related materials
industries. Further, the Committee urges NIST to work with
relevant Federal agencies, to aggregate existing standards and
test methods for the use of composites and other innovative
materials in infrastructure, as well as to identify barriers to
broader market adoption.
Pyrrhotite Testing and Mitigation.--The Committee provides
not less than the fiscal year 2024 enacted level for NIST to
continue studying and developing a reliable and cost-effective
standard for testing for the presence of excessive amounts of
the mineral pyrrhotite in concrete used in residential
foundations and municipal structures, which can cause premature
cracking and structural failure. In addition to funding
widespread sample collection and studies needed to develop
standardized tests, the Committee directs NIST to investigate
mitigation strategies for concrete structures that may not yet
have developed cracking but contain pyrrhotite.
Critical and Emerging Technologies.--The Committee
recognizes NIST's important role in U.S. engagement on
standards development across areas of critical and emerging
technologies. As our global competitors increase focus on
international standards development, it is important for NIST,
in partnership with the private sector, to maintain global
leadership. Therefore, the Committee provides up to the
requested level for these purposes.
Public Health Risk to First Responders.--The Committee
looks forward to receiving the report on firefighter
occupational exposure to environmental sources of per- and
polyfluoroalkyl substances (commonly known as ``PFAS'') as
directed in the joint explanatory statement accompanying Public
Law 118-42.
UAS Training for First Responders.--The Committee
encourages NIST, in collaboration with the FAA's ASSUREd Safe
program and Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aerial Systems,
to help build a federated ecosystem to teach, train, educate,
certify and credential first responders to employ UAS skills to
crises and emergency management events.
Regenerative Medicine Standards.--The Committee is
encouraged by the work of NIST and the Standards Coordinating
Body to develop comprehensive standards for the development and
evaluation of regenerative medicine products to fulfill the
regenerative medicine standards provisions enacted under the
21st Century Cures Act (Public Law 114-255). The Committee
recognizes the need to continue ongoing efforts to develop and
maintain standards. The Committee also understands that
additional efforts are needed to ensure proper use of these
standards by educating product developers and disseminating
these standards nationally. The Committee provides $500,000 to
support the development of curricula in partnership with
academic institutions and other stakeholders such as through
establishment of consortia for workforce training around the
use of regenerative medicine standards.
RNA Research Standards.--The Committee recognizes the
recent release of the National Academies of Sciences,
Engineering, and Medicine [NASEM] report ``Charting a Future
for Sequencing RNA and Its Modifications'' in March 2024. The
Committee notes several types of standards are needed to
support research and technology development for the RNA
modifications field, and that the report indicates NIST is
well-suited to take the lead given its mission to ``promote
U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing
measurements in science, standards, and technology toward
economic security and improved quality of life.'' To unlock the
full potential of RNA modifications and address pressing
societal challenges in health, agriculture, and beyond, the
Committee encourages NIST, in coordination with the National
Institutes of Health, to implement recommendations from the
NASEM report and develop and promote standards to support the
field of epitranscriptomics, and that modified RNA reference
materials should be developed with a focus on making them
widely available and affordable. The Committee requests an
update on the development and promotion of epitranscriptomics
standards in the fiscal year 2026 congressional budget
justification.
Dr. David Satcher Cybersecurity Education Grant Program.--
The recommendation includes up to $2,000,000 to implement the
Dr. David Satcher Cybersecurity Education Grant Program.
NIST EXTERNAL PROJECTS
The Committee's recommendation provides funding for the
projects listed in the table titled ``Congressionally Directed
Spending'' at the end of the report in the corresponding
amounts, consistent with NIST's existing authorities,
jurisdictions, and procedures, as appropriate. NIST shall
perform the same level of oversight and due diligence as with
any other external partners.
INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY SERVICES
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $212,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 212,000,000
Committee recommendation................................ 225,000,000
The Committee provides $225,000,000 for Industrial
Technology Services. The recommendation is $13,000,000 above
the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and the budget request.
Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program
[MEP].--For the MEP program, the Committee provides
$175,000,000, which is equal to the fiscal year 2024 enacted
level, to respond to the critical national needs of small- and
medium-sized enterprises, including by increasing the number of
enterprises that the program assists and by increasing
awareness and usage of existing supplier scouting tools to fill
supply chain gaps and support domestic manufacturing.
Manufacturing USA.--The Manufacturing USA program promotes
American competitiveness by fostering the development of new
manufacturing techniques and fields, accelerating
commercialization, and providing technical assistance to U.S.
companies.
For the Manufacturing USA program, the Committee provides
$50,000,000, which is $13,000,000 above the fiscal year 2024
enacted level.
In-Space Manufacturing.--The Committee notes the enormous
economic potential in-space manufacturing presents. The
Committee encourages NIST to conduct a feasibility study
regarding a potential Manufacturing USA Institute focused on
in-space manufacturing.
CONSTRUCTION OF RESEARCH FACILITIES
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $168,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 311,500,000
Committee recommendation................................ 245,600,000
The Committee provides $245,600,000 for construction of
research facilities, including not less than $110,000,000 for
Safety, Capacity, Maintenance, and Major Repairs. The
recommendation is $77,600,000 above the fiscal year 2024
enacted level and $65,900,000 below the budget request.
NIST EXTRAMURAL CONSTRUCTION
The Committee provides funding for the projects provides
funding for the projects listed in the table titled
``Congressionally Directed Spending'' at the end of this report
in the corresponding amounts, consistent with NIST's existing
authorities, jurisdictions, and procedures, as appropriate.
NIST shall perform the same level of due diligence as with any
other external partners.
CREATING HELPFUL INCENTIVES TO PRODUCE SEMICONDUCTORS [CHIPS] FOR
AMERICA FUND
Division A of Public Law 117-167 established the CHIPS for
America Fund. The Committee allocates the funds according to
the amounts listed in the following table.
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE ALLOCATION OF NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND
TECHNOLOGY FUNDS: CHIPS ACT FISCAL YEAR 2025
[In thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Account-Project and Activity Amount
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Section 9902
Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce $5,000,000
Semiconductors [CHIPS] for America Fund............
Secure Enclave (as allocated pursuant to section (1,500,000)
546(a)(1)(B) of division C of Public Law 118-42)...
Administrative Expenses............................. (100,000)
Office of Inspector General, Salaries and Expenses.. (4,000)
---------------
Total, Section 9902............................... $5,000,000
===============
Section 9906
Industrial Technology Services...................... $1,055,000
National Semiconductor Technology Center............ (1,030,000)
Manufacturing USA Institute......................... (25,000)
Scientific and Technology Research & Services....... 45,000
NIST Metrology Program.............................. (23,000)
Administrative Expenses............................. (22,000)
Office of Inspector General, Salaries and Expenses.. (1,000)
---------------
Total, Section 9906............................... $1,100,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Periodic Briefings.--The Department of Commerce, Department
of Defense and the Office of the Director of National
Intelligence shall continue to provide quarterly briefings to
the congressional defense and intelligence committees, the
Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, the
House Energy and Commerce Committee, the House Committee on
Science, Space, and Technology, the majority leader of the
Senate, the minority leader of the Senate, the Speaker of the
House of Representatives, and the minority leader of the House
of Representatives on Secure Enclave. Such briefings shall
include updates on cost, schedule and performance and any other
matters deemed appropriate by the congressional oversight
committees listed above.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $6,319,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 6,547,005,000
Committee recommendation................................ 6,699,242,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $6,699,242,000 for
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA]. The
recommendation is $380,242,000 above the fiscal year 2024
enacted level and $152,237,000 above the budget request.
OPERATIONS, RESEARCH, AND FACILITIES
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $4,548,485,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 4,372,238,000
Committee recommendation................................ 4,679,077,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $4,679,077,000 for
NOAA's Operations, Research, and Facilities [ORF]. The
recommendation is $130,592,000 above the fiscal year 2024
enacted level and $306,839,000 above the budget request.
Management and Administrative Costs.--To ensure financial
transparency, NOAA is strongly encouraged to limit management
and administrative [M&A] and NOAA-wide support service costs
charged to programs, projects, and activities [PPAs] to cover
shared expenses and administrative staff, with a goal of
limiting to 5 percent of annual appropriations. As part of the
spending plan, NOAA is directed to include the M&A and NOAA-
wide support service amounts charged within each line office as
well as the methodologies used to assess costs. Further, as
part of the fiscal year 2026 budget request, NOAA is directed
to include estimated costs as well as to propose how to
consolidate these costs either through existing or new PPAs.
NOAA NATIONAL OCEAN SERVICE
The Committee's recommendation provides $681,952,000 for
the National Ocean Service [NOS]. NOS programs provide
scientific, technical, and management expertise to promote safe
navigation; assess the health of coastal and marine resources;
respond to natural and human-induced threats; and preserve
coastal and ocean environments.
The Committee's recommendations are displayed in the
following table:
NATIONAL OCEAN SERVICE OPERATIONS, RESEARCH, AND FACILITIES
[In thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Committee
recommendation
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Navigation, Observations and Positioning:
Navigation, Observations and Positioning.......... 184,702
Hydrographic Survey Priorities/Contracts.......... 32,000
Integrated Ocean Observing System Regional 43,500
Observations.....................................
-----------------
Total, Navigation, Observations and Positioning. 260,202
=================
Coastal Science and Assessment:
Coastal Science, Assessment, Response and 96,250
Restoration......................................
Competitive Research.............................. 20,000
-----------------
Total, Coastal Science and Assessment........... 116,250
=================
Ocean and Coastal Management and Services:
Coastal Zone Management and Services.............. 51,500
Coastal Zone Management Grants.................... 83,000
National Oceans and Coastal Security Fund......... 34,000
Coral Reef Program................................ 35,000
National Estuarine Research Reserve System........ 34,000
Sanctuaries and Marine Protected Areas............ 68,000
-----------------
Total, Ocean and Coastal Management and Services 305,500
=================
GRAND TOTAL, NOS.............................. 681,952
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Navigation, Observations and Positioning.--The Committee
strongly supports activities under Navigation, Observations and
Positioning, including full operational funding for NOAA's
Navigation Response Teams.
Geospatial Modeling Grants.--The Committee provides
$8,000,000 within Navigation, Observations and Positioning for
the Geospatial Modeling Grants program, for which all funding
shall be distributed externally.
NOAA Center of Excellence for Operational Ocean and Great
Lakes Mapping.--The Committee rejects the proposed termination
of the NOAA Center of Excellence for Operational Ocean and
Great Lakes Mapping and provides $10,000,000. The Center shall
continue to work in unison with and leverage existing
capabilities, including the Joint Hydrographic Center, and
across NOAA line offices, including NOS, the Office of Oceanic
and Atmospheric Research [OAR], and the Office of Marine and
Aviation Operations [OMAO], to support and grow the Nation's
deep water, shallow water, and coastal mapping capabilities and
data holdings, in partnership with industry.
Hydrographic Research and Technology Development.--The
Committee rejects the proposed cut to the Joint Hydrographic
Center and provides an additional $1,000,000 above the fiscal
year 2024 enacted level for demonstration, testing, evaluation,
and research-to-operations transition of hydrographic
technology. This should include demonstrating the potential of
gained efficiencies from the use of autonomous vessels for the
collection of hydrographic data.
Hydrographic Charting.--The Committee continues to note the
massive backlog for charting of navigationally significant
areas and provides $32,000,000 for Hydrographic Survey
Priorities/Contracts, an increase of $500,000 above the fiscal
year 2024 enacted level.
With the opening of the U.S. Arctic waters to commercial,
scientific, and cruise ship traffic, and given the age of
NOAA's hydrographic survey fleet, it is imperative that NOAA
effectively utilize qualified contract surveyors to reduce the
charting backlog in Alaska. NOAA is directed to utilize all
contractors that are available, qualified, and experienced in
the Arctic for hydrographic surveys.
Integrated Ocean Observing System [IOOS].--The Committee
notes the importance of the IOOS network that provides marine
information used in disaster response, weather forecasting and
hurricane prediction, water quality forecasting, detection of
harmful algal blooms [HABs], and safe maritime operations. IOOS
observations can also play an important role in ocean planning
efforts, including proper siting of offshore wind projects. The
Committee provides $43,500,000 for IOOS, an increase of
$1,000,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level. The
Committee also supports the use of supplementary funds
previously provided to the agency to recapitalize observing
system infrastructure based upon the highest priority needs of
each region. The Committee encourages the IOOS regional
associations to consider leveraging existing capabilities of
the commercial sector, including uncrewed systems, to meet
observational needs through commercial data buys.
The Committee provides not less than the fiscal year 2024
enacted level to continue the IOOS HAB pilot programs and to
support the HAB monitoring and detection test bed in the Gulf
of Mexico.
Coastal Modeling.--The Committee is concerned that NOAA is
currently supporting a variety of independent ocean and coastal
models that may be redundant and encumbering significant
development and compute resources. NOS is directed to conduct a
gap analysis and develop a consolidation plan that prioritizes
fewer models to meet the maximum number of mission
requirements. Furthermore, the Committee is concerned that NOAA
has established cloud sandboxes behind the Office of the Chief
Information Office [OCIO] Federal Information Security
Modernization Act [FISMA] (Public Law 107-347) boundary that
significantly impede external collaboration. NOAA shall
establish cloud-based model sandboxes using commercial cloud
providers outside of the FISMA boundary to enable unfettered
collaboration with academia and industry.
Disaster Preparedness.--Within the funds provided for
Coastal Science, Assessment, Response and Restoration, the
Committee provides not less than the fiscal year 2024 enacted
level for the Disaster Preparedness Program. The Committee
encourages NOS to provide appropriate scientific guidance to
other Federal agencies and States on preparedness, response,
damage assessment, and restoration to spills of emerging fuels.
This guidance should include developing effective responses to
the impact of oil spills in freshwater environments in
partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard Great Lakes Center of
Expertise for Oil Spill Preparedness and Response.
Marine Debris.--Within the funding provided, NOAA shall
support competitive extramural funding programs and the
programs authorized in the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act (Public Law
116-224). NOAA is encouraged to pilot a marine debris
innovation program focused on processing and reuse of marine
and coastal plastic waste including workforce training and
industry partners.
The Committee also recognizes the risks abandoned and
derelict vessels [ADV] pose to public health, the environment,
and navigation. NOAA is encouraged to pilot a marine debris
program to inventory ADV within State and Federal waterways and
to assess the environmental damage cause by ADV.
The Committee notes that the Infrastructure Investment and
Jobs Act [IIJA] (Public Law 117-58) provides $150,000,000 over
5 years for marine debris assessment, prevention, mitigation,
and removal, including $30,000,000 in fiscal year 2025.
National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science [NCCOS].--The
Committee provides $55,000,000 for NCCOS and directs NCCOS to
continue efforts related to offshore wind and coastal
sustainability and resilience.
The Committee provides $1,000,000 for NCCOS's continued
collaboration on research priorities with NOAA's Cooperative
Institute for Research to Operations in Hydrology [CIROH].
Harmful Algal Blooms.--Within funding for Competitive
Research, the Committee provides up to $14,000,000 to
accelerate deployment of effective methods of intervention and
mitigation to reduce the frequency, severity, and impact of HAB
events in marine and freshwater systems. Of this amount, up to
$2,000,000 shall be used to explore innovative methods to
increase monitoring and detection of HABs in freshwater systems
by partnering with academic institutions with expertise in
uncrewed systems.
Given the high economic cost related to HAB events relative
to the current research investment in the Gulf of Mexico, the
Committee encourages NOAA to fund long-term HAB research in the
Gulf of Mexico and supports the continuance of the annual Gulf
of Mexico Hypoxia Mapping Cruise.
Improving Coastal Resilience.--Within funding for
Competitive Research, NOAA is encouraged to provide information
and predictive capabilities to coastal communities, especially
those with underserved populations, and to encourage natural-
based solutions to address coastal hazards including sea level
rise, flooding, and inundation.
Digital Coast.--The Committee provides $3,500,000 for the
implementation of the Digital Coast Act (Public Law 116-223).
BLUE GLOBE Act.--The Committee encourages NOAA to implement
the Bolstering Long-term Understanding and Exploration of the
Great Lakes, Oceans, Bays, and Estuaries [BLUE GLOBE] Act
(title CI of Division J of Public Law 117-263).
Regional Ocean Partnerships [ROPs].--Within funding
provided for Coastal Zone Management and Services, the
Committee rejects the administration's proposed cut and
provides not less than the fiscal year 2024 enacted level for
the ROPs, or their equivalent, to enhance their capacity for
sharing and integration of Federal and non-Federal data to
support regional coastal, ocean, and Great Lakes management
priorities.
In addition, the IIJA provides $56,000,000 over 5 years to
enhance ROPs, or their equivalent, including $11,200,000 in
fiscal year 2025.
Coastal Management Grants.--The Committee provides
$83,000,000 for Coastal Zone Management Grants, an increase of
$1,500,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level. To the
extent practicable, NOAA is encouraged to work with States to
ensure that the program supports Tribal projects and
objectives.
National Oceans and Coastal Security Fund [NOCSF].--The
Committee again rejects the administration's disappointing
proposal to eliminate the NOCSF, also known as the National
Coastal Resilience Fund, and provides $34,000,000. Of the
amount provided, not less than $4,000,000 shall be for project
planning and design. In selecting the areas of focus for the
NOCSF, NOAA and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
should consider proposals that enhance ocean and coastal
management, bolster coastal infrastructure and resilience,
support regional collaborative efforts and partnerships, and
help coastal communities adapt to changing ocean conditions.
In addition, the IIJA provides $492,000,000 over 5 years
for the NOCSF, including $98,400,000 in fiscal year 2025.
Coral Reef Program.--The Committee recognizes the unique
ecological and economic value of coral reefs, including the
benefit of buffering coastal communities from hazards such as
coastal storms and hurricanes. Urgent efforts are needed to
reverse the decline of coral populations in the United States.
Therefore, the Committee rejects the proposed cut to the Coral
Reef Program and provides $35,000,000, an increase of
$1,500,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level, to carry
out coral reef restoration activities under the Coral Reef
Conservation Act, as amended (title C of division J of Public
Law 117-263). NOAA shall continue to implement the new
authorities provided under section 10001 of Public Law 117-263,
including State block grants, the establishment of Reef
Research Coordination Institutes, and coral reef stewardship
partnerships.
National Estuarine Research Reserve System [NERRS].--The
Committee recognizes that the NERRS sites provide mixed-use
areas that are protected for long-term research, monitoring,
education, and coastal stewardship and provides $34,000,000 for
the program, an increase of $700,000 above the fiscal year 2024
enacted level to accommodate the expansion of the system.
Sanctuaries and Marine Protected Areas.--The Committee
recognizes the importance of Sanctuaries and Marine Protected
Areas to preserve regions for conservation, recreational,
ecological, historical, scientific, cultural, archeological,
and educational purposes and supports the expansion of the
network. This includes the conservation and long-term
preservation of U.S. Civil War heritage such as the U.S.S.
Monitor. The Committee provides $68,000,000 for Sanctuaries and
Marine Protected Areas.
Marine National Monuments.--Within funding provided for
Sanctuaries and Marine Protected Areas, up to $1,200,000 may be
used to support the sanctuary designation process for the
Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument to supplement and
complement existing monument protections, as well as for
competitive education grants, and research and management for
the proper care and management of the objects and locations of
historic or scientific interest in existing marine national
monuments administered by NOS, provided such grants are subject
to a 100 percent non-Federal match.
Investments in the Great Lakes.--The Committee directs NOAA
to submit a report to the Committee within 180 days of
enactment of this act that details the agency's recent
investments in the Great Lakes, a strategic plan to increase
stakeholder engagement, and proposals regarding future
conservation and restoration to ensure sustainable management
of this vital freshwater resource.
NOAA NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE
The Committee's recommendation provides $1,156,999,000 for
the National Marine Fisheries Service [NMFS]. NMFS programs
provide for the management and conservation of the Nation's
living marine resources and their environment, including fish
stocks, marine mammals, and endangered species.
Committee recommendations are displayed in the following
table:
NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE OPERATIONS, RESEARCH, AND FACILITIES
[In thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Committee
recommendation
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Protected Resources Science and Management:
Marine Mammals, Sea Turtles, and Other Species.... 185,055
Species Recovery Grants........................... 8,000
Atlantic Salmon................................... 8,500
Pacific Salmon.................................... 80,000
-----------------
Total, Protected Resources Science and 281,555
Management...................................
=================
Fisheries Science and Management:
Fisheries and Ecosystem Science Programs and 163,500
Services.........................................
Fisheries Data Collections, Surveys, and 220,851
Assessments......................................
Observers and Training............................ 61,383
Fisheries Management Programs and Services........ 139,876
Aquaculture....................................... 25,000
Salmon Management Activities...................... 76,650
Regional Councils and Fisheries Commissions....... 46,000
Interjurisdictional Fisheries Grants.............. 4,000
-----------------
Total, Fisheries Science and Management....... 737,260
=================
Enforcement........................................... 82,000
Habitat Conservation and Restoration.................. 56,184
=================
GRAND TOTAL, NMFS............................. 1,156,999
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Promote and Develop Fisheries Products and Research Funding
Transfer.--The bill maintains the provision restricting the use
of the Promote and Develop Fisheries Products and Research
funds transferred from the Department of Agriculture to NOAA in
a way that better meets the intended purpose of the transfer
mandated by the Saltonstall-Kennedy Act (15 U.S.C. 713c-3).
None of the funds may be used for internal NOAA or DOC
management but may only be used for activities that directly
benefit U.S. fisheries and fishery communities.
As part of the fiscal year 2025 spending plan, NOAA shall
include a detailed accounting, by object class, of how the
Promote and Develop transfer funds will be allocated based on
the funding criteria described in this bill.
Saltonstall-Kennedy [S-K] Grant Program.--Prior to
obligating any funds for the S-K Grant Program, NOAA shall
provide the Committee with a detailed spending plan describing
which fisheries activities will be funded in each region and
how the plan incorporates regional priorities. In doing so,
NOAA shall consult with the regional committees authorized
under the American Fisheries Advisory Committee Act (Public Law
117-121) to identify funding priorities. The spending plan
should also include an accounting of the administration of the
regional committees. Within the funds provided, the Committee
encourages NOAA to prioritize support for applications that
improve marketing and development of the seafood industry, as
was the original intent of the S-K Grant Program.
Seafood Trade.--The Committee continues to be concerned
with the lack of a level playing field for the U.S. seafood
industry. The Committee is concerned that recent surges in
crawfish and shrimp imports have flooded the U.S. market and
overwhelmed domestic inventories. The Committee is further
concerned that crawfish and shrimp imports continue to be
associated with illegal, unreported, and unregulated [IUU]
fisheries; the use of forced labor; the illegal use of
antibiotics; and other alarming fraudulent and illegal
activities. The Committee directs NOAA to ensure its National
Seafood Strategy or any other policies or programs will not be
used to promote the U.S. consumption of imported seafood.
Offshore Wind.--The Committee supports the responsible
development of renewable energy projects and provides not less
than the fiscal year 2024 enacted level across NMFS to address
consultation and permitting, stock assessment, management, and
protected resources needs related to the expansion of offshore
wind energy projects.
NMFS Project Consultations.--Within Protected Resources
Science and Management, the Committee provides not less than
the fiscal year 2024 enacted level for NMFS to address the
backlog of consultation requests under the Endangered Species
Act [ESA] (Public Law 93-205) and authorization requests under
the Marine Mammal Protection Act [MMPA] (Public Law 92-522).
North Atlantic Right Whales [NARW].--The Committee provides
$4,000,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level within
Marine Mammals, Sea Turtles, and Other Species for NARW-related
research, monitoring, and conservation efforts. The Committee
supports the use of supplementary funds previously provided to
the agency for these purposes, including innovative gear
research, acoustic monitoring, and satellite tracking. NOAA
shall continue to support disentanglement, stranding response,
and necropsy activities, and is encouraged to develop
alternative NARW models, such as occupancy or threat-based
models, that can be used to validate or test the sensitivity of
the Decision Support Tool. Within funding provided, NOAA is
encouraged to develop and deploy innovative tags, which may
include the use of foam metals, that are biologically
compatible with animal tissues and that can attach to the
animals long enough to provide crucial information on migration
and habitat use patterns.
Within funding provided, $30,000,000 shall be provided to
States through the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
to cover costs associated with testing or voluntary
implementation of innovative gear to inform future Atlantic
Large Whale Take Reduction Plan rule development and electronic
tracking requirements within the Northeast lobster and Jonah
crab fisheries. Funding may also support broad-scale monitoring
efforts to inform understanding of NARW habitat use, dynamic
management, and the development of alternative distribution and
risk models. Funding to the States shall be proportional to the
number of active federally permitted lobster trap harvesters in
each State, and the allocation details shall be developed by
the States through the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries
Commission. Not more than five percent shall be used for
administrative costs.
Further, NOAA is encouraged to consider revising the Linden
and Pace models and Decision Support Tool using ``most
reasonably certain to occur'' rather than ``worst case''
scenarios and assumptions to more accurately predict future
NARW populations before issuing any new proposed or final
regulations.
NOAA shall continue to work with Canadian officials to
develop risk reduction measures that are comparable in
effectiveness for both vessels and fisheries, and to
incorporate Canadian fishery measures, Canadian vessel
restrictions, and U.S. vessel restrictions into future
assessment of overall risk reduction. To improve regional
engagement, NOAA is encouraged to include regional management
bodies and pertinent States in bilateral engagements with
Canadian officials regarding coordinated efforts to enhance
NARW recovery.
Real-Time Whale Monitoring Technology.--The Committee
believes that the recovery of endangered large whales,
including the NARW, will require the ability to deliver real-
time monitoring of individual whales to mariners and other
vessel operators to avoid ship strikes. The Committee provides
$5,000,000 to support a near real-time monitoring and
mitigation pilot program for large whales as authorized under
section 11303 of the James M. Inhofe National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (Public Law 117-263).
NOAA is also encouraged to work with other Federal agencies,
including the Office of Naval Research, the United States Coast
Guard, and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, as well as
industry and academia, to support technology development, test
and evaluation of whale monitoring technologies through the
National Oceanographic Partnership Program.
Cetacean Desk.--The Committee provides $200,000 for a
cetacean desk within the Puget Sound Vessel Traffic Service, as
authorized under section 11304 of the James M. Inhofe National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (Public Law 117-
263).
Co-management of Marine Mammals.--The Committee notes the
importance of marine mammal co-management under section 119 of
MMPA. Co-management promotes full and equal participation in
decisions affecting the conservation and management of marine
mammals used for subsistence, to the maximum extent allowed by
law. NMFS has entered into co-management agreements to monitor,
study, and manage harvested marine mammal stocks. The Committee
encourages NMFS to work with co-management entities, including
the Indigenous Peoples Council for Marine Mammals, to develop a
cooperative framework to promote co-management-related
research, outreach, and youth engagement, while addressing
basic capacity needs to meet those objectives. This cooperative
framework should also include the consideration of new co-
management agreements for regions and/or species for which no
agreements currently are in place.
Protected Species in the Western Pacific.--Within Marine
Mammals, Sea Turtles, and Other Species, the Committee provides
not less than the fiscal year 2024 enacted level for Hawaiian
monk seals, Hawaiian sea turtles, and false killer whales. This
includes the amounts made available to support State activities
related to these protected species and for research to mitigate
interactions between fisheries and false killer whales.
Prescott Grants.--Within Marine Mammals, Sea Turtles, and
Other Species, the Committee provides $4,500,000 for the John
H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance grant program.
Sea Turtle Stranding Response and Rehabilitation.--Within
Marine Mammals, Sea Turtles, and Other Species, the Committee
provides not less than the fiscal year 2024 enacted level for
NOAA to provide direct support to institutions and
organizations permitted to provide sea turtle stranding
response and/or rehabilitation. In doing so, NOAA shall also
seek to leverage and strengthen partnerships with capable
university veterinary schools.
Sea Turtle Conservation.--The Committee reminds NOAA of the
provisions in section 609 of Public Law 101-162 that prohibit
the importation of shrimp from nations that have not been
certified by the United States as having sea turtle
conservation measures in place that are comparable in effect to
that which the United States requires of domestic shrimp
fishermen. The Committee is concerned that this requirement is
not being effectively enforced, placing global sea turtle
populations at significant risk. Within Marine Mammals, Sea
Turtles, and Other Species, the Committee provides up to
$600,000 to cover the costs for NMFS to fully and effectively
enforce this statutory mandate to ensure that no nation or
foreign commercial shrimp fishery that adversely affects sea
turtles is certified under this authority. The Committee
expects the agency to provide a complete description of the
utilization of these funds and the status of the implementation
and enforcement of this program in its 2025 Biennial Report to
Congress required under 16 U.S.C. 1826h.
Species Recovery Grants.--The Committee rejects the
proposed termination of Species Recovery Grants; provides
$8,000,000, an increase of $750,000 above the fiscal year 2024
enacted level; and directs NMFS to utilize both the ESA
Recovery Plan and the MMPA Take Reduction Plan priorities when
evaluating marine mammal projects.
Atlantic Salmon.--The Committee recognizes the benefits of
restoring coevolved sea-run fish species in support of recovery
of Atlantic salmon and provides $8,500,000 for Atlantic Salmon,
an increase of $500,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted
level. The Committee encourages NOAA to partner with States and
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to develop fish passage
performance standards for sea-run species and prioritize
project selection, funding, and staff resources considering
those benefits. The Committee further directs NOAA to ensure
that adequate resources continue to be provided for State
agencies to implement the recovery strategy effectively,
including stable staffing levels.
The Committee notes that the IIJA provides a minimum of
$400,000,000 over 5 years for restoring fish passage, including
$80,000,000 in fiscal year 2025.
Pacific Salmon.--The Committee provides $80,000,000 for
Pacific Salmon, which is $5,000,000 above the fiscal year 2024
enacted level. Within the funding provided for Pacific Salmon,
the Committee provides $7,000,000 for NOAA to work with
partners to address the backlog and expedite approval of
Hatchery and Genetic Management Plans and to support the
implementation of new Habitat Conservation Plans and $1,000,000
is provided for pinniped removals.
Flood Control Projects.--The Committee is concerned with
the high number of levees in need of repair along with the
declining status of Pacific salmon and steelhead across the
NMFS West Coast Region, particularly in the Puget Sound and
Columbia Basin watersheds. Within the funding provided for
Pacific Salmon, $375,000 shall be for the NMFS West Coast
Region to outline potential solutions and associated costs for
developing an ESA programmatic tool to address levee projects
and Pacific salmon and steelhead recovery needs located in the
same river basin.
Further, the Committee directs NMFS to identify existing
authorities that could be utilized to develop a levee
rehabilitation program, as well as barriers to execution of
such a program, and recommend additional authorities and
programmatic solutions. Specifically, the report should include
an analysis of the feasibility of a programmatic ESA
consultation on subsets of levee projects, conservation actions
needed in association with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers levee
projects and an analysis of additional staffing or training
needs necessary to efficiently move projects forward. The NMFS
shall coordinate with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Northwestern Division on the development of this report. The
NMFS is directed to brief the Committee within 60 days of
enactment of this act on the plan for executing this report.
Climate-Ready Fishery Management.--The Committee recognizes
that sustainable fishery management is made more challenging by
climate change, including changes in the distribution,
productivity, and abundance of fish stocks. NMFS is encouraged
to pilot an operational system that provides climate-informed
advice on changing ocean conditions, impacts on marine
resources, and best management strategies to reduce impacts and
increase economic resilience. In addition, NMFS is encouraged
to establish Fisheries and Climate Decision Support Systems to
deliver the climate-informed advice needed for effective marine
resource management in rapidly changing oceans. NMFS is also
encouraged to develop guidance for how the regional fishery
management councils should incorporate climate information into
fishery management processes and create opportunities for
cross-region collaboration on fishery climate resilience.
Northeast Groundfish Research.--The Committee remains
concerned about the decline of the Northeast multispecies
fishery and the health of fishing stocks in the Gulf of Maine.
Within funding provided for Fisheries and Ecosystem Science
Programs and Services, the Committee provides $2,500,000 for
groundfish research, with a focus on the effects of changing
climatic conditions and warming waters on the fishery,
including stock health and natural mortality. NOAA is further
encouraged to prioritize research regarding relative gear
efficiency, stock boundaries, and other topics that can improve
groundfish stock assessments in the next 5 years. Within the
funding provided, $500,000 shall be obligated to continue
ongoing work on implementing the recommendations set forth in
the New England Fishery Management Council's Fishery Data for
Stock Assessment Working Group Report, and to continue ongoing
work on implementing the recommendations set forth in the 2020
report of the Groundfish Trawl Task Force, consistent with
prior year direction. This funding is intended to support new
and innovative research, including by the Northeast Fisheries
Science Center, separately by, or in collaboration with,
outside partners such as higher education institutions or State
agencies, and in cooperation with the fishing industry. The
Committee directs NMFS to integrate the results of prior year
groundfish research projects into stock assessment models and
fishery management decisions, as appropriate.
Electronic Monitoring and Reporting [EM/ER].--Within
funding for Fisheries and Ecosystem Science Programs and
Services, NOAA shall continue to support the development,
testing, and installation of EM/ER technologies, including
development of electronic reporting systems for commercial
fishermen, image classification efforts in New England, and
improving the National EM image library. Not less than the
fiscal year 2024 enacted level shall be available, in
accordance with 16 U.S.C. 3701, for collaborative partnerships
that include non-Federal matching funds to implement cost-
shared EM/ER programs that support fisheries conservation and
management. During the development and implementation of EM/ER
programs, NOAA shall consult directly with industry and work
through the Fishery Management Councils to develop appropriate
cost-sharing arrangements that are commensurate with the ex-
vessel value of the fishery.
Furthermore, NMFS shall continue to work in fiscal year
2025 with the charter for-hire recreational fishery fleet in
the Gulf of Mexico; the Northeast multispecies groundfish
fishery fleet, including small vessels within that fleet; the
Maine lobster fleet; and any regional fishery fleet interested
in implementing EM/ER technologies to better track information
that is currently collected through the use of human observers.
Gulf Reef Fish.--Within funding for Fisheries and Ecosystem
Science Programs and Services, the Committee provides not less
than the fiscal year 2024 enacted level for NMFS to support
Gulf reef fish surveys, research, and sampling.
PFAS in Fish.--The Committee is concerned about the
concentration of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances [PFAS]
detected in fish tissue. The Committee encourages NMFS to
conduct fish tissue sampling and monitoring of PFAS to evaluate
the impacts on aquatic health. This study should specifically
look into the sub-lethal effects of and the impact of constant
low-level exposure to PFAS in commonly consumed fish.
Offshore Dumping Sites.--In consultation with the
Environmental Protection Agency [EPA], the Department of
Defense, and heads of other relevant agencies, NMFS is directed
to brief the Committee within 180 days of enactment of this act
on its efforts to investigate, assess, and explore the
potential bioremediation of harmful chemicals, such as DDT,
that were dumped off the coast of California. NMFS is also
directed to submit a report outlining the strategy for further
monitoring, research, and bioremediation in the San Pedro
Basin, and identifying any other locations used as offshore
dump sites for the dumping of covered waste, including DDT and
other industrial wastes such as military explosives,
radioactive waste, refinery byproducts, and associated
chemicals. The report should also include estimated costs to
implement such a strategy.
Fisheries Surveys.--The Committee is concerned that NMFS is
not prioritizing and maintaining the needed level of fisheries
survey coverage, despite having received more than the
requested funding in previous fiscal years. If additional
funding is needed to maintain historic survey levels, the
Committee expects NOAA to include this amount in the annual
budget request. The Committee notes that any reduction in
fisheries survey coverage is fundamentally unacceptable,
especially in areas where the distribution of fish stocks are
changing due to climate change. The Committee provides a total
increase of $15,000,000 within Fisheries Data Collections,
Surveys and Assessments and directs NMFS to maintain historical
levels of fisheries survey coverage in fiscal year 2025. The
Committee expects NMFS to contract no fewer than six surveys
for Alaskan bottom trawl surveys and cooperative research,
including a survey to capture movement of fish populations out
of historic survey areas, and no fewer than four vessels for
West Coast groundfish surveys. This amount also fully funds
both Northeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program [NEAMAP]
trawl surveys, including the Maine-New Hampshire Inshore Trawl
Survey, as well as the Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment
Program's [SEAMAP] existing surveys and addresses critical data
gaps in the bottom longline and fall trawl surveys in the Gulf
Coast States. NOAA is encouraged to prioritize fishery surveys
and fulfill vessel-based science work for other programs,
through private vessel contracts, public-private partnerships,
and platforms other than NOAA research vessels to allow ample
time for fishery surveys and assessments performed by the NOAA
Fleet.
Fishery Survey Contingency Fund.--The Committee is
increasingly concerned that Federal vessel-based fisheries
surveys necessary for determining sustainable and optimal
harvest rates for commercial fisheries have been cancelled with
increasing frequency in recent years, without effective
contingency plans for covering the resulting data gaps.
Furthermore, the Committee is concerned that the planned
service life extensions for each of NOAA's fishery survey
vessels will impact the agency's ability to conduct fishery
surveys. Therefore, within Fisheries Data Collections, Surveys,
and Assessment the Committee provides $4,000,000 for the
Fishery Survey Contingency Fund. Funding shall be used for
fishery data acquisition from commercially available sources
including chartering commercial fishing vessels or other
private sector vessels and for data purchases from autonomous
systems to inform stock assessments. NOAA shall identify
flexible charter and data purchase agreements in order to
provide contingency and augmentation capacity for NOAA Fleet
fishery surveys. NMFS is directed to provide the Committee, not
later than 90 days after enactment of this act, with a plan for
obtaining and incorporating data from this fund into the stock
assessment process.
Industry-Based Fishery Survey Pilot Program.--The Committee
recognizes that an industry-based multispecies bottom trawl
survey [IBS] would create resiliency in survey activities in
the Northeast region and could enhance fishermen's trust of the
data informing stock assessments. The Committee provides
$3,000,000 within Fisheries Data Collections, Surveys, and
Assessments to design and implement a pilot industry-based
fishery survey. This program will be designed to run in
conjunction with and in complement to NOAA's established
surveys. The IBS should seek to complement the NOAA Ship Henry
B. Bigelow's work and follow NMFS protocols to the extent
practicable.
Cooperative Research.--Depleted fish stocks result in
significant economic losses to our Nation. At a time when
fishing opportunities are constrained by uncertainty in stock
assessments and increased access to healthy stocks depends on
better data, the Committee believes that maintenance of ongoing
monitoring programs and surveys is critical. The Committee
recognizes the Cooperative Research Program's important
partnerships between the fishing industry, academia, and State
partners, which improves science and survey enterprise and
better addresses ecosystem changes associated with climate
change; therefore, the Committee vehemently rejects the
proposed cut to the Cooperative Research Program and provides
$15,000,000, a $750,000 increase above the fiscal year 2024
enacted level. The Committee encourages NMFS to continue to
prioritize long-time series surveys that are conducted
cooperatively with industry and States. Further, the Committee
directs NMFS to continue to integrate the results into stock
assessment models and fishery management decisions, as
appropriate.
Atlantic Bluefin Tuna.--The Committee recognizes that the
success of the newly adopted assessment and management
frameworks for Atlantic bluefin tuna is predicated on a greater
scientific understanding of this species. Therefore, the
Committee provides $1,000,000 to support research and data
collection for the validation of proposed new spawning grounds,
the application of a groundbreaking genetic population
assessment, and the collection of necessary biological
information from commercial and recreational fishery landings.
Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Research.--The Committee remains
concerned about the stock condition and lack of basic fishery-
independent data (i.e., biological, life history, movement, and
health information) for many important fish species in the Gulf
of Mexico. Therefore, within funds for Fisheries Data
Collections, Surveys, and Assessments, the Committee provides
$5,000,000 for NMFS, via a partnership with the Gulf States
Marine Fisheries Commission, to provide no fewer than five
grants to academic partners, including consortiums of
universities, and other partners to conduct fishery independent
research on trans-boundary, multi-jurisdictional fish species
in the Gulf of Mexico for which current data is deficient
(e.g., cobia, tripletail, tarpon, red snapper, and gray
triggerfish), including species that are solely managed by the
Gulf States.
Great Red Snapper Count II.--The Committee remains invested
in ensuring the sustainable management of Gulf of Mexico red
snapper and supports full integration of the Great Red Snapper
Count data and Gulf States catch data into stock assessments.
To date, the study has not been included in management advice
by NMFS because the study data only provides a one-time point
estimate. Therefore, the Committee provides not less than
$1,000,000 for NOAA to validate the Great Red Snapper count
data that is now 6 years old. To guarantee compatibility of the
proposed Great Red Snapper Count and the previous count the
group of investigators and the methodology employed should be
very similar to the prior effort through the Gulf State
Fisheries Management Council.
South Atlantic Reef Fish.--The Committee notes that
assessments of South Atlantic red snapper still lag far behind
those in the Gulf of Mexico. The Committee recognizes that one
of the critical limiting factors in improving fishing access is
a lack of reliable fish population and angler catch data. NMFS
shall employ the independent and alternative stock assessment
strategies directed by the Committee for the Gulf of Mexico to
NMFS assessments of reef fish in the South Atlantic. The
Committee provides $1,000,000 above the fiscal year 2024
enacted level for these activities.
Fishing Gear Selectivity Study.--Within funding provided
for Fisheries Data Collections, Surveys, and Assessments, NOAA
shall consider conducting a multiyear, agency-independent study
to evaluate if certain gear, such as Chevron traps, fail to
adequately sample across age classes of reef fish, including
red snapper, due to the different behaviors and habits
exhibited by larger and smaller fish within the same or similar
species. NOAA is further encouraged to initiate a multiyear,
agency-independent study using multiple hooked-gears to sample
South Atlantic red snapper for age composition, sexual
maturity, and egg production.
Fisheries Effort Survey [FES].--The Committee is concerned
by reports that the Marine Recreational Information Program FES
may be vastly overstating fishing effort. While the FES
methodology represents a clear improvement from previous
methodologies, the Committee supports the cautious approach to
utilizing these estimates advocated by the Gulf of Mexico
Fishery Management Council and South Atlantic Fishery
Management Council Scientific and Statistical Committees. The
Committee encourages NMFS to conduct a thorough analysis of the
effect of such estimates on stock status and allocation before
they are used for stock management.
Fisheries Information Networks.--The Committee provides not
less than the fiscal year 2024 enacted level for Fisheries
Information Networks. NMFS is encouraged to support the Gulf
States Marine Fisheries Commission to collect samples for
additional species that may be the target of future stock
assessments.
Fisheries Information System [FIS].--The Committee provides
not less than the fiscal year 2024 enacted level for the FIS
program and encourages NMSF to prioritize regionally relevant
proposals for EM/ER projects.
Gulf of Mexico Shrimp Fishing Effort.--The Committee
remains concerned that shrimp fishing effort data collection
and analysis in the Gulf of Mexico shrimp fishery will be
interrupted by the termination of 3G cellular transmission
service used by NMFS in its Electronic Logbook [ELB] program.
The Committee recognizes that this scientific data is essential
to the annual evaluation of the fishery's effects on sea turtle
and red snapper conservation mandates. Within the funding
provided in Fisheries Data Collections, Surveys, and
Assessments, the Committee provides $850,000 for NMFS, in
consultation with the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council
and shrimp industry stakeholders, to continue the development
and implementation of a newly approved ELB that archives vessel
position and automatically transmits scientific shrimp fishing
effort data via cellular service to NMFS. The Committee awaits
receipt of the report outlining progress made to develop and
implement the new ELB program requested in the joint
explanatory statement accompanying Public Law 117-103.
Northwest Fisheries Ecosystem Monitoring System.--Within
funds for Fisheries Data Collections, Surveys, and Assessments,
the Committee provides $850,000 to maintain a time-series
monitoring system of hydrographic and ecological data to inform
fishery management on the Northern California Current.
Chesapeake Bay Atlantic Menhaden Abundance.--The Chesapeake
Bay is a critical nursery area for Atlantic menhaden and other
commercially and recreationally important species like blue
crab and striped bass. Atlantic menhaden comprise a majority of
the forage base in the Chesapeake Bay and are the primary food
source for other fish, birds, and whales in the region. NMFS is
encouraged to collect Atlantic menhaden abundance data in the
Chesapeake Bay in partnership with the Atlantic States Marine
Fisheries Commission and relevant States.
American Lobster and Jonah Crab Research.--The Committee
provides not less than $300,000 within Fisheries Data
Collections, Surveys, and Assessments to support a cooperative
research program to collect biological, fishery, and
environmental data for American lobster and Jonah crab using
modern technology on commercial fishing vessels.
Horseshoe Crab Survey.--The Committee remains concerned
about the ability to estimate the abundance of the mid-Atlantic
horseshoe crab population. Adequate data are required to ensure
State and interstate managers can effectively manage the stock,
which is important to the biomedical and commercial fishing
industries, as well as to the ecology of the mid-Atlantic
region. The Committee directs NMFS to continue this important
survey to generate the data necessary to ensure the mid-
Atlantic horseshoe crab stock remains on a sustainable path.
Plankton Recorder Survey.--The Committee notes the
continued importance of understanding the distribution of
Calanus finmarchicus plankton to inform the conservation of the
NARW. Within the amount provided for Fisheries Data
Collections, Surveys, and Assessments, the Committee provides
not less than $300,000 for the continuous plankton recorder
survey.
Sharks and Rays.--To better protect and rebuild vulnerable
and endangered shark and ray species, the Committee encourages
NMFS to conduct regular assessments of population status and
rebuilding needs, improve the documentation of relevant species
as bycatch, and ensure transparency and public access for all
fisheries catch information collected.
The Committee directs NOAA to expeditiously implement the
Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act, which was enacted as section
5946 of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 2023 (Public Law 117-263). The Committee awaits
the receipt of the report describing resource needs to fully
implement the law requested in Senate Report 118-62 and
codified in Public Law 118-42.
Northeast Multispecies Fishery.--The Committee recognizes
that the New England groundfish fisheries management programs
continue to present substantial financial challenges to the
participants as well as to the economic sustainability of those
fisheries and fishing communities. Therefore, the Committee
provides not less than $7,000,000 within Observers and Training
for grants to the fishing industry to fully cover At-Sea
Monitoring industry costs, including all associated sector
costs, in the New England groundfish fishery. Any additional
At-Sea Monitoring costs, including shore side infrastructure,
observer training, observer equipment and gear, electronic
monitoring, and NOAA support costs shall be included in the
fiscal year 2026 budget request. NOAA shall ensure the costs
and benefits of At-Sea Monitoring are commensurate with the
gross revenues of vessels in the fishery and is directed to
submit a report to the Committee not later than 180 days after
the enactment of this act outlining the progress made to
achieve this requirement. Before obligating any of these funds,
NOAA shall provide the Committee with a detailed spending plan.
North Pacific Observer Coverage.--Within Observers and
Training, the Committee provides not less than the fiscal year
2024 enacted level for the North Pacific Observers Program.
Funding shall offset observer costs normally paid for by
harvesters in fisheries that are undertaking a transition to
EM/ER. Additionally, NOAA is encouraged to identify and
implement any efficiencies that would mitigate the cost burden
shouldered by small vessel operators in the fixed-gear fleet.
Western Pacific Observer Coverage.--The Committee provides
$1,000,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level for
observer coverage in the Western Pacific.
For-Hire Electronic Monitoring and Reporting
Implementation.--The Committee provides not less than
$1,500,000 within Fisheries Management Programs and Services
and $1,500,000 within Enforcement to support the continued,
timely implementation of ELBs for the federally-permitted
charter-for-hire sector in the Gulf of Mexico.
Video Review of Electronic Monitoring Data.--Within funding
provided for Fisheries Management Programs and Services, the
Committee provides not less than $600,000 for the existing
video review of the West Coast groundfish EM data and $500,000
for video review of the Gulf of Alaska EM data.
Fishery Observers.--The Committee supports the transition
to EM/ER technologies from human fishery observers for At-Sea-
Monitoring programs where supported by the regional fishery
councils. The Committee encourages NMFS to clarify that fishery
observer and At-Sea Monitoring programs may utilize their
discretionary funding to augment or replace human observers
with cost-effective observation tools that meet the regulatory
needs of the region.
International Fisheries Management Coordination.--The
Committee is aware that conflicting American and Canadian
fisheries management measures in the Gulf of Maine have
generated concerns from the domestic fishing and lobster
industries, due to differing conservation regulations. The
Committee encourages NOAA to work with Canadian and State
fisheries officials to explore the possibility of developing an
agreement that provides for cooperative fisheries management of
this unique area.
Observer Data Integration.--The Committee provides $500,000
within Fisheries Management Programs and Services to expedite
efforts to integrate At-Sea Monitoring data into stock
assessment models.
Bycatch Reduction.--The development and implementation of
practical bycatch solutions is a priority for U.S. and
international fisheries management and protected species
conservation. The Committee rejects the proposed cut to the
Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program and provides $4,000,000,
an increase of $1,126,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted
level, for competitive grants to non-Federal researchers
working with U.S. fishermen on the development of improved
fishing practices and innovative gear technologies.
Marine Aquaculture.--The Committee recognizes the
significant potential for development of American offshore
aquaculture to increase U.S. production of healthful,
sustainable, and affordable seafood, while expanding the
seafood value chain to include traditional agricultural
producers as well. The Office of Aquaculture has performed
commendable work to coordinate efforts within NOAA and across
Federal agencies toward a comprehensive approach to aquaculture
policy and regulation. The Committee provides $5,000,000 for
the new cooperative institute [CI] to support the sustainable
development of aquaculture in the United States to address the
seafood import deficit and benefit the economy. The CI should
fulfill the tenets of the NOAA Aquaculture Strategic Plan.
NOAA is also encouraged to upgrade equipment and to
increase the amount of staff focused on aquaculture at all NMFS
fisheries science centers, including to return staffing levels
to those in fiscal year 2010 at the Northeast and Northwest
Fisheries Science Centers. Further, the Committee provides not
less than the fiscal year 2024 enacted level to continue the
multi-year Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture demonstration
pilot system.
Oyster Aquaculture, Research, and Restoration.--Within NMFS
Aquaculture, the Committee provides not less than the fiscal
year 2024 enacted level to support ongoing research in off-
bottom Eastern oyster production in coastal areas, particularly
in areas where this method is being exploited for commercial
production, including the Gulf of Mexico, and encourages NMFS
to dedicate resources to support regional partnerships for
genetics, disease, and economic modeling. Further, the
Committee provides $1,000,000 for collaborative academic
research addressing oyster reefs in the Northern Gulf Coast to
investigate restoration success and close critical knowledge
gaps to oyster farming, restoration, food safety, and
resilience to sustainably strengthen oyster production.
Salmon Management Activities.--Within the amount provided
for Salmon Management Activities, the Committee provides
$42,000,000, an increase of $1,000,000 above the fiscal year
2024 enacted level, to enable NOAA, the Pacific States, and
Tribal communities to continue activities in support of the
obligations set forth in the renegotiated annex of the Pacific
Salmon Treaty. Before any of these funds may be obligated, NOAA
is directed to provide the Committee with a detailed spending
plan that is reflective of the funding recommendations produced
by the U.S. section of the Pacific Salmon Commission. In doing
so, NOAA is directed to consult with the Pacific States, Tribal
communities, and other stakeholders. Further, NOAA is
encouraged to minimize, to the extent practicable, the amount
of funds withheld for administrative expenses.
The Committee also provides not less than $34,000,000 for
the operation and maintenance of Mitchell Act hatcheries and
directs NOAA to continue genetic stock identification for
salmon recovery and management. NOAA is directed to limit the
amount of Mitchell Act hatcheries funding withheld for
administrative expenses to 15 percent, with a long-term goal of
not more than 10 percent.
Fishery Councils and Commissions.--The Committee provides a
total of $46,000,000, an increase of $1,703,000 above the
fiscal year 2024 enacted level, to support the Regional Fishery
Management Councils, Interstate Marine Fisheries Commissions,
and International Fisheries Commissions. The Committee
recognizes the important role that regional management plays in
sustaining a balanced ecosystem and healthy fish populations
and the advantage that aggregate data can provide in
understanding emerging trends across our Nation's fisheries.
The Committee directs the Regional Councils and Fisheries
Commissions to prioritize research and monitoring of high
priority species in the face of changing environmental
conditions.
Interjurisdictional Fisheries Grants.--The Committee
rejects the proposed termination and provides $4,000,000, an
increase of $623,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level.
Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated [IUU] Fishing.--The
Committee notes NOAA's important role outlined in the National
Security Memorandum on Combating Illegal, Unreported, and
Unregulated Fishing and Associated Labor Abuses and directs the
agency to continue to dedicate the necessary resources to
combat IUU fishing. To this end, the Committee provides not
less than the fiscal year 2024 enacted level for the Seafood
Import Monitoring Program [SIMP]. Effective implementation of
SIMP is necessary to enforce the ban on imports of Russian
seafood, which may be relabeled after foreign processing,
hiding its Russian origin.
The Committee believes that effective chain of custody
recordkeeping and aggressive enforcement actions through SIMP
is essential for keeping IUU seafood, including Chinese and
Russian banned products, from entering the U.S. marketplace.
Within 180 days of enactment of this act, the Committee directs
NOAA to provide a report outlining enforcement actions to date
along with a strategic plan for creating a more dynamic,
effective and efficient program.
The Committee is aware that commercial space-based radio
frequency [RF] detection technologies have been successful in
tracking maritime vessels even when vessels turn off their AIS,
which is a common practice among foreign fleets engaged in IUU
fishing. Identifying when and where IUU fishing may be
occurring is critical to NMFS Enforcement's mission and can
help better allocate limited resources to areas of interest
where illegal fishing is taking place. Therefore, the Committee
provides not less than $750,000 for NMFS to further test and
operationalize U.S. commercial space-based RF data collection
capabilities to track foreign vessels engaged in IUU fishing
activities in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone and other remote
maritime regions of economic, environmental, and national
security significance. Further, the Committee encourages NOAA
to improve existing enterprise systems to better integrate and
operationalize commercial maritime domain awareness products
and data, including commercial satellite RF, into agency
workflows to create actionable insights that allow the Office
of Law Enforcement to respond to illicit behavior at the speed
of relevance.
Pacific IUU Enforcement.--The Committee notes the threats
to national security and ecosystem integrity posed by Chinese
IUU fishing vessels in the Indo-Pacific region and encourages
NMFS to expand enforcement operations in its Pacific Island
Division.
Northeast Lobster Enforcement.--Within Enforcement, the
Committee provides not less than the fiscal year 2024 enacted
level for NMFS, in partnership with the relevant States, Joint
Enforcement Agreement partner agencies, and the Atlantic States
Marine Fisheries Commission, to continue the pilot cooperative
offshore lobster enforcement program.
European Green Crab.--The Committee remains concerned by
the rapid and growing invasion of European green crab around
the country, including in the Pacific Northwest. The Committee
provides $1,500,000 within Habitat Conservation and Restoration
for management, intervention, and mitigation of invasive
European green crab. The Committee directs NOAA to coordinate
with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service to ensure a comprehensive Federal approach to
addressing the threat posed by European green crab, mitigate
harm, and protect native crab and other shellfish populations.
Further, NOAA, in partnership with other relevant agencies,
shall jointly brief the Committee no later than 90 days after
enactment of this act on the collective efforts to address
European green crab.
Northwest Straits Initiative.--The Committee provides
$1,000,000 to protect and restore the marine waters, habitats,
and species of the Northwest Straits region to achieve
ecosystem health and sustainable resource use.
Chesapeake Bay Office.--The Committee recognizes the
importance of the work being done to restore oysters in the
Chesapeake Bay, the significance of this work for the seafood
industry, and the effects of increased seafood prices in urban
communities. Therefore, the Committee provides not less than
the fiscal year 2024 enacted level within Habitat Conservation
and Restoration to support oyster restoration in the Chesapeake
Bay and encourages NMFS to partner with Historically Black
Colleges and Universities with a proven track record of
aquaculture research on this work.
Fishery Disasters.--The Committee believes that the current
fishery disaster process has significant deficiencies in terms
of efficiency, equity, and reliability. The Committee provides
$1,000,000 within Fisheries Management Programs and Services
for NOAA to contract a study with the National Academy of
Public Administration [NAPA] to investigate the requirements
for establishing a fishery disaster insurance program for
seafood harvesters. The plan shall include a needs assessment
with significant stakeholder consultation, analysis of
alternatives for program design, and an analysis of legal and
regulatory authorities and gaps.
NOAA OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH
The Committee's recommendation provides $663,896,000 for
OAR. OAR programs provide environmental research and technology
needed to improve NOAA weather forecasts, climate predictions,
and marine services. To accomplish these goals, OAR supports a
network of scientists in its Federal research laboratories,
universities, and joint institutes and partnership programs.
Committee recommendations are displayed in the following
table:
OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH OPERATIONS, RESEARCH, AND FACILITIES
[In thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Committee
recommendation
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Climate Research:
Climate Laboratories and Cooperative Institutes.. 104,102
Regional Climate Data and Information............ 48,932
Climate Competitive Research..................... 72,116
------------------
Total, Climate Research...................... 225,150
==================
Weather and Air Chemistry Research:
Weather Laboratories and Cooperative Institutes.. 91,999
U.S. Weather Research Program.................... 41,100
Tornado Severe Storm Research/Phased Array Radar. 20,916
Joint Technology Transfer Initiative............. 10,000
------------------
Total, Weather and Air Chemistry Research.... 164,015
==================
Ocean, Coastal, and Great Lakes Research:
Ocean Laboratories and Cooperative Institutes.... 41,000
Ocean Exploration and Research................... 46,500
National Sea Grant College Program............... 82,000
Sea Grant Aquaculture Research................... 14,000
Integrated Ocean Acidification................... 17,000
Sustained Ocean Observations and Monitoring...... 53,000
National Oceanographic Partnership Program....... 2,500
------------------
Total, Ocean, Coastal, and Great Lakes 256,000
Research....................................
==================
Innovative Research and Technology:
High Performance Computing Initiatives........... 18,231
Uncrewed Systems................................. 500
------------------
Total, Innovative Research and Technology.... 18,731
==================
GRAND TOTAL, OAR............................. 663,896
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Climate Laboratories and Cooperative Institutes.--As the
Nation continues to experience the increasingly disruptive
impacts of climate change, NOAA's role as a provider of climate
data, models, projections, and services is becoming more
prominent and critical to our society. Therefore, the Committee
rejects the proposed cuts to Climate Laboratories and
Cooperative Institutes and Climate Competitive Research Grants.
Further, the Committee encourages NOAA to develop a
Geographic Information System-based greenhouse gas emissions
tool similar to, or part of, the Climate Mapping for Resilience
and Adaptation Assessment Tool. NOAA shall report to the
Committee about the scope and cost of such a tool not later
than 120 days after the enactment of this act.
Earth's Radiation Budget.--The Committee provides not less
than the fiscal year 2024 enacted level for continued modeling,
assessments, and, as possible, initial observations and
monitoring of stratospheric conditions and the Earth's
radiation budget, including the impact of the introduction of
material into the stratosphere from changes in natural systems,
increased air and space traffic, and the assessment of solar
radiation modification. The Committee also directs OAR, in
coordination with NASA and the Department of Energy, as
appropriate, to improve the understanding of the impact of
atmospheric aerosols on radiative forcing, as well as on the
formation of clouds, precipitation, and extreme weather and to
develop plans for sustained observations of the stratosphere.
Further, NOAA is encouraged to coordinate with NASA for long-
range crewed and autonomous in situ atmospheric observational
capabilities.
Climate Adaptation Partnerships [CAP].--The Committee
provides $1,000,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level
for the CAP program to help communities plan for and build
lasting and equitable climate resilience, especially in rural,
Indigenous, and underserved urban communities. The Committee
notes that it is important for the CAP teams to have a
connection to the region they serve and, to the extent
practicable, encourages NOAA to ensure that CAP teams are
managed, staffed, and based at an institution located in the
region served.
Tribal Drought Resilience Initiative.--The recommendation
includes not less than the fiscal year 2024 enacted level for
drought prediction outreach to Tribal communities through the
National Integrated Drought Information System [NIDIS] as
authorized in the NIDIS Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-430).
National Integrated Heat Health Information System
[NIHHIS].--The Committee encourages OAR, through NIHHIS, to
support focused heat research to translate existing climate
services and NOAA products necessary to build capacity to
mitigate heat-related hazards, manage risks, advance heat
equity, develop metrics, and promote governance structures,
processes, and strategies to advance heat resilience across all
U.S. geographies. This may include scaling-up the heat research
capacity of academic institutions with established leadership
in heat research, particularly those with the demonstrated
ability to translate research to decision-making to advance
heat resilience quickly.
Forward-Looking Building Standards.--The Committee
appreciates NOAA's efforts to assess needs for an authoritative
set of climate information, including infrastructure planning
decision support tools, but remains concerned about how climate
change will impact the built environment and that standards
previously set with an assumption of a stable climate system
will expose many Federal and non-Federal investments to
significant, but avoidable, risk. Therefore, the Committee
directs NOAA, in collaboration with NIST, to continue to
support research that enables consistent, authoritative set of
forward-looking long-term meteorological information that
models future extreme weather events, other environmental
trends, projections, and up-to-date observations, including
mesoscale meteorological information.
Precipitation Prediction Grand Challenge.--In order to
better understand and predict rainfall events, the Committee
provides not less than the fiscal year 2024 enacted level for
the Precipitation Prediction Grand Challenge.
Resilience and Adaptation Cooperative Institute [CI].--The
Committee encourages NOAA to consider the establishment of a CI
for Coastal Resilience and Adaptation and encourages the agency
to include such a proposal as part of its fiscal year 2026
budget request. The CI could benefit NOAA's other coastal
resilience programs by providing additional research, data
collection, experience, and strengthened relationships with
institutions conducting coastal resilience and adaptation
research and applied science activities.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Detection Technologies.--The
Committee provides not less than the fiscal year 2024 enacted
level for a pilot program of instrumentation for observing
greenhouse gases, including methane, and other atmospheric
factors deployed on commercial aircraft and to support the
evaluation of a sustained observing network using such
platforms. In carrying out this program, NOAA is encouraged to
coordinate with relevant Federal agencies and industry
stakeholders, and leverage existing Federal resources including
the NWS's Aircraft-Based Observation Program, to the maximum
extent practicable.
Tornado Research.--Within the funding provided for Weather
Laboratories and Cooperative Institutes, the Committee provides
not less than $11,500,000, an increase of $500,000 above the
fiscal year 2024 for the VORTEX-USA program. The Committee
notes the lack of progress on improving tornado forecasts and
warnings and directs NOAA to pursue and extend new
partnerships, including with the commercial sector, to test
novel and innovative data sources, including commercial radar
capabilities, to improve coverage and forecasting skill.
Further, NOAA is encouraged to accelerate coupling of the
weather forecast model with radar observations to add the
ability to classify hail size, detect tornado debris, and
better determine the type and intensity of precipitation.
The Committee encourages NOAA to pursue research on near
real-time infrasonic monitoring of hurricanes and tornadoes.
Advanced infrasound signal processing methodologies and
studies, deployed through a network of infrasound arrays to
detect tornadoes, have the potential to provide accurate and
reliable locations and warnings of active tornadoes.
Reanalysis Datasets and Re-forecasts.--The Committee
recognizes the important role that reanalysis datasets play in
developing AI weather models, and strongly encourages NOAA to
develop national a national reanalysis dataset, rather than
continuing to rely on the European Centre for Medium-Range
Weather Forecast's Re-Analysis Meteorological reanalysis
version 5 [ERA5]. The Committee also encourages NOAA to use
reanalysis datasets to help develop models using reforecast
techniques.
Data Assimilation.--The Committee believes that the primary
factor in the United States trailing the European weather
models is the lack of an updated and comprehensive data
assimilation effort. The Joint Effort for Data assimilation
Integration [JEDI] is the next generation, unified data
assimilation framework under collaborative development between
NOAA and cross-agency partners through the Joint Center for
Satellite Data Assimilation [JCSDA]. JEDI will allow for a
faster development and research-to-operations of advanced data
assimilation and related components to meet the requirements of
NOAA's Unified Forecast System [UFS]. NOAA, including through
the Environmental Modeling Center, shall develop and transition
JEDI into an operational system no later than 18 months of
enactment of this act to support real-time cycling in test mode
in parallel with the production global model.
The Committee provides $1,000,000 above the fiscal year
2024 enacted level within Weather Laboratories and Cooperative
Institutes to support JEDI development at JCSDA. The Committee
directs NOAA to include sufficient funding in their fiscal year
2026 budget request to advance JEDI and maintain access to the
intellectual capacity necessary to ensure that NOAA maximizes
the science and predictions derived from its Earth observing
systems.
Weather Modeling Improvement and Innovation.--Within
funding for the U.S. Weather Research Program, the Committee
provides not less than the fiscal year 2024 enacted level for
the Earth Prediction Innovation Center [EPIC], as authorized by
the NIDIS Reauthorization Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-423). The
Committee directs NOAA to prioritize funding for software
engineering and community code management. The Committee
further directs NOAA to support extramural grants for community
adoption and development of the Unified Forecast System [UFS].
NOAA shall also secure the acquisition of commercial cloud high
performance compute to support EPIC.
Subseasonal to Seasonal Weather Prediction.--Within funding
for the U.S. Weather Research Program, the Committee provides
not less than $1,000,000 to continue the subseasonal to
seasonal research program to seed innovative research testbeds.
Such efforts shall include a pilot project for subseasonal to
seasonal precipitation forecasts for water management in the
western United States recommended in NOAA's report to Congress
pursuant to section 201 of the Weather Research and Forecasting
Innovation Act of 2017 (Public Law 115-25). The pilot project
should be carried out in coordination with the National Weather
Service and should be focused on achieving measurable
objectives for operational forecast improvement, including
forecasts of seasonal mountain snowpack accumulation and total
seasonal precipitation.
Fire Weather.--As the Nation combats yet another dangerous
and extreme wildfire season, the Committee notes with urgency
the importance of improving fire weather modeling, prediction,
detection, and decision support tools. The Committee provides
not less than the fiscal year 2024 enacted level within the
U.S. Weather Research Program to continue the collaborative and
integrated fire weather research program, including the Fire
Weather Testbed.
Advanced Quantitative Precipitation Information System.--
The Committee provides not less than the fiscal year 2024
enacted level within the U.S. Weather Research Program for a
regional radar array demonstration project to enable better
forecasting of extreme West Coast precipitation events, like
atmospheric rivers.
Meteorological Satellite Studies.--The Committee recognizes
the important research conducted by the Cooperative Institute
for Meteorological Satellite Studies.
Tropospheric Ozone.--The Committee encourages NOAA, in
coordination with NASA, EPA, and other relevant Federal
agencies, to study the formation of tropospheric ozone with to
goal of identifying potential mitigation pathways.
Light Detection and Ranging [LiDAR] Technology.--The
Committee provides $2,000,000 within the U.S. Weather Research
Program to develop, demonstrate, and commercialize advanced,
compact LiDAR systems uniquely tailored to near-surface marine
and atmospheric profiling from UAS and mobile ground-based
platforms. This new technology could increase NOAA's ability to
flexibly collect real-time data that fills temporal and spatial
gaps left by existing platforms.
Drought and Agriculture Decision Support.--The Committee
encourages OAR, through NIDIS, to create drought and
agriculture decision support systems for western rangeland
based upon synthesis of National Mesonet Program data and
satellite remote sensing technologies in the Upper Missouri
River Basin. Stakeholder training and the ability to accurately
forecast drought is critical to supporting food security for
our Nation, as well as Federal and State agencies in making
decisions on land sustainability and critical ecosystem
services on public lands that are used by wildlife and
livestock.
Ocean, Coastal, and Great Lakes Laboratories and
Cooperative Institutes.--The Committee rejects the
administration's proposed cuts to Ocean Laboratories and
Cooperative Institutes and provides $41,000,000, which is
$1,500,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level. The
Committee expects NOAA to request funding these cooperative
institutes at appropriate levels in future years, including
well-established institutes focused on: watershed impacts on
marine ecosystems; remote sensing; fisheries management; long-
term monitoring of oil spill impacts on marine and freshwater
ecosystem health; coastal resilience; air and marine autonomy;
ocean exploration; tropical storms; hypoxia and HABs.
Environmental DNA [eDNA].--eDNA is a rapidly emerging
technology that is powerful and cost-effective biological
monitoring tool that has been used to monitor fisheries,
invasive species, response to restoration and biodiversity in
many marine areas. Current species and habitat assessments
conducted with conventional monitoring provide a strong basis
for understanding coastal structure and function, but they are
often time-consuming, expensive, and subject to technical and
resource limitations. Advances in eDNA methods and rapid
reductions in analytical costs present an opportunity to
harness this new technology and fundamentally improve our
capacity to monitor marine biology to inform and evaluate
management actions. The Committee directs NOAA to work with
university partners to expand the eDNA program including
designing and implementing an eDNA-based monitoring program.
Methods used should be standardized, transferable, and
repeatable to provide interoperable, consistent time series
data, and to promote a unified approach to sample and metadata
collection and processing.
Further, the Committee supports the use of genomics
research to uncover novel adaptations in marine life to extreme
and dynamic environments; to develop sustainable strategies in
fishing, aquaculture, and mining practices; and to provide
foundational discoveries for biopharmaceuticals.
Ocean Exploration.--The Committee rejects the
administration's proposed cuts to Ocean Exploration and
provides $46,500,000, an increase of $500,000 above the fiscal
year 2024 enacted level, and directs OAR to continue efforts to
map and characterize America's Exclusive Economic Zone and
extended Outer Continental Shelf, including by maximizing the
amount of funding provided for the Ocean Exploration CI. NOAA
is also encouraged to work with the Department of Education and
other relevant agencies to continue fundamental ocean
exploration in which open source data are collected for the
oceanographic community and private industries in real-time
through telepresence technology.
National Sea Grant College Program.--The Committee
wholeheartedly rejects the administration's ill-advised
proposed cuts to the Sea Grant program, which plays a vital
role to enhance the practical use and conservation of coastal,
marine, and Great Lakes resources to create a sustainable
economy and environment, while simultaneously providing
invaluable educational opportunities to students. The Committee
provides $82,000,000 for the Sea Grant program, which is
$2,000,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level.
Coastal Resilience.--NOAA is encouraged to support Sea
Grant coastal resilience activities across all State programs,
including recruitment of resilience-focused staff and enhancing
research, engagement, decision support, and project
implementation. NOAA is encouraged to prioritize work to
enhance the coastal resilience of remote communities most at-
risk for natural disasters and chronic events, with a priority
given to challenges faced by Tribal, indigenous, and
economically disadvantaged communities.
Young Fishermen's Development Act.--Within funding for the
Sea Grant program, the Committee provides not less than the
fiscal year 2024 enacted level for training, education,
outreach, and technical assistance for young fishermen as
authorized under the Young Fishermen's Development Act (Public
Law 116-289).
American Lobster Research.--Within funding for the Sea
Grant program, the Committee provides $2,000,000 for
partnerships among State agencies, academia, and industry to
address American lobster research priorities in the Gulf of
Maine, Georges Bank, and southern New England. Research and
extension activities should focus on stock, fishery, and
socioeconomic resilience in the face of environmental and
management changes, with the purpose of informing stock
assessment and future management actions.
Contaminants of Emerging Concern.--The Committee is alarmed
by reports of contaminants of emerging concern that may cause
ecological or human health impacts, including PFAS, in coastal
and estuarine waters. The Committee notes that more research is
needed to better understand the prevalence, transportation,
accumulation, effects, and fate of contaminants of emerging
concern within coastal waters. Therefore, the Committee
provides $1,000,000 within the Sea Grant program to partner
with State agencies and academic institutions to research and
monitor these emerging contaminants.
Sea Grant Aquaculture Research.--The Committee rejects the
administration's proposed elimination of Sea Grant Aquaculture
Research and provides $14,000,000. Within the funding provided,
NOAA is encouraged to explore new research topics, including
engineering of ocean-based infrastructure, and accumulation and
metabolization rates of brevetoxins in commonly farmed
shellfish. The Committee further encourages Sea Grant
Aquaculture to partner with Historically Black Colleges and
Universities that conduct aquaculture research.
Sustained Ocean Observations and Monitoring.--The Committee
provides $53,000,000, an increase of $500,000 above the fiscal
year 2024 enacted level, and encourages the Global Ocean
Monitoring and Observing program to procure subsurface ocean
profile data to improve hurricane intensity prediction, by
working with industry to take advantage of the new profiling
floats sustainable powered by thermal energy conversion.
National Oceanographic Partnership Program [NOPP].--The
Committee provides $2,500,000 for NOPP to continue to
facilitate interagency and public-private partnerships to
advance ocean science research, development, and education.
Within the funds provided, NOAA shall allocate not less than
$500,000 to work with other appropriate Federal agency and
industry partners to develop, test, and evaluate ocean-based
carbon dioxide removal technologies.
NOAA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
The Committee's recommendation provides $1,289,339,000 for
the National Weather Service [NWS]. NWS programs provide timely
and accurate meteorologic, hydrologic, and oceanographic
warnings and forecasts to protect life and property and improve
the economic productivity of the Nation. NWS is also
responsible for issuing operational climate forecasts for the
United States. The Committee has made saving lives and
livelihoods through accurate weather forecasting a priority.
The Committee's recommendations are displayed in the
following table:
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OPERATIONS, RESEARCH, AND FACILITIES
[In thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Committee
recommendation
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Observations.......................................... 260,401
Central Processing.................................... 114,613
Analyze, Forecast and Support......................... 604,491
Dissemination......................................... 128,126
Science and Technology Integration.................... 181,708
-----------------
GRAND TOTAL, NWS................................ 1,289,339
------------------------------------------------------------------------
NWS Staffing.--The Committee recognizes and appreciates
NWS's commitment and efforts-to-date to fill vacancies,
especially for weather forecast personnel. However, only 50
percent of Weather Forecast Offices [WFO] are ideally staffed,
and the Committee continues to be concerned with the number of
NWS employee vacancies given the critical nature of the NWS
mission to protect the lives and property of our Nation's
citizens. The Committee provides an increase of $14,000,000
within Analyze, Forecast and Support [AFS] to support NWS
staffing and expects NOAA to continue focusing on expeditiously
filling key vacancies, particularly at WFOs.
Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System [AWIPS] in
the Cloud.--The Committee provides $11,000,000 to transition
AWIPS to the cloud. The transition will improve forecasts by
eliminating the need, time, and risk associated with
downloading data by forecasters. Within 180 days after
enactment of this act, NOAA shall provide the Committee a plan
to develop a cloud based version of AWIPS that has the same
capabilities as the version running on workstations in the
WFOs. This cloud-based version shall be accessible by laptops
using a standard Internet connection.
Observations.--The Committee provides not less than the
fiscal year 2024 enacted level for the Aircraft Based
Observation Program and directs NWS to coordinate with and
leverage existing capabilities of the National Mesonet Program
to increase the use and deployment of commercial aviation-based
atmospheric data, with an emphasis on water vapor data for
numerical weather prediction improvement.
National Mesonet Program.--The Committee rejects the
proposed cut to the National Mesonet Program and provides
$26,000,000. Investments going forward should sustain coverage
of data types and areas now included within the National
Mesonet Program, as well as reduce weather radar gaps, expand
in-situ and remote sensing capabilities to provide weather
measurements in high-risk areas. The Committee encourages NWS
to enhance coverage by the National Mesonet Program in non-
contiguous States and territories. Further, the Committee
encourages emphasis on the boundary layer of the atmosphere,
marine zones, and select surface-based gap filling networks.
NOAA is encouraged to assess the value of the data to improving
forecast model skill through analytical and quantitative
methods such as conducting observing system experiments, data
denial, or equivalent methods.
Of the funds provided, up to $900,000 may be used for
Meteorological Assimilation Data Ingest System activities and
up to $600,000 may be used for costs associated with the
National Mesonet Program Office. NOAA is encouraged to build
out the Program Office team commensurate with the program's
size and scope.
Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Services.--The proposed
elimination of the Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Services
System expansion is not accepted.
Automated Surface Observing System [ASOS].--The Committee
supports NWS's ongoing efforts to prolong the service life of
ASOS. NWS is directed to ensure that rural and remote
communities who disproportionately rely on ASOS operability for
continued reliable air service are provided with additional
resources, such as trained human observers, to continue
observing capabilities in the event of an ASOS outage.
Testbed and Training for Next Generation Weather
Forecasting.--The Committee provides a total of $1,500,000
within Observations and Science and Technology Integration for
NOAA to partner with a consortium, led by a nonprofit
scientific and educational institution with a unique alpine
climate and a history of collaboration with NWS, to establish a
testbed for applied research and a training program for
undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral researchers to
provide a pipeline of talent for the agency. The testbed will
utilize cutting-edge meteorological technology and provide
real-time, actionable data for assimilation into NWS
operational numerical weather models and for applied research
at OAR laboratories. In particular, the research should help
improve existing weather models deficiencies in accounting for
key physical and microphysical processes. The testbed will
improve modeling of latent heat fluxes, the dynamic nature of
the planetary boundary layer, convection differences in complex
terrain between seasons such as winter and summer, estimations
of the water content of varied snowfall, and radiometric
measurements of snowpack in alpine environments and how it
evolves. The testbed, along with collaborating partners who are
leaders in this field, will also be home to experiments
involving real-time, high-resolution forecasting, large eddy
simulations, and NOAA's 20th Century Reanalysis Project. The
resulting tests of experimental technology and research into
how to better model physical processes will drive innovation
into how to improve weather forecasting to safeguard
communities.
Space Weather.--The Committee provides not less than the
fiscal year 2024 enacted level to support the space weather
prediction testbed to help drive research to operations to
ensure national and global communities are prepared for space-
weather events in furtherance of NOAA's responsibilities under
the Promoting Research and Observations of Space Weather to
Improve the Forecasting of Tomorrow [PROSWIFT] Act (Public Law
116-181).
National Data Buoy Center [NDBC].--The Committee lauds the
recent efforts of the NDBC to both restore buoy operability
throughout its station network and to offset critical outages
within the network including using commercially-available
uncrewed maritime systems. Within funding for Observations, the
Committee directs NWS to continue to prioritize efforts to
maintain NDBC station network operations at or above 80 percent
data availability. Further, additional direction and resources
are provided within the Office of Marine and Aviation
Operations to support the continued use of commercially-
available uncrewed maritime systems to offset critical outages
within the NDBC network.
Tsunami Warning Program.--The Committee supports the
proposal to ensure continuity of operations between the Tsunami
Warning Centers and provides $2,000,000 above the fiscal year
2024 enacted level for these activities. The Committee provides
not less than the fiscal year 2024 enacted level for the
National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program to support
education, awareness, and inundation and evacuation map
development.
Further, the Committee directs NOAA to assess how well NOAA
Weather Radio coverage extends to populated areas at risk of
tsunamis and, in collaboration with the Federal Communications
Commission and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to
determine how to use the Integrated Public Alert and Warning
System [IPAWS] to deliver tsunami alerts.
Weather Alerts.--The Committee supports NWS's ongoing
efforts to provide Spanish translation of weather products.
However, more steps must be taken to ensure that all weather
forecast and warning products can be understood by individuals
with limited English proficiency. Therefore, NOAA is encouraged
to expand use of relevant technology, including adaptive neural
machine translation technologies, to pursue translation models
for additional languages.
Radar Program Office.--The Committee directs NWS to
establish a Radar Program Office to study and develop a plan
for the impending recapitalization of the Nation's weather
radar system. The plan shall include an analysis of
technologies, as well as alternative architectures, including
purchasing radar data as a commercial service.
Dissemination.--Within Dissemination, the Committee
provides $6,000,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level to
optimize and upgrade the integrated dissemination program.
Office of Water Prediction [OWP].--The Committee provides
not less than fiscal year 2024 enacted level for OWP, which
receives funding across multiple NWS budget lines. The
Committee maintains the direction carried in previous fiscal
years for NWS to continue to expedite hiring within the
National Water Center [NWC] Water Prediction Operations
Division. NWS is encouraged to initiate Flood Inundation
Mapping operations through the NWC.
Hydrology and Water Resource Programs.--The Committee
provides not less than the fiscal year 2024 enacted level for
NOAA to support the Cooperative Institute for Research to
Operations in Hydrology [CIROH], including for the Water in the
West Initiative. NOAA is encouraged to leverage the CI
expertise to help NOAA assess the most operationally-relevant
research. CIROH delivers expertise and resources in:
hydroinformatics and water resources modeling; geographic
information systems and remote sensing, including snow depth
and soil moisture; coastal inundation modeling and forecasting;
data assimilation; computational science and high-performance
computing; artificial intelligence/machine learning.
Additionally, the CI shall continue to prioritize the
cultivation of the next generation of water resources
scientists and engineers who will be essential to tackle 21st
Century water resources grand challenges.
Operationalizing Forecast Informed Reservoir Operations
[FIRO].--FIRO projects have proven beneficial for improving
water availability, flood risk management, and improved drought
resilience. NOAA is encouraged, through CIROH, to establish a
FIRO research-to-operations program involving academic
partners, the NWS Office of Water Prediction, and NWS River
Forecast Centers in support of the Nationwide FIRO Pathfinder
project.
Heat Domes.--The Committee directs NWS to develop and
publish a Federal definition for heat domes in the National
Weather Service Glossary. In developing this definition, NWS is
encouraged to consult the definition of heat domes published by
the American Meteorological Society.
NOAA NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL SATELLITE, DATA AND INFORMATION SERVICE
The Committee's recommendation provides $390,230,000 for
National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service
[NESDIS] operations. NESDIS programs operate environmental
polar-orbiting, geostationary, and space weather satellites and
collect and archive global environmental data and information
for distribution to users in commerce, industry, agriculture,
science, and engineering, the general public, and Federal,
State, and local agencies.
The Committee's recommendations are displayed in the
following table:
NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL SATELLITE, DATA AND INFORMATION SERVICE
OPERATIONS, RESEARCH, AND FACILITIES
[In thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Committee
recommendation
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Environmental Satellite Observing Systems:
Office of Satellite and Product Operations........ 258,230
Product Development, Readiness and Application.... 59,850
U.S. Group on Earth Observations.................. 750
-----------------
Total, Environmental Satellite Observing 318,830
Systems......................................
=================
National Centers for Environmental Information........ 71,400
=================
GRAND TOTAL, NESDIS........................... 390,230
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Satellite Operations Technical Transfers.--The Committee
accepts the $8,465,000 in technical transfers to the Office of
Satellite and Product Operations and National Centers for
Environmental Information [NCEI] proposed in the
administration's request to move operations funded within Space
Weather Follow On and Geostationary Systems [GOES]-R from
Procurement, Acquisition and Construction to ORF.
Office of Satellite and Product Operations.--The Committee
provides not less than the fiscal year 2024 enacted level for
Satellite and Product Operations Deferred and Extended
Maintenance, including for upgrades to ground systems and
antenna systems at facilities such as those in Virginia, West
Virginia, and Alaska.
Wildfire Detection.--The Committee notes the increasing
prevalence of wildfires across the United States and the need
to have an integrated approach to fire detection and
suppression. The Committee is also concerned about the impact
of smoke and other air pollutants on air quality and providing
real-time operational warnings to affected communities. The
Committee encourages NESDIS to accelerate and integrate
wildfire detection and air quality monitoring into future
satellite architectures or commercial data purchases.
Commercial Data Buys.--The Committee is concerned that
NESDIS has not fully embraced commercial data purchases in a
manner, scope and scale that will enable sufficient private
sector investment that will ultimately drive innovation and
lower cost. The Committee encourages NOAA to transition more of
its pilot programs into operational data buys and refrain from
building systems that compete directly with industry. NOAA
shall report to the Committee, not later than 90 days of
enactment of this act, how it is complying with section 302 of
the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act (Public Law
115-25).
Maximizing Data for Assimilation.--Given that only two to
three percent of current satellite data is assimilated into
weather models and given that new observing systems will
drastically increase the amount of observations from space,
NOAA is strongly encouraged to consider a requirement for
processing data on orbit in all future satellite contracts. Not
later than 180 days after enactment of this act, NOAA shall
provide a report to the committee assessing U.S. commercial
technologies that can be used to support real-time data ingest
and processing, while also reducing the physical infrastructure
and energy costs associated with ingesting and processing data.
NOAA is also encouraged to support a pilot program to test and
evaluate the effectiveness of U.S. commercial database
technologies to address data ingest and processing bottlenecks
to extract the maximum value from its instruments.
National Centers for Environmental Information [NCEI].--The
Committee provides $71,400,000 for NCEI, including not less
than $10,000,000 for Regional Climate Services, $6,100,000 for
Regional Climate Centers, and $5,500,000 for Coastal Data
Development. NOAA shall consider the Coastal Data Development
program as the central repository to manage data collections
from NOAA uncrewed systems to achieve the Commercial Engagement
Through Ocean Technology [CENOTE] Act (Public Law 115-394)
goals by amplifying the use of data for environmental and
economic innovation.
NCEI is encouraged to continue the development of a Data
Assembly Hub for uncrewed systems, which provides direct
support for the Blue Economy, STEM education, the continued
restoration of the Gulf of Mexico, and transformation of ocean
science through emerging technologies, in coordination with the
related project supported through NOAA Special Projects.
Further, the Committee urges NOAA to utilize technical
expertise from academic and industry partners to efficiently
maximize use of the vast data collected from newly developed
uncrewed systems. NCEI is also encouraged to develop coastal
data products with its established Gulf of Mexico focused
Cooperative Institute.
State Climate Offices [SCO].--The Committee recognizes the
important role SCOs play under NOAA's Regional Climate Services
and other NOAA programs and supports ongoing efforts within
NESDIS to pilot providing SCOs Federal support so that the SCOs
can meet the growing demand by Federal, State, and Tribal users
of the SCOs services to track and better understand weather
events.
NOAA MISSION SUPPORT
The Committee's recommendation provides $421,522,000 for
NOAA's mission support activities. These programs provide for
overall NOAA management, including staffing of the Under
Secretary's office and services to NOAA field offices, as well
as NOAA's Education Office.
Committee recommendations are displayed in the following
table:
MISSION SUPPORT OPERATIONS, RESEARCH, AND FACILITIES
[In thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Committee
recommendation
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mission Support Services:
Executive Leadership.............................. 31,743
Mission Services and Management................... 181,436
IT Security....................................... 16,393
Payment to DOC Working Capital Fund............... 80,000
Facilities Maintenance............................ 6,500
Office of Space Commerce.......................... 68,500
-----------------
Total, Mission Support Services............... 384,572
=================
Office of Education:
NOAA Education Program Base....................... 6,500
Jose E. Serrano Education Partnership Program with 20,750
Minority Serving Institutions....................
BWET Regional Programs............................ 9,700
-----------------
Total, Office of Education.................... 36,950
=================
GRAND TOTAL, MISSION SUPPORT.................. 421,522
------------------------------------------------------------------------
NOAA Workforce.--The Committee recognizes NOAA for taking
steps to build a more diverse and inclusive workplace. The
Committee provides not less than the fiscal year 2024 enacted
level to support NOAA's Diversity and Inclusion Plan, to expand
NOAA's recruiting program, and for equity assessment and
implementation support in compliance with Executive Order
13985.
Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment.--The Committee
commends the agency for its efforts to provide employees a
workplace free from sexual assault and sexual harassment,
including issuance of NOAA Administrative Order [NAO] 202-1106
and creation of the Workplace Violence Prevention and Response
Program. The Committee directs NOAA to continue implementing
NAO 202-1106 and expanding services and provides not less than
the fiscal year 2024 enacted level for these purposes.
Office of Space Commerce [OSC].--The Committee continues to
support efforts to transition non-defense space traffic
management and space situational awareness responsibilities
from the Department of Defense to OSC and supports the
utilization and integration of commercially-available
capabilities to support open standards-based, interoperable,
data-agnostic computing infrastructure with necessary data,
modeling, information, analytics, services, and user
interfaces. The Committee directs to OSC leverage products and
services offered by U.S. commercial companies for Traffic
Coordination System for Space [TraCSS]. The Committee provides
$68,500,000 for OSC to achieve operational capability in fiscal
year 2025.
Bay Watershed Education and Training [BWET].--The Committee
recognizes the mental health and educational benefits of field-
based offerings for children and young adults, and encourages
NOAA to continue these unique educational opportunities,
including for underserved communities. In addition, the
Committee provides $1,000,000 to expand BWET regional programs
to new priority regions, which may include the Delaware Bay.
Cooperative Science Center for Ocean Education.--The
Committee encourages the administration to request funding for
a cooperative science center for ocean education in its fiscal
year 2026 budget request.
National Ocean Sciences Bowl [NOSB].--The Committee is
supportive of the NOSB, which has been highly successful in
educating and inspiring the next generation of ocean leaders
over the past 25 years. The Committee provides up to $500,000
for the NOSB, and NOAA is encouraged to include sufficient
support as part of the fiscal year 2026 budget request.
NOAA OFFICE OF MARINE AND AVIATION OPERATIONS
The Committee's recommendation provides $368,779,000 for
NOAA's marine and aviation operations. The OMAO provides
aircraft and marine data acquisition, repair, and maintenance
of the existing fleet; planning of future modernization; and
technical and management support for NOAA-wide activities
through the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps.
OFFICE OF MARINE AND AVIATION OPERATIONS, RESEARCH, AND FACILITIES
[In thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Committee
recommendation
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Marine Operations and Maintenance..................... 229,279
Aviation Operations and Aircraft Services............. 43,500
Autonomous Unmanned Technology Operations............. 25,000
NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps....................... 71,000
-----------------
GRAND TOTAL, OMAO................................. 368,779
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monitoring of Atmospheric Rivers.--Improving understanding
of atmospheric rivers is critical to prepare for concentrated
rain storms and flooding along the U.S. west coast. Therefore,
the Committee provides not less than $2,500,000 within Aviation
Operations and Aircraft Services to better observe and predict
these extreme weather events.
Autonomous and Uncrewed Technology Operations [AUTO].--The
Committee provides $25,000,000 for AUTO. Not less than
$13,000,000 shall be used for agency-wide data acquisition from
commercially-available, mission-as-a-service uncrewed maritime
systems [UMS] in support of relevant operational missions
including: (1) hurricane intensity forecasting; (2) ocean
monitoring, including in-situ observations in support of the
NDBC and management and enforcement of marine national
monuments in the Pacific; (3) acoustic fishery surveys; (4)
ocean exploration; and (5) hydrographic surveys. Within the
funds provided, not less than the fiscal year 2024 enacted
level shall be used to support extramural partnerships with
universities and oceanographic institutions for UMS research,
development, testing, and training, including research to
improve precise marine navigation and coastal resilience
through improvements to uncrewed platforms.
Aviation Accession Training Program.--The Committee
provides not less than $3,000,000 within NOAA Commissioned
Officer Corps to support OMAO's aviation accession training
program, as authorized in section 105 of the NOAA Commissioned
Officer Corps Amendments Act of 2020 (Public Law 116-259). The
Committee encourages NOAA to designate one or more Cooperative
Aviation Centers to facilitate the development and recruitment
of aviators for the Commissioned Officer Corps at higher
education institutions that have accredited professional flight
and piloting programs.
NOAA SPECIAL PROJECTS
The Committee's recommendation provides funding for the
projects listed in the table titled ``Congressionally Directed
Spending'' at the end of this report in the corresponding
amounts, consistent with NOAA's existing authorities,
jurisdictions, and procedures, as appropriate. NOAA shall
perform the same level of oversight and due diligence regarding
these projects as with any other external partners.
NOAA PROCUREMENT, ACQUISITION AND CONSTRUCTION
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $1,719,866,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 2,121,418,000
Committee recommendation................................ 1,961,516,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $1,961,516,000 for
NOAA's Procurement, Acquisition and Construction [PAC]. The
recommendation is $241,650,000 above the fiscal year 2024
enacted level and $159,902,000 below the budget request.
Committee recommendations are displayed in the following
table:
PROCUREMENT, ACQUISITION AND CONSTRUCTION
[In thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Committee
recommendation
------------------------------------------------------------------------
National Ocean Service:
National Estuarine Research Reserve Construction.. 8,500
Marine Sanctuaries Construction................... 4,000
-----------------
Total, NOS-PAC................................ 12,500
=================
Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research:
Research Supercomputing/CCRI...................... 50,000
Research Acquisitions and Management.............. 20,000
-----------------
Total, OAR-PAC................................ 70,000
=================
National Weather Service:
Observations...................................... 16,200
Central Processing................................ 68,000
Dissemination..................................... 10,000
Facilities Construction and Major Repairs......... 10,000
-----------------
Total, NWS-PAC................................ 104,200
=================
National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information
Service:
Geostationary Systems--R.......................... 83,503
Polar Weather Satellites.......................... 342,410
Space Weather Follow On........................... 39,735
Geostationary Earth Orbit......................... 625,000
Low Earth Orbit................................... 68,437
Space Weather Next................................ 176,754
Common Ground Services............................ 120,527
Systems/Services, Architecture and Engineering.... 50,000
Satellite CDA Facility............................ 2,450
-----------------
Total, NESDIS-PAC............................. 1,508,816
=================
Mission Support:
NOAA Construction................................. 80,000
-----------------
Total, Mission Support-PAC.................... 80,000
=================
Office of Marine and Aviation Operations:
Fleet Capital Improvements and Technology Infusion 28,000
Vessel Recapitalization and Construction.......... 75,000
Aircraft Recapitalization and Construction........ 96,000
-----------------
Total, OMAO-PAC............................... 199,000
=================
GRAND TOTAL, PAC.............................. 1,974,516
------------------------------------------------------------------------
High Performance Computing.--The Committee recognizes
NOAA's high performance computing needs and its current
limitations on providing high-fidelity results in near real-
time and provides $50,000,000. Within funding provided for
Research Supercomputing/CCRI, $15,000,000 shall be used to
continue the development of a dedicated high performance
computing facility in collaboration with partners that have
existing high performance computing expertise and scientific
synergies. Further, no less than $5,000,000 is to develop
artificial intelligence systems and optimize software to
support preprocessing of dense observation datasets to
facilitate extraction of the most useful information for
inclusion in data assimilation for model initialization.
Cloud Computing.--The Committee encourages NOAA to
prioritize the use of commercial cloud services.
NOAA Satellite Reporting.--The Committee directs NOAA to
provide quarterly programmatic and procurement status reports
of all satellites actively orbiting, in standby mode, and under
development, unless any reprogramming, system failure,
construction delay, or other extraordinary circumstance
warrants an immediate update.
Satellite Technical Transfers.--The Committee accepts the
$10,400,000 in technical transfers to Common Ground Services
from GOES-R proposed in the administration's request, as well
as aforementioned transfers from PAC to ORF.
Geostationary Extended Observations [GeoXO].--In the nearly
20 years since the initiation of America's current
geostationary satellite fleet, the United States space sector
has made incredible technological advancements for scientific
instruments and spacecraft to maintain U.S. leadership in space
weather prediction capabilities. Given the current budget
constraints, NOAA may need to consider alternative
architectures that prioritize critical weather instruments that
correspond to primary mission essential functions for assets in
geosynchronous orbit and consider other platforms and
mechanisms such as commercial data purchases for non-weather
related data, including ocean color and atmospheric
composition.
NOAA is encouraged to continue partnering with NASA on the
Geostationary Littoral Imaging and Monitoring Radiometer
[GLIMR] mission to de-risk the ocean color instrument, as
appropriate, for the GeoXO program.
Systems/Services Architecture and Engineering.--The
Committee strongly supports the continuation of the commercial
data purchase and commercial weather data pilot programs. The
Committee encourages NOAA to test hyperspectral sounder data
and new capabilities including edge processing on orbit to
optimize the use of existing data to extract more value and
retain more information after downlink.
Within funding provided, NOAA is directed to continue the
pilot program to procure space weather observations consistent
with the PROSWIFT Act (Public Law 116-181) and provides up to
$5,000,000 for these purposes.
NOAA Construction.--The Committee notes with concern the
condition of NOAA's aging physical research infrastructure,
including several NMFS regional facilities that perform
critical, world-class research and surveys in support of the
agency's multiple missions. The Committee is particularly
concerned that several key NMFS regional laboratories across
the country will soon be unable to perform basic functions
given the significant age of infrastructure, state of
disrepair, and changing physical environment in which they are
located. Therefore, the Committee urges NOAA to accelerate
existing regional facility modernization planning and analysis
efforts. Such efforts should prioritize the benefits of co-
location with existing Federal academic, university, and
nonprofit partners as a means of leveraging existing
relationships and research efforts in an effort to maintain, if
not elevate, the facilities' capabilities and enhance
scientific excellence.
As part of the fiscal year 2026 budget request, NOAA shall
establish a five-year budget framework to address regional
facility modernization planning and redevelopment, including in
the Northwest. The budget shall be updated annually as
additional information and funding needs are refined as
projects mature from planning estimates through design phases.
The Committee provides $80,000,000 for NOAA's highest
priority facilities repair and deferred maintenance
requirements. Thirty days before obligating any funds, NOAA
shall submit a report detailing how the funds will be expended
and an explanation of why these projects were prioritized. NOAA
is also directed to immediately inform the Committee if there
are any significant schedule delays or project cost increases.
Judgment Fund Repayment.--The Committee does not provide
funding for NOAA to make payments to the Department of the
Treasury's Judgment Fund.
Vessel Recapitalization and Construction.--The Committee
provides $75,000,000 in Vessel Recapitalization and
Construction. The Committee provides funding for the completion
of two Class A vessels and the acquisition of two Class B
vessels to facilitate the reduction of gaps in mission coverage
as current ships are decommissioned. The Committee notes that
the current procurement plan for Class C vessels would result
in a mission gap for fisheries surveys starting in 2027.
Therefore, NOAA is directed to begin the process of acquiring
Class C vessels that are designed to meet basic fishery survey
requirements.
Aircraft Recapitalization.--The Committee is dumbfounded
and finds it completely irresponsible that the administration's
budget request does not include funding to replace the aging
WP-3D Hurricane Hunter aircraft as outlined in the updated NOAA
Aircraft Plan and authorized under section 11708 of Public Law
117-263. The Committee expects NOAA to request sufficient
funds, or request a reprogramming, to prevent a capability gap
in 2030 at the time of the retirement of both WP-3Ds.
The Committee provides $96,000,000 for Aircraft
Recapitalization and Construction, which includes $21,000,000
to complete procurement of a second high-altitude jet as
authorized under section 413 of the Weather Research and
Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (Public Law 115-25) and
$75,000,000 for the replacement of the WP-3D Hurricane Hunter
aircraft.
Mission Requirement Costs.--NOAA is directed to document
within all of its future budget requests any unfunded mission
requirement costs, and particularly those that are necessary to
maintain the optimal operational tempo of NOAA assets and
posture of NOAA facilities.
PACIFIC COASTAL SALMON RECOVERY FUND
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $65,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 65,000,000
Committee recommendation................................ 70,000,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $70,000,000 for the
Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund [PCSRF]. The
recommendation is $5,000,000 above both the fiscal year 2024
enacted level and the budget request. Funds are to be used for
conservation and restoration of Pacific salmon populations.
State and local recipients of this funding will provide
matching contributions of at least 33 percent of Federal funds.
In addition, funds will be available to Tribes without a
matching requirement. Further, in order to foster greater
equity in the implementation of these funds, NOAA is encouraged
to increase the three percent restriction on administrative
expenses for Tribal consortia implementing grants from PCSRF to
no less than 30 percent. The Committee reminds NOAA that Tribal
consortia in remote and rural areas often face the same
limitations and challenges as individual Tribes who are
exempted from the three percent restriction on administrative
spending, and restriction therefore disproportionately burdens
Tribal consortia in rural areas.
The Committee notes that the IIJA provides $172,000,000
over 5 years for the PCSRF, including $34,400,000 in fiscal
year 2025.
NOAA is directed to report on how its current priorities
meet the intent of the PCSRF to support the recovery and
protection of all declining salmon stocks.
FISHERIES DISASTER ASSISTANCE
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $300,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 300,000
Committee recommendation................................ 300,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $300,000 for
Fisheries Disaster Assistance. The recommendation is equal to
both the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and the budget request.
FISHERMEN'S CONTINGENCY FUND
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $349,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 349,000
Committee recommendation................................ 349,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $349,000 for the
Fishermen's Contingency Fund. The recommendation is equal to
both the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and the budget request.
FISHERIES FINANCE PROGRAM ACCOUNT
Appropriations, 2024.................................... -$15,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... -12,000,000
Committee recommendation................................ -12,000,000
The Committee recommends that direct loans administered
through this account for individual fishing quotas may not
exceed $24,000,000. Traditional direct loans may not exceed
$150,000,000, which is the same as the fiscal year 2024 enacted
level and the budget request, despite scoring differences.
The Committee encourages NOAA to facilitate new vessel
construction, vessel replacement, and upgrades within the
Fisheries Finance Program using fuel-efficient technology to
the greatest extent practicable.
RECREATIONAL QUOTA ENTITY FUND
The recommendation continues the halibut recreational quota
entity as authorized under section 106 of the Driftnet
Modernization and Bycatch Reduction Act (title I of division S
of Public Law 117-328).
OTHER
Departmental Management
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $94,500,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 112,238,000
Committee recommendation................................ 95,000,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $95,000,000 for
Departmental Management [DM], Salaries and Expenses. The
recommendation is $500,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted
level and $17,238,000 below the budget request.
Within Departmental Management, the Salaries and Expenses
account provides funding for the Secretary, Deputy Secretary,
and support staff. Responsibilities involve policy development
and implementation affecting U.S. and international activities,
as well as establishing internal goals for operations of the
Department.
Staffing Levels.--The Committee believes that staffing
issues require the continued attention of the leadership of the
Department and collaboration with the bureaus. Therefore, the
Chief Financial Officer and the Chief Human Capital Officer of
the Department shall continue to provide quarterly briefings to
the Committee on all DOC human capital issues.
Spending Plans.--Under section 528 of this act, the
Department is required to submit a spending plan within 45 days
of the enactment of this act. That plan should describe the
PPAs of the Department so that the Committee receives detailed
descriptions of how the Department intends to operationalize
the funding provided in annual appropriations bills. The
Committee expects to receive a detailed accounting of each
bureau's spending, including mandatory, reimbursable, fee-
funded, or working capital fund spending, particularly with
regard to specific PPAs described in the bill and accompanying
explanatory statement. The Department shall continue to work
with the Committee to ensure that its spending plans provide
adequate information for continued oversight of the Department.
Salary Lapse.--The Committee directs DOC to provide a
detailed accounting, as part of the fiscal year 2025 spending
plans, identifying the amount of expected salary lapse in
fiscal year 2025 and an explanation of how all accrued salary
lapse will be spent for all DOC bureaus and NOAA line offices
that have a greater than 10 percent vacancy rate, as of
September 30, 2024. Any of the identified amounts that cannot
be justified as either augmenting staffing vacancies or
supporting mission critical functions will be considered for
rescission in fiscal year 2025.
Working Capital Funds.--For each of the three working
capital funds within DOC, the following is to be provided to
the Committee and the OIG by November 30 of each year: (1) a
comparison of the final budget or spending plan at the project
or activity level to the actual year-end data as of September
30 of the prior fiscal year, including detailed narratives for
variances greater than 5 percent at the project or activity
level; (2) the initial budget or spending plan by project or
activity for the current fiscal year; and (3) a detailed
schedule of fiscal year-end unobligated and carryover balances
by source funding category and by expiring budget fiscal year,
to include: direct authority, Federal and intragovernmental
reimbursable authority by trading partner, non-Federal
reimbursable authority, amounts held for future asset
replacement, and other categories.
Engagement on Business and Human Rights.--The Committee
acknowledges the Department's contribution to interagency
efforts to mitigate the human rights risks associated with
American companies' operations in foreign countries, such as
through the Business Advisories for Hong Kong and Xinjiang
Supply Chains. At the same time, the Committee is concerned
with the increase in human rights risks that present challenges
for American companies seeking to operate responsibly overseas.
Issues such as child labor and forced labor, including in
Xinjiang, create legal, reputational, and economic risks to
American companies. The Committee directs the Department of
Commerce to strengthen collaboration with the Department of
State and the Department of Labor, specifically drawing from
their human rights and labor rights expertise to help inform
the Department of Commerce's work with American companies to
increase their awareness of human rights risks, particularly in
high-risk contexts, and their ability to mitigate them and to
brief the Committee not later than 90 days after enactment of
the act on steps taken and planned in the future.
Department of Commerce Working Capital Fund.--As part of
the fiscal year 2026 budget request, the Department is directed
to provide justification that clearly articulates why each
Advancements and Reimbursements account and Working Capital
Fund project administered by the Office of Acquisition
Management, Office of Budget, Office of the Chief Financial
Officer and Assistant Secretary for Administration, and Chief
of Staff should continue to be funded through the Working
Capital Fund.
North American Industry Classification System [NAICS].--The
Committee directs DOC, within 180 days of enactment of this
act, to provide a report describing the Department's efforts to
implement the directives of Section 9002 of Public Law 115-334,
including its contributions to the Interagency Technical
Working Group [ITWG] review of NAICS and the North American
Product Classification System [NAPCS] codes for renewable
chemicals and biomanufacturers. The Committee also directs the
DOC to provide quarterly updates to the Committee on the
Department's work to implement the farm bill direction and the
ITWG's recommendations through the 2027 NAICS and NAPCS
revision process.
High Value Assets [HVA].--The Committee remains concerned
that the Department has not fully implemented multifactor
authentication [MFA] for its HVAs in accordance with zero trust
architecture principles. The Department's Chief Information
Officer is directed by the Committee to ensure all Department
Bureaus have implemented MFA using all three Office of
Management and Budget requirements: phishing-resistant MFA,
application-layer MFA, and modern password policies.
Business Applications Solutions [BAS].--The Committee
remains disappointed in the Department's rollout of BAS,
notably the transition of NOAA's financial operations. The
Committee understands that NOAA continues to experience issues
around that ability to pay invoices and reimburse employees for
travel expenses, in part because of problems with data
conversion. In addition, the cost of the contract for BAS has
increased and the Department is evaluating another significant
cost increase to the BAS contract. This is not acceptable and
the Committee directs the Department to provide a briefing to
the Committee, 45 days after enactment of this act, detailing
how it has corrected all BAS issues with NOAA, minimized cost
increases to the contract, and has a solid schedule for the
transition of Census and NIST.
Enhancing Microelectronics Fabrication with Advanced
Materials and Techniques.--The Committee supports investments
in fabrication and supply chain enhancement of advanced
semiconductors and microelectronics. As the Department assesses
and makes investments using funds provided in regular and
emergency appropriations bills, the Committee directs such
assessments to include the value of investing in researching
advanced techniques and upgrading existing fabrication
facilities to use advanced materials which can increase those
facilities' capability to produce more effective
microelectronics for existing and evolving demand.
Preventing the Improper Use of CHIPS Act Funding.--To
effectuate the national security guardrails in the CHIPS Act
(Public Law 117-167), NIST implemented the ``Preventing the
Improper Use of CHIPS Act Funding'' rule to prevent CHIPS Act
funding from directly or indirectly benefiting foreign
countries of concern. The Committee requests an update, within
90 days of enactment of this act, to understand whether DOC has
sufficient policies and authorities in place to prevent CHIPS
Act funding from benefiting foreign countries of concern. The
Committee urges the Department to fully utilize all of its
authorities in implementing the rule.
Energy Resiliency Supply Chains.--The Committee encourages
the Department to conduct a thorough assessment of its
currently funded programs to identify opportunities for
leveraging these resources to bolster critical elements of the
fusion energy supply chain. This effort should focus on the
domestic manufacturing capacities essential for power
electronics, including but not limited to, high-voltage
capacitors and semiconductors.
Semiconductor Critical Mineral Supply Chains.--The
Committee urges consideration of essential supply-chain
projects that support U.S. critical minerals production for
CHIPS Act funding, particularly given our current reliance on
foreign sources for many of these critical minerals and market
volatility. Specifically, in allocating CHIPS and Science Act
funding, the Department is encouraged to prioritize domestic
critical mineral projects for minerals for which United States
manufacturers currently rely on procurement from foreign
sources and which are important components of the domestic
semiconductor manufacturing supply chain.
National Environmental Policy Act [NEPA].--The Committee
directs the Department to utilize existing funds and coordinate
with the Permitting Council established by Title 41 of the
Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act and other Federal
agencies to identify ways to improve and provide greater
certainty for semiconductor manufacturing facilities throughout
the environmental permitting process. The Department shall,
within 120 days of enactment of this act, provide the Committee
a report that provides the status of review under NEPA for
semiconductor fabrication facilities that are seeking Federal
financial assistance under the CHIPS and Science Act.
Workforce Development for the Semiconductor Industry.--The
Committee applauds DOC's ongoing efforts to expand and improve
workforce development for the semiconductor industry,
particularly as NIST continues to implement the CHIPS and
Science Act of 2022 (Public Law 117-167). The Committee
encourages DOC to continue to explore partnership opportunities
with higher education institutions, including community
colleges and regional public colleges, with an emphasis on
advanced precision manufacturing education, and a commitment to
improving the K-12, undergraduate, graduate and non-college
bound pipeline of workers, including women and underrepresented
groups.
RENOVATION AND MODERNIZATION
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $1,142,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 1,142,000
Committee recommendation................................ 1,142,000
The Committee recommendation provides $1,142,000, which is
equal to the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and equal to the
budget request, for continuing renovation activities at the
Herbert C. Hoover Building.
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $48,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 50,900,000
Committee recommendation................................ 50,000,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $50,000,000 for the
OIG. The recommendation is $2,000,000 above the fiscal year
2024 enacted level and $900,000 below the budget request.
In addition to funds provided under this heading, the
Committee recommends a transfer of $2,450,000 from USPTO to the
OIG to support activities associated with carrying out
investigations and audits related to the USPTO. The Committee
directs the OIG to continue to perform strict oversight
activities for NOAA vessel and satellite procurements,
cybersecurity, census data collection, and the Business
Applications Solution [BAS] modernization.
Working Capital Fund Audits.--The Committee continues to
direct the OIG to audit all of the working capital funds within
the Department to evaluate the Department's budgetary controls
over all funds. The OIG shall assess: the controls in place to
develop reimbursement formulas; the relationship of
reimbursements to client services; the appropriateness of the
level of fund balances; and compliance with appropriations law
and direction. As part of this assessment, the OIG shall pay
particular attention to the increasing amounts of funding
needed to support the Department's Office of General Counsel
[OGC], including the justification and metrics for how such
funding is being levied against each agency and, reciprocally,
how the agencies account for the services they receive from the
OGC. If at any point during these audits the OIG encounters
problems with accessing any necessary information or data from
the Department, the OIG is directed to notify the Committee
immediately.
Audits and Investigations.--The Committee believes that
robust investigations and audits are essential to rooting out
waste, fraud, and abuse, but that limiting inquiries only to
individuals in the Department does not necessarily lead to
comprehensive findings and recommendations. The Committee
directs the OIG to modify its policies and procedures to ensure
that investigations or reports include interviews with all
parties to the project or program in question, including, but
not limited to, contractors responsible for projects under
review. The Committee cautions the OIG against issuing
preliminary findings prior to interviewing a majority of the
entities involved with the program or project under
investigation, unless the OIG believes the findings are time
sensitive or additional interviews are immaterial.
General Provisions--Department of Commerce
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
Section 101 makes funds available for advanced payments
only upon certification of officials, designated by the
Secretary, that such payments are considered to be in the
public interest.
Section 102 makes appropriations for Department of Commerce
salaries and expenses available for hire of passenger motor
vehicles, and for services, and for uniforms and allowances as
authorized by law.
Section 103 provides the authority to transfer funds
between Department of Commerce appropriation accounts and
requires 15 days advance notification to the Committees on
Appropriations for certain actions.
Section 104 provides congressional notification
requirements for NOAA satellite programs and includes life
cycle estimates for certain weather satellite programs.
Section 105 provides for reimbursement for services within
the Department of Commerce buildings.
Section 106 clarifies that grant recipients under the
Department of Commerce may deter child pornography, copyright
infringement, or any other unlawful activity over their
networks.
Section 107 provides NOAA Administrator with the authority
to avail NOAA of resources, with the consent of those supplying
the resources, to carry out responsibilities of any statute
administered by NOAA.
Section 108 prohibits the National Technical Information
Service from charging for certain services.
Section 109 allows NOAA to be reimbursed by Federal and
non-Federal entities for performing certain activities.
Section 110 provides the Economics and Statistics
Administration certain authority to enter into cooperative
agreements.
Section 111 allows the Secretary of Commerce to waive up to
50 percent of the cost sharing requirements for funds provided
in this act under section 315 of the Coastal Zone Management
Act of 1972.
Section 112 sets limitations on the Department's ability to
obligate unobligated balances of expired discretionary funds
transferred to the Nonrecurring Expenses Fund.
Section 113 allows the NOAA Administrator to establish an
alternative or fixed rate for relocation allowance, including
permanent change of station allowance.
TITLE II
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
The Committee recommends a total of $38,425,950,000 for the
Department of Justice [DOJ]. The recommendation is $906,092,000
above the fiscal year 2024 funding level and $1,162,735,000
below the budget request. The Committee's recommendation
emphasizes key funding priorities in support of the
Department's critical missions and activities to protect the
safety, security, and rights of our citizens.
Responding to Opioids, Methamphetamine, Synthetic Drugs,
and Substance Abuse in Our Communities.--The Committee
continues its commitment to helping States and local
communities in the fight against opioids, methamphetamine,
synthetic drugs, and the illegal diversion of prescription
drugs through comprehensive programs covering law enforcement,
prevention, and treatment. The Committee provides a total of
$610,500,000 in DOJ grant funding to help State and local
partners tackle these epidemics, an increase of $31,000,000
above the fiscal year 2024 level. The Committee provides
$2,600,000,000 for the Drug Enforcement Administration [DEA],
an increase of $33,000,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted
level.
Strengthening Police-Community Relations.--The Committee
continues to recognize and support the important need for
lasting collaborative relationships between local police and
the public. Strong partnerships between the police and the
communities they protect ensure that citizens' civil rights are
protected, foster ongoing open communication, improve officer
safety, and reduce crime. The Committee provides $251,000,000
for State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance and Community
Oriented Policing Services [COPS] Office grant programs related
to police-community relations.
Crime Victims Fund.--The Committee renews its concern about
the solvency of the Crime Victims Fund [CVF] and its ability to
continue to support compensation to and services for survivors
of crime in future years. The Committee remains concerned about
declining deposits, specifically including the lack of
predictability as to when the proceeds from criminal fines,
penalties, settlements and other sources will be deposited in
the CVF. It is exceptionally difficult for the Committee to
plan without greater insight into potential future proceeds for
the CVF. The Committee directs the Department to submit an
updated plan, within 90 days of enactment of this act, to
establish a system to track payments from concluded cases that
may result in deposits into the CVF.
Trafficking in Persons.--The Department shall dedicate no
less than the fiscal year 2024 enacted levels for the Human
Trafficking Prosecution Unit [HTPU], the Federal Bureau of
Investigation [FBI], and the U.S. Attorneys' Offices [USAO] to
investigate and prosecute crimes of human trafficking. The
Committee continues to encourage the HTPU and Anti-Trafficking
Coordination Teams to continue working with victim service
providers and non-governmental organizations to ensure the
prioritization of victim needs as part of the overall strategy
to combat human trafficking and forced labor in the United
States.
The Committee is concerned about the relatively low number
of dedicated FBI agents assigned to human trafficking cases,
especially in rural communities. The Committee continues to
expect the designation of a lead agent in each FBI field office
as a point of contact for slavery and human trafficking
investigations, and encourages the FBI to assign at least one
full-time agent dedicated to investigating human trafficking
and related crimes in each State. The Committee directs the
Executive Office for United States Attorneys [EOUSA], in
consultation with the United States Attorneys, to provide
sufficient support and training and technical assistance to
each Assistant U.S. Attorney designated as the lead human
trafficking prosecutor, consistent with the Trafficking Victims
Protection Act. As communication and coordination across the
Federal Government are critical to supporting survivors of
trafficking, the Committee encourages EOUSA, in consultation
with the Department of Homeland Security, to develop a process
to enable survivors with T-visas to obtain an expedited letter
of support from the DOJ when their criminal cases close, and to
submit a report on a plan for ensuring that requests for
letters can be processed in less than three months. This plan
shall be submitted within 90 days of enactment of this act.
Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Interagency
Coordination.--The Committee recognizes the benefit of
interagency coordination to combat human trafficking, child
sexual exploitation, and child sexual abuse material. The
Committee directs the Department to establish an interagency
working group, in coordination with relevant Federal agencies,
to improve coordination and case de-confliction as well as
support to survivors. The joint explanatory statement
accompanying Public Law 117-328 directed the Department to
submit a report on the status of this working group within 60
days of enactment, and the Department has failed to do so. The
Committee directs the immediate submission of this report. The
Department is further directed to submit an interim report on
this working group effort within 180 days of enactment of this
act, and a final report within 1 year of enactment of this act.
Domestic Trafficking Victims Fund Special Assessments.--
Section 101 of the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of
2015 (Public Law 114-22) mandated the collection of a $5,000
special assessment from persons convicted of certain Federal
offenses related to human trafficking and sexual exploitation.
Funds from this special assessment are to be deposited into the
Domestic Trafficking Victims' Fund operated by the Department.
The Committee encourages the Attorney General to use funds
provided under this bill to ensure that Assistant U.S.
Attorneys are specifically trained on the mandatory nature and
enforcement of this special assessment, including the
imposition of liens under 18 U.S.C. 3613, to provide additional
funding, resources, and services for the victims of human
trafficking and law enforcement officials involved in the
elimination of this crime.
Human Trafficking Justice Coordinators.--The Committee
appreciates the recent appointment of a National Human
Trafficking Coordinator, consistent with the requirements of
section 15 of the Abolish Human Trafficking Act (Public Law
115-392). The Committee directs the Department to continue to
comply with all requirements of Public Law 115-392, including
the appointment of human trafficking justice coordinators in
each USAO. The Committee further directs the Department to
submit a report, within 90 days of the date of the enactment of
this act, on the implementation of Public Law 115-392 and the
National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking.
Departmental Efforts to Combat Crimes Against Children.--
The Committee directs the Department to continue submitting
this report to Congress every 2 years, consistent with the
requirements of 34 U.S.C. 21111(b). Separately, the Department
has not followed the direction provided in the joint
explanatory statements accompanying Public Laws 116-260 and
117-103 to submit a report on staffing and funding for the
office of the National Coordinator for Child Exploitation
Prevention and Interdiction, including staffing, travel, and
temporary duty travel expenses, within 30 days of enactment of
this act. The information regarding the budget of the National
Coordinator is to be submitted immediately.
Constitutional Policing.--The Committee directs the
Department to enforce constitutional policing statutes,
including 34 U.S.C. 12601, which may require the use of consent
decrees as necessary, where constitutional policing standards
are not being upheld.
Enforcement of Federal Hate Crimes Laws.--The Committee
remains concerned by the rise in reported incidents of bias-
motivated and hate crimes in the United States in the last
several years. The Committee appreciates the work of the
Community Relations Service [CRS], the Civil Rights Division
[CRT], U.S. Attorneys' Offices, and the FBI to enforce the
Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act
(Public Law 111-84). The Department shall continue to fully and
expeditiously implement the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act (Public
Law 117-13), and report to the Committees on Appropriations and
Judiciary of the House and the Senate, within 90 days of
enactment of this act, on all actions and expenditures to date
to implement this legislation. In light of ongoing trends
regarding hate crimes, the Committee further directs the
Department to continue to prioritize this work and to
aggressively investigate and prosecute these crimes, which
affect entire communities.
Combating Domestic Terrorism.--The Committee remains
concerned by the significant threat posed by violent domestic
terrorists and extremists and directs the FBI and the
Department to vigorously investigate and prosecute incidents of
domestic terrorism. The Committee appreciates the recognition
of this threat through the formation of the Domestic Terrorism
Unit within the National Security Division and directs the
Department to maintain this unit. The Committee directs the
Domestic Terrorism Executive Committee to continue to meet on a
regular basis and coordinate with United States Attorneys and
other key public safety officials across the country to promote
information sharing and ensure an effective, responsive, and
organized joint effort to combat domestic terrorism.
The Committee further directs the Department to review the
anti-terrorism training and resource programs that the
Department provides to Federal, State, local, and Tribal law
enforcement agencies, and ensure that such programs include
training and resources to assist these law enforcement agencies
in understanding, detecting, deterring, and investigating acts
of domestic terrorism. The Committee directs the Department to
report to the Committees on Appropriations and the Judiciary,
within 90 days of enactment of this act, on the Department's
assessment of the domestic terrorism threat, and an analysis of
incidents or attempted incidents of domestic terrorism that
occurred in the United States during the preceding fiscal year.
Human Rights Crimes.--The Committee remains concerned by
the large number of suspected serious human rights violators
from foreign countries who have found safe haven in the United
States. The Committee directs the Criminal Division [CRM] and
USAO to increase efforts to investigate and prosecute these
crimes, including genocide, torture, use or recruitment of
child soldiers, war crimes, and other crimes committed by human
rights violators, particularly to support the newly-established
War Crimes Accountability Team's efforts to respond to war
crimes and other atrocities committed during Russia's invasion
of Ukraine and the added responsibilities of the CRM to
prosecute war criminals under the Justice for Victims of War
Crimes Act (Public Law 117-351). For this purpose, the
Committee's recommendation supports continued funding for CRM
and USAO to investigate and prosecute these cases.
The Committee is concerned by the low number of
investigations and prosecutions of human rights violators and
directs the Department to report to the Committees on
Appropriations and the Judiciary, within 120 days of enactment
of this act, on all investigations and prosecutions of human
rights offenses and other offenses committed by serious human
rights violators within each of the last five fiscal years,
including the efforts of CRM and USAO to increase the number of
prosecutions. The report should also include any organizational
or legal impediments to investigating and prosecuting more
human rights violators.
Violence Against Indigenous Women.--In consultation with
Tribal governments, the Department shall assess and update the
best practices for the investigation and prosecution of
violence against Native American and Alaska Native women.
Additionally, DOJ shall provide an update on the review of the
sufficiency and prioritization of its grant programs aimed at
survivors of such violence, including temporary and
transitional housing, education, and workforce development
assistance, and shall include the results of this updated
review, along with the plan to communicate such grant
opportunities to Tribal governments and organizations, with the
fiscal year 2025 spending plan. DOJ shall provide Congress with
a report on the usage and implementation of the Tribal set-
aside funding from Public Law 117-328 that supports programs
and initiatives in Indian Country and Alaska Native Villages.
The joint explanatory statement accompanying Public Law 117-328
directed the Department to submit a report on the status of
implementing the recommendations published in the Government
Accountability Office [GAO] report 22-104045, entitled
``Missing or Murdered Indigenous Women: New Efforts Are
Underway but Opportunities Exist to Improve the Federal
Response'', within 90 days of enactment. The Department has
failed to do so and the Committee directs the immediate
submission of this report.
Combatting Violent Crime in Indian Country.--The Committee
encourages U.S. Attorneys to prioritize efforts to investigate
and prosecute violent crimes against Native Americans and
Alaska Natives that occur in Indian Country, to maintain
communication with victims and family members about the status
of ongoing investigations and cases, and to provide as much
information as possible on any declinations. The Committee is
concerned about the relatively low number of DOJ and FBI
investigative resources in Indian Country and encourages DOJ
and FBI, in consultation with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and
State, local, and Tribal law enforcement agencies, to increase
resources, including additional FBI agents, to investigate,
respond to, and prevent crimes in Indian Country. The Committee
further encourages the FBI to increase recruitment, retention,
and placement efforts in order to fill existing positions in
areas with large land-based Tribes or with high instances of
Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons cases.
Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crimes Act.--The
Committee fully supports the goals of the Emmett Till Unsolved
Civil Rights Crimes Reauthorization Act of 2016 (Public Law
114-325) to investigate and prosecute previously unresolved
civil rights era ``cold case'' murders suspected of having been
racially motivated. These efforts are conducted through a
partnership among the FBI, CRT, CRS, State and local law
enforcement officials, and other eligible entities. The
Committee directs that the Department provide $15,000,000 for
Emmett Till Act activities, including $10,000,000 for the FBI
and CRT's Cold Case Initiative; $1,500,000 for CRS to partner
with law enforcement agencies and communities to help resolve
conflicts resulting from the investigation of unsolved civil
rights era cases; and $3,500,000 for grants to State and local
law enforcement agencies for use of modern DNA and forensic
tools to aid civil rights era cold case investigations.
Zero Trust Architecture.--The Committee continues to
support the Department's Information Technology Strategic Plan
for Fiscal Years 2022-2025, particularly as it implements the
Office of Management and Budget's [OMB] M-22-09 Federal Zero
Trust Strategy. The Committee is aware of the ongoing cyber
threats nation-States and other actors pose to the Department
and other agencies and believes that the use of zero trust
architecture, among other protective methods, could mitigate a
significant number of these risks. The Department was directed
to submit a report on its efforts to implement zero trust
architecture with 120 days of enactment of Public Law 118-42
and has failed to do so. The Committee directs the immediate
submission of this report.
Financial Fraud.--The Committee recognizes that older
Americans are increasingly targeted by criminals seeking to
swindle them out of their hard-earned life savings through an
ever-growing array of financial schemes and scams. The
Committee commends the Department's work to combat these crimes
in recent years, including through its dedicated Elder Justice
Initiative. The Committee directs the Attorney General to
continue to prioritize Departmental resources to ensure that
reports of financial fraud, including scams against senior
citizens, are thoroughly investigated, with the goal of
bringing the perpetrators of these crimes to justice.
McGirt v. Oklahoma.--The Committee directs the Department
to ensure that all McGirt-related needs are addressed, and
further directs the Department to allocate no less than the
fiscal year 2024 enacted levels for these purposes for each
component. The Committee further directs the Department to keep
the Committee apprised of all resource requirements relating to
McGirt, and, within 90 days of the enactment of this act, to
submit a report on the breakdown of cases per USAO attorney in
Oklahoma; estimated caseloads for the next fiscal year; and how
these statistics compares with other USAOs around the country.
The report shall further describe the number and types of
charged cases compared to all referrals received; the
jurisdictions from which cases were referred; and the general
reasons for why cases were not accepted.
Reentry Guidance for Prison Education Programs.--The
Committee encourages DOJ, in collaboration with the Department
of Education, to develop and provide technical assistance and
guidance to the Bureau of Prisons, State departments of
corrections, and other entities that are responsible for
overseeing correctional facilities on how to support
individuals who are preparing to leave prison, reentering their
communities, and either continuing their education or seeking
employment. The Committee directs the Department to provide
guidance on best practices in integrating reentry planning for
participants in prison education programs. This guidance should
address evidence-based strategies to ensure successful reentry,
including by securing employment or continuing their education.
Election Threats Task Force.--The Committee is concerned by
the rise in threats against election workers, administrators,
officials, and others associated with the electoral process.
Therefore, the Committee directs the Department to prioritize
investigations into threats made against election workers,
administrators, officials, and volunteers. The Committee also
commends DOJ for establishing an Election Threats Task Force to
address threats of violence against election workers, and to
ensure that all election workers are permitted to do their jobs
free from threats and intimidation. In order to improve
outreach to election workers and organizations representing
them, the Committee directs the Department to make all policies
and procedures related to submitting threat reports, and
understanding what to expect after filing a report, as well as
the rights and protections offered to election workers,
administrators, officials, and volunteers under current law,
publicly available on its website.
Better Cybercrime Metrics Act.--The Committee supports the
directives described for DOJ in the Better Cybercrime Metrics
Act (Public Law 117-116), including the development of a
taxonomy for categorizing different types of cybercrime faced
by individuals and businesses; the establishment of a category
in NIBRS for collecting cybercrime reports from Federal, State,
and local officials; and the addition of questions concerning
cybercrime in the annual National Crime Victimization Survey.
Sextortion.--The Committee is concerned about the rise of
sextortion, a practice that transnational criminal
organizations use to ensnare minor and adult Americans. The
Committee urges the Nation's Internet Crimes Against Children
Task Forces as well as State and local law enforcement agencies
to prioritize the investigation of these crimes, while also
conducting prevention and education seminars for parents,
teenagers and adolescents about the dangers of sextortion with
recommendations on how to avoid being victimized while also
seeking help from trusted adults and law enforcement. The
Committee also urges the Department and the FBI to use its
authority to investigate these practices. Additionally, the
Committee directs the Department and FBI to brief the Committee
and to make recommendations for legislative changes necessary
to better combat these practices.
Analysis of Digital Evidence.--The Department's law
enforcement components increasingly rely on the analysis of
digital evidence in the course of their investigations. The
Department is directed to provide a report, within 1 year of
the date of the enactment of this act, on the conclusions and
recommendations of the eLitigation Steering Committee. The
report should address opportunities and challenges the
components are facing with respect to processing backlogs;
training requirements for digital forensic examiners and agents
that use digital evidence in criminal investigations; technical
and legal impediments to secure transmission and sharing with
law enforcement and governmental partners; methods for secure
and centralized storage; reliance on the use of removable
media; and any resource challenges or gaps with respect to
digital evidence.
Law Enforcement Advanced Analytics.--The Department's law
enforcement components, including the Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives [ATF], DEA, and the FBI,
increasingly rely on the analysis of huge volumes of
information, including open source information, in the conduct
of investigations and the execution of their public safety
missions. Within the funding recommendations for each agency,
the Committee directs ATF, DEA, and the FBI to implement
software using advanced analytics to correlate open source,
commercial, and native agency data. Advanced analytics and data
correlation can act as a force multiplier for each agency,
supplementing and providing investigative leads and increasing
velocity of investigations. The Committee directs the
Department to submit, within 90 days of the enactment of this
act, a report detailing how the Department's law enforcement
components are implementing advanced analytics solutions.
COVID-19 Fraud.--The Committee remains appalled by the
individuals who, in a time of grave national crisis, enriched
themselves through fraud against unemployment insurance and
other pandemic-related aid programs. The Committee commends the
Department for prioritizing the investigation and prosecution
of such crimes. Within 180 days of the date of the enactment of
this act, the Criminal Division, the Civil Division, and the
Executive Office for United States Attorneys shall individually
report on their respective efforts to address COVID-19 related
fraud. This report shall describe: all relevant metrics,
including the number of indictments and convictions, the
amounts contemplated by settlements and judgments, and the
amounts of actual recoveries, by fiscal year and by program; an
estimate of the scope of criminal activity, including an
estimate of the amount of losses to the United States
Government; and a detailed description of each components'
strategic plan for addressing fraud pandemic-related aid
programs, with specific attention to unemployment insurance
fraud.
Investigating and Prosecuting Cyber Crime.--The Committee
recognizes the growing threat of cyber crime that crosses
borders and commends the efforts taken by the Office of
International Affairs, Computer Crime and Intellectual Property
Section, and the FBI's Cyber Assistant Legal Attaches [ALATs].
The Committee is encouraged by the FBI's expansion of the Cyber
ALAT Program, which works with international partners to
increase investigation efficiencies, enhance evidentiary
exchange, and conduct joint cyber operations. In light of the
challenges posed by evolving technologies and strategies, the
Committee directs the Department to ensure adequate resources
are available for investigations and prosecutions to keep pace
with growing cyber threats in order to build partner country
capacity and successfully prosecute crimes to secure justice
for victims and deter future criminal behavior.
Departmental Consultations.--The joint explanatory
statement accompanying Public Law 118-42 directed the
Department, within 90 days of the enactment of that law, to
provide a briefing on ways the Department consults with and
utilizes non-government organizations and non-profit entities
to track extremist groups operating in the United States,
including how the Department utilizes investigative reports,
law enforcement trainings, intelligence, hate maps, and reports
provided by such non-governmental organizations and non-profit
entities. The Committee reiterates this directive and expects
immediate compliance.
Combatting Cargo Theft.--The Committee is concerned with
the alarming rise in supply chain fraud and cargo theft
throughout the railroad, commercial motor vehicle, and
intermodal transportation systems. The Committee recognizes
that cargo theft offenses are often associated with organized
crime syndicates, drug trafficking, and illicit finance, and
have a significant adverse impact on the United States economy.
The Committee directs the Department to provide a briefing,
within 120 days of the date of enactment of this act, on plans
to establish regional task forces, led by the FBI and in
partnership with Homeland Security Investigations, the
Transportation Security Administration, the Federal Motor
Carrier Safety Administration, and Federal, State, and local
enforcement agencies, to investigate and refer related cases
for prosecution.
Illegal E-Cigarette Coordination & Enforcement.--The
Committee is concerned that the wide availability of
unauthorized e-cigarettes has contributed to millions of
children using addictive vapor products, despite the statutory
pre-market authorization requirement. The Department has
commenced the first injunctions against manufacturers of
illegal e-cigarettes; however, the Committee notes this only
captures a small fraction of violative products and that there
is no safe harbor for an unauthorized e-cigarette with a
pending application. The Committee supports the recent multi-
agency task force to combat this problem, and directs the
Department, within 90 days of the enactment of this act, to
submit a report detailing the task force's activities. The
report shall specifically describe the task force's enforcement
activities, including the investigation and prosecution of
criminal, civil, seizure, and forfeiture actions, including
enforcement actions against unauthorized e-cigarette
manufacturers with pending applications and large market
shares, and shall assess what additional criminal or civil
authorities may be necessary to address this public health
threat. The Department is further directed to provide a
briefing to the Committee upon submission of the report.
Federal Drug-Free School Zones.--The Department appreciates
the Department's clarification that section 531 of this act
does not explicitly preclude the USAOs from enforcing section
860 of title 21, United States Code. The Committee encourages
the Department to continue to work to ensure that areas with
young children, including schools and playgrounds, remain drug-
free.
Protecting Veterans' Benefits.--The Committee understands
that filing for benefits through the Department of Veterans
Affairs [VA] can be a time-consuming and complex process.
Veterans have access to both veteran service organizations and
accredited representatives to assist them through this process.
The Committee also recognizes, however, that there are a
variety of unaccredited entities working in the disability
claims space. The Department, in consultation with the
Department of Veterans Affairs, is directed to examine the use
of unaccredited claims representatives in the disability claims
filing process and report to the Committees on Appropriations
and Veterans' Affairs, within 180 days of enactment of this
act, with recommendations on legislative, enforcement, and
administrative actions needed to increase transparency and
accountability and address unaccredited claims representatives.
Voting Rights.--The Attorney General is directed to
prioritize resources to enforce the civil provisions of Federal
laws that protect the right to vote, including the Voting
Rights Act, the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting
Act, the National Voter Registration Act, the Help America Vote
Act, and the Civil Rights Acts.
Protecting Voting Access.--The Committee urges the
Department to include rapidly growing language minority
populations in its priority efforts to enforce the civil
provisions of Federal laws that protect the right to vote.
Within 180 days of enactment of this act, the Committee directs
the Department to submit a report detailing the Department's
actions to protect voting access for rapidly growing language
minority populations and any additional resources necessary to
accomplish this objective.
Combatting the Continued Methamphetamine Crisis.--The
Committee notes that many communities and families continue to
suffer from a longstanding and reemerging methamphetamine
crisis. In many States, particularly in rural areas,
methamphetamine-related deaths outnumber those from heroin. The
Committee recognizes the strain methamphetamines place on
families, communities, rural health providers, and law
enforcement agencies, including the disproportionate burden to
Tribal communities. The Committee continues its commitment to
combatting the methamphetamine crisis, including through
increased funding for numerous DOJ grant programs and the DEA.
Illegal Growing Operations.--The Committee directs the
Department to submit a report, within 90 days of the enactment
of this act, assessing the proliferation of illegal marijuana
growing operations associated with foreign nationals. The
report shall be coordinated among the FBI, DEA, and the
Executive Office for United States Attorneys, and shall
specifically assess: (1) the extent of illegal growing
operations in the United States that are associated with
foreign nationals; (2) any connections or links to Chinese
transnational criminal organizations and/or the government of
the People's Republic of China; and (3) the Federal resources
that can be deployed to support State, local, and Tribal law
enforcement efforts. The report may be transmitted through
classified channels as necessary and appropriate. The Committee
urges the Department, in coordination with Federal law
enforcement partners, to fully support State, local, and Tribal
law enforcement agencies in their efforts on this matter.
Voting-related Activities.--The Committee notes that the
Department has not yet provided the briefing required under
this caption in the explanatory statement accompanying Public
Law 118-42. As such, the Committee directs the Attorney General
to provide to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses
of Congress a briefing, within 30 days after enactment of this
act, regarding any strategic plans developed by the Department
since January 20, 2021 outlining ways for the Department to
promote voter registration and voter participation.
Prosecutions Data.--The Committee recognizes and remains
concerned by the increase in crimes directed towards places of
worship. Therefore, the Committee directs the Department to
submit a report, no later than 90 days after the enactment of
this act, on the number of individuals charged under the 18
U.S.C. 248(a)(2) or (3) relating to places of worship, the
number of instances when the defendant was taken to trial, and
the ultimate outcome of the trial.
Prior Directives and Outstanding Reports.--The joint
explanatory statement accompanying Public Law 118-42 adopted
language in Senate Report 118-62 captioned ``Attorney
Compensation Comparability Study'', ``Law Enforcement in the
United States Antarctic Program [USAP]'', ``Departmental
Aircraft'', ``Protecting Children from Online Predators'',
``Illegal Gambling'' (as modified in the joint explanatory
statement), ``National Incident-Based Reporting System
[NIBRS]'', ``Illegal Streaming Services'', and ``Wildlife
Trafficking''. The Committee adopts these passages, reiterates
any reporting requirements, and looks forward to their timely
submission.
Spending Plan.--In compliance with section 528 of this act,
the Committee directs the Department to submit a spending plan
within 45 days of enactment of this act. The Committee notes
that the Department has intentionally delayed or withheld
prior-year spending plans because it is continuing to consider
specific, isolated matters. The Committee directs the
Department to submit a substantially complete spend plan by the
statutory deadline, reserving only those specific, isolated
matters that remain under consideration.
JUSTICE OPERATIONS, MANAGEMENT, AND ACCOUNTABILITY
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $142,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 163,905,000
Committee recommendation................................ 145,000,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $145,000,000 for
Justice Operations, Management, and Accountability [JOMA]
salaries and expenses. The recommendation is $3,000,000 above
the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and $18,905,000 below the
budget request.
The JOMA account, previously named the General
Administration account, provides funding for senior policy
officials responsible for Departmental management and policy
development. The specific offices funded by this account
include the immediate Office of the Attorney General [OAG]; the
immediate Office of the Deputy Attorney General [ODAG]; the
immediate Office of the Associate Attorney General; Office of
Legal Policy; Office of Public Affairs; Office of Legislative
Affairs [OLA]; Office of Professional Responsibility; and the
Justice Management Division [JMD].
Timely Responses to Committee Inquiries and Meeting Report
Deadlines.--The Committee has both budgetary and oversight
responsibilities, and requests for additional information from
the Chairs, Vice Chair, Ranking Member, or their Committee
staff to any Department component should be treated as a
priority for the Department and responded to both courteously
and expeditiously.
The Committee again reminds the Department that deadlines
directed in Committee reports or explanatory statement language
are not merely suggestions. The Department is to immediately
submit reports that remain outstanding from fiscal year 2024.
Efforts should be immediately undertaken not only to submit
these delayed reports, but also to ensure that full and
complete information is provided.
JUSTICE INFORMATION SHARING TECHNOLOGY
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $30,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 202,395,000
Committee recommendation................................ 155,029,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $155,029,000 for
Justice Information Sharing Technology. The recommendation is
$125,029,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and
$47,366,000 below the budget request.
EXECUTIVE OFFICE FOR IMMIGRATION REVIEW
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $844,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 981,133,000
Committee recommendation................................ 860,000,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $860,000,000 for
the Executive Office for Immigration Review [EOIR], of which
$4,000,000 is a transfer from the U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services Immigration Examinations Fee account. The
recommendation is $16,000,000 above the fiscal year 2024
enacted level and $121,133,000 below the budget request. This
account funds EOIR, including the Board of Immigration Appeals
[BIA], immigration judges, and administrative law judges who
decide through administrative hearings whether to admit or
exclude aliens seeking to enter the country and whether to
deport or adjust the status of aliens whose status has been
challenged.
Case Backlog and Reporting Requirements.--The Committee
remains deeply concerned by the growing backlog of cases in our
immigration courts. The current caseload exceeds three million
cases.
The Committee continues to direct the Department to submit
an updated immigration judge [IJ] team cost break out, which
should include salary, position, interpretation contract costs,
and rent and facility costs, in its monthly hiring reports to
the Committee. There should be a standardized baseline for what
constitutes an IJ team cost, and when there are deviations from
this baseline, EOIR shall include this in its monthly report by
court location.
As directed in the joint explanatory statement accompanying
Public Law 117-328, EOIR shall continue to submit monthly
performance and operating reports detailing the backlog of
cases and the hiring of new IJ teams. These reports shall
continue to include the cost break outs for IJ teams. As part
of the monthly reporting requirement, EOIR shall continue to
report on any IJs sent on a temporary basis to any court
outside of their assigned location including the number of days
designated for the temporary assignment, the location of the
temporary assignment, and the IJs home location. The Committee
believes that consistent policies regarding docket management
and case adjudication will also allow IJs to reduce the
overwhelming backlog. The Committee directs EOIR to continue to
make its hiring processes for new IJs publicly available and to
update its website within 30 days if any of the IJ hiring
processes or rules change.
Additionally, the Committee directs EOIR to report on the
implementation of its case processing time standards and
quotas, including how many judges met those metrics; how those
metrics have affected the case backlog; and any employment
actions taken against IJs as a result of these metrics. EOIR
shall update the Committee if any of the IJ hiring, training,
or performance management processes or rules change.
Immigration Judge Hiring.--The Committee understands that a
large number of supervisory IJ positions at EOIR were created
in prior years, reducing the number of IJs available to
adjudicate cases. The Attorney General shall ensure that IJs
hired in fiscal year 2025 will adjudicate cases as their
primary function. The Committee directs the Department to
continue filling vacant IJ and BIA positions with highly
qualified individuals who are trained to conduct fair and
impartial adjudications. The Committee further directs EOIR to
select individuals from a diverse pool of candidates to include
candidates with non-governmental, academic, and private bar
experience, to conduct fair, impartial hearings consistent with
due process.
Immigration Judge Training.--The Committee directs EOIR to
review its training, to retrain all judges currently on a
probationary period, and to increase the frequency and
availability of training for IJs outside the probationary
period. The Committee directs the Department to ensure IJ
training emphasizes due process, humanitarian protections, and
cultural sensitivity and includes diverse training faculty,
including from the private bar, the non-governmental
organization [NGO] community, and academia.
Videoteleconferencing [VTC].--The Committee directs EOIR to
make publicly available on its website all policies and
procedures related to EOIR's use of VTC, including policies and
procedures for immigration adjudication centers.
EOIR shall also provide publicly on its website a list of
locations where immigration judges are stationed and detailed,
the corresponding docket location, and type of docket. The
Committee directs EOIR to require immigration judges to
consistently input each time a master calendar or individual
merits hearing was conducted via video to allow for data
collection on the use and impact of VTC. To get feedback on the
use of VTC hearings, the agency should, in conjunction with a
stakeholder working group, create uniform standards for issues
such as when a hearing must be adjourned; how to access real-
time technical assistance; filing and presentation of evidence;
camera placement; and interpretation best practices.
The Committee directs EOIR to continue to provide quarterly
reports to the Committee on the number and type of hearings
conducted by VTC as described in the fiscal year 2020 joint
explanatory statement and reaffirmed in the fiscal year 2022
and fiscal year 2024 joint explanatory statements, including
data on appeals related to the use of VTC and the number of in-
person hearing motions filed and their outcomes. Statistics
should be broken out by representation, family unit, and
detention statuses.
Interpretation Transparency.--EOIR is directed to continue
to ensure appropriate language access is available for all
respondents, including indigenous language speakers, and should
inform the Committee of special resource needs as well as
identify any possible opportunities for sharing of interpreter
resources with other Federal agencies. The Committee further
directs that EOIR continue to submit, on a quarterly basis, the
number of continuances or adjournments issued for reasons
related to interpretation issues for both in-person appearance
and VTC, as well as whether the respondent was detained at the
time of the continuance.
EOIR Technology Improvements.--The Committee recommendation
includes up to the fiscal year 2024 enacted level for EOIR to
improve its technology systems, including for ongoing
development of its electronic case management system [ECAS] and
the digitization of older paper records. EOIR is further
directed to continue to provide quarterly updates to the
Committee on its ongoing development of the ECAS.
VTC Data and Reporting.--The Committee continues to direct
EOIR to collect real-time data indicating each time a master
calendar or individual merits hearing is conducted via VTC to
allow for better statistical data collection to help determine
whether VTC has an outcome determinative impact. This
information is to be provided in the quarterly reports
submitted to the Committee and should include the number and
type of hearings conducted by VTC, including data on appeals
cases related to the use of VTC, and the number of in-person
hearing motions filed. The Committee further directs EOIR to
make all policies and procedures related to EOIR's use of VTC,
including EOIR's immigration adjudication centers and temporary
facilities, as well as a list of locations where IJs are
stationed and detailed, the corresponding docket location, type
of docket, and policies for public and media access for
locations using VTC, publicly available on its website.
BIA Pro Bono Project.--Developed by EOIR and several NGOs,
the BIA Pro Bono Project connects pro se respondents with pro
bono counsel in BIA proceedings. Representation can reduce
procedural errors and enables BIA to provide more effective and
timely case review. The Committee encourages continuation of
the program and directs EOIR to report, within 30 days of the
enactment of this act, on the number cases referred to NGOs and
pro bono legal representatives.
Legal Orientation Program [LOP].--The Committee supports
LOP, which was created in 2003 and currently informs more than
50,000 detained non-citizens per year about their legal rights
and responsibilities in immigration court. The Committee
emphasizes that LOP benefits taxpayers by increasing the
efficiency of immigration proceedings and reducing costs
related to immigration detention. According to a 2012 DOJ
report transmitted to this Committee, LOP services resulted in
net savings to the Government of more than $17,800,000.
The Committee's recommendation includes no less than
$29,000,000 for services provided by LOP, including $5,000,000
for the operation of the Immigration Help Desk [ICH]. LOP
funding is also provided for LOP for Custodians [LOPC] and the
LOPC Call Center, including efforts, pursuant to the
Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008
(Public Law 110-457), for custodians of unaccompanied,
undocumented children to address the custodian's responsibility
for the child's appearance at all immigration proceedings and
to protect the child from mistreatment, exploitation, and
trafficking. The Committee directs the Department to continue
all LOP services and activities, including that of the ICH,
without interruption, including during any review of the
program, and ensure continuity of staffing and service
regardless of fluctuations in the immigration court docket or
in the population in the detention centers served. The
Committee further directs that all component parts of the LOP
program, including the ICH, be operated by non-profit NGOs with
demonstrated immigration law expertise.
Currently, the LOP activities for detained adults only
serve approximately one-quarter of immigration detention
centers. The Committee recommends that EOIR work toward a goal
of ensuring access to LOP for all detainees, and requests an
evaluation of the resources necessary to provide LOP services
at additional sites. The Committee directs that attention be
paid to geographic equity as LOP expands, and the Committee
notes the particular need for legal services at more remote
immigration detention sites that are far from legal service
providers in urban centers. The Committee directs the
Department to utilize all appropriated funds solely for
legitimate program purposes.
Disposition of EOIR Adjudications.--The joint explanatory
statement accompanying Public Law 117-103 directed EOIR to
coordinate with the Department of Homeland Security [DHS] to
brief the Committee, not later than 120 days after the date of
enactment of that law, about the steps that each agency takes
to effectuate and enforce rulings made by EOIR immigration
judges, once the case is considered final, and any challenges
EOIR and DHS face in this process. EOIR was further directed to
provide to the Committee, within 90 days of the date of
enactment of that law and monthly thereafter, and in
collaboration with DHS, a report that provides metrics on the
number of final orders of removal issued by EOIR that have
resulted in actual removals by DHS during the previous month.
Such report was to separately identify any such order for which
the law does not permit DHS to effectuate the removal within
the period reported. The report was to describe instances where
removals have not been effectuated due to external
circumstances, such as recalcitrant countries or visa
sanctions.
The Committee renews this directive, and further directs
that this information be provided on a quarterly basis.
Furthermore, the Committee directs EOIR to maintain and
make available on its public website, not later than 180 days
after the date of enactment of this act, a database tracking
appeals from findings of no credible fear or no reasonable
fear.
Online Address Change System.--The Committee recommends
that EOIR take steps to develop and pilot a centralized online
mechanism that enables individuals going through all
immigration court proceedings to change their address online
directly with EOIR and automatically provide service to
Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
EOIR-NGO Working Group.--The Committee remains concerned
about the hearing notice process and looks forward to the
receiving the report directed in the joint explanatory
statement accompanying Public Law 117-103 under the heading
``EOIR Working Group''.
Children's Cases in Immigration Court.--The Committee
supports the Director's Memorandum on Children's Cases in
Immigration Court (DM 24-01), which provides a framework on
which to improve the fairness and efficiency in immigration
adjudications involving children. The Committee encourages
implementation of the memorandum and directs EOIR to submit a
report to the Committee, within 180 days of enactment of this
act, detailing implementation status. This report shall
address: the name and number of immigration courts implementing
juvenile dockets; training that has been provided to juvenile
docket judges; protocols for assessing individual court
compliance with the memorandum as well as corrective actions
taken in the event of noncompliance; methods that courts are
using to facilitate legal representation for children; any
immigration court resources conserved by utilization of
juvenile dockets; and other relevant matters, as appropriate.
Office of Inspector General
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $139,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 166,590,000
Committee recommendation................................ 146,000,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $146,000,000 for
the Office of Inspector General [OIG]. The recommendation is
$7,000,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and
$20,590,000 below the budget request.
This account finances the activities of the OIG, including
audits, inspections, investigations, and other reviews of
programs and operations of the Department to promote efficiency
and effectiveness, and to prevent and detect fraud, waste, and
abuse, as well as violations of ethical standards arising from
the conduct of Department employees in their numerous and
diverse activities.
Bureau of Prisons [BOP] Oversight.--Over the last three
fiscal years, the OIG has received more than 27,000 complaints,
many involving multiple subjects, regarding waste, fraud, or
abuse at the BOP. The Committee understands that approximately
50 percent of all OIG investigations involve allegations of BOP
misconduct. The Committee continues to support OIG's newly
established interdisciplinary team, which is working to enhance
its oversight of the BOP by, among other things, increasing the
number of BOP misconduct allegations accepted for
investigation; establishing a routine, unannounced inspection
program of BOP facilities; maximizing information sharing and
collaboration; and continuously identifying, assessing, and
tracking significant risks in BOP programs and operations to
assist OIG leadership with identifying oversight priorities and
the most effective use of OIG resources.
Expansion of the OIG's Unannounced Inspections Program.--
The Committee recognizes the OIG's responsiveness to the
Committee's direction to create an interdisciplinary BOP
oversight team. The OIG reports that the BOP oversight team has
conducted unannounced inspections of BOP facilities, and those
inspections have resulted in significant findings and
recommendations related to the proper care and custody of
inmates at those facilities. The Committee believes that
expanding the OIG's unannounced inspection program would
produce similar benefits if applied to DOJ's other law
enforcement components. The Committee directs the OIG to
provide the Committee with an assessment of the potential
costs, staffing needs, and potential oversight benefits of
expanding its unannounced inspection program to other DOJ
components.
Review of the FBI Employee Disciplinary Process.--The
Committee recognizes the OIG's prior oversight work on the
FBI's disciplinary process. Most recently, the OIG conducted a
review of the FBI's adjudication process for misconduct
investigations and made recommendations to the FBI to ensure
accountability by completing investigations and adjudications
in all misconduct matters, even where the employee separates
during an investigation. The Committee directs the OIG to
continue its oversight of the FBI disciplinary process, by
assessing three additional topics to promote internal and
public confidence in this process, including: (1) a follow up
on the previous OIG recommendations, including steps taken by
the FBI to ensure that all investigations and adjudications are
completed, even if the employee separates during the
investigation; (2) a comprehensive review of the FBI's appeal
process for misconduct adjudications, to ensure consistency in
that process, regardless of the level of the employee appealing
the adjudication decision; and (3) the due process that is
afforded to FBI and other DOJ law enforcement personnel after a
security clearance is suspended. The OIG shall issue the
results of these reviews, which the Committee expects may be
completed in one or more than one report, including any
recommendations, within 90 days of the enactment of this act,
as OIG determines is appropriate and practicable.
Presidential Nominating Convention [PNC] Security Grants.--
Consistent with longstanding practice, OIG is directed to
conduct audits of the fiscal year 2024 PNC program. The audits
shall include an evaluation of the Office of Justice Program's
standards for determining allowable expenses, and the
sufficiency of the nexus between allowable expenses and (1) the
statutory authority for the program, and (2) the Department's
criminal justice and law enforcement missions.
United States Parole Commission
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $14,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 15,530,000
Committee recommendation................................ 14,591,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $14,591,000 for the
United States Parole Commission. The recommendation is $591,000
above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and $939,000 below the
budget request.
Legal Activities
SALARIES AND EXPENSES, GENERAL LEGAL ACTIVITIES
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $1,090,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 1,194,493,000
Committee recommendation................................ 1,130,000,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $1,130,000,000 for
General Legal Activities salaries and expenses. The
recommendation is $40,000,000 above the fiscal year 2024
enacted level and $64,493,000 below the budget request.
This account funds the establishment of litigation policy,
conduct of litigation, and various other legal responsibilities
through the Office of the Solicitor General, the Tax Division,
CRM, the Civil Division, the Environment and Natural Resources
Division [ENRD], CRT, the Office of Legal Counsel, INTERPOL
Washington, the Office of Pardon Attorney, and the Office for
Access to Justice.
INTERPOL Washington.--From within the funds provided for
General Legal Activities, the Committee directs the Department
to provide no less than the fiscal year 2024 level for INTERPOL
Washington. The Committee has provided no-year authority in the
amount of $900,000 to ensure sufficient resources are available
for INTERPOL Washington's increasing dues payments and help the
Department better manage fluctuations in currency exchange
rates.
The Committee supports INTERPOL Washington's request for
additional investigative analysts and law enforcement personnel
in order to support the growing case workload and requests from
international partners. In addition, the Committee continues to
support INTERPOL Washington's long overdue IT modernization
efforts. Should additional funding be needed, the Department is
encouraged to submit a reprogramming request in order to
complete this project. The Department is further directed to
support additional secondments of DOJ law enforcement, legal,
and other analytical personnel to INTERPOL General Secretariat.
Civil Rights.--The Committee provides no less than the
fiscal year 2024 enacted level to continue its efforts to
enforce civil rights laws; expand its capacity to prosecute and
provide litigation support for human trafficking, hate crimes,
and unsolved civil rights era crimes; carry out its
responsibilities associated with the civil rights of
institutionalized persons and the access rights of the
disabled; investigate and prosecute police misconduct; and
enhance the enforcement of fair housing and fair lending laws.
Civil Rights Violations in State and Local Prisons and
Jails.--The Committee continues to be concerned by reports of
civil rights violations in State and local prisons and jails
and directs CRT to increase efforts to investigate and address
violations of the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act
(Public Law 96-247) in State and local prisons and jails. The
Committee directs CRT to use such sums as necessary from
amounts appropriated in fiscal year 2025 to address such issues
in State and local prisons and jails.
Supplemental Environmental Projects.--The Committee
acknowledges that the Environmental and Natural Resources
Division's [ENRD] civil enforcement activity includes civil
violation remediation through supplemental environmental
projects [SEPs], which can provide tangible environmental or
public health benefits to the harmed community or environment.
The Committee encourages the Department to negotiate SEPs in
cases where such projects would benefit communities affected by
illegal pollution. The Committee appreciates the DOJ's guidance
on use of SEPs in civil enforcement alongside other enforcement
authorities, and further encourages the Department to consider
remaining barriers to their incorporation.
Animal Welfare Act Enforcement.--The Committee supports the
Memorandum of Understanding issued on March 8, 2024, between
DOJ and the U.S. Department of Agriculture [USDA] and their
joint commitment to enforcing the Animal Welfare Act [AWA]. The
Department is directed to continue coordinating and
collaborating with USDA on AWA enforcement cases to ensure the
DOJ receives necessary information regarding AWA violators, who
have multiple citations for conduct that seriously or adversely
affects the health or well-being of an animal, in a timely
manner. The Department shall report to the Committee, within 90
days of enactment of this act, on its AWA enforcement actions.
International Trade Crimes.--The Committee is concerned
with the rise in international trade crimes, including
violations of law undertaken in furtherance of the evasion of
duties, tariffs, restrictions, or requirements imposed by the
Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, the Tariff Act of 1930, the
Trade Expansion Act of 1962, and the Trade Act of 1974. The
Committee strongly supports the Criminal Division's efforts
with respect to the detection, investigation, and prosecution
of trade-related crimes, and directs the Division to provide
dedicated resources for these efforts. The focus of these
efforts should be enhancing nationwide responses to
transshipment and other trade-related crimes; assisting other
Federal agencies and State, local, and Tribal law enforcement
agencies with trade-related prosecutions; and collaborating
with international and private sector partners to detect,
investigate, and prosecute transshipment and trade-related
crimes. The Committee directs the Division to submit a report,
within 60 days of the enactment of this act, on the
implementation of this directive.
Seafood Importation Enforcement.--The Committee directs
ENRD, in consultation with EOUSA, within 6 months of the
enactment of this act, to submit a report detailing: (1) the
number of referrals it has received from the NOAA Office of Law
Enforcement regarding the false labeling or illegal importation
of foreign seafood; and (2) the number of charged cases from
those referrals. The Committee encourages ENRD and USAO to
expand efforts to combat the false labeling and illegal
importation of foreign seafood.
THE NATIONAL CHILDHOOD VACCINE INJURY ACT
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $22,700,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 36,738,000
Committee recommendation................................ 22,700,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $22,700,000 for
legal costs, to be derived from the Vaccine Injury Compensation
Trust Fund. The recommendation is equal to the fiscal year 2024
enacted level and $14,038,000 below the budget request.
However, according to the Department, the Vaccine Injury
Compensation Program anticipates carryover of approximately
$10,500,000 from fiscal year 2024 into fiscal year 2025.
This account covers the Department's expenses associated
with litigating cases under the National Childhood Vaccine
Injury Act of 1986 (Public Law 99-660).
SALARIES AND EXPENSES, ANTITRUST DIVISION
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $233,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 288,000,000
Committee recommendation................................ 288,000,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $288,000,000 for
the Antitrust Division. The recommendation is $55,000,000 above
the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and equal to the budget
request.
Consistent with section 605 of Public Law 101-162, all fees
collected by the Antitrust Division shall remain available to
the Antitrust Division until expended.
UNITED STATES ATTORNEYS
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $2,611,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 2,826,433,000
Committee recommendation................................ 2,664,000,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $2,664,000,000 for
the Executive Office for United States Attorneys [EOUSA] and
the 94 USAOs. The recommendation is $53,000,000 above the
fiscal year 2024 enacted level and $162,433,000 below the
budget request.
As in past years, the Committee directs the United States
Attorneys to focus their efforts on those crimes where the
unique resources, expertise, or jurisdiction of the Federal
Government can be most effective.
Civil Rights Prosecutions.--The Committee's recommendation
provides no less than the fiscal year 2024 level for continued
civil rights enforcement that will advance both criminal and
civil litigation, including the prosecution of sex and labor
trafficking.
MMIP Prosecutions.--The Committee is encouraged by the
steps the Department has taken to allocate new resources to
address the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons
and urges the Department to continue to increase resources and
improve coordination to investigate, respond to, and prevent
crimes in order to promote public safety in Tribal communities.
The Committee further recommends the Department ensure
sufficient resources are made available to sustain this work.
UNITED STATES TRUSTEE SYSTEM FUND
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $245,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 263,514,000
Committee recommendation................................ 250,000,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $250,000,000 for
the United States Trustee System Fund. The recommendation is
$5,000,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and
$13,514,000 below the budget request. The appropriation is
offset by $245,000,000 in fee collections.
The United States Trustee Program [USTP], authorized by 28
U.S.C. 581 et seq., is the component of the Department with
responsibility for protecting the integrity of the bankruptcy
system by overseeing case administration and litigation to
enforce the bankruptcy laws.
SALARIES AND EXPENSES, FOREIGN CLAIMS SETTLEMENT COMMISSION
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $2,504,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 2,656,000
Committee recommendation................................ 2,504,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $2,504,000 for the
Foreign Claims Settlement Commission. The recommendation is
equal to the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and $152,000 below
the budget request.
The Foreign Claims Settlement Commission settles claims of
American citizens arising from nationalization, expropriation,
or other takings of their properties and interests by foreign
governments.
FEES AND EXPENSES OF WITNESSES
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $270,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 320,000,000
Committee recommendation................................ 320,000,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $320,000,000 for
fees and expenses of witnesses. The recommendation is
$50,000,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and equal
to the budget request.
This appropriation, which is considered mandatory for
scorekeeping purposes, provides for fees and expenses of
witnesses who appear on behalf of the Government in cases in
which the United States is a party, including fact and expert
witnesses. These funds are also used for mental competency
examinations and witness and informant protection. The
Committee includes bill language prohibiting the Department
from transferring funds out of this account.
The Committee expects that no funds will be expended for
expert witness services, including the payment of fees and
expenses of expert witnesses, from any other DOJ accounts but
Fees and Expenses of Witnesses.
SALARIES AND EXPENSES, COMMUNITY RELATIONS SERVICE
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $24,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 29,088,000
Committee recommendation................................ 25,024,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $25,024,000 for
CRS. The recommendation is $1,024,000 above the fiscal year
2024 enacted level and $4,064,000 below the budget request.
Established by Title X of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
(Public Law 88-352), CRS provides assistance to communities and
persons in the prevention and resolution of disagreements
arising from discriminatory practices. The CRS is encouraged to
partner with and support community-based organizations when
possible in order to better support community-based
peacebuilding and violence prevention efforts.
Hate Crimes Prevention.--Within the recommendation, the
Committee provides no less than the fiscal year 2024 level to
handle the workload and responsibilities stemming from passage
of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes
Prevention Act [HCPA] (Public Law 111-84). The HCPA expanded
CRS's mandate, requiring that CRS help communities prevent and
respond to violent hate crimes committed on the basis of
gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, and
disability, in addition to race, color, and national origin.
This funding will maximize the CRS crisis response nationwide
and enable CRS to fulfill both its original mandate and
expanded mandate under the HCPA.
ASSETS FORFEITURE FUND
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $20,514,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 20,514,000
Committee recommendation................................ 20,514,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $20,514,000 for the
Assets Forfeiture Fund [AFF]. The recommendation is equal to
both the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and budget request.
United States Marshals Service
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $1,692,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 1,865,630,000
Committee recommendation................................ 1,733,000,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $1,733,000,000 for
United States Marshals Service [USMS] salaries and expenses.
The recommendation is $41,000,000 above the fiscal year 2024
enacted level and $132,630,000 below the budget request. The
core missions of USMS include the apprehension of fugitives;
protection of the Federal judiciary and witnesses; execution of
warrants and court orders; and the custody and transportation
of unsentenced prisoners. The Committee's recommended funding
level provides for workforce transformation efforts that will
ensure the USMS builds the most flexible, efficient workforce.
In addition to receiving direct appropriations, the
Committee is aware that USMS also receives funding from the
Department's AFF to augment salaries and expenses that are
intended to administer directly AFF-related activities like the
management and sale of forfeited assets. The Committee directs
the Department to continue to provide quarterly reports on
USMS's use of AFF funding, as directed in Senate Report 116-127
and adopted by Public Law 116-93.
Regional Fugitive Task Forces.--USMS is directed to begin
establishing regional fugitive task forces in the New England
and Midwest regions. Should USMS need additional resources to
fully fund this effort, funding from unobligated balances
should be used.
Judicial Security.--Over the last three fiscal years,
Congress has made critical investments in judicial security,
including the replacement of outdated home intrusion detections
systems, establishment of an open-source intelligence office
within the USMS Judicial Security Division, and additional
staffing. Given the ever-changing threat landscape, the
Committee directs USMS to provide quarterly reports on the cost
of protective details, threat assessments and intelligence, and
other needs required to protect the Federal judiciary.
In May 2022, the Marshal of the Supreme Court requested the
temporary assistance of the Department to secure the residences
of all nine United States Supreme Court Justices. The Attorney
General complied with the request and ordered the USMS to
provide security at each residence 24 hours per day, seven days
per week. Support from the USMS to the Supreme Court Police
[SCP] has been necessary on a temporary basis, but USMS is not
permanently staffed for this residential security mission and
continued redirection of USMS base resources will continue to
strain critical USMS missions nationwide. Accordingly, the
Committee supports the full USMS fiscal year 2025 request for
United States Supreme Court Protective Services. USMS shall
transition this residential security mission to the SCP by the
end of fiscal year 2026.
Justice Prisoner and Alien Transportation System [JPATS].--
JPATS coordinates and executes prisoner and detainee movements
for USMS and the Bureau of Prisons. JPATS also transports
Department of Defense and State and local prisoners on a
reimbursable, space-available basis. Within 180 days of the
date of the enactment of this act, USMS shall submit a report
assessing the utilization of JPATS by State and local law
enforcement.
Detention Facilities.--The Committee directs USMS to
submit, within 90 days of the enactment of this act, a report
on the continuing impact of Executive Order 14006 on detention
operations, including on budgetary resources, custody and
transportation logistics, and detainee constitutional rights.
The Committee reiterates the acknowledgment in the joint
explanatory statement accompanying Public Law 117-103 that the
Department has the discretion to make exceptions where there is
a lack of suitable government-operated detention space.
Leveraging Artificial Intelligence to Generate Actionable
Leads.--Within the funds provided, the Committee encourages
USMS to utilize existing technologies to acquire, analyze, and
transcribe non-privileged communications, to address fentanyl
trafficking and transnational gang activity in detention
facilities. The Committee directs USMS to submit a report,
within 180 days of the enactment of this act, describing the
deployment of these technologies.
CONSTRUCTION
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $15,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 18,000,000
Committee recommendation................................ 18,000,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $18,000,000 for
construction in space controlled, occupied, or utilized by USMS
in Federal courthouses and buildings, including but not limited
to the creation, renovation, and expansion of prisoner movement
areas, elevators, and other law enforcement and court security
support space. The recommendation is $3,000,000 above the
fiscal year 2024 enacted level and equal to the budget request.
FEDERAL PRISONER DETENTION
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $2,100,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 2,140,697,000
Committee recommendation................................ 2,240,697,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $2,240,697,000 for
Federal Prisoner Detention. The recommendation is $140,697,000
above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and $100,000,000 above
the budget request.
National Security Division
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $128,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 143,540,000
Committee recommendation................................ 133,512,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $133,512,000 for
the National Security Division [NSD]. The recommendation is
$5,512,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and
$10,028,000 below the budget request.
The NSD coordinates the Department's national security and
counterterrorism missions through law enforcement
investigations and prosecutions, and handles counterespionage
cases. The NSD works in coordination with the FBI, the
Intelligence Community, and USAO. Its primary function is to
prevent acts of terrorism and espionage from being perpetrated
in the United States by foreign powers.
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $547,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 550,458,000
Committee recommendation................................ 550,458,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $550,458,000 for
Interagency Crime and Drug Enforcement. The recommendation is
$3,458,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and equal
to the budget request.
The Interagency Crime and Drug Enforcement account funds
the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces [OCDETF]
program. The mission of the OCDETF program is to ensure a
coordinated, multi-agency, intelligence-based, and prosecutor-
led approach to identifying, disrupting, and dismantling those
drug trafficking and money-laundering organizations primarily
responsible for the Nation's illicit drug supply and drug-
related violence.
OCDETF Strike Forces.--The Committee directs the Department
to ensure that appropriate personnel, including experienced
ATF, DEA and FBI agents, deputy U.S. marshals, and assistant
U.S. attorneys are participating in OCDETF Strike Forces in
communities with rising levels of violent crime.
Federal Bureau of Investigation
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $10,643,713,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 11,272,944,000
Committee recommendation................................ 10,761,762,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $10,761,762,000 for
the FBI salaries and expenses. The recommendation is
$118,049,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and
$511,182,000 below the budget request.
Criminal Justice Information Services [CJIS].--The
Committee provides no less than the fiscal year 2024 enacted
level for the NICS Section. The Committee supports the full
budget request for CJIS, including the technical adjustment for
implementation of Public Law 117-159.
OIG Audits on NICS Protocols and Procedures.--The FBI was
directed to submit a report on NICS protocols and procedures
not later than 90 days after the enactment of Public Law 117-
328 and has failed to do so. The Committee directs the
immediate submission of this report. This report shall provide
detailed explanations of how the FBI is addressing each of the
recommendations described in both the OIG's September 2016
Audit of the Handling of Firearms Purchase Denials Through the
National Instant Criminal Background Check System (Report 16-
32) and the July 2021 Audit of Selected Aspects of the Federal
Bureau of Investigation's National Instant Criminal Background
Check System (Report 21-095). If the FBI is not implementing a
specific recommendation from these audits, the FBI shall
explain whether it intends to implement the specific
recommendations and if not, the FBI's justification for not
pursuing the recommended course of action. Furthermore, the
report shall include what, if any, changes to the Standard
Operating Procedures the FBI has made since 2015 to better
process NICS inquiries in the 3-day period. All unclassified
data shall be publicly reported by the FBI.
Computational Technology and Capacity.--Within the
recommendation, the Committee directs the FBI to sustain
efforts by the Operational Technology Division and the Science
and Technology Branch, including through partnerships with
industry and academia, to develop and procure infrastructure,
technology, and associated manpower to strengthen the FBI's
scientific computing initiatives. The FBI is directed to submit
a report, within 120 days of the enactment of this act,
describing these investments and a long-term procurement
strategy.
Personnel Retention in High Cost of Living Areas.--The
Committee understands there are disparities between FBI
employee compensation and the cost of living in some field
office areas of responsibility. This disparity underscores
national security and personnel performance risks, thus
affecting the FBI mission. Over the years, the FBI has tried to
mitigate some of these risks by offering relocation and
retention incentives to eligible personnel, however, these
incentives are usually offered for a small duration and are not
sufficient to fully resolve the problem. The Committee believes
this problem exists across other law enforcement and litigating
components within the Department as well. Therefore, the
Committee directs the Department to report, within 120 days of
enactment of this act, on what authorities and funding are
needed, by component, for a permanent solution.
Terrorist Explosive Device Analytical Center [TEDAC] and
Hazardous Device School [HDS].--The Committee's recommendation
provides no less than the fiscal year 2024 enacted level for
TEDAC and HDS.
Swatting.--The Committee is concerned about the increase in
swatting incidents and understands that State and local law
enforcement are the front-line responders to these dangerous
incidents. However, the Committee is encouraged to learn about
the FBI's increased outreach to their State and local law
enforcement partners and the FBI's newly-created national
online database to facilitate information sharing pertaining to
swatting incidents. The Committee directs the FBI to continue
to support State and local partners as much as possible in
swatting incidents, including providing resources sufficient to
support the National online database and by preserving
information, identifying common traits or patterns, and
assessing where the attacks appear to be related.
Human Rights Violations.--The Committee directs the FBI to
increase its efforts to investigate and support the
Department's criminal prosecution of serious human rights
crimes, including genocide, torture, use or recruitment of
child soldiers, war crimes, and other crimes committed by
serious human rights violators, particularly in light of the
newly established War Crimes Accountability Team's efforts to
respond to war crimes and other atrocities committed during
Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the added responsibilities of
the Criminal Division to prosecute war criminals under the
Justice for Victims of War Crimes Act of 2022. The Committee
recommends funding at no less than the fiscal year 2024 enacted
level.
The Committee directs the FBI to continue this effort
through the International Human Rights Unit [IHRU], which the
FBI shall not dissolve or merge with any other office, and
which shall continue to fully cooperate with and participate in
the Human Rights Violator and War Crimes Center [HRVWCC]. The
Committee is concerned that the FBI's previously proposed
realignment of personnel from the HRVWCC to its Civil Rights
Unit would diminish the FBI's ability to adequately pursue
human rights violators and upset the delicate relationship the
FBI has created between investigators and NGOs focused on
identifying and assisting victims of these atrocities.
The Committee supports the FBI's stated goals of increasing
the number of cases investigated and prosecuted, growing the
number of investigators and prosecutors educated and trained to
address the threat, and engaging more with affected communities
throughout the Nation but is skeptical that merging
international human rights into the civil rights program will
accomplish these objectives. The Committee understands that the
FBI has begun to incorporate international human rights issues
in its annual civil rights conference efforts and encourages
the FBI to continue to expand upon these endeavors.
The Committee also encourages the FBI to utilize its civil
rights program coordinators in the field to engage with
partners in USAO, NGOs, and local communities to create a
better understanding of the threat, drive prosecutions, and
encourage reporting of international human rights violators.
The Committee further directs the IHRU to provide training to
all FBI field offices on how to detect and investigate crimes
committed by serious human rights violators, and to report to
the Committees on Appropriations and the Judiciary, within 90
days of enactment of this act, on the IHRU's efforts to
increase the number of human rights investigations and provide
training to all field offices and opportunities for community
engagements, including the numbers for each.
Hate Crimes Reporting.--The joint explanatory statement
accompanying Public Law 117-328 directed the FBI to submit a
report on its continued efforts to ensure that all Federal,
State, and local law enforcement agencies fully report hate
crimes statistics, as provided by the Hate Crime Statistics Act
of 1990 (Public Law 101-275, as amended) and the HCPA. The FBI
has failed to do so, and the Committee directs the immediate
submission of this report. The report shall include an
assessment of whether jurisdictions reporting zero hate crimes
are accurate in their reporting, and factors leading to
inaccurate reporting. The report shall detail efforts to ensure
all law enforcement agencies know of the reporting obligations
and shall describe any gaps in reporting, strategies to
overcome those gaps, and challenges to the full nationwide
implementation of NIBRS. In addition, the report shall detail
the FBI's continued outreach and education on hate crimes
reporting, including the number of trainings conducted on best
practices to address hate crimes and efforts the FBI is
undertaking to help ensure that all victims feel secure
reporting hate crimes to law enforcement authorities. Lastly,
the Committee continues to urge State, local, and Tribal law
enforcement agencies to include the cost of participation in
the FBI's Hate Crime Statistics Act program for the purposes of
calculating extraordinary expenses associated with the
investigation and prosecution of hate crimes under the HCPA.
National Bioforensic Analysis Center.--The Committee
recognizes the need to maintain operations at the National
Bioforensic Analysis Center [NBFAC]. The Committee supports the
bioforensic analysis and investigations performed at NBFAC and
appreciates that the NBFAC currently operates under a cost-
sharing memorandum with the DHS, for the FBI to maintain
ongoing operations at this facility. The Committee provides
$21,840,000 for the FBI's role at the NBFAC.
Combatting Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking.--The
Committee has long expressed serious concern about the
sufficiency of efforts to combat modern slavery and human
trafficking, particularly in rural areas. The Committee directs
the FBI to allocate additional staff dedicated to human
trafficking at its field offices with the largest geographic
areas of responsibility.
FBI Police.--The Committee encourages the FBI to coordinate
with the Office of Personnel Management [OPM] and any other
relevant agencies to assist with designating the members of the
FBI Police as law enforcement officers, and to make the rates
of basic pay, salary schedule, pay provisions, and benefits for
its members equivalent to the rates of basic pay, salary
schedule, pay provisions, and benefits applicable to other
similar law enforcement divisions.
Operational Medicine Partnership Program.--The health and
safety of its agents should be a top priority for the FBI,
given the routine risk of physical harm they face daily
carrying out critical national security missions. The Committee
continues to strongly support the FBI's use of external
partnerships as part of its Operational Medicine Program to
support medical contingency planning and improve the delivery
of medical care for high-risk law enforcement missions.
Small, Medium, and Veteran-owned Businesses.--As the FBI
expands programs associated with its 21st Century Facilities
plan, the Committee strongly encourages the FBI to better
leverage the capabilities of established small, medium, and
veteran-owned businesses. The Committee further encourages the
FBI to pursue ``industry days'' and other means of outreach to
expand upon these relationships.
Transnational Repression.--Within the funds provided, the
Committee directs the FBI to ensure its tip lines and
electronic threat intake portals are staffed by people with the
cultural and linguistic ability to communicate effectively with
diaspora and exile communities and knowledge of the tactics of
transnational repression. The FBI should ensure that the tip
line, to the maximum extent practicable, protects the
confidentiality of the identifying information of individuals
who may report potential transnational repression.
Within the funds provided, the Committee directs the FBI to
provide specialized training to FBI employees on how to
identify different tactics of transnational repression in
physical and nonphysical forms, which governments are known to
employ transnational repression most frequently, which
communities and locations in the United States are most
vulnerable to transnational repression, tools of digital
surveillance and other cyber tools used to carry out
transnational repression activities, and espionage and foreign
agent laws.
The Committee directs the FBI to submit a report within 120
days of enactment of this act regarding the FBI's activities
related to combatting transnational repression, including (1)
policy and programmatic-related initiatives the FBI has
instituted to address transnational repression, including
related costs; (2) metrics that detail how successful the FBI
has been in addressing transnational repression; and (3) what
further programs and resources the FBI may need to successfully
address transnational repression tactics against American
nationals.
FBI Facilities.--The vast majority of FBI facilities are
located at properties owned by the General Services
Administration [GSA], leased through GSA, or leased directly
with a lessor using GSA delegated authority. However, the FBI
owns its facilities at Quantico, Clarksburg, Redstone Arsenal,
Pocatello, and a small number of other sites. Direct ownership
of these facilities saves millions in rental payments to GSA
and private lessors, yet leaves the FBI responsible for basic
operations and maintenance [O&M] costs. To avoid the
deterioration of these assets, the Committee directs the
Department to account for full O&M costs in future budget
requests.
Respect for Child Survivors Act.--The Committee directs the
FBI to submit a report on the status of the implementation of
the Respect for Child Survivors Act (Public Law 117-354),
including its plans and protocols to use and coordinate with
children's advocacy center-based multidisciplinary teams when
interviewing all witnesses covered by the act. The report shall
be submitted to the Committee on the Judiciary and the
Committee on Appropriations within 180 days of the enactment of
this act.
Foreign Language Translation.--The Committee supports the
FBI's efforts to leverage artificial intelligence at the
National Virtual Translation Center and the FBI Foreign
Language Program. The Committee directs the FBI to submit a
report, within 180 days of the enactment of this act, on these
efforts and any associated resource requirements. The report
shall further assess challenges the FBI faces in recruiting and
retaining human translators, particularly for high-priority
foreign languages.
Foreign Acquisition of U.S. Farmland.--The Committee is
aware of the growing acquisition of U.S. farmland by foreign
nationals from adversarial nation states. The Committee directs
the FBI to submit a report, within nine months of the enactment
of this act, assessing the scope and context of such purchases,
and any associated threats. The report may be transmitted
through classified channels, as necessary and appropriate.
FBI Child Abduction Rapid Deployment [CARD] Teams.--The
Committee commends the crucial work of the FBI's CARD teams,
and acknowledges the support they provide for State and local
law enforcement when a child is abducted. As child abduction
cases are extremely time-sensitive, and require a comprehensive
and rapid law enforcement response, the Committee directs the
Department and the FBI to increase outreach to State and local
law enforcement agencies, and to provide additional instruction
on how the CARD team program can be utilized.
Substance Use and Violent Crime in Indian Country.--The
Committee is concerned about the increasing presence of
international drug trafficking organizations in Indian Country,
specifically in rural areas with large land-based Tribes. The
Committee encourages the FBI to continue prioritizing resources
to combat and disrupt these organizations, while also focusing
on the role of dangerous drugs and violent crimes in Indian
Country, the possible sources of supply for the drugs, and how
the FBI can work with its local partners to provide prevention
and educational programming opportunities in Tribal areas.
Recognizing the importance of a comprehensive approach to
combatting violent crime in Indian Country, the Committee
directs the FBI's Criminal Investigative Division and its
Indian Country and International Violent Crime Unit [ICIVCU] to
create an operation, similar in structure to the recent
Operation Not Forgotten, to surge resources to enhance FBI's
presence in Indian Country, including by assisting State,
local, and Tribal law enforcement in combatting violent crime
and drug trafficking. The operation shall deploy FBI special
agents, intelligence analysts, staff operational specialists,
and victim specialists to FBI field offices and resident
agencies with Indian Country responsibilities with particular
focus on rural locations with large land-based Tribes.
Investigation of the July 13 Assassination Attempt.--The
Committee is appalled by the strategic, operational, and
logistical security failures that allowed for the assassination
attempt of July 13, 2024. The Committee believes the American
people deserve a complete and detailed understanding of all
matters leading up to this event, including the motivations and
criminal acts of the attempted assassin. The Committee directs
the FBI to provide all resources necessary for a complete and
detailed investigation of this matter. Within 30 days of the
enactment of this act, the FBI is further directed to submit a
report accounting for the resources dedicated to the
investigation thus far, including data from its time
utilization and recordkeeping [TURK] system. Finally, in light
of the extraordinary need for a public understanding of these
events, the Committee directs the FBI to issue a public report
on its findings and assessments once the investigation is
complete.
Report on the Chinese Spy Balloon.--The Committee directs
the Director of the FBI to submit to the Committees a report
and related intelligence on the People's Republic of China spy
balloon that was shot down on February 4, 2023, within 30 days
of the enactment of this act.
CONSTRUCTION
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $30,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 61,895,000
Committee recommendation................................ 211,895,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $211,895,000 for
FBI construction. The recommendation is $181,895,000 above the
fiscal year 2024 enacted level and $150,000,000 above the
budget request. Funding above the budget request is provided
for compliance with the United States Intelligence Community's
Secure Work Environment standards, including through the
construction and maintenances of SCIFs and the installation and
maintenance of Top Secret networks.
Drug Enforcement Administration
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $2,567,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 2,687,000,000
Committee recommendation................................ 2,600,000,000
The Committee's recommendation provides total resources of
$2,600,000,000 for the DEA salaries and expenses, of which
$651,723,000 is derived from the DEA's Diversion Control Fee
Account. The recommendation is $33,000,000 above the fiscal
year 2024 enacted level and $87,000,000 below the budget
request.
The DEA's mission is to enforce the controlled substances
laws and regulations of the United States and bring to the
criminal and civil justice system of the United States--or any
other competent jurisdiction--those organizations and principal
members of organizations involved in the growing,
manufacturing, or distribution of controlled substances
appearing in or destined for illicit traffic in the United
States; and to support non-enforcement programs aimed at
reducing the availability of illicit controlled substances on
the domestic and international markets.
The Committee's recommendation supports DEA's efforts to
reverse the significant decline in special agent employment
levels to ensure the DEA has the personnel necessary to combat
the ongoing methamphetamine and opioid crises. The Committee
encourages the DEA to assign agents to the geographic areas
that are most broadly impacted by methamphetamines and opioids.
Social Media Platforms.--The Committee is aware that online
drug sales pose a growing threat to Americans of all ages, but
particularly teens. The Committee adopts and reiterates the
directive under this heading in Senate Report 118-62, as
adopted into the joint explanatory statement accompanying
Public Law 118-42. The Committee looks forward to the timely
submission of this report.
Fentanyl Analogues.--Given the worsening opioid epidemic,
the Committee encourages DEA to continue its efforts to test
and schedule fentanyl-related substances to advance the
scientific and medical research of these dangerous substances.
The DEA shall report, and make available for public comment,
the scientific and medical evaluation provided by the Secretary
of Health and Human Services as part of any proposed rule in
the Federal Register relating to the scheduling of a fentanyl-
related substance. The DEA shall include all pharmacological
data that it considered, as well as information related to the
identification and testing of the substance that is the subject
of the proposed rule. The Department shall report to the
Committees on Appropriations and the Judiciary, within 90 days
of enactment of this act, the status of studies and scheduling
recommendations for all fentanyl analogues it has identified.
Fentanyl Tracking.--The Committee directs the DEA to use
the provided funding to develop a comprehensive fentanyl
tracking system, which includes documentation of seizure
location, chemical composition, probable or known manufacturing
location, and probable or known point of entry into the U.S.,
if applicable. The DEA shall report back to the Committee on
these efforts within 90 days of the enactment of this act.
DEA Suspicious Orders Report System [SORS].--The Committee
directs DEA to take further action to remove barriers to access
for opioid use disorder medications. DEA must clarify the
difference between suspicious orders of opioids and suspicious
orders of buprenorphine on SORS. DEA should also work with
other Federal regulators, including the Department of Health
and Human Services [HHS] and FDA, to ensure these barriers are
removed after necessary clarifications are made. The Committee
adopts and reiterates the directive under this heading in
Senate Report 118-62, as adopted into the joint explanatory
statement accompanying Public Law 118-42. The Committee looks
forward to the timely submission of this report.
Xylazine.--The FDA and DEA have issued warnings regarding
the risks of the human consumption of xylazine, a sedative used
in veterinary medicine and in farming. Media reports indicate
the increased use of the drug, by itself or in combination with
other substances, is resulting in worsening addiction and is
causing physical wounds to those who use illicit opioids. The
DEA shall report to the Committees on Appropriations and the
Judiciary, within 90 days of enactment of this act, on the
prevalence of xylazine in drug seizures, information about
known distribution networks for the drug, and potential harm-
reduction strategies.
Hemp Testing Technology.--The Agriculture Improvement Act
of 2018 (Public Law 115-334) removed hemp and its derivatives
from the Controlled Substances Act (Public Law 91-513, as
amended), and authorized the production, consumption, and sale
of hemp and hemp-derived products in the United States. The act
requires random testing to ensure hemp meets the definition
under the law of having a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol [THC]
concentration of less than 0.3 percent. The Committee is aware
that DEA has developed field-testing kits that can distinguish
between hemp and marijuana on the spot. The Committee directs
the DEA to continue to work to ensure State and local law
enforcement have access to this field test technology so they
can more efficiently conduct their drug interdiction efforts at
the local level. The Committee further directs the DEA to
report to the Committee, not later than 180 days after
enactment of this act, and not less than every 180 days
thereafter, until such time as testing kits are deployed to
State and local law enforcement in the field.
Destruction of Controlled Substances.--The Committee adopts
and reiterates the language under this caption in Senate Report
118-62, as adopted into the joint explanatory statement
accompanying Public Law 118-42.
Digital Evidence to Combat the Fentanyl Crisis.--Digital
evidence technology enables adherence to standardized, secure
operating procedures required to legally collect, forensically
review, and efficiently analyze digital evidence with similar
rigor and consistency to wiretaps, DNA, and fingerprint
evidence. The Committee urges DEA to establish and formalize a
tiered digital evidence enterprise program. Such a program
should encompass the entire digital evidence workflow,
including collection, review, and analysis by agents, analysts,
and forensic examiners. DEA program personnel should uniformly
deploy digital evidence technical capabilities and training
across all DEA Divisions. With access to digital intelligence
technology and training, DEA personnel can leverage
capabilities like automation, machine learning, and optical
character recognition to enable sharing and analysis of
collected digital evidence both internally for deconfliction
and externally with other Federal agencies and State and local
partners.
Preventing Drug Use By College-Age Individuals.--The
Committee adopts and reiterates the language under this caption
in Senate Report 118-62, as adopted into the joint explanatory
statement accompanying Public Law 118-42. The Committee looks
forward to the timely submission of this report.
Tribal Consultation.--Prior to the finalization of the
Proposed Rule for Telemedicine Prescribing of Controlled
Substances When the Practitioner and the Patient Have Not Had a
Prior In-Person Medical Evaluation (88 Fed. Reg. 12875), the
Committee directs DEA to engage in meaningful Tribal
consultation with federally recognized Tribes affected by the
proposed rulemaking, as required by the DOJ Tribal Consultation
Policy, Executive Order 13175, Executive Order 13604, and a
November 30, 2022, Presidential Memorandum mandating executive
agency consultation with Indian nations and Tribes.
Insomnia Pharmaceuticals.--The Committee supports DEA's
efforts, in coordination with the Food and Drug Administration
[FDA], to ensure the availability of non-addictive treatments
for insomnia, particularly for high-risk populations like
servicemembers, veterans, and first responders. The Committee
encourages DEA to request FDA to begin its required Eight-
Factor Analysis, to run concurrently with DEA's own analysis. A
concurrent analysis would allow DEA, with FDA, to reach a
conclusion sooner, particularly as by law, DEA is bound by an
HHS decision to deschedule. The Committee directs DEA to
provide a briefing, within 60 days of the enactment of this
act, on the status of any scientific and medical evaluation
that may be in progress under the provisions of section 811 of
title 21, United States Code.
Fentanyl Precursors.--According to DEA, chemical companies
within the People's Republic of China produce and sell the
majority of precursor chemicals that are used by the Sinaloa
and Jalisco Cartels to manufacture fentanyl and
methamphetamine. The DEA Administrator has testified that these
precursor chemicals ``are the foundation of the fentanyl and
methamphetamine that are manufactured and transported from
Mexico into the United States, and that are causing tens of
thousands of drug-related deaths in our country.'' The
Committee commends DEA for recent operations that concluded in
the first-ever charges to be brought against Chinese companies
for fentanyl trafficking, and urges DEA to sustain these
efforts to combat the exportation and sale of fentanyl
precursors.
Advanced Analytics and Digital Evidence.--The Committee
recognizes the importance of removing barriers to sharing
digital evidence collected across the DEA and enabling agents
and investigators to collaborate across offices, to surface
relevant leads and identify connections that might be missed.
The Committee directs the DEA to implement an efficient data
sharing mechanism for digital evidence collected from across
the agency, and a digital evidence analytics platform that
enables agents and investigators conducting opioid and fentanyl
trafficking investigations to work collaboratively to find
connections, generate new insights into narcotics trafficking
patterns, and reduce investigator workload.
The program should encompass the entire digital evidence
workflow from collection and review, to the analysis conducted
by field agents and analysts, and to the forensic examiners in
the lab; and should uniformly deploy digital evidence technical
capabilities and training across all 23 DEA Divisions. The
Committee recognizes that digital evidence technology enables
the adherence to standardized, secure operating procedures
required to legally collect, forensically review, and
efficiently analyze digital evidence with similar rigor and
consistency as wiretaps, DNA, and fingerprint evidence. With
access to digital intelligence technology and training, DEA
special agents, Technical Operations Group leaders, and
investigative research specialists can leverage automation,
machine learning, and optical character recognition to enable
sharing and analysis of collected digital evidence both
internally and externally.
Combatting Drug Trafficking in Indian Country.--The
Committee is concerned about the increased presence of
international drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) in DEA's
Rocky Mountain Division, specifically in Indian Country and
areas with large land-based Tribes. These organizations are
contributing to an increase in drug and violent crimes in
Indian Country and surrounding communities. The Committee
directs the DEA, within 180 days of enactment of this act, to
develop a strategy, working in consultation with local, state,
Tribal and other federal law enforcement agencies, to combat
the growing presence of these organizations in rural states
with large land-based Tribes, with particular focus on DTOs in
DEA's Rocky Mountain Division.
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $1,625,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 1,952,000,000
Committee recommendation................................ 1,685,000,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $1,685,000,000 for
ATF salaries and expenses. The recommendation is $60,000,000
above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and $267,000,000 below
the budget request. The Committee supports the budget request
for Forensics Services Crime Gun Intelligence.
ATF reduces the criminal use of firearms and illegal
firearms trafficking, and assists other Federal, State, and
local law enforcement agencies in reducing crime and violence.
ATF investigates bombing and arson incidents and assists with
improving public safety by reducing the criminal misuse of and
trafficking in explosives, combating acts of arson and arson-
for-profit schemes, and removing safety hazards caused by
improper and unsafe storage of explosive materials.
Combating Gun Violence and Enforcing Existing Gun Laws.--
The Committee's recommendation maintains ATF's ability to
enforce existing firearms laws and perform regulatory oversight
and training, including through the National Integrated
Ballistics Information Network [NIBIN]. This funding will
enable ATF to continue to collect, report, and share ballistic
intelligence with Federal, State, local, and Tribal law
enforcement partners to identify, target, and disrupt violent
criminals, including serial shooters. Funds will support work
with State and local law enforcement agencies and laboratories
to collect ballistic hit information to provide leads to Crime
Gun Intelligence Groups for investigations and document
successful prosecutions as a result of NIBIN.
Crime Gun Intelligence Centers [CGICs].--The Committee
appreciates ATF's efforts with the CGIC program, an interagency
collaboration focused on the immediate collection, management,
and analysis of crime gun evidence in real time, in an effort
to identify shooters, disrupt criminal activity, and prevent
future violence. There are currently more than 55 CGIC sites
across the country, and the Committee encourages the ATF to
work with additional high-risk areas to identify solutions and
metrics to demonstrate meaningful reductions in illegal gun
trafficking and related violent crime.
NIBIN Expansion.--The Committee supports efforts to expand
the use of NIBIN and to ensure all law enforcement agencies
have access to NIBIN's correlation services, including through
the NIBIN National Correlation and Training Center [NNCTC]. The
Committee appreciates the investments being made by State and
local partners to collect and share ballistics evidence across
geographically separated law enforcement jurisdictions and
encourages ATF to continue to build on these investments and
consider additional service models to offer departments,
including Tribal law enforcement agencies, access to NIBIN. The
Committee further directs that ATF examine ways to expand
access to NIBIN to State and local agencies in the New England
and southwest border regions.
Training Law Enforcement Partners.--The Committee expects
ATF to continue to provide training to local and State law
enforcement agencies on submitting trace requests of firearms
recovered in criminal investigations to ATF. Firearm tracing
provides critical information to assist law enforcement
agencies investigate and solve firearms crimes. The Committee
supports the ongoing efforts of Federal, State, and local law
enforcement agencies to solve violent crimes and urges ATF to
provide all possible training opportunities in support of these
efforts.
Preventing Firearm Straw Purchases.--The Committee notes
that preventing firearms purchases by prohibited persons is
critical to ATF's efforts to prevent violent crime and protect
public safety. ATF has initiated a public awareness campaign to
reduce firearm straw purchases at the retail level, and to
educate would-be straw purchasers of the penalties of knowingly
participating in an illegal firearm purchase. The Committee
expects continued funding of this initiative, as authorized
under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (Public Law 117-
159).
National Services Center.--The Committee recognizes the
importance of the ATF's National Services Center [NSC], which
houses several mission-critical functions, including the
National Tracing Center [NTC], the Firearms and Ammunition
Technology Division [FATD], and the National Firearms Act [NFA]
Division, among others. The Committee directs the ATF to submit
a report to this Committee, within 120 days of enactment of
this act, on the needs, including occupational hazards and
risks as well as impact on ATF's mission, associated with the
current Martinsburg facilities, and the cost and feasibility of
constructing a new physical structure or expanding existing
spaces versus continuing repairs over a 10-year period.
Publicly Available Information [PAI].--The Committee
recognizes the critical role ATF plays in the effort to curb
the illegal trafficking of weapons that fuels gang violence,
human trafficking, the import of illegal narcotics, and
potential terrorist activities, and understands that
effectively combatting these threats requires the analysis of
open source information, considered broadly as social media,
blogs, message boards, deep and dark web content, and other
related publicly or commercially available web-based content.
The Committee encourages ATF to expand its access to PAI and
PAI analytical tools. Such access and analytical tools should
encompass multilingual information such as social media, blogs,
message boards, paste-it sites, deep and dark web content,
public records, and other related publicly or commercially
available data.
Federal Prison System
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $8,392,588,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 8,557,339,000
Committee recommendation................................ 8,492,588,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $8,492,588,000 for
BOP salaries and expenses. The recommendation is $100,000,000
above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and $164,751,000 below
the budget request. The Committee reminds the Department and
BOP that all reports, including those required on a quarterly
basis, are to be submitted in a timely manner.
Staffing Shortages.--The Committee continues to be
displeased with BOP's staffing shortages, which were only
exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Committee remains
concerned about the lack of locality pay and wage increases for
Bureau employees, which has negatively impacted the retention
rate of correctional officers and other staff working at BOP
institutions. Within 120 days of enactment of this act, the BOP
must provide the Committee with a report detailing its employee
retention methods and benefits provided to Bureau employees as
well as the rate at which these benefits have maintained parity
with other Federal agencies and inflation.
Hiring and Staffing Reports.--The Committee directs BOP to
submit quarterly hiring and staffing reports, including
correctional officer to inmate ratios from Pay Period 26-2016
to the present for the OPM position classification standard
Correctional Officer Series GS-0007, broken out by region;
institution, to include an additional subset for each facility
within an institutional complex; and security level, no later
than 90 days after enactment of this act. For further
transparency, this data is also directed to be published on
BOP's website.
As BOP previously notified the Committee that it does not
currently record staffing by shift (i.e., morning watch, day
watch, and evening watch), the Bureau shall start recording
this data and include these metrics in this report by the end
of the current fiscal year. For any institution with a staffing
ratio greater than 15:1 and in which there has been an incident
involving deadly force, BOP shall provide a separate, detailed
explanation of the role staffing may or may not have played in
the incident along with a corrective plan to ensure it will not
happen again.
The Committee continues to be concerned about the
significant number of vacancies in BOP institutions, creating
an extremely dangerous environment for both staff and
incarcerated persons. The Committee directs the Department to
immediately improve hiring policies and ensure BOP is able to
promptly fill existing and future vacancies and staff its 122
Federal facilities across the United States at January 2016
levels. The Committee again directs BOP to provide a report,
within 90 days of enactment of this act, to the Committee
regarding the number of vacancies at each facility further
detailed by job title, job series, and General Schedule level
as well as the number of applicants going through the hiring
process for each vacant position. If there are expedited hiring
efforts the Department can make to ensure BOP is properly
staffed, the Committee directs the Department to do so, and to
include these measures and their results in the aforementioned
report.
The Committee notes that retention incentive pay increases
are useful tools to protect, recruit, and retain talented
staff. The Committee supports the use of recruitment and
retention bonuses and rejects any further position
eliminations.
First Step Act [FSA] Staffing.--The staffing for many
inmate programs have either had key positions removed from
current staffing complements or have been slow to fill
vacancies. The programs impacted are also needed to
successfully implement the First Step Act of 2018 (Public Law
115-391) including, but not limited to, drug treatment,
psychology, religious services, vocational services, and
education services. The Committee continues to direct BOP to
hire additional programming staff to successfully provide these
key programs and ensure that each facility has a Special
Education Teacher on staff. The Committee also directs the BOP
to hire a Special Populations Manager at each of the BOP
institutions to ensure that additional FSA programming can be
provided. Positions that are vital to the FSA should be added
to institution staffing requirements and not taken from
existing staffing complements.
Staffing at High Security Institutions.--The Committee is
concerned about reports of significant upticks in violence
among inmates and against correctional officers at high
security institutions. The Committee previously directed BOP to
ensure at least two correctional officers are on duty for each
housing unit for all three shifts at all high-security
institutions, to include United States Penitentiaries and
Administrative and Federal Detention Centers as well as Witness
Security Program units and units housing high security pretrial
inmates. BOP is directed to continue to submit quarterly
reports to the Committee showing compliance with this directive
and to provide a cost estimate and strategic plan for
implementation for medium security institutions that currently
do not have a second officer for all three shifts.
Augmentation.--BOP reports that there is a higher incidence
of serious assaults by inmates on staff at high and medium
security institutions than at the lower security facilities,
yet to meet staffing needs, BOP routinely uses a process called
``augmentation,'' whereby a non-custodial employee is assigned
custodial responsibilities. The continued use of augmentation
stretches correctional facility staff too thin, leading to
unsafe conditions for both staff and inmates.
The Committee has expressed its concerns about the practice
of augmentation since fiscal year 2017 and once again directs
BOP to curtail its overreliance on augmentation, particularly
in housing units, a directive issued again as part of Senate
Report 116-127 and adopted by Public Law 116-93. BOP should
focus on hiring additional full-time correctional staff before
continuing to augment existing staff. BOP is further directed
to submit quarterly reports to the Committee on the use of
augmentation broken out by region, institution, and security
level each time this practice is employed. As part of the
quarterly report, BOP is required to also submit the number of
hours, and subsequent cost, of overtime recorded at each
institution. In addition, for each Federal correctional
facility at which two or more Federal inmates have died in one
calendar year, BOP shall submit to the Committee a detailed
report describing each incident and the role augmentation may
have played in exacerbating the inherent dangers.
In addition to officer and inmate safety concerns, the
Committee also notes that augmenting staff means that critical
programs and services required for inmates under the FSA are
imperiled when those who provide counseling, education, and
other programs to inmates are being pulled from their original
duties to work in the cellblock. BOP is directed to ensure that
non-custody correctional employees must spend at least 90
percent of their work week or pay period in their primary
positions.
Direct Hire Authority.--The Committee is aware that BOP has
requested OPM to delegate direct hiring authority to BOP
facilities. To ensure the safety of staff and inmates, the
Committee once again encourages BOP to continue to work with
OPM to provide this authority for BOP facilities and to ensure
a prompt and efficient hiring process if the authority is
granted.
The Committee also directs the BOP to review the current
pay scale of BOP's Correctional Officers as compared with other
DOJ law enforcement components and comparable State and local
correctional agencies. This review should analyze opportunities
to convert the pay band to a higher scale and the resource
requirements to do so. The review should be conducted in
consultation with the Department's JMD. The Committee directs
this review to be submitted within 180 days of enactment of
this act.
Overtime Pay Rate.--BOP shall ensure that every bargaining
unit Primary Law Enforcement position is being properly paid
overtime at the full overtime rate under the Fair Labor
Standards Act (29 U.S.C. 203). This includes, but is not
limited to, the positions of all nursing staff, teachers,
Special Education Teachers, Religious Services, and Psychology
Services. All of these positions are considered Primary Law
Enforcement positions and work with thousands of offenders in
extremely hazardous environments. Each of the positions listed
work in a correctional environment, and any overtime accrued
would be performed in the duties providing a safe and secure
correctional environment.
FSA Implementation.--The Committee directs the Department
of Justice and BOP to fully and expeditiously implement the
FSA. The Committee is concerned that the Department has not met
several reporting deadlines and not fully implemented several
provisions of the act. The Committee directs the Department to
expeditiously expand programming and file all required reports
no later than the deadlines established by the act. The
Department shall report to the Committees on Appropriations and
the Judiciary of the House and the Senate, within 90 days of
enactment of this act, and every 90 days thereafter, on all
actions and expenditures to implement the FSA including
activities and expenditures to implement, review, validate, and
maintain the risk and needs assessment system and to evaluate
and provide evidence-based recidivism reduction [EBRR] programs
and productive activities [PA].
The Committee directs BOP to immediately take steps to
ensure compliance with FSA requirements, and to ensure that all
those incarcerated in BOP facilities have access to robust
programming opportunities, including third-party faith-based
programs. The Committee further directs BOP to submit a report,
within 30 days of the enactment of this act, on such efforts.
The report shall identify which approved EBRR programs and PAs
are faith-based.
The Committee reminds BOP that Congress intended for the
FSA to expand BOP partnerships with external organizations.
This specifically involves the opportunity for third-party
partners to provide EBRR Programming and PAs, including faith-
based programs, taught from a specific faith tradition-within
Federal prisons. Further, the Committee reminds BOP that the
FSA reflects a singular definition for EBRRs and PAs,
regardless of whether the program is internal or external and
does not require a third-party review of external program's
evidence. BOP is directed to submit a report to the Committee,
within 90 days of the enactment of this act, on the following:
(1) an account of whether each approved EBRR and PA is an
internal BOP program, a contracted BOP program, or an external
third-party program; (2) any difference in the criteria and
evaluation process for suitability of an internal BOP program,
a contracted BOP program, or an external third-party program as
an EBRR or PAs; (3) the number of external faith-based programs
that applied to qualify as an EBRR and PAs since the FSA was
enacted, including the number that have been denied, the number
that are still pending, and the names of any accepted
applicants and whether any are taught from a specific faith
tradition; (4) actions BOP has taken to promote the opportunity
for submissions of external programs for consideration as EBRRs
and PAs; and (5) list and describe what program providers make
up the ``faith-based recidivism-reduction partnerships'' noted
in the Bureau of Justice Statistics reporting on FSA
implementation. The report shall also include efforts to fill
all vacant programming and other dedicated FSA positions,
efforts to improve transparency regarding EBRR credit
calculation, the EBRR programming currently available at each
BOP facility, the associated hours of EBRR credit participants
earn for participation in each program, and the need for and
availability of medication-assisted treatment at each BOP
facility.
Compassionate Release.--The Committee requests an updated
report on BOP's compassionate release and home confinement
efforts, containing the information required by Senate Report
116-127 and codified in Public Law 116-93, as well as including
information on the expansion of these programs per the
authority provided under Public Law 116-136.
Restrictive Housing.--The Committee remains concerned about
the growth in the restricted housing population in BOP
institutions. In 2012, approximately 7.8 percent of Federal
inmates in BOP facilities were held in some form of restricted
housing. In 2014, that number had dropped to approximately 6.5
percent. Unfortunately, the restricted housing rate has
returned to 2012 levels, with approximately 7.3 percent of the
Federal prison population currently placed in restricted
housing, including special housing units, special management
units, and the ADX Supermax facility. The Committee directs BOP
to reduce significantly the number of Federal inmates in
restricted housing, including by opening transition units and
other specialized units for populations often sent to
restricted housing and working with regional directors and
wardens to address the widespread reliance on restricted
housing.
The Committee urges the Director of the BOP to fully
implement all the 2014 and 2016 restrictive housing reports
recommendations. A recent GAO Report, ``Bureau of Prisons:
Additional Actions Needed to Improve Restrictive Housing
Practices'' (GAO-24-105737), found that the BOP has failed to
implement 54 of the 87 recommendations from two prior studies
in 2014 and 2016 on improving restrictive housing practices.
Within 180 days of enactment of this act, and continuing semi-
annually thereafter, the Committee directs the BOP to submit a
report outlining what steps the BOP has taken to implement the
2014 and 2016 restrictive housing recommendations, the
timeframe for completing the remaining recommendations, and in
instances where the Bureau does not concur with the
recommendation or deems it impractical, it should document its
rationale and any alternate steps it plans to take.
Contraband Cell Phones in BOP Facilities.--In an August
2022 report, BOP observed that ``[c]ontraband cellphones remain
a significant correctional security and public safety concern
for the BOP as well as for State and local correctional
agencies across the country.'' Since fiscal year 2020, the
Committee has provided substantial resources for BOP to pilot
and outfit its facilities with managed access system and micro-
jamming solution cellphone interdiction technologies. The
Committee directs BOP to submit, within 90 days of the date of
the enactment of this act, an updated report on the deployment
of these technologies. The report shall identify the number of
contraband devices confiscated through the use of each
technology, and shall describe the long-term funding
requirements for full deployment.
Camera System Upgrades.--The Committee supports continued
upgrades to security cameras that will help to better protect
the safety, wellbeing and civil rights of those incarcerated
and BOP employees, including correctional officers, medical
personnel and other professional staff.
Residential Reentry Centers [RRCs].--The Committee
maintains its concerns and expectations regarding RRCs as
outlined in Senate Report 116-127 and adopted by Public Law
116-93, including the direction requiring BOP to alert the
Committee before adopting any significant change in policy or
practice involving RRCs or other recidivism-reduction measures.
The Committee directs BOP to refrain from canceling or
modifying any existing contracts for RRCs if another BOP-
contracted RRC facility does not exist within 100 miles of the
existing RRC. In instances where RRC contracts are expiring,
the Committee directs BOP to take interim and emergency
measures to prevent facility closures and the interruption of
services, including by expediting solicitations and re-
solicitations for existing services.
Roadmap to Reentry.--The Committee recognizes the benefits
of making our criminal justice system more fair, more
efficient, and more effective at reducing recidivism by helping
formerly incarcerated individuals successfully return to their
communities. To that end, the Committee directs the BOP to
reestablish the principles identified in the Justice
Department's ``Roadmap to Reentry,'' and to begin the process
of implementing these principles to improve the correctional
practices and programs, including providing (1) individualized
reentry plans for individuals; (2) access to education,
employment training, life skills, substance abuse, mental
health, and other programs; (3) resources and opportunities to
build and maintain family relationships; (4) individualized
continuity of care; and (5) comprehensive reentry-related
information and access to resources.
Extreme Weather Plans.--Recent examples of BOP's responses
to extreme weather events-including extreme heat or cold-raise
concerns about unsafe conditions for inmates, correctional
officers, and institution staff. The Committee continues to
direct BOP to issue clear and consistent policies and guidance
across all BOP facilities regarding preparations for and
responses to extreme weather events, including by establishing
temperature thresholds for health and safety at BOP facilities.
Swift-Certain-Fair [SCF] Model in the Federal Prison
System.--The SCF model has been an effective deterrent for
incarcerated populations in State and local corrections
settings. The Committee directs BOP (1) to establish SCF pilot
programs in BOP housing units based upon best practices
developed by other applicable corrections agencies, (2) to
collect data on the effectiveness of the program, and (3) to
provide a report evaluating the pilot and making
recommendations on its replication.
BOP Responsiveness During Disasters.--Within 180 days of
enactment of this act, BOP shall submit to the Committees on
Appropriations, Judiciary, and Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs a report covering fiscal years 2015
through 2024 of disaster damage describing the scope of
physical damage at BOP-owned or managed facilities impacted or
struck by a major disaster that explains the effects of the
damage on inmates and staff, including (1) injury and loss of
life of inmates and staff; (2) access to health and medical
care, food, special dietary needs, drinkable water, personal
protective equipment, and personal hygiene products; (3)
guidance used to adjudicate early release or home confinement
requests, data on early release or home confinement approvals,
denials, and justification for denials and explanation, as to
whether using home confinement or early release was considered;
(4) access to cost-free and uninterrupted visitation with legal
counsel and visitors with justifications for facility decisions
that resulted in suspended or altered visitations; (5) access
to appropriate accommodations for inmates with disabilities;
(6) access to educational and work programs; (7) assessment of
the cost of the damage to the facility and estimates for
repairs; (8) the impact on staffing, equipment, and financial
resources; and (9) other factors relating to the ability of the
BOP to uphold the health, safety, and civil rights of the
correctional population.
This report shall also include agency corrective actions
that BOP has undertaken or plans to undertake to improve and
modernize emergency preparedness plans, as they relate to
natural disasters, extreme weather, and public health
emergencies and a timeline to implement any corrective action
plans.
Strengthening Collaboration to Ensure Effective Treatment
Services.--The Committee recognizes the importance of
rehabilitation and successfully enabling reentry of
incarcerated people into their communities, including providing
mental health, substance misuse and other behavioral health
support to individuals leaving the custody of the Federal
Bureau of Prisons and entering the Federal Judiciary's
Probation and Pretrial Services program for a term of court-
ordered post-release supervision. Creating a continuum of care
can help certain offenders adhere to and continue engagement
with their behavioral health treatment plans, obtain gainful
employment, and avoid committing future crimes. The Committee
is aware that there is continuum of care collaboration between
the Federal Judiciary's Probation and Pretrial Services program
and the Federal Bureau of Prisons but encourages both entities
to strengthen that collaboration to included better information
sharing, including electronic data sharing, on the treatment
needs of individuals coming out of Federal prison.
RRC ID Data Collection.--A recent GAO report, ``Bureau of
Prisons: Opportunities Exist to Better Assist Incarcerated
People with Obtaining ID Documents Prior to Release'' [GAO 22-
105302] found that the BOP does not collect ID-related data
from inmates once they are transferred to RRCs. The Committee
directs the Bureau to make changes to the Statement of Work for
RRCs to ensure that in future or renegotiated contracts, the
RRCs are required to collect and regularly report data to BOP
on the number of people obtaining ID documents while residing
at RRCs, and to report on these efforts no later than 90 days
after enactment of this act.
The Committee further directs the BOP, in the above-
referenced report, to assess the feasibility of entering into
memoranda of understanding with additional State departments of
motor vehicles to expand innovative services at BOP facilities,
in order to provide state-issued photo ID processing services
for those individuals with proper supporting documents.
BUILDINGS AND FACILITIES
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $179,762,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 260,215,000
Committee recommendation................................ 290,215,000
This Committee's recommendation includes $290,215,000 for
the construction, acquisition, modernization, maintenance, and
repair of prison and detention facilities housing Federal
inmates. The recommendation is $110,453,000 above the fiscal
year 2024 enacted level and $30,000,000 above the budget
request. Of this amount, $260,215,000 is designated for the
modernization and repair of existing facilities. BOP shall
proceed with ongoing planned and associated new construction
efforts for BOP operated facilities to meet projected capacity
requirements, as identified in its monthly status of
construction reports to the Committee. BOP is directed to
continue to provide such reports on a monthly basis, along with
notifications and explanations of any deviation from
construction and activation schedules, and any planned
adjustments or corrective actions. Within the amount provided,
$30,000,000 shall be for the continued development and planning
of a BOP and DOJ correctional officer and law enforcement
officer training facility. The Committee reiterates the
directive for the Department to provide a spending plan,
prospectus, and schedule, and looks forward to its submission.
Consistent with that effort, the Committee further directs the
Department to engage in request for information and request for
proposal efforts to develop a contract for formal project
management, planning, and design support that takes into
account site selection, environmental impact, and other
requirements for timely and effective implementation.
FEDERAL PRISON INDUSTRIES, INCORPORATED
(LIMITATION ON ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES)
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $2,700,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 2,700,000
Committee recommendation................................ 2,700,000
The Committee's recommendation provides a limitation on the
administrative expenses of $2,700,000 for the Federal Prison
Industries, Inc. The recommendation is equal to both the fiscal
year 2024 enacted level and equal to the budget request.
State and Local Law Enforcement Activities
In total, the Committee recommends $4,199,761,000 for State
and local law enforcement and crime prevention grant programs,
including: $3,953,761,000 in discretionary appropriations and
$246,000,000 in mandatory appropriations. The total is
$221,616,000 below the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and
$91,961,000 above the budget estimate.
Management and Administration [M&A] Expenses.--The
Department shall, in preparing its fiscal year 2025 spending
plan, assess M&A expenses compared to program funding. The
Committee directs the Department to ensure that its assessment
methodology is equitable and that the assessment reflects a
fair representation of the share of each program devoted to
common M&A costs. The Committee also directs grant offices to
minimize administrative spending to maximize the amount of
funding that can be used for grants or training and technical
assistance. The Committee reiterates the direction provided in
Senate Report 113-78 that the Department shall detail, as part
of its budget submission for fiscal year 2025 and future years,
the actual costs for each grant office with respect to
training, technical assistance, research and statistics, and
peer review for the prior fiscal year, along with estimates of
planned expenditures by each grant office in each of these
categories for the current year and the budget year.
Grant Funding Set-Asides.--The Committee notes the
significant number of reductions in grant funding for various
permissible purposes, including training and technical
assistance; research, evaluation, and statistics activities;
and peer review; with set-asides ranging anywhere from 2
percent to 10 percent of total grant funding provided. The
Committee directs the Department to continue providing a
comprehensive report, concurrently with the spending plan, that
details the total amount provided for each grant program in
this act, the specific reductions taken, the purpose for those
reductions, and the final use of those resources, including any
transfers that may occur among Office of Justice Programs
[OJP], Office on Violence Against Women [OVW], and COPS. The
Committee expects that the report will provide a complete
analysis of the final amounts externally awarded and the
amounts retained internally for other purposes.
Grant Funds for Rural Areas.--The Committee remains
concerned about the needs of rural areas, especially those
communities with high crime rates. The Committee wants to
ensure that the challenges encountered by the residents of
these areas are being addressed through the equitable
allocation of grant funding. The Committee reminds the
Department to consider the unique needs of rural communities
when making grant awards through the numerous programs funded
by this bill.
Tribal Grants and Victim Assistance.--The Committee
provides a total of $139,000,000 in discretionary grant funding
for Tribes as follows: $60,000,000 within OJP for Tribal
assistance; $18,000,000 for a Tribal youth program within the
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention [OJJDP];
$37,000,000 for Tribal resources and $6,000,000 for a Tribal
Access Program within the COPS Office; and $15,000,000 for a
special Tribal criminal jurisdiction program and $3,000,000 for
a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney on Tribal land program within
the OVW. In addition, a total of $66,403,535 is provided to
Tribal governments and coalitions through OVW programmatic
statutory set-asides and another $95,000,000 is provided to
Tribal governments and Tribal coalitions in CVF funding.
For Tribal assistance grants within OJP, funding is to be
used to support efforts to help Tribes improve the capacity of
their criminal and civil justice systems. OJP is expected to
consult closely with Tribal stakeholders in determining how
Tribal assistance funds will be awarded for detention
facilities, including outdated detention facilities that are
unfit for detention purposes and beyond rehabilitation; courts;
alcohol and substance abuse programs; civil and criminal legal
assistance; and other priorities. The Committee directs OJP to
submit, as part of the Department's spending plan for fiscal
year 2025, a plan for the use of these funds that is informed
by such consultation.
In addition, the bill includes a five percent set-aside for
Tribes within the CVF. OVC is directed to consult closely with
Tribal stakeholders to improve services for Tribal victims of
crime, to include expanded purpose areas described in the OVC
final rule effective August 8, 2016. OVC shall continue to
follow direction provided by the Committee in Senate Report
115-275 and adopted by Public Law 116-6 regarding grant
application requirements, accountability, and assistance.
The Committee directs the Department to give Tribes maximum
flexibility in the use of funds and the definition of victim
services, in order to best meet the unique needs of victims in
Tribal communities. The Committee also directs the Department
to streamline administrative requirements as much as possible
to increase accessibility for those most in need in Indian
Country.
Science Advisory Board.--The Committee recognizes the
contributions of OJP's Science Advisory Board [Board] and
encourages the re-establishment of the Board. The Board worked
to provide extra-agency review of, and recommendations for,
OJP's research, statistics, and grants program. The re-
established Board should be comprised of scholars and
practitioners in criminology, statistics, and sociology, as
well as practitioners in the criminal and juvenile justice
fields, and should be tasked with ensuring the programs and
activities of OJP are scientifically sound and pertinent to
policymakers and practitioners.
Post-Conviction Relief for Trafficking Victims.--The
Committee recognizes that serious, sustained efforts and
investments in victim-centered programs are necessary to help
address the rise in human trafficking, and is committed to
helping victims seek justice and ensure that offenders are held
accountable. The Committee is concerned about reports that
trafficking victims are prosecuted, both at the Federal and
State levels, for crimes directly related to their trafficking.
Criminal convictions often disqualify victims from numerous
Federal programs and impede their recovery. The Committee is
concerned that removing expungement services from eligible
activities for OVC grants contradicts the 2017 Trafficking in
Persons Report released by the State Department, which
encouraged the expansion of vacatur services.
The Committee directs OVC to allow the use of funds for
direct representation on vacatur and expungement for a
conviction for a non-violent crime that is a direct result of
being a trafficking victim. Furthermore, the Committee directs
the Department to submit the report required in Senate Report
115-275 and adopted by Public Law 116-6 regarding the Federal
Government's ability to supplement State vacatur programs.
STOP School Violence Act.--A total of $197,000,000 is
provided for the STOP School Violence Act (division S of title
V of Public Law 115-141) grant program for fiscal year 2025. Of
this amount, $60,000,000 is derived from the Bipartisan Safer
Communities Act and $137,000,000 is provided for in this act.
Of the amount provided for in this act, $82,000,000 is provided
to the Bureau of Justice Assistance [BJA] for evidence-based
school safety programs outlined in the act and $55,000,000 is
provided to the COPS Office for a competitive grant program as
outlined in the act. The Committee directs BJA to prioritize
evidence-based programming to train students and school
personnel on the warning signs of interpersonal violence and
suicide, to prevent the root causes of student violence, and to
deliver mental health crisis intervention, as permitted under
the act. The Committee directs the offices to work with other
Federal agencies to notify States, localities, tribes, and
school districts of funding availability upon release, increase
training and technical assistance for school district
applicants, and provide microgrants for school districts,
including rural, Tribal, and low-resourced schools. The
Committee directs BJA to prioritize applicants from rural and
low-resourced school districts and applicants incorporating
crisis centers and evidence-based trainings for students and
staff within their anonymous reporting systems. The Committee
encourages BJA and the COPS Office to prioritize applications
that promote the use of mental health professionals and
resources in their school safety plans.
National Sexual Assault Hotline.--The Committee urges OVC
to fully support the National Sexual Assault Hotline, as
authorized by the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of
2006, as amended (34 U.S.C. 20985(d)).
OVC Center for Victims of Crime Act [VOCA]
Administrators.--The Committee directs OVC to continue to
provide peer-to-peer training on Federal grants management,
administration and strategies to increase access to services
and compensation for VOCA victim assistance and victim
compensation grantees and subgrantees.
Shelter for Victims and their Companion Animals.--The
Committee recognizes the importance of providing shelter and
transitional housing to victims of domestic violence and their
companion animals and encourages the Department to continue
providing robust funding for grants under the Emergency
Transitional Pet Shelter and Housing Assistance Grant Program,
as authorized by section 12502 of Public Law 115-334. The
Committee directs OVC to continue to coordinate with the
Departments of Agriculture, Housing and Urban Development, and
Health and Human Services to efficiently implement this
program.
Support for Child Advocacy Centers.--The Committee commends
OVC and OJJDP for its enhanced support of CACs through
solicitation OJJDP-2020-17712. The Committee directs the
offices to sustain this funding through continuation awards, in
order to avoid the severe consequences of a break in critical
services.
DOJ Grant Oversight.--The Committee encourages the
Department to review its multi-year grant award processes and
protocols to ensure grantees have fully complied with the rules
of year-one funding before year-two funding is disbursed in
multi-year grant awards. In addition, the Committee supports
the Department's efforts to create a high-risk designation for
grantees, so as to increase fiscal responsibility throughout
the grant making process. The Committee recommends that the
Department promptly complete and publish an internal review of
the program, to inform efforts to implement a high-risk grantee
designation in other Federal agencies. The Committee directs
OJP, OVW, and the COPS Office to submit an annual report on
grant programs that have not received a sufficient number of
qualified applicants.
Grant Funding for Payment of Bail.--In GAO-23-106012, the
GAO reported that based on its review of available data and
interviews with Department officials, it found no information
to indicate the Department awarded grants to nonprofits to pay
cash bond for bail or that nonprofit recipients used Department
grant funds for this purpose. The Committee directs the Office
of Justice Programs, the COPS Office, and the Office on
Violence Against Women to continue to monitor this matter, and
to report to the Committee of any findings inconsistent with
the GAO's conclusions.
Office on Violence Against Women
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN PREVENTION AND PROSECUTION PROGRAMS
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $713,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 800,000,000
Committee recommendation................................ 739,500,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $739,500,000 for
OVW grants. The recommendation is $26,500,000 above the fiscal
year 2024 enacted level and $60,500,000 below the budget
request. Resources are provided to the OVW to respond to the
needs of all victims of domestic violence, sexual assault,
dating violence, and stalking, including, but not limited to,
Native women, immigrants, LGBTQ victims, college students,
youths, and public housing residents. To minimize fraud, waste,
and abuse in these programs, OVW is encouraged to implement any
open recommendations of the Department's OIG with respect to
the recipients of grants under these programs.
The table below displays the Committee's recommendations
for the programs under this office.
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN PREVENTION AND PROSECUTION PROGRAMS
[In thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Committee
Program Recommendation
------------------------------------------------------------------------
STOP Grants.......................................... 255,000
Transitional Housing Assistance...................... 53,000
Research and Evaluation on Violence Against Women.... 2,500
Consolidated Youth-Oriented Program.................. 17,000
Improving Criminal Justice Responses Program......... 60,500
Homicide Reduction Initiative.................... 4,000
Lethality Assessment Initiative.................. 4,000
Sexual Assault Victims Services...................... 80,500
Rural Domestic Violence and Child Abuse Enforcement.. 53,000
Violence on College Campuses......................... 25,000
HBCU, HSI and Tribal Colleges.................... 12,500
Legal Assistance for Victims......................... 56,000
Abuse Later in Life Program.......................... 9,000
Justice for Families Program......................... 22,000
Disabilities Program................................. 12,000
National Center on Workplace Responses............... 1,000
Research on Violence Against Indian Women............ 1,000
Indian Country-Sexual Assault Clearinghouse.......... 500
Tribal Special Criminal Jurisdiction................. 15,000
Rape Survivor Child Custody Act...................... 1,500
Restorative Justice Responses and Evaluations........ 15,000
Culturally Specific Programs......................... 11,000
Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys.............. 3,000
LGBT Specific Services Program....................... 1,000
National Deaf Services Line.......................... 2,000
Underserved Populations Program...................... 5,000
Financial Assistance Program......................... 4,000
Abby Honold Act...................................... 5,000
Access to Sexual Assault Nurse Examinations.......... 15,000
Cybercrime Enforcement............................... 6,000
National Service Line for Incarcerated Survivors of 3,000
Sexual Assault......................................
Special Initiative to Address Intersection of MMIP & 5,000
Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, Stalking, & Human
Trafficking.........................................
------------------
TOTAL, Violence Against Women Prevention and 739,500
Prosecution Programs..........................
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Access to Sexual Assault Nurse Exams.--The Committee's
recommendation includes $15,000,000 for grants for regional
sexual assault nurse examiner [SANE] training, salaries for
SANEs and sexual assault forensic examiners [SAFEs], and
technical assistance and resources to increase access to SANEs
and SAFEs, as authorized by the Violence Against Women Act of
2022 (division W of Public Law 117-103). The Committee
encourages the Department to prioritize areas where nationwide
gaps exist in the availability and quality of post-sexual
assault medical forensic care, including rural, Tribal,
underserved communities, and urban areas that lack full-time
coverage. The Committee directs OVW to collaborate with the
Office for Victims of Crime to implement this program in
coordination with other funding opportunities designed to
enhance the quality and availability of post-sexual assault
medical forensic care, to include multidisciplinary settings
responding to the abuse of both children and adolescents.
Sexual Assault Survivors' Bill of Rights.--The Committee
again provides $10,000,000 as part of the STOP grants for the
recently enacted Sexual Assault Survivors' Bill of Rights, a
new and consequential grant program that incentivizes States to
codify and standardize survivor rights. The Committee notes the
Department's lower request due to a limited number of States
applying and qualifying for the awards. Accordingly, the
Committee continues to direct the Department to submit a report
to the Committee, within 120 days of enactment of this act,
detailing any applicants deemed by OVW as ineligible for this
funding, the reasons for the ineligibility, and suggested
legislative changes that could increase state eligibility.
Statutory Set-Asides.--The underlying statutes for several
grant programs, including STOP and Sexual Assault Services
Program [SASP], outline set-asides for Tribal governments and
coalitions, culturally specific community-based organizations,
and organizations providing services to underserved
populations. These set-asides would provide a total of
$90,288,535 for fiscal year 2025, with $66,403,535 for Tribal
governments and coalitions, $17,575,000 for culturally specific
organizations, and $6,310,000 to meet the needs of underserved
populations. The Committee expects OVW to ensure that the full
amounts provided for in the authorizing statutes are released
to these groups expeditiously.
Rural Victims.--Victims of sexual assault living in rural
communities may be reluctant to report to law enforcement. The
Committee encourages the OVW to implement projects that reduce
barriers to the reporting of crime in rural areas, colonias,
and persistent poverty counties and directs the OVW to submit a
report to the Committee not later than 90 days after enactment
of this act.
Violence Against Middle Eastern and North African Women.--
The Committee directs the Department to develop best practices,
in consultation with Middle Eastern and North African (MENA)
community-based organizations, for the investigation and
prosecution of violence against MENA women. The Committee
further directs the Department's Office on Violence Against
Women to review the sufficiency of its Culturally Specific
Services and Underserved Populations programs with regard to
MENA survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, including
the quality and cultural competency of its temporary and
transitional housing, education, and workforce development
assistance, and whether additional resources are needed to
provide MENA survivors with equitable access to services. The
Department shall report to the Committee on these directives
within 180 days of enactment of this act.
Office of Justice Programs
The OJP is responsible for providing leadership,
coordination, and assistance to its Federal, State, local, and
Tribal partners to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of
the U.S. justice system in preventing, controlling, and
responding to crime. As most of the responsibility for crime
control and prevention falls to law enforcement officers in
States, cities, and other localities, the Federal Government is
effective in these areas only to the extent that it can enter
into successful partnerships with these jurisdictions.
Therefore, OJP is tasked with administering grants; collecting
statistical data and conducting analyses; identifying emerging
criminal justice issues; developing and testing promising and
innovative approaches to address these issues; evaluating
program results; and disseminating these findings and other
information to State, local, and Tribal governments.
RESEARCH, EVALUATION AND STATISTICS
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $65,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 77,000,000
Committee recommendation................................ 75,000,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $75,000,000 for the
Research, Evaluation and Statistics account. The recommendation
is $10,000,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and
$2,000,000 below the budget request.
Funding in this account provides assistance in the areas of
research, evaluation, statistics, hate crimes, DNA and
forensics, criminal background checks, and gun safety
technology, among others.
The Committee's recommendations are displayed in the
following table:
RESEARCH, EVALUATION AND STATISTICS
[In thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Committee
Program recommendation
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bureau of Justice Statistics......................... 41,000
National Institute of Justice........................ 34,000
Study on Online Crimes Against Children...... 750
------------------
TOTAL, Research Evaluation and Statistics 75,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Spending Plans.--The Department shall submit to the
Committee, as part of its spending plan for State and Local Law
Enforcement Activities, a plan for the use of all funding
administered by the National Institute of Justice [NIJ] and the
Bureau of Justice Statistics [BJS], respectively, for approval
by the Committee prior to the obligation of any such funds.
Assessment of NIJ and BJS.--Directives under the
Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 (Public
Law 115-435) (Evidence Act) and other congressionally-requested
initiatives have given NIJ and BJS additional responsibilities
and obligations. The Committee directs OJP to conduct a full
assessment of the impact of these dynamics on NIJ and BJS's
ability to keep pace with cutting-edge scientific practices and
emerging policy needs. OJP is further directed to develop a
forward-looking vision for strengthening these agencies'
ability to respond nimbly to and anticipate future needs and
scientific developments over the next decade and identify the
resources needed to achieve this vision. These activities
should be integrated, where possible, into OJP's implementation
of the Evidence Act. OJP shall provide an update to the
Committee on its progress within 180 days from the enactment of
this act.
BJS.--The Committee's recommendation provides $41,000,000
for the BJS. The recommendation is $6,000,000 above the fiscal
year 2024 level and $1,000,000 below the budget request.
Data on Police Suicide.--The Committee directed BJS to
start the process of maintaining a data set on police suicide
for Federal, State, and local law enforcement in fiscal year
2020 and provided $3,000,000 for this data collection effort in
fiscal year 2021. The Committee continues to recognize the
importance of collecting information on police suicides and
encourages BJS to continue its approach to improving the
measurement of suicide fatalities among law enforcement
agencies.
National Crime Victimization Survey [NCVS].--BJS is
directed, as part of the NCVS, to collect data on offenders
under the influence at the time of the offense.
NIJ.--The Committee's recommendation provides $34,000,000
for the NIJ, in addition to $2,500,000 transferred from the OVW
for research and evaluation on violence against women and
Indian women.
Correctional Education Evaluation.--The Committee directs
NIJ to establish a public-private partnership with research and
correctional institutions to collect and evaluate data, and
continue to advance the research on the impact of correctional
education on recidivism.
Study on Online Crimes Against Children.--The Committee
provides $750,000 for NIJ to administer a competitive grant to
an accredited research university for a study on the range of
challenges victims of online crimes against children and their
families face in reporting crimes and receiving justice and
potential changes to the system that would improve the response
to online crimes against children.
Report on Forensic Laboratory Resource Requirements.--The
Committee adopts and re-iterates the directive under this
heading in Senate Report 118-62, as adopted into the joint
explanatory statement accompanying Public Law 118-42. The
Committee looks forward to the timely submission of this study.
Human Trafficking Study.--NIJ is directed to provide a
briefing, within 30 days of the date of the enactment of this
act, on the status of the study required by Section 20 of the
Abolish Human Trafficking Act of 2017 (Public Law 115-392) and
its estimated completion date.
STATE AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ASSISTANCE
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $2,475,061,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 2,009,000,000
Committee recommendation................................ 2,149,338,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $2,149,338,000 for
State and local law enforcement assistance. The recommendation
is $325,723,000 below the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and
$140,338,000 above the budget request.
The Committee's recommendations are displayed in the
following table:
STATE AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ASSISTANCE
[In thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Committee
Program Recommendation
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants............. 720,338
Officer Robert Wilson III VALOR Initiative....... 13,000
NamUs............................................ 3,500
Officer Training for Responding to People with 10,000
Mental Illness and Disabilities.................
John R. Justice Grant Program.................... 5,000
Prison Rape Prevention and Prosecution........... 15,500
Kevin and Avonte's Law........................... 3,000
Project Safe Neighborhoods....................... 20,000
Capital Litigation and Wrongful Conviction Review 13,000
National Center on Restorative Justice........... 3,000
Ashanti Alert Network............................ 1,000
Family-Based Alternative Sentencing Pilot 3,500
Programs........................................
Child Advocacy Training.......................... 2,000
Rural Violent Crime Initiative................... 10,000
Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains Act..... 6,000
Forensic Ballistics Programs in Higher Education. 2,500
Multidisciplinary Partnership Improvements for 5,000
Protective Orders...............................
Byrne Discretionary Projects..................... 131,393
Victims of Trafficking Grants........................ 95,000
Economic, High-Tech, White Collar, and Cybercrime 13,000
Prevention..........................................
Intellectual Property Enforcement Program........ 2,500
Internet of Things Training Modules.............. 2,000
Adam Walsh Act Implementation........................ 20,000
Patrick Leahy Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant 30,000
Program.............................................
Transfer to NIST................................. 1,500
National Sex Offender Public Website................. 1,000
National Instant Criminal Background Check System 95,000
[NICS] Initiative...................................
NICS Act Record Improvement Program.............. 25,000
Paul Coverdell Forensic Science...................... 35,000
DNA Initiative....................................... 170,000
Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Grants.................. 130,000
State and Local Forensic Activities.............. 20,000
Kirk Bloodsworth Post-Conviction DNA Testing 15,000
Grants..........................................
Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Training Program 5,000
Grants..........................................
Sexual Assault Kit Initiative [SAKI]................. 55,000
CASA--Special Advocates.............................. 15,000
Tribal Assistance.................................... 60,000
Second Chance Act/Offender Reentry................... 125,000
Smart Probation.................................. 8,000
Children of Incarcerated Parents Demo Grants..... 5,000
Project HOPE Opportunity Probation with 5,000
Enforcement.....................................
Crisis Stabilization and Community Reentry Act... 10,000
Pay for Success.................................. 7,500
Substance Use Disorder Initiative.................... 445,000
Drug Courts...................................... 95,000
Mentally Ill Offender Act........................ 45,000
Residential Substance Use Treatment.............. 45,000
Veterans Treatment Courts........................ 35,000
Prescription Drug Monitoring..................... 35,000
Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance 190,000
Use Disorder Program............................
Keep Young Athletes Safe Act......................... 2,500
STOP School Violence Act............................. 82,000
Emmett Till Grants................................... 3,500
Hate Crime Prevention Act............................ 25,000
Community-Based Approaches to Advancing Justice...... 10,000
Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act............................. 10,000
Body Worn Camera Partnership Program................. 35,000
Justice Reinvestment Initiative...................... 35,000
Community Violence Intervention and Prevention....... 55,000
Daniel Anderl Act.................................... 10,000
Death in Custody Reporting Act Implementation 2,000
Assistance Program..................................
------------------
TOTAL, State and Local Law Enforcement 2,149,338
Assistance....................................
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program.--
The Committee recommends $720,338,000 for Byrne-JAG. Funding is
not available for luxury items, real estate, or construction
projects. The Department should expect State, local, and Tribal
governments to target funding to programs and activities that
conform to evidence-based strategic plans developed through
broad stakeholder involvement. The Committee directs the
Department to make technical assistance available to State,
local, and Tribal governments for the development or update of
such plans. Funding is authorized for law enforcement programs
including those that promote data interoperability among
disparate law enforcement entities; prosecution and court
programs; prevention and education programs; corrections
programs; drug treatment and enforcement programs; planning,
evaluation, and technology improvement programs; and crime
victim and witness programs, other than compensation.
Byrne-JAG and the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.--In
addition to the funding provided in this act, the Committee
notes that an additional $150,000,000 will be released to
State, local, and Tribal governments this fiscal year under the
Bipartisan Safer Communities Act [BCSA]. Government agencies
and law enforcement can use BCSA funding for the following
purposes, including, but not limited to: extreme risk
protection order programs, drug courts, mental health courts,
and veterans courts.
Preventing Violence Against Law Enforcement Officer
Resilience and Survivability [VALOR] Initiative.--The
Committee's recommendation provides $13,000,000 within Byrne-
JAG for the VALOR Initiative. The Committee expects Federal law
enforcement agencies to continue to expand on efforts to
provide local police with information as to whether a suspect
has a violent history, to the extent that transfer of such
information is allowable and available via Federal law
enforcement databases, in an effort to prevent officer deaths.
The Committee notes that an additional $14,000,000 is provided
under the COPS heading for Protecting Our Lives by Initiating
COPS Expansion Act (Public Law 114-199) programs, which help to
provide active shooter training programs for State and local
law enforcement officers.
Law Enforcement Officer De-escalation Training.--The
Committee recommends $10,000,000 for a competitive grant
program to support training and related initiatives (with a
particular emphasis on de-escalation practices) that help
improve responses to individuals with mental illness,
intellectual disabilities, or developmental disabilities and
others who come into contact with law enforcement or
correctional officers, including for purposes described in the
Law Enforcement De-Escalation Training Act of 2022 (Public Law
117-325).
Prison Rape Elimination Act [PREA] Audit Quality
Initiative.--Facility audits are a key component in helping
agencies move their sexual abuse prevention and response
policies from written documents to everyday practices. Congress
enhanced the audit process in 2018 to ensure greater oversight
of the audit process and improved audits, but many of these
changes have not been fully implemented by the PREA Management
Office. The Committee supports the Department providing the
necessary resources to carry out this work. In an effort to
complement and enhance these efforts, the Committee provides
$3,000,000 to OVW for the establishment of a national services
line for incarcerated survivors of sexual abuse.
Project Safe Neighborhoods [PSN].--PSN is a nationwide
initiative that brings together Federal, State, local, Tribal,
and territorial law enforcement officials, prosecutors,
community-based partners, and other stakeholders to identify
the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and
develop comprehensive solutions to address them. PSN is
coordinated by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices in the 94 Federal
judicial districts throughout the 50 States and U.S.
territories. OJP is encouraged to highlight ways PSN funding
can reduce gun violence, including through automated ballistics
imaging triage technology.
Capital Litigation Improvement and Wrongful Conviction
Review.--The Committee recognizes the need for legal
representation and investigation services for individuals with
post-conviction claims of innocence.
Given the urgent need to identify and remediate wrongful
convictions, the Committee directs that at least 50 percent of
the $13,000,000 appropriated to the Capital Litigation
Improvement and Wrongful Conviction Review grant programs shall
be used to support Wrongful Conviction Review grantees
providing high quality and efficient post-conviction
representation for defendants in post-conviction claims of
innocence. Wrongful Conviction Review grantees shall be
nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education, and/
or State or local public defender offices that have in-house
post-conviction representation programs that show demonstrable
experience and competence in litigating post-conviction claims
of innocence. Grant funds shall support grantee provision of
post-conviction legal representation of innocence claims; case
review, evaluation, and management; experts; potentially
exonerative forensic testing; and investigation services
related to supporting these post-conviction innocence claims.
National Center on Restorative Justice.--Of the $3,000,000
provided for this program, no less than $2,500,000 shall be
used to continue a partnership with an accredited university of
higher education and/or law school for the purposes of
supporting a National Center on Restorative Justice to educate
and train the next generation of justice leaders. The Center
shall expand its partnerships with practitioners and
facilitators to increase access and types of restorative
justice training and education opportunities available across
the country and continue to support research focusing on how
best to provide direct services to address social inequities,
such as simultaneous access to substance abuse treatment and
higher education. Further, the Center will expand educational
opportunities for those under sentence and in a court-
supervised substance abuse program, and, through research and
evaluation, the Center will disseminate reports on the impact
of attitudes, recidivism, and costs of the educational
initiatives. Up to $500,000 may be used to support microgrants
to innovative restorative justice projects in communities
across the country.
Child Advocacy Training.--The Report of the Attorney
General's National Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence
acknowledged the need to include curricula in post-secondary
educational programs to ensure that every child- and family-
serving professional receives training in multiple evidence-
based methods for identifying and screening children for
exposure to violence. The Committee provides $2,000,000 for a
competitive grant program to support child advocacy training in
undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education. The grants
should support the training of future mandated reporters and
child protection professionals and support efforts across the
country to train child protection professionals in the field,
including law enforcement officers, social workers, mental and
medical health professionals, and prosecutors.
Forensic Ballistics and Higher Education.--Subject to
approval from ATF, educational institutions can join NIBIN in
collaboration with local law enforcement agencies. Through the
use of ballistics identification equipment, these NIBIN
initiatives can provide students with hands-on training in the
processing of firearms evidence used to generate actionable
crime gun intelligence. The Committee provides $2,500,000 for a
competitive grant program for universities and technical
colleges, to acquire ballistics identification equipment and
support forensic ballistics programs.
Rural Violent Crime Initiative.--State, local, and Tribal
law enforcement agencies in rural areas face unique challenges,
including limited financial and technological resources, and
the need to cover large, remote areas with smaller staff.
Violent crime, including drug- and human-trafficking, continues
to grow in these locations. The Committee provides $8,000,000
for a Rural Violent Crime Reduction Initiative for Law
Enforcement Agencies, with grants to be awarded on a
competitive basis to small law enforcement agencies in rural
locations. Grants are to support improved training and
technology, expanded community-based crime prevention programs,
and partnerships with victim service providers. This initiative
is intended to improve communication and collaboration among
State, local, and Tribal law enforcement agencies with the
communities they serve, to address the unique criminal justice
challenges in rural areas. Of the total amount provided, no
less than $4,000,000 shall be for a microgrant program with
streamlined application and reporting requirements.
Uses of Byrne-JAG Funds.--The Committee continues to
recognize that novel equipment and technologies can improve
public safety and public trust in criminal justice
institutions. OJP is urged to promote awareness, through
Statements on the OJP website, in ``FAQs'' and seminars, and in
solicitation documents, that Byrne-JAG funds may be used for
managed access systems and other cell phone mitigation
technologies; fentanyl and methamphetamine detection equipment,
including handheld instruments; opioid overdose reversal
agents; virtual reality de-escalation training; humane remote
restraint devices that enable law enforcement to restrain an
uncooperative subject without requiring the infliction of pain;
drug detection canines; license plate readers; and hiring and
training of cybercrime analysts and investigators.
Grants to Combat Human Trafficking.--The Committee's
recommendation provides $95,000,000 for services and task force
activities for U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and foreign
nationals who are victims of trafficking, as authorized by
Public Law 106-386 and amended by Public Law 113-4, of which no
less than $22,000,000 is for the Enhanced Collaborative Model
to Combat Human Trafficking Task Force Program. The Committee
urges that human trafficking task forces funded under this
grant program take affirmative measures to emphasize the
investigation and prosecution of persons who patronize or
solicit children for sex as a human trafficking demand
reduction strategy. OJP shall consult with stakeholder groups
in determining the overall allocation of Victims of Trafficking
funding and shall provide a plan to the Committee for the use
of these funds as part of the Department's fiscal year 2025
spending plan.
The Committee notes that funding provided in this program
may be used for victims of sex and labor trafficking who are
minors, as authorized under VAWA 2013. Child trafficking
victims require specialized care, and these resources can be
used for items like residential care, emergency social
services, mental health counseling, and legal services. This
funding level also includes $10,000,000 for the Minor Victims
of Trafficking Grant program, of which $5,000,000 is for victim
services grants for sex-trafficked minors, as authorized by
Public Law 113-4, with the remaining $5,000,000 for victim
services grants for labor-trafficked minors. The Committee
encourages OJP to give an affirmative preference to applicants
for grants that treat minors engaged in commercial sex acts as
victims of a severe form of trafficking in persons, and
discourages the charging of such individuals for prostitution
or a sex trafficking offense. The Committee encourages DOJ to
work in close coordination with the Department of Health and
Human Services to encourage collaboration and reduce
duplication of effort.
Internet of Things Capabilities Database.--The growing use
of Internet of Things devices requires understanding of
existing capabilities of such devices for training on options
and best practices for handling of evidence to meet judicial
standards and privacy concerns. To meet this need, $2,000,000
shall be dedicated for a separate competitive grant program in
order to provide four awards of not less than $500,000 each for
institutions of higher learning that provide training in
computer forensics and digital investigation to develop a
database on Internet of Things device capabilities and to build
and execute training modules for law enforcement.
Patrick Leahy Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Program.--
Within the $30,000,000 provided for bulletproof vests,
$1,500,000 is to be transferred directly to the NIST Office of
Law Enforcement Standards to continue supporting ballistic- and
stab-resistant material compliance testing programs. The
Committee expects OJP to continue strengthening internal
controls to manage the Patrick Leahy Bulletproof Vest
Partnership Grant Program. Improving grantee accountability in
the timely use of Federal funds to purchase body armor will
help every police officer who needs a vest to get one, thus
saving officers' lives.
National Instant Criminal Background Check System
Initiative Grants.--A total of $135,000,000 is provided for
this program, of which $40,000,000 is derived from the BSCA and
$95,000,000 is derived from funding in this act. Funding
provided in this act will be used to continue to improve the
submission of State criminal and mental health records to NICS.
This investment will strengthen the National background check
system by assisting States in finding ways to make more records
available in the NICS system, especially mental health records,
thereby addressing gaps in Federal and State records currently
available in NICS. Those gaps significantly hinder the ability
of NICS to quickly confirm whether a prospective purchaser is
prohibited from acquiring a firearm. The Committee expects OJP
to track whether grant recipients are submitting data in a
timely manner into the NICS system.
The Fix NICS Act allows the Attorney General to waive the
National Criminal History Improvement Program match for States
that are in compliance with the implementation plan required
under Section 107 of the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of
2007 (Public Law 110-180). The Committee directs the Department
to remind States of the possibility of this waiver in guidance
or technical assistance regarding this grant program.
The Committee is aware that many State laws and policies
provide for the expungement or sealing of certain criminal
records, making it possible for people with past convictions to
access employment and housing, or exercise their social and
civic rights. However, many States do not have the resources
for appropriate technology to implement such policies
effectively. The Committee urges the Department to ensure that
grants made under the National Criminal History Improvement
Program [NCHIP] can be made available for supporting States in
the planning and the implementation of records systems that
allow for the efficient expungement or sealing of qualifying
criminal history records without requiring those eligible to
apply.
The Committee encourages the Department to consider
lengthening the period of performance for NCHIP, the NICS Act
Record Improvement Program, and NCHIP Supplemental Funding
grantees to enable comprehensive system upgrades that are
necessary to ensure improved functioning of the background
check process and maximum contribution of relevant records to
the system.
Paul Coverdell Forensic Science.--The recommendation
provides a total of $35,000,000, of which $17,000,000 is to
target specifically the challenges the opioid and synthetic
drug epidemic has brought to the forensics community.
DNA Backlog and Crime Lab Improvements.--The Committee
continues its strong support for DNA backlog and crime lab
improvements by recommending $170,000,000 to strengthen and
improve Federal and State DNA collection and analysis systems
that can be used to accelerate the prosecution of the guilty
while simultaneously protecting the innocent from wrongful
prosecution. Within the funds provided, $130,000,000 is for
Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Reduction grants, $15,000,000 is for
Kirk Bloodsworth Post-Conviction DNA Testing grants, $5,000,000
is for Sexual Assault Forensic Exam Program grants, and
$20,000,000 is for other State and local forensic activities.
An additional $15,000,000 is provided for Access to Sexual
Assault Nurse Examinations grants under the Violence Against
Women Prevention and Prosecution Programs.
The Committee expects that the OJP will make funding for
DNA analysis and capacity enhancement a priority in order to
meet the purposes of the Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Grant
Program. The Committee directs the Department to submit, as
part of its fiscal year 2025 spending plan, a detailed
description of the DNA-related and forensic programs, including
a description of the alignment of appropriated funds with the
authorized purposes of the Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Grant
Program. Consistent with the Justice Served Act of 2018 (Public
Law 115-257), the Committee expects that not less than 5
percent, but not more than 7 percent, of amounts for the
program shall be provided for grants for prosecutors to
increase the capacity of State and local prosecution offices to
address cold cases involving violent crime, where suspects have
been identified through DNA evidence.
The Committee appreciates the Department's publication of
data and metrics on the effectiveness of this program. For
example, more than half of all matches made on the Combined DNA
Index System [CODIS] are attributable to cases and offender
samples processed through this Federal grant program. The
Committee encourages the Department to continue to track and
annually report such metrics related to how this program
contributes to the number of cases and offender samples
submitted to CODIS, as well as to the related number of CODIS
matches.
DNA-related and Forensics Programs.--The Committee
continues to direct the Department to allocate funds for DNA-
related and forensics programs in compliance with all relevant
requirements, including the Justice for All Reauthorization Act
of 2016 (Public Law 114-235), the Justice Served Act of 2018
(Public Law 115-257), and appropriations directives.
Sexual Assault Kit Initiative.--The Committee's
recommendation includes $55,000,000 to continue a competitive
grant program started in fiscal year 2015 as part of the
initiative to reduce the backlog of rape kits at law
enforcement agencies. OJP shall provide competitively awarded
grants with a comprehensive community-based approach to
addressing the resolution of cases in the backlog.
The Committee believes it is important for the Department
to maximize the results of investments in sexual assault kit
[SAK] testing through continued research to identify best
practices for State, local, and Tribal jurisdictions in
handling the myriad issues that arise from perpetrator
identification-such as victim notification, investigation,
prosecution, documentation, forensic advancements, inter-
jurisdiction sharing, and tracking. The Committee further
believes it is critically important to fund efforts to support
cross-jurisdiction and cross-site data sharing to identify and
pursue repeat offenders operating in multiple jurisdictions.
Finally, the Committee believes that further work to validate
the extensive cost savings that result from the prevention of
future offenses as a result of SAK testing is needed. The
Committee directs the Department to support efforts that
advance these objectives; and further directs BJA to issue a
report, within one year of the enactment of this act, on the
number of partially tested kits.
Second Chance Act [SCA] Grants.--The recommendation
provides $125,000,000 for SCA grants. The Committee expects
that SCA funding will support grants that foster the
implementation of strategies that have been proven to reduce
recidivism and ensure adults released from prisons and jails
safely and successfully reenter their communities. The SCA
supports activities such as employment assistance, substance
abuse treatment including MAT options, housing, local
transportation, mentoring, family programming, and victim
support. SCA grants will also support demonstration projects
designed to test the impact of new strategies and frameworks.
Of the amounts provided in this section, $10,000,000 is
provided for the purposes of the Crisis Stabilization and
Community Reentry Act of 2020 (Public Law 116-281), which also
addresses the mental health and substance use disorder needs of
individuals who are recently released from correctional
facilities.
When awarding SCA grants, the Committee directs OJP to
consider the impact of reentry of prisoners on communities in
which a disproportionate number of individuals reside upon
release from incarceration. OJP shall assess the reentry
burdens borne by local communities and local law enforcement
agencies; review the resources available in such communities to
support successful reentry and the extent to which those
resources are used effectively; and make recommendations to
strengthen the resources in such communities which are
available to support successful reentry and to lessen the
burden placed on such communities by the need to support
reentry.
Project HOPE Institute.--The Committee recognizes the
success of Project HOPE. The Committee provides $5,000,000 for
Project HOPE, of which not less than $500,000 shall be directed
to continue the Project HOPE Institute to provide training,
technical assistance, and best practices for jurisdictions
replicating the HOPE model. The Committee directs BJA to award
grants to support both existing Project HOPE models and new
jurisdictions.
Crisis Stabilization and Community Reentry Act.--The
Committee directs BJA to ensure that the program includes
grants for peer support specialists and peer-led mental health
education classes or support groups for justice-involved
individuals and families commensurate with community needs.
Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act [CARA] Programs.--
The Committee provides a total of $445,000,000 for CARA
programs, including $95,000,000 for drug courts; $35,000,000
for veterans treatment courts; $45,000,000 for Residential
Substance Abuse Treatment, including access to any of the three
MAT options; $35,000,000 for prescription drug monitoring;
$45,000,000 for the Mentally Ill Offender Act; and $190,000,000
for the Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use
Disorder Program [COSSUP].
The Committee directs that funding for COSSUP programs
focus on prevention and education efforts, effective responses
to those affected by substance abuse, and services for
treatment and recovery from addiction. Of the $190,000,000 for
COSSUP, not less than $11,000,000 shall be made available for
additional replication sites employing the Law Enforcement
Assisted Diversion [LEAD] model, with applicants demonstrating
a plan for sustainability of LEAD-model diversion programs; no
less than $5,500,000 shall be made available for education and
prevention programs to connect law enforcement agencies with K-
12 students; and not less than $11,000,000 shall be made
available for embedding social services with law enforcement in
order to rapidly respond to drug overdoses where children are
impacted.
The Committee supports specialized residential substance
abuse treatment programs for inmates with co-occurring mental
health and substance abuse disorders or challenges. Given the
strong nexus between substance abuse and mental illness in our
prisons and jails, the Committee encourages the Attorney
General to ensure that funds provided for residential substance
abuse treatment for State prisoners are being used to treat
underlying mental health disorders, in addition to substance
abuse disorders.
The Committee recognizes the importance of drug courts and
the vital role that they serve in reducing crime among people
with a substance use or mental health disorder. In recent
years, drug courts have been on the front lines of the opioid
epidemic and have become important resources for law
enforcement and other community stakeholders affected by opioid
addiction. The Committee applauds efforts already undertaken in
communities across the country to utilize drug courts. The
Committee encourages Federal agencies to continue to work with
State and local governments and communities to support drug
courts.
The Committee supports the ability of drug courts to
address offenders with co-occurring substance abuse and mental
health problems, and supports court ordered assisted outpatient
treatment programs for individuals struggling with mental
illness. Within the funding provided for drug courts, the
Committee encourages OJP to give attention to States and
localities that have the highest concentrations of opioid-
related cases, and to prioritize assistance to underserved
areas whose criminal defendants currently have relatively
little opportunity to access drug courts. The Committee
encourages OJP to coordinate, as appropriate, with other
Federal agencies such as the Department of Health and Human
Services, as it implements these activities in order to avoid
duplication.
The Committee supports the work of mental health courts
across the country. The Committee is concerned, however, by the
high rates of re-incarceration among individuals with serious
mental illness due to the inadequate access to care for or
management of their illness and directs that the Department
include appropriate long-acting medications, including
injectable anti-psychotic medication, as an allowable expense
to improve treatment adherence and reduce risk for relapse and
re-incarceration.
Veterans Treatment Courts.--The Committee continues to
strongly support veterans treatment courts [VTCs]. An
evaluation of VTCs funded by BJA found limitations in access to
VTCs due to challenges in identifying veterans and also
emphasized that veterans' needs vary from other drug courts.
The Committee supports the Department's efforts to offer a
broader range of tools to address program needs. The joint
explanatory statement accompanying Public Law 118-42 directed
BJA to submit a report, within 180 days of the enactment of
that law, on the establishment of a National Center for
Veterans Justice, designed to continuously enhance coordination
of data, best practices, original research, and technical
assistance to further evidence-based practices for justice-
involved veteran interventions. The Committee looks forward to
timely submission of the report. As appropriate, based the
report's conclusions, the Committee directs BJA to coordinate
with the Veterans Justice Commission on the possible
establishment of the national center in fiscal year 2025.
BJA is encouraged to prioritize VTC grants to rural and
low-income areas with high rates of substance abuse and veteran
homelessness. BJA is directed to submit a report, within 90
days of the enactment of this act, detailing the geographic
distribution of applicants, award recipients, and award funding
levels, over fiscal years 2019 to 2024.
Keep Young Athletes Safe Act.--The Committee again provides
funding of $2,500,000 for a competitive grant program to
safeguard young athletes against abuse in sports, including
emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. The Committee directs
that funding be prioritized for curriculum development and
training for abuse prevention education in youth athletic
programs and for investigation and resolution of sexual abuse
claims. The Committee further directs that the Department
explore opportunities for supporting an athlete survivor
leadership network to better incorporate survivors' lived
experiences are incorporated as part of new curriculum,
training materials, and technical assistance, including a
better understanding of how and when to report. Any
recommendations regarding youth athletes stemming from the work
and reporting by the Commission on the State of U.S. Olympics
and Paralympics shall be incorporated into this program.
Justice Reinvestment Initiative [JRI].--The Committee
provides $35,000,000 for the JRI, which provides assistance to
States to identify local issues arising in criminal justice
systems and to develop data-driven and research-backed
responses. Jurisdictions may use the JRI to reduce recidivism;
control the size of corrections populations, either
incarcerated or on community supervision; reduce crime; and
create budgetary solutions to better balance correctional costs
within a State's budget. Justice reinvestment is used to
implement data-driven strategies to improve public safety by
reducing corrections spending and reinvesting those savings in
efforts to decrease crime and strengthen neighborhoods. Funding
may be used to provide technical assistance to States with
existing justice reinvestment programs to further such
programs; provide technical assistance to additional States to
expand the justice reinvestment initiative to those
jurisdictions; or provide funding to States with existing
justice reinvestment initiatives to expand or enhance the
State's self-identified justice reinvestment initiative goals.
Justice reinvestment funds shall not be restricted by Federal
agencies for use on specific programs or policy initiatives,
and States shall be permitted to establish their own priorities
within the justice reinvestment framework.
Addressing Hate Crimes.--The Committee provides a total of
$45,000,000 to address hate crimes in our communities. Of this
amount, $25,000,000 is for Hate Crime Prevention Act grants
authorized under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate
Crimes Prevention Act (section 4704 of Public Law 111-84). The
Committee continues to urge the Department and grant recipients
to prioritize efforts to identify, investigate, report on, and
prevent hate crimes that occur online or are related to bias-
motivated harassment and criminal activity occurring online.
The Committee also provides $10,000,000 for grants authorized
under the Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Crime Act, and $10,000,000 for
grants provided under the Community-Based Approaches to
Advancing Justice program.
Community-Based Approaches to Advancing Justice.--The
Committee recognizes the importance of community-based
organizations in conflict resolution and empowering communities
to combat hate crimes and incidents, as Congress has directed
for the last two fiscal years. These organizations provide
direct assistance to targeted communities, train individuals on
techniques to de-escalate dangerous situations, and provide
timely statistical information on hate crimes to their
communities. The Committee continues to provide funding for
grants to these organizations to advance justice within their
communities.
Community Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative
[CVIPI].--A total of $105,000,000 is provided for CVIPI in
fiscal year 2025. This includes $50,000,000 from the BSCA and
$55,000,000 in this act. This grant program supports
communities in developing comprehensive, evidence-based
violence intervention and prevention programs, including
efforts to address gang and gun violence, based on partnerships
between community residents, law enforcement, local government
agencies, and other community stakeholders. Awards should be
prioritized for communities with the highest number of
homicides and the highest number of homicides per capita. The
Committee directs OJP to prioritize that these grants be made
to community-based violence intervention programs to the
fullest extent possible and also track and publish information
on this funding, including the number of awards made and a
description of the use of funding for each project and the
number of grant applications received.
The Committee recognizes the importance of also providing
effective training for law enforcement to advance public safety
using community violence intervention initiatives. The
Committee encourages OJP to develop a grant opportunity for an
accredited research university that has demonstrated it can
deliver two evidence-based complementary educational programs
that address both the needs of next generation community
violence intervention leaders and law enforcement.
Preventing Violence Through Community Partnerships.--The
Committee appreciates the Department's ongoing work on violence
prevention. However, as incidents of trauma continue to rise,
the Committee encourages the Department, including the Bureau
of Justice Assistance and the Office for Victims of Crime, to
develop innovative approaches to reduce the incidence of
reinjury and reincarceration caused by intentional violent
trauma. Efforts may include facilitating partnerships between
community and hospital-based violence intervention and
prevention programs that focus on individuals at highest risk
for experiencing community violence. This may be done through
partnerships with trauma centers and non-profit entities, such
as community-based violence prevention programs, providing
technical assistance, and facilitating or conducting research
of hospital-based violence prevention programs.
Byrne Discretionary Grants.--The Committee provides
$131,393,000 for Byrne discretionary grants to prevent crime,
improve the criminal justice system, provide victim services,
and other related activities. The Committee directs OJP to
provide the funding for the projects listed in the table
titled, ``Congressionally Directed Spending'' at the end of
this report in the corresponding amounts.
JUVENILE JUSTICE PROGRAMS
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $375,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 407,000,000
Committee recommendation................................ 407,000,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $407,000,000 for
juvenile justice programs. The recommendation is $32,000,000
above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and equal to the
budget request.
The Committee strongly supports a comprehensive approach of
substantial funding for a robust portfolio of programs that
work to improve the lives of the youth in our communities.
Title II State Formula and Title V Juvenile Delinquency
Prevention grants are the backbone of programs assisting State
and local agencies in preventing juvenile delinquency and
ensuring that youth who are in contact with the juvenile
justice system are treated fairly. Combined with other critical
programs like youth mentoring, the Committee believes that a
balanced level of programming is the way to best help at-risk
and vulnerable youth and their families.
The Committee encourages OJJDP to review its suite of grant
programs in order to offer services and programs for children
and youth who have experienced complex trauma.
The Committee's recommendations are displayed in the
following table:
JUVENILE JUSTICE PROGRAMS
[In thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Committee
Program Recommendation
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Part B State Formula Grants.......................... 75,000
Emergency Planning-Juvenile Detention Facilities. 500
Youth Mentoring Grants............................... 107,000
Title V--Delinquency Prevention Incentive Grants..... 65,000
Prevention of Trafficking of Girls............... 5,000
Tribal Youth..................................... 18,000
Girls in the Justice System...................... 6,500
Opioid Affected Youth Initiative................. 12,500
Children Exposed to Violence..................... 10,000
Victims of Child Abuse Programs...................... 45,000
Missing & Exploited Children Programs................ 107,000
Training for Judicial Personnel...................... 4,500
Juvenile Indigent Defense............................ 2,500
Collaborative Reform for Juvenile Justice Initiative. 1,000
------------------
TOTAL, Juvenile Justice........................ 407,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Any deviation from the above table is subject to the
reprogramming requirements of section 505 of this act.
Arts in Juvenile Justice.--The Department is to continue to
develop the Arts in the Juvenile Justice Demonstration Program
as described in fiscal year 2024. In addition, OJJDP is
encouraged to prioritize applications with arts partners who
have prior experience in serving youth who are engaged, or at
risk of engaging, in the juvenile justice system as well as
partnerships developed through authentic collaboration with
young people who have lived expertise or experience. The
Committee directs OJJDP to provide a report, not later than 180
days after the date of enactment of this act, on the use of
funds, grant recipients, and project purposes for fiscal year
2024 as well as plans for fiscal year 2025 funds including
expansion of the program and creation of best practices to
replicate these kinds of partnerships.
Youth Mentoring Grants.--To support the critical work of
national, regional, and local organizations in nurturing and
mentoring at-risk children and youth, the Committee recommends
$107,000,000 for competitive, peer-reviewed youth mentoring
grants, of which $16,500,000 is for helping youth impacted by
substance abuse, including opioids and methamphetamine. The
Committee expects that the OJJDP will take all steps necessary
to ensure fairness and objectivity in the award of these and
future competitive grants. The Committee expects OJP to
maintain OJJDP's expanded eligibility for local mentoring
programs, particularly in rural areas, unaffiliated with
national mentoring organizations. The Committee further expects
OJP and OJJDP to collaborate with mentoring stakeholders to
expand youth mentoring services in rural areas inordinately
affected by substance abuse, particularly heroin and opioids,
and that are considered at-risk.
Girls in the Juvenile Justice System.--Girls in the United
States with a history of sexual and physical abuse, school
failure, substance dependency, and involvement in the welfare
system, and who live in impoverished communities or are
experiencing homelessness, face unique and complex risks. The
Committee provides $6,500,000 for the ``Girls in the Justice
System'' grant program, which will enable organizations,
including nonprofit entities, with a successful track record of
administering prevention and early intervention programs for
girls who are most likely to end up in the juvenile justice
system, at a local or State level, to replicate these programs
at a national level. Funding for this program will further
support prevention and early intervention strategies and
curricula throughout the country, and place vulnerable girls on
a path toward success, stability, and long-term contribution to
society.
Children Exposed to Violence.--According to DOJ, nearly
two-thirds of children in the United States have been exposed
to violence, which can impact development, health, and
educational outcomes, and perpetuate the cycle of violence and
substance misuse. The Committee provides $10,000,000 for grants
to help children exposed to violence through direct supportive
services for them and their families; training and capacity
building for communities to build sustainable partnerships to
prevent and help children cope with exposure; State and local
policy reform to heal from trauma through supportive services
for the children and their families; training and awareness-
raising for communities on how to prevent and help children
heal from violence; State and policy reform; and technical
assistance for child and family-serving systems and
organizations to help them better recognize and help families
at risk for violence.
Victims of Child Abuse Act.--The Committee's recommendation
provides $45,000,000 for the various programs authorized under
the Victims of Child Abuse Act (Public Law 101-647) and directs
OJJDP to ensure that not less than 90 percent of the grants
awarded are for the purposes of developing and maintaining
child advocacy centers [CAC], including training and
accreditation. The Committee further directs OJJDP to ensure
the funds intended to support local CACs are used efficiently
with the highest percentage possible of Federal funding
expended for local CAC organizational capacity, which is
essential for the effective support of implementing the
multidisciplinary response to child abuse investigation,
prosecution, and intervention services.
The Committee continues to support efforts by CACs to use
their unique model and expertise to help military installations
address cases of child abuse, and again provides $1,000,000
from within the funds provided to continue to support a pilot
project to identify, develop, and operationalize best
practices. As this effort has been funded since fiscal year
2017, the Committee directs OJJDP to report on the status of
this pilot, including the locations of CACs and military
installations working together, the number of children served
through these partnerships, and lessons learned from this pilot
program.
The Committee further directs OJJDP to coordinate with the
Department of Defense on the implementation of recommendations
made in GAO's report on ``Increased Guidance and Collaboration
Needed to Improve DoD's Tracking and Response to Child Abuse''
[GAO-20-110), including national agreements between CACs and
each military service.
Missing and Exploited Children Programs.--The Committee
recommends $107,000,000 for OJJDP's Missing and Exploited
Children Programs in order to support law enforcement agencies
and other national organizations that report and investigate
missing children cases and also investigate those who exploit
children both with and without an online nexus. The Committee
directs OJP to provide a plan for the use of these funds as
part of the Department's spending plan for fiscal year 2025,
which shall include investments in authorized national programs
that serve as a resource center and clearinghouse on missing
and exploited children, task force grants, and administrative
costs for the Internet Crimes Against Children [ICAC] program.
The Committee directs OJJDP to continue to ensure that all
grantees report regularly on these programs.
Within funds provided, the Committee directs that the full
authorized amount of $40,000,000 be provided for the purposes
of the Missing Children's Assistance Act of 2018 (Public Law
115-267), up to $32,200,000 of which shall be used to carry out
the requirements of 34 U.S.C. 11293(b).
Within the funds provided, $4,400,000 is provided for the
AMBER Alert program. The Committee continues to recognize the
diverse and unique challenges, identified in the report to
Congress directed by the Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert in Indian
Country Act (Public Law 115-166), for the integration of State
AMBER Alert communications plans and Tribal systems. Of the
funds provided for AMBER Alert activities, $1,000,000 shall be
directed to addressing State/Tribal integration consistent with
the findings of the report directed by Public Law 115-166.
The Committee addressed the increased tips of online child
sexual exploitation and abuse reported to the National Center
for Missing and Exploited Children's [NCMEC] CyberTipline in
Senate Report 116-127, as adopted by Public Law 116-93, and
continues the direction that OJJDP continue to provide for the
development of IT solutions to address both duplicative tips
and law enforcement deconfliction, so as to ensure that only
high-quality information is being provided to law enforcement
agencies, including ICAC task forces.
The Committee directs that within the funds provided,
$3,000,000 be for a competitive grant award program to increase
the technological investigative capacity, and associated
training of law enforcement, to support the development,
refinement, and advancement of widely used investigative tools,
methods, and technologies that address child sexual abuse
material [CSAM], exploitation, and sex trafficking, as
previously directed in fiscal years 2018 through 2024. The
Committee also directs that OJJDP expand efforts to provide
advanced skills training for ICAC officers.
Advanced ICAC Skills Training.--The Committee directs that
within the funds provided, no less than $1,000,000 be provided
to maintain, strengthen, and enhance the ICAC Child Online
Protection System [ICACCOPS] investigative tools that address
CSAM, exploitation, and sex trafficking. The funding provided
will significantly upgrade hardware, software, and other
critical infrastructure components. These upgrades will
increase investigative capacity and effectiveness to keep pace
with the evolving threat of technology-facilitated child sexual
exploitation and abuse. The Committee directs OJJDP to identify
and provide a report on specific, long-term objectives
associated with this funding within 90 days of enactment of
this act.
The Committee also directs the Department to prioritize
expanded training on and use of the ICACCOPS program across
Federal, State, local, Tribal, and military law enforcement
agencies. The Committee further directs the Department to
coordinate with the Department of Defense on the implementation
of section 550D of Public Law 116-92.
Statute of Limitations.--The Committee is aware that
statutes of limitation laws have prevented survivors of child
sexual abuse, child exploitation, and child sex trafficking
from seeking justice when their trauma causes them to delay
disclosure of their abuse until later in life. The Department
is encouraged to explore ways of supporting and encouraging
States to review, pursue and revise, or continue reviewing,
pursuing and revising, civil and criminal statutes of
limitations laws and avenues for reviving time-barred civil
claims for child sexual abuse, child exploitation, and child
sex trafficking for adults who were a child at the time of the
sexual abuse claim in question.
PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICERS BENEFITS
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $208,800,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 280,800,000
Committee recommendation................................ 280,800,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $280,800,000 for
public safety officers benefits. The recommendation is
$72,000,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and is
equal to the budget request. This program provides a one-time
death benefit payment to eligible survivors of Federal, State,
and local public safety officers whose death was the direct and
proximate result of a traumatic injury sustained in the line of
duty or certain eligible heart attacks or strokes. Within funds
provided, $246,000,000 is for death benefits for survivors, an
amount estimated by the Congressional Budget Office and
considered mandatory for scorekeeping purposes.
The Committee also recommends $34,800,000, as requested,
for disability benefits for injured officers and education
benefits for the families of officers who have been permanently
disabled or killed in the line of duty.
Community Oriented Policing Services
COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING SERVICES PROGRAMS
INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $664,516,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 534,000,000
Committee recommendation................................ 548,123,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $548,123,000 for
community oriented policing services. The recommendation is
$116,393,000 below the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and
$14,123,000 above the budget request.
The Committee's recommendations are displayed in the
following table:
COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING SERVICES
[In thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Committee
Program Recommendation
------------------------------------------------------------------------
COPS Hiring Grants................................... 257,000
Tribal Resources Grant Program................... 37,000
Regional Information Sharing Activities.......... 46,000
Tribal Access Program............................ 6,000
Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act... 10,000
Collaborative Reform Model....................... 7,500
POLICE Act........................................... 14,000
Anti-Methamphetamine Task Forces..................... 17,000
Anti-Heroin Task Forces.............................. 36,000
STOP School Violence Act............................. 55,000
Community Policing Development....................... 45,000
Law Enforcement Officer De-Escalation................ 20,000
COPS Law Enforcement Technology and Equipment 104,123
Projects............................................
------------------
TOTAL, Community Oriented Policing Services.... 548,123
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Any deviations from the above table are subject to the
reprogramming requirements of section 505 of this act.
COPS Hiring Program.--The Committee recommends $257,000,000
for COPS Hiring grants to help State, local, or Tribal law
enforcement agencies create and preserve police officer
positions and to increase community policing capacity and crime
prevention efforts. Hiring grants will have an award cap of
$125,000 and require grantees to provide a 25 percent local
match. The Committee encourages the COPS Office to focus on
efforts to train and increase the capacity of law enforcement
agencies, executives, and managers serving rural communities to
enhance the use of community policing practices and innovations
in policing to expand the effectiveness of limited resources.
Additional Technical Assistance.--The Committee urges the
COPS Office to provide increased technical assistance to
applicants who have not previously received COPS grants or
otherwise indicate that they are newly establishing community-
oriented policing programs.
Grants for Rural Communities.--The Committee recognizes the
importance of the COPS Office in helping to staff and equip
State, local, and Tribal law enforcement officers. However, the
Committee is concerned about the administrative difficulties
faced by small and understaffed departments, especially in
rural communities, when applying for Federal grants. The
Committee urges the Department to review and improve the
application requirements for COPS Hiring Grants and other COPS
Office grants so that more small and understaffed departments
can apply for and utilize the funding.
Addressing Racial, Ethnic, and Demographic Gaps in Law
Enforcement.--The Committee is concerned about racial, ethnic,
and demographic gaps in law enforcement agencies. In fiscal
year 2024, the Committee directed the COPS Hiring Program to
give additional consideration to applicants that commit to
recruiting officers from the communities in which they will
serve. The Committee continues to support this effort.
Community Policing Development, Training and Technical
Assistance.--The Community Policing Development [CPD] program
assists State, local, and Tribal law enforcement agencies with
the implementation of community policing strategies. Programs
funded by CPD provide guidance on promising practices, develop
and test innovative strategies, build knowledge about effective
practices and outcomes, and support new, creative approaches to
preventing crime and promoting safe communities. The Committee
provides $45,000,000 for CPD.
De-escalation Training.--The Committee provides $20,000,000
for de-escalation training programs and implementation of the
Law Enforcement De-escalation Training Act (Public Law 117-
325). The Committee directs the COPS Office to submit a report,
within 60 days of the date of enactment of this act, describing
initial implementation of that act in fiscal year 2024, program
changes contemplated for fiscal year 2025, and resources
requirements for continued implementation in fiscal year 2026.
Collaborative Reform Model.--The Committee provides
$7,500,000 for the continuation of the Collaborative Reform
Model, which assists local law enforcement agencies to identify
problems and develop solutions to some of the most critical
issues facing law enforcement today, such as use of force, fair
and impartial policing, and improved accountability. Grant
funding is to only be used to assist law enforcement agencies
that choose to engage in the collaborative reform process with
the Department.
Regional Information Sharing Systems [RISS] Program.--The
Committee provides $46,000,000 for the RISS Program, to be
administered through grants.
The Committee directs that the Department assess no more
than 4 percent of the total appropriation for the RISS program
for management and administration purposes, so as to ensure
sufficient funding is available for law enforcement.
Anti-Methamphetamine Task Forces.--The Committee's
recommendation provides $17,000,000 for the COPS Office to make
competitive grants to law enforcement agencies in States with
high seizures of precursor chemicals, finished methamphetamine,
laboratories, and laboratory dump seizures. These funds shall
be utilized for investigative purposes to locate or investigate
illicit activities such as precursor diversion, laboratories,
or methamphetamine traffickers.
Anti-Heroin Task Forces.--The Committee reiterates concerns
over the dramatic rise of heroin use, deaths, and related crime
in the United States. The need for additional resources and
training to address these challenges is apparent, and the
Committee created the anti-heroin task force program within the
COPS Office in fiscal year 2015, continually providing funding
in succeeding fiscal years. The Committee provides $36,000,000
for the COPS Office to make competitive grants to law
enforcement agencies in States with high per capita levels of
primary treatment admissions for heroin, fentanyl, and other
opioids. These funds shall be utilized for drug enforcement,
including investigations and activities related to the
distribution of heroin or unlawful diversion and distribution
of prescription opioids, and for securing equipment commonly
used in opioid investigations. The Committee directs that
funding can be used for existing positions supported by prior
Anti-Heroin Task Force awards. Priority shall be given to drug
task forces managed and operated by the State that serve a
majority of counties in the State.
Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Grants.--The
Committee strongly supports efforts to protect the mental
health and well-being of law enforcement officers.
Unfortunately, the stress of officers' work and stigma
associated with seeking assistance for emotional and mental
health issues has led to an increase in suicides for officers
across the country. To address this concern, $10,000,000 is
provided for Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act
Program grants which shall be distributed as a competitive
grant program for State and local law enforcement agencies to
provide better training on officer emotional and mental health,
implement suicide prevention programming, and help officers
seek assistance in receiving support services.
School Resource Officers.--The placement of law enforcement
officers in schools can promote school safety and reduce the
risk of violence, but may also carry a risk that these officers
could contribute to a ``school-to-prison pipeline'' process
where students are arrested or cited for minor, non-violent
behavioral violations and then sent to the juvenile court
system. This ultimately can lead to academic failure and
greater recidivism rates for these students, and wastes
community resources. The Committee directs that the COPS Office
continue to implement requirements and procedures regarding
written memoranda of understanding and training requirements,
including clear definitions of officers' roles and
responsibilities on campus, for any COPS Hiring grant funds
used to hire school-based law enforcement officers.
POLICE Act.--The COPS Office's Preparing for Active Shooter
Situations [PASS] program has supported training for more than
130,000 law enforcement first responders in a response protocol
adopted by the FBI as the National standard for special agent
tactical instructors. Many State and local police departments
have also adopted this response protocol as a standard for
active shooter response, ensuring law enforcement officers
arriving on the scene understand how others are trained to
respond. The Committee encourages the Department to ensure that
grants authorized under the POLICE Act may be made available
for primary schools, secondary schools, and college campuses,
and that such training is an integrated training with campus
police officers and local law enforcement. The Committee
further encourages the continued development of e-learning
resources to supplement in-person training.
COPS Law Enforcement Technology.--The Committee provides
$104,123,000 for grants for State, local, Tribal, territorial,
and other entities to develop and acquire effective equipment,
technologies, and interoperable communications that assist in
the prevention of and response to crime. The Committee directs
the COPS Office to ensure that all equipment funded under this
program meets the requirements of NIST's Office of Law
Enforcement Standards. The Committee directs the COPS Office to
provide the funding for the projects listed in the table
titled, ``Congressionally Directed Spending'' at the end of
this report in the corresponding amounts.
General Provisions-Department of Justice
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
The Committee recommends the following general provisions:
Section 201 limits the amount of funding the Attorney
General can use for official reception and representation.
Section 202 prohibits the use of funds in this title to pay
for an abortion except where the life of the mother would be in
danger, or in the case of rape or incest.
Section 203 prohibits the use of funds in this title to
require a person to perform or facilitate an abortion.
Section 204 requires female prisoners to be escorted when
off prison grounds.
Section 205 allows the Department of Justice, subject to
the Committee's reprogramming procedures, to transfer up to 5
percent between appropriations, but limits to 10 percent the
amount that can be transferred into any one appropriation.
Section 206 limits the placement of maximum or high
security prisoners to appropriately secure facilities.
Section 207 restricts Federal prisoner access to certain
amenities.
Section 208 requires review by the Deputy Attorney General
and the Department's investigative review board prior to the
obligation or expenditure of funds for major technology
projects.
Section 209 requires the Department to follow reprogramming
procedures prior to any deviation from the program amounts
specified in this title or the reuse of specified deobligated
funds provided in previous years.
Section 210 prohibits the use of funds for OMB Circular A-
76 competitions for work performed by employees of the Bureau
of Prisons or of the Federal Prison Industries, Incorporated.
Section 211 prohibits U.S. Attorneys from simultaneously
holding multiple jobs outside of the scope of a U.S. Attorney's
professional duties.
Section 212 permits up to 2 percent of grant and
reimbursement program funds made available to the Office of
Justice Programs to be used for training and technical
assistance, and permits up to 2 percent of grant and
reimbursement program funds made available to that office to be
transferred to the National Institute of Justice or the Bureau
of Justice Statistics for criminal justice research and
statistics.
Section 213 gives the Attorney General the authority to
waive matching requirements for Second Chance Act adult and
juvenile reentry demonstration projects; State, Tribal and
local reentry courts; and drug treatment programs. If a waiver
is granted, the Attorney General shall document any factors and
material presented by a grantee upon determining that a fiscal
hardship exists prior to making an award.
Section 214 waives the requirement that the Attorney
General reserve certain funds from amounts provided for
offender incarceration.
Section 215 prohibits funds, other than funds for the
National instant criminal background check system established
under the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, from being
used to facilitate the transfer of an operable firearm to a
known or suspected agent of a drug cartel where law enforcement
personnel do not continuously monitor or control such firearm.
Section 216 places limitations on the obligation of funds
from certain Department of Justice accounts and funding
sources.
Section 217 permits the Department of Justice to
participate in Performance Partnership Pilot collaboration
programs.
Section 218 requires reports on Departmental funds.
Section 219 prohibits funds from being used to conduct,
contract for, or otherwise support, live tissue training.
Section 220 is a provision regarding freedom of expression.
Section 221 is a provision regarding freedom of religion.
Section 222 is a new provision regarding communications
with the Committees on Appropriations.
TITLE III
SCIENCE
Office of Science and Technology Policy
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $7,965,000
Budget Estimate, 2025................................... 7,965,000
Committee recommendation................................ 7,965,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $7,965,000 for the
Office of Science and Technology Policy [OSTP]. The
recommendation is equal to the fiscal year 2024 enacted level
and the budget request.
OSTP was created by the National Science and Technology
Policy, Organization, and Priorities Act of 1976 (Public Law
94-282) and coordinates science and technology policy for the
White House. OSTP provides scientific and technological
information, analyses, and advice for the President and the
executive branch; participates in the formulation,
coordination, and implementation of national and international
policies and programs that involve science and technology;
maintains and promotes the health and vitality of U.S. science
and technology infrastructure; reviews and analyzes, with the
Office of Management and Budget, the research and development
budgets for all Federal agencies; and coordinates research and
development efforts of the Federal Government to maximize the
return on the public's investment in science and technology and
to ensure Federal resources are used efficiently and
appropriately. The Committee expects OSTP to be at the
forefront of promoting American competitiveness through
scientific research and technology development.
Right to License and Copyright Articles.--Researchers
should have the right to choose how and where they publish or
communicate their research, and should not be forced to
disseminate their research in ways or under licenses that could
harm its integrity or lead to its modification without their
express consent. The Committee is concerned that in
implementing OSTP's August 2022 Memorandum to Executive
Departments and Agencies titled, ``Ensuring Free, Immediate,
and Equitable Access to federally Funded Research'' agencies
may be violating this principle. OSTP is directed to clarify
its guidance to agencies and instruct them not to limit grant
recipients' ability to copyright, freely license, or control
their works.
Sequencing RNA.--The Committee recognizes the release of
the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
report ``Charting a Future for Sequencing RNA and Its
Modifications'' in March 2024. The Committee notes that a
number of the report's recommendations will require a unified
strategy across the Federal Government to unlock the full
potential of RNA modifications and address pressing societal
challenges in health, agriculture, and beyond. The Committee
supports these efforts and directs OSTP to develop a
coordinated plan for the relevant Federal agencies to implement
the report's recommendations, which shall include collaborating
with industry and academic institutions, and to provide an
update as part of the fiscal year 2026 budget request.
National Space Council
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $1,965,000
Budget Estimate, 2025................................... 1,965,000
Committee recommendation................................ 1,965,000
The Committee provides $1,965,000 for the National Space
Council. The recommendation is equal to the fiscal year 2024
enacted level and the budget request.
The National Space Council provides advice and assistance
to the President on national space policy and strategy. The
Council reviews U.S. Government space policy, including long-
range goals; develops strategies for national space activities;
and develops recommendations for the President on space policy
and space-related issues. The National Space Council's
additional roles are to monitor and coordinate implementation
of the Nation's objectives in space by executive departments
and agencies; foster close coordination, cooperation, and
technology and information exchange among the civil, national
security, and commercial space sectors; and facilitate
resolution of differences concerning major space and space-
related policy issues.
The Committee directs the National Space Council to
continue to provide the Committee with quarterly briefings on
its activities, including its current assessment of current and
emerging threats to maintaining U.S. leadership in space-based
activities by the Federal Government, industry, and academia
and any associated plans and policies to maintain that
leadership.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $24,875,000,000
Budget Estimate, 2025................................... 25,382,740,000
Committee recommendation................................ 25,433,700,000
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
[In thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Committee
recommendation
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Science:
Earth Science................................... 2,368,700
Planetary Science............................... 2,721,500
Astrophysics.................................... 1,583,000
Heliophysics.................................... 811,700
Biological and Physical Science................. 90,800
-------------------
Total, Science.................................. 7,575,700
===================
Aeronautics......................................... 965,800
Space Technology.................................... 1,181,800
Exploration......................................... 7,648,200
Space Operations.................................... 4,399,700
STEM Engagement..................................... 143,500
Safety, Security and Mission Services:.............. 3,044,400
Construction and Environmental Compliance and 424,100
Restoration:.......................................
Office of Inspector General:........................ 50,500
-------------------
GRAND TOTAL, NASA........................... 25,433,700
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Committee's recommendation provides $25,433,700,000 for
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration [NASA]. The
recommendation is $558,700,000 above the fiscal year 2024
enacted level and $50,960,000 above the budget request.
NASA was established by the National Aeronautics and Space
Act of 1958 (Public Law 85-568) to conduct space and
aeronautical research and development and to conduct flight
activities for peaceful purposes. NASA's unique mission of
exploration, discovery, and innovation is intended to preserve
the United States' role as both a world leader in aviation and
as the pre-eminent space-faring nation. It is NASA's mission to
advance human and robotic exploration, use, and development of
space; advance and communicate scientific knowledge and
understanding of the Earth, the Moon, the solar system, and the
universe; and research, develop, verify, and transfer advanced
aeronautics and space technologies.
The bill continues investments in human spaceflight that
will enable travel to the Moon, and eventually Mars, with NASA-
developed crew and launch vehicles; build a Gateway, landers,
space suits, and other infrastructure for Moon landings; enable
the burgeoning domestic launch industry that is bringing cargo
and crew to the International Space Station and encouraging the
development of new destinations in low-Earth orbit [LEO]; and
support NASA's science and technology programs. These elements
should be viewed as complementary pieces of a balanced whole.
NASA is the American people's space agency. In advancing the
U.S. national interest, NASA should seek, to the extent
practicable, to retain public ownership of technologies,
scientific data, and discoveries made using public funds.
For Science, the Committee's recommendation strives to keep
NASA's near-term launches on track to continue progress in
exploring our solar system and the universe, understanding the
Sun, and observing our changing planet. The Committee expects
NASA to continue making progress on the recommendations of the
National Academies' decadal surveys, now and in the future.
For Exploration and Space Operations, the Committee's
recommendation maintains support for ongoing activities in LEO,
for the production of the vehicles that will take U.S.
astronauts to the Moon, and for the continued development of
systems that will enable human exploration of space.
NASA is directed to continue providing the Committee with a
quarterly launch schedule, by mission, which describes the
risks associated with launch delays due to problems with the
launch vehicle, impacts of launch delays to other missions in
the launch queue, and a budget estimate of the anticipated
carrying costs for missed launch windows. Due to disruption of
NASA activities and missions, NASA shall also include any
adjustments to launch windows for delayed missions. This launch
schedule should also be made available for the public on the
NASA website.
The Committee expects NASA to maintain focus on improving
oversight and accountability throughout the agency. While
progress has been made, NASA's acquisition management continues
to be on GAO's ``High Risk List.'' NASA must do better if the
agency is to fully realize its current ambitious plans for
science and exploration. Cost growth and schedule delays mean
that NASA must annually choose among continuing ongoing
projects, moving projects from formulation into development,
and beginning new projects, including those that meet high
priority National needs and decadal survey recommendations.
When NASA prolongs projects or requests insufficient funding
early in their development, the inevitable result is cost and
schedule overruns caused by inadequate early funding for
technology development and project management. NASA is directed
to continue to cooperate fully with GAO to provide timely
program analysis, evaluation data, and relevant information so
that GAO can continue to report to Congress shortly after the
annual budget submission, and semiannually thereafter, on the
status of large-scale NASA programs, projects, and activities.
NASA shall also work expeditiously to address any GAO
recommendations intended to correct its practices that lead to
performance delays and cost overruns.
The Committee understands that NASA projects undergo major
reviews in addition to regular oversight throughout the year.
When one of these reviews results in changing the cost profile
of a project in the current or budget request year, the
Committee expects to be informed in a timely fashion so that
its actions can consider the most recent NASA analysis and
expectation.
The Federal funding priorities for NASA set forth in this
bill and explanatory statement should not be interpreted as
suggestions. They are equivalent to any statutory requirement
levied upon NASA in this act. The Committee articulates the
funding levels of programs, where appropriate, in the form of
tables and, if necessary, supplements with explanatory
statement language.
SCIENCE
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $7,334,200,000
Budget Estimate, 2025................................... 7,565,700,000
Committee recommendation................................ 7,575,700,000
The Committee provides $7,575,700,000 for Science, which is
$241,500,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and
$10,000,000 above the budget request. The Science account
encompasses: Earth Science, Planetary Science, Astrophysics,
Heliophysics, and Biological and Physical Science. This funding
supports NASA programs that seek to answer fundamental
questions concerning the ways in which Earth is changing; the
comparison of Earth with other planets in the solar system and
around other stars; the connections between the Sun and Earth;
and the origin and evolution of planetary systems, the galaxy,
and the universe, including the origin and distribution of life
in the universe. These objectives are assisted by input from
the scientific community through decadal surveys and are
achieved through orbital and suborbital experiments, robotic
flight missions, ground-based scientific research and data
analysis, and the development of new technologies for future
missions. NASA shall continue its progress toward implementing
the recommendations of decadal surveys in Earth Science,
Heliophysics, Planetary Science, Astrophysics, and Biological
and Physical Sciences.
The Committee notes that the number of commercial providers
offering suborbital and orbital platforms for scientific
experiments continues to grow, making these platforms
affordable and essential for researchers, particularly when
missions require a tailored launch to mission-dependent orbits,
locations, and schedules or frequent iteration and repetition.
NASA shall ensure that its merit review systems encourage
principal investigators [PIs] to use these platforms. In fiscal
year 2025, NASA expects to support 18 small satellite missions.
Due to continued and increasing demand for these services, NASA
is directed to continue competitive processes to ensure they
are readily available, including encouraging the utilization of
Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare
opportunities. Further, NASA is encouraged to support
partnerships with industry on research, development, and test
activities to mature technological solutions to create
performance-enhancing hardware designs that reduce part count,
cost, and risk for future science missions. The Committee also
encourages NASA to evaluate private sector, large spacecraft
options that can deliver multiple Evolved Expendable Launch
Vehicle Secondary Payload Adapter [ESPA]-sized payloads,
telecommunications infrastructure, and offer rideshare options
that allow missions to Geostationary Orbit, the Moon, Mars, and
beyond.
Life Cycle Costs.--The Committee agrees that NASA ought to
strictly control development costs of NASA missions. However,
the Committee notes that it generally regards the development
costs as occurring through Phase D and not into Phase E.
Operation of NASA missions far beyond their originally planned
life is something to celebrate, and NASA's Senior Review
process ensures that its operations funds are spent on
scientifically productive missions.
Earth Science.--Within the amount for Earth Science, the
Committee recommendation includes the request level for Earth
Venture Class Missions to support missions under development
while maintaining the cadence of future missions. Consistent
with the National Academies' Decadal Survey for Earth Science
and Applications from Space, the Committee acknowledges the
vital role of the Venture Class Missions program in supporting
the development of novel remote sensing technologies and
sustaining the scientific workforce.
The Committee notes that NASA supports airborne science
platforms for observing stratospheric conditions and the
Earth's radiation budget, including the impact of the
introduction of material into the stratosphere from changes in
natural systems, increased air and space traffic, and solar
radiation modification, and for calibrating and enhancing the
value of NASA's satellite and Earth Sciences programs. Further,
Earth Science missions could help to understand the efficacy of
carbon dioxide removal proposals, including to track carbon
stocks and carbon cycling in aboveground biomass and coastal
marine ecosystems.
Geosynchronous Littoral Imaging and Monitoring Radiometer
[GLIMR].--The Committee directs NASA to start preparing for
launch services for the mission and provides not less than the
request level for GLIMR to achieve instrument delivery and
mission requirements. In addition, the Committee directs NASA
to continue working with NOAA to ensure that GLIMR meets the
requirements of the GeoXO program, as appropriate.
Landsat Next.--The Committee recognizes the importance of
on-time and on-budget delivery of the Landsat Next mission to
ensure full data continuity with the Landsat 9 mission. The
Committee provides $150,000,000 for Landsat Next and expects to
be kept apprised if any issues arise with the current schedule.
Earth System Observatory.--The Committee underscores the
importance of addressing the high-priority Earth observation
needs outlined in the decadal survey, together with our
international partners. Therefore, the Committee provides the
request level for the reformulated Earth System Observatory
missions.
Terra, Aqua, and Aura.--The Committee recognizes that the
2023 Senior Review for Operating Missions makes clear that the
Terra, Aqua, and Aura missions provide irreplaceable data to
the scientific community and that each spacecraft is nearing
the end of its design life. The Committee provides the request
level for these missions and encourages NASA to continue
operating them as long as they maintain scientific
productivity. In addition, not later than 120 days after
enactment of this act, NASA shall provide the Committee a
transition plan to ensure the continuity of data between the
Terra, Aqua, and Aura missions and successor missions or
follow-on data sources for instruments, including a replacement
for the Microwave Limb Sounder.
Postdoctoral Program.--The Committee supports NASA's
postdoctoral program as a critical component to enabling
science research and discovery within the Science Mission
Directorate, especially with the ongoing need to build a
science workforce pipeline to support NASA's decadal missions
and continued space science activities. The Committee welcomes
NASA's views and plans for the possible expansion of the
postdoc program as part of the agency's fiscal year 2026 budget
request.
Commercial SmallSat Data Acquisition [CSDA].--The CSDA
program identifies, evaluates, and acquires data from
commercial sources to support NASA's Earth Science research and
application goals. The Committee provides the request level for
CSDA, encourages NASA to begin formal assessments of novel
commercial data sources through this program early in the
calibration and validation process, and encourages the agency
to leverage the full capabilities of the commercial remote
sensing industry.
Methane Satellite Monitoring.--The Committee directs NASA
to acquire and analyze open access methane satellite data and,
after evaluation, to release that data through the portal of
the U.S. Greenhouse Gas Center, in order for the data to be
made publicly available for other Federal agency action,
scientific research and non-commercial application development.
This could include commercial data for an oil and gas producing
basin of significance. Dependent on evaluation outcomes and
interagency priorities, satellite methane data shall be made
publicly available on the U.S. Greenhouse Gas Center portal
within 15 days of the observation or date made available by the
data provider. Analysis using satellite data shall be made
publicly available on the U.S. Greenhouse Gas Center portal
within 120 days of completion of the analysis.
Space-Based Wildfire Detection Technologies.--The Committee
appreciates NASA's partnership with the commercial sector on
concept studies to develop and demonstrate a remote sensing
wildfire early detection and warning system. NASA is encouraged
to finalize the concept studies in order to transition to the
development and demonstration of the technologies and
techniques needed to prove this capability. Not less than the
fiscal year 2024 enacted level is provided for NASA to continue
these efforts, including for aerial and in-space demonstration
activities. Within 60 days of enactment of this act, NASA shall
brief the Committee on the results of the concept studies and
the agency plans to work with commercial partners to develop
and demonstrate technologies and techniques necessary to
showcase wildfire detection capabilities. NASA is also
encouraged to include support for the continuation and
completion of this effort in the fiscal year 2026 budget
request.
Planetary Science.--The Committee recommendation includes
$276,600,000 for planetary defense. The Committee
recommendation supports funding for Near Earth Object
Observations, which makes critical observations of Near Earth
Objects and potentially hazardous asteroids, and provides not
less than $235,900,000 for the Near Earth Object Surveyor
Mission [NEOSM] to maintain a 2028 launch date.
The Committee expects NASA to continue the selection and
launch cadence of Small Innovative Missions for Planetary
Exploration [SIMPLEx], New Frontiers, and Discovery class
missions in spite of any cost pressures from planetary flagship
missions. The Committee recommendation includes up to the
budget request for New Frontiers, including $434,600,000 for
the Dragonfly mission to ensure a launch readiness date of no
later than 2028.
Lunar Discovery and Exploration.--The recommendation
includes up to the request level for Lunar Discovery and
Exploration, including $22,100,000 to continue the Lunar
Reconnaissance Orbiter and not less than the request level for
Commercial Lunar Payload Services. The Committee supports
NASA's commitment to utilizing public-private partnerships to
advance its lunar science and exploration agenda and encourages
the agency to leverage the resources and expertise of both
private industry and universities in pursuit of these goals.
Developing an industrial base of new space companies is
paramount for the United States to be a leader in returning to
the Moon and increasing cislunar operations. The Committee
directs the Lunar Discovery and Exploration program to adhere
to the lunar science priorities established by decadal surveys
and the National Research Council's consensus report titled
``Scientific Context for the Exploration of the Moon.''
Activities funded within the program should meet both lunar
science and human exploration needs.
Further, the Committee directs NASA to begin formulation on
the Lunar Exploration and Science Orbiter [LExSO] mission carry
an openly competed, high-resolution camera to the Moon. Not
later than 120 days after enactment of this act, NASA shall
provide the Committee with an update on the LExSO mission.
Mars Sample Return [MSR].--NASA is encouraged to select a
realistic mission architecture that achieves at least the base
scientific goals identified in the 2022 Planetary Science and
Astrobiology Decadal Survey titled ``Origins, Worlds, and
Life'', within a reasonable budget portfolio and timescale.
NASA shall provide the Committee a description of this
selection and its associated cost estimate not later than 30
days after enactment of this act. If NASA has not selected an
architecture by this deadline, NASA must provide a plan for
incorporating a sample return task and preserving critical NASA
workforce expertise needed for the Mars Exploration Program.
The Committee recommends not less than the request level for
MSR.
Uranus Orbiter and Probe.--In order to advance the
recommendations of the Planetary Science Decadal Survey, the
Committee provides up to $10,000,000 for initial formulation of
the Uranus Orbiter and Probe mission.
GeoCarb.--The Committee is supportive of NASA continuing to
work with the commercial satellite industry to find a
compatible host for the GeoCarb instrument. The Committee
encourages NASA to allow the mission's science team to complete
final pre-flight testing and characterization of the
instrument. The instrument's data will provide NASA, as well as
the agriculture and energy sectors, the capability to monitor
naturally occurring carbon-dioxide and methane, as well as
anthropogenic sources, including methane leaks from industrial
sources, in both North and South America.
Astrophysics.--The Committee recommendation for
Astrophysics includes not less than $98,300,000 for the Hubble
Space Telescope; up to $72,100,000 for the Chandra X-ray
Observatory; $187,000,000 for the James Webb Space Telescope
[JWST], including for current outreach activities; $384,000,000
for the Nancy Grace Roman Wide-Field InfraRed Survey Telescope;
and up to $269,400,000 for Astrophysics Explorers. The
Committee recognizes that both Hubble and Chandra continue to
make transformative discoveries and provide key capabilities
that augment and complement the JWST and help secure U.S.
leadership in space and science but will eventually need to be
decommissioned as their capabilities degrade and resources are
prioritized to other observatories.
Further, the Committee is encouraged by NASA's commitment
to accelerate the cadence of Astrophysics Explorer missions and
to continue a new line of small Pioneer-class missions that
leverage advancements in low-cost platforms such as CubeSats
and balloons to support groundbreaking science. Such activities
can improve scientific understanding while simultaneously
developing the scientific workforce through increased research
opportunities for students and faculty.
Astrophysics Research.--The Committee recognizes the role
of the Astrophysics Research program in supporting the
development of novel astrophysics observation technologies that
lay the foundation for future mission architectures.
Additionally, a strong research program maximizes the
scientific value of space-based missions by ensuring that the
data collected through such observations can continue to
provide new insights into the mechanisms behind cosmological
phenomena. The Committee also understands that supporting these
activities through extramural grant funding contributes to the
long-term viability of the U.S. astrophysics community. As
such, the Committee recommends up to $300,500,000 for
Astrophysics Research.
Habitable Worlds Observatory.--The Committee supports the
Habitable Worlds Observatory as recommended by the Decadal
Survey on Astronomy and Astrophysics, ``Pathways to Discovery
in Astronomy and Astrophysics for the 2020s'' [Astro2020]. In
order to cement continued American leadership in astronomy, the
Committee provides $50,000,000 for the Habitable Worlds
Observatory. In addition, the Committee directs NASA to
establish the Habitable Worlds Observatory Project Office at
Goddard Space Flight Center to leverage existing expertise in
astrophysics and segmented mirror technology.
Lunar-based Astronomy.--The Committee encourages NASA to
assess of the feasibility of a U.S. led lunar-based
gravitational wave observatory. The assessment should
investigate laser interferometry on the Moon to broaden the
spectrum of gravitational waves, which could open a new
frontier of multi-band, multi-messenger astronomy.
Heliophysics.--The Committee is frustrated by NASA's
proposal to once again reduce Heliophysics funding, especially
with the forthcoming release of the next NAS Decadal Survey for
Solar and Space Physics [Heliophysics] later this year. The
Committee instead provides not less than $811,700,000 and
recognizes that a greater understanding of our Sun and the
accompanying technologies developed for that purpose will help
to mitigate the hazards that solar activity poses to ground-
and space-based platforms that strengthen our National
security, economic competitiveness, and scientific prowess.
Within the amount for Heliophysics, the recommendation
includes: $236,700,000 for Heliophysics Explorers, including
not less than $39,300,000 for HelioSwarm; $252,300,000 for
Heliophysics Research; and $20,000,000 for Heliophysics
Technology Program.
Solar Terrestrial Probe.--The recommendation includes
$133,200,000 for Solar Terrestrial Probes to: support continued
development of Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe
[IMAP] to maintain a 2025 launch schedule; implement
accompanying Missions of Opportunity [MOs]; and maintain
operations for ongoing missions, including the Magnetospheric
Multiscale [MMS] mission at up to $26,000,000. The Committee
directs NASA to maintain operations and scientific analysis for
MMS at a level that will achieve the phase two objective of
night side reconnection events.
Geospace Dynamics Constellation [GDC].--The Committee is
disappointed by NASA's proposal to cancel the GDC mission,
which will fulfill the recommendations of the National
Academies' Heliophysics decadal survey titled ``Solar and Space
Physics: A Science for a Technological Society'' through
improved understanding of the variability of the space weather
environment surrounding Earth, because of budgetary pressures
outside the Heliophysics Division. The Committee awaits the
receipt of the schedule and budget profile to launch GDC by the
end of the decade requested in the division C of the joint
explanatory statement accompanying Public Law 118-42. As part
of the report, NASA should consider a partnership with industry
or a mission of opportunity to achieve the decadal survey
science requirements for the GDC mission. The recommendation
provides $122,700,000 for Living with a Star [LWS], which
supports a diverse portfolio of activities that contribute to
our understanding of the societal impact of the Sun-Earth
system. This includes $15,000,000 for the GDC mission.
Space Weather.--In response to the National Space Weather
Strategy and Action Plan and the recommendations of the decadal
survey, the Committee provides up to $47,500,000 for Space
Weather. The Committee notes the relevance of NASA Space
Weather activities to safeguarding human health against
radiation during long-duration deep space exploration
activities. NASA should coordinate with NOAA, NSF, and the
Department of Defense to ensure that NASA is focused on
research and technology that enables other agencies to
dramatically improve their operational space weather assets and
the forecasts they generate using data from those assets,
including current and future ground-based telescopes and
instruments, such as the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope. NASA
is encouraged to obtain space weather solutions, and if
practicable, to integrate the new commercially-provided
solutions into future missions and operations. Further, NASA
should coordinate with NOAA to ensure that efforts pursued
through this activity meet NOAA operational needs.
Biological and Physical Science.--Biological sciences are
integral to future crewed Moon, Mars, and long-duration LEO
missions. The Committee directs NASA to continue research into
understanding the effects of living and working in low- and
micro-gravity environments on humans and other living
organisms. The recommendation provides $90,800,000 for
Biological and Physical Science, including $4,000,000 to
continue to consortium established in the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2024 (Public Law 118-42). The consortium
shall continue to include academic institutions with
demonstrated expertise within the human health, animal, and
plant sciences.
NASA is encouraged, in partnership with industry and, to
the extent practicable, leveraging Small Business Innovation
Research investments, to support the development and
demonstration of in-situ analysis, sample preparation and
handling, and specialized equipment for the next generation of
microgravity science, including in fluid and combustion
facilities, crop science, and stem cell manufacturing.
AERONAUTICS
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $935,000,000
Budget Estimate, 2025................................... 965,800,000
Committee recommendation................................ 965,800,000
The Committee provides $965,800,000 for Aeronautics, which
is $30,800,000 above to the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and
equal to the budget request. The Aeronautics account funds
research in key areas related to the development of advanced
aircraft technologies and systems, including those related to
aircraft safety, ultra-efficient vehicles and fuel efficiency,
hypersonics, and research that supports the Next Generation Air
Transportation System.
Low Boom Flight Demonstrator [LBFD].--The Committee
supports New Aviation Horizons and is encouraged by NASA's
efforts toward developing a Low Boom Flight Demonstrator X-
plane, referred to as LBFD. Sufficient funds are also included
to enable the next X-plane demonstration planned beyond LBFD.
Optimization of Stitched Composites.--NASA has invested in
early technology development of stitched composites that will
help lead to revolutionary aircraft structures. The Committee
provides not less than the 2024 enacted level to industrialize
stitched composites for next generation sustainable aircraft
architectures. The Committee recommends NASA partner with
entities experienced in high-rate, large scale aerostructure
design and manufacturing to successfully promote U.S.
capability for future classes of sustainable, next generation
aircraft.
Sustainable Aviation.--The Committee supports NASA's
Sustainable Flight National Partnership, including the
Sustainable Flight Demonstrator project, the Electrified
Powertrain Flight Demonstration [EPFD], and the advancement of
sustainable aviation fuels. The Committee encourages NASA to
strengthen its collaborations with the Department of Energy,
national laboratories, and universities to overcome energy
storage challenges for mobility technologies such as electric
air flight including through the EPFD. Further, the Committee
encourages NASA to accelerate research and development for
next-generation commercial engine technologies that will
increase efficiency and reduce fuel consumption for single
aisle aircraft.
Not later than 180 days after the enactment of this act,
NASA shall provide the Committee with a technology roadmap
summarizing any recent or current investments in hydrogen
research and development for aeronautics and an assessment of
key technology areas for future prioritization.
Hypersonics Technology.--The Committee notes that low-speed
hypersonic flight opportunities enable development of the next
generation of commercial aeronautics travel. The development of
new hypersonic capabilities can sustain hypersonic competency
for national needs while advancing fundamental research. Both
require technology development that includes hypersonic
propulsion systems, reusable vehicle technologies, high-
temperature materials, including carbon fiber components,
polymer ceramic composites, and systems analysis. The Committee
provides not less than the fiscal year 2024 enacted level for
hypersonics technology research. Within this amount, the
Committee provides $10,000,000 for collaborative work between
industry and academia for carbon/carbon material testing and
$5,000,000 to develop and mature automation of high-temperature
ceramic matrix composites for material characterization.
Advanced Materials Research.--The Committee supports NASA's
Advanced Air Vehicles Initiatives including the Hi-Rate
Composite Aircraft Manufacturing [HiCAM] and Hybrid Thermally
Efficient Core [HyTEC] programs. Due to their extreme
temperatures, hypersonic vehicles require specialized composite
materials that rely upon a significant amount of testing and
characterization to mature these advanced materials for
airframes. The Committee provides up to $15,000,000 to advance
the state of these materials through collaborative research
with industry and academia to enable the use of hypersonic
vehicles through hot structures. The Committee also encourages
research and development of hi-rate ceramic matrix composites,
advanced polymer-aerogel materials, and technologies in support
of materials and structures for extreme environments.
Advanced Air Mobility [AAM] Systems.--The Committee
supports NASA's work to support flight testing of autonomous
AAM vehicles in an integrated airspace that enables beyond
visual line of site flights in a controlled airspace. The
recommendation provides up to the requested level for the
Advanced Air Vehicles Program and the AAM National Campaign,
including the Air Traffic Management eXploration project. The
Committee also provides up to $5,000,000 for development and
demonstration of an innovative composite rotor blade for
electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft using
innovative fiber preforming capabilities.
SPACE TECHNOLOGY
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $1,100,000,000
Budget Estimate, 2025................................... 1,181,800,000
Committee recommendation................................ 1,181,800,000
The Committee provides $1,181,800,000 for Space Technology,
which is $81,800,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level
and equal to the budget request. The Space Technology mission
directorate funds basic research that can advance multi-purpose
technologies to enable new approaches to all of NASA's current
missions. Space Technology also includes funding for NASA's
Small Business Innovative Research [SBIR] and Small Business
Technology Transfer programs.
The Committee is supportive of many of the technologies
being developed within Space Technology, which will have wide-
ranging benefits for NASA missions and throughout the agency.
Of particular note are the enabling technologies of Solar
Electric Propulsion, Nuclear Electric Propulsion, Moon-to-Mars
Planetary Autonomous Construction Technology, optical
communications, and artificial intelligence. These key
supporting technologies will provide enabling capabilities for
multiple robotic and human exploration missions.
Innovative Nanomaterials.--The recommendation includes
$5,000,000 to advance large scale production and use of
innovative nanomaterials, including carbon nanotubes and
carbon/carbon composites.
On-Orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing-1 [OSAM-
1].--Pending a reasonable and executable plan to meet the
criteria laid out in the joint explanatory statement
accompanying Public Law 118-42 of a 2026 launch within the
fiscal year 2024 budget profile, the Committee recommends up to
$174,500,000 for the OSAM-1 mission. Not later than 30 days
after enactment of this act, NASA shall submit a report to the
Committee detailing steps taken to meet the criteria by
reducing the mission's overall cost and schedule to achieve a
2026 launch. The report should also outline any opportunities
for cost-sharing with the Department of Defense and/or the
Consortium for Space Mobility and In-space servicing, assembly,
and manufacturing Capabilities [COSMIC]. In addition, the
report should include how NASA will permit OSAM-1's
capabilities to be commercialized after completion of its
primary mission, with priority given to national security tasks
but also allowing for use by commercial entities for satellite
servicing, orbital debris removal, or other aspects of space
traffic management.
Nuclear Thermal Propulsion [NTP].--NTP is a critical space
propulsion technology that will enable a host of exploration,
scientific, national security, and commercial applications. The
Committee is encouraged by the collaborative approach between
NASA and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency [DARPA]
on the Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations
[DRACO] Program, in coordination with the private sector. While
the development of a demonstration NTP system is essential to
the eventual development of an operational system, the
demonstration system as currently envisioned will not be
sufficient to outperform existing propulsion technologies.
Therefore, the Committee provides $115,000,000 for the
developmental of NTP, of which not less than $15,000,000 is to
continue to accelerate the development of an operational system
with commercial partners, concurrently with DRACO, to ensure
that the United States has a NTP system capable of performing
future cislunar and deep space science missions. This funding
should provide for a continued focus on development of an
operational capability and aid in nuclear systems design,
fabrication, and testing; materials development and advanced
metal and composites manufacturing; spacecraft and launch
vehicle design and fabrication; and satellite design,
fabrication, and operation. The Committee expects that the
fiscal year 2026 budget request and future year projections
should reflect the urgency that this program's objectives and
goals demand.
Fission Surface Power [FSP].--The Committee continues to
recognize the need for steady, reliable, and uninterrupted
power for future extended science and exploration missions on
the lunar surface, particularly at the poles, and is supportive
of past and ongoing investments in a mix of technologies,
including both FSP and Vertical Solar Array Technology [VSAT].
FSP systems, due to their ruggedness, resilience, and ability
to survive the lunar night and operate in permanently shaded
craters, are essential to sustained, long-duration missions on
the lunar surface. The Committee supports designing, building,
and testing the first ever space FSP for deployment to and
demonstration on the lunar surface. Therefore, the Committee
provides not less than the fiscal year 2024 enacted level for
the developmental of FSP.
Nuclear Propulsion Center of Excellence.--The Committee
provides $10,000,000 for NASA to establish a center of
excellence to advance nuclear propulsion research. The center
shall partner with academic institutions with demonstrated
expertise within the nuclear propulsion industry. NASA shall
establish the center of excellence in a State or region that
does not currently host a NASA facility and in a region that
has a large population of industry partners who are also
invested in nuclear propulsion research.
Flight Opportunities Program.--The recommendation provides
$35,000,000 for the Flight Opportunities Program. The funding
provided for this program may be used to support undergraduate
and graduate work in developing flight opportunities payloads.
Within the amount provided, $5,000,000 to support payload
development and flight of K-12 and collegiate educational
payloads.
Orbital Debris Inspection Mission.--The Committee provides
not less than the fiscal year 2024 enacted level for NASA to
support an Orbital Debris Inspection mission, in partnership
with the private sector, with a target launch before the end of
2026.
Tipping Point.--The Committee supports new Tipping Point
and Announcement of Collaboration Opportunity [ACO]
solicitations. NASA is encouraged to consult with industry and
to consider prioritizing new opportunities for competition to
select public-private partnerships and technology
demonstrations for systems that satisfy specific technology
needs to support the Moon-to-Mars program. The Committee
expects NASA to prioritize the development and demonstration of
cross-cutting technologies, which may include technologies
relating to in-situ resource utilization and resource
recycling; surface mobility; electromagnetic tools; and
additive manufacturing.
Lunar Infrastructure Foundational Technologies [LIFT-1].--
The Committee supports NASA's investment, in collaboration with
industry, on innovative solutions to advance the Moon-to-Mars
initiatives, such as the LIFT-1 program. The Committee
encourages NASA to consider viable, comprehensive approaches to
the LIFT-1 program, not only to solve the critical need of
creating oxygen on the Moon, but also to provide viable
projects to advance the lunar effort.
Rocket Propulsion Systems.--The Committee is encouraged by
the collaborative approach between NASA and industry in
developing new materials and manufacturing methods to improve
the performance and reduce costs of rocket thrust chamber
assemblies through the Rapid Analysis and Manufacturing
Propulsion Technology [RAMPT] project and its follow-on
projects the Refractory Alloy Additive Manufacturing Build
Optimization [RAAMBO] and Optimized and Repeatable Components
in Additive Manufacturing [ORCA]. The Committee notes the
success of these investments in developing new materials and
encourages NASA to continue supporting the development of new
materials and manufacturing methods for rocket propulsion
systems to bring down the costs of future missions.
Technology Maturation.--The Committee notes that NASA has a
long history of successful collaboration with private
contractors. However, the Committee also notes that as the
commercial space industry has grown, the guidelines for
technology transfer licensing and intellectual property
protections have not kept up with demands for clarity with the
expanded role of contracting mechanisms like commercial
services. The Committee directs the Space Technology Mission
Directorate to report on the status of technology transfer
licensing and intellectual property protections private
industry is afforded by NASA when they share development costs
under various contracting mechanisms within 120 days of
enactment of this act. Within 180 days of enactment of this
act, the Committee directs NASA to report on which ways in
which technology transfer licensing and intellectual property
protections could be improved to bolster collaboration between
private enterprise and NASA in technology development.
Space Technology Research Institutes [STRI].--The Committee
supports the NASA's work to strengthen ties to the Nation's
academic community and create technologies to support missions
such as Artemis, where in situ resource utilization will be
critical to achieve a sustainable presence on the surface of
the moon and, eventually, Mars. The Committee encourages NASA
to continue support for the STRI program.
Small Business Innovation Research.--The Committee
recognizes the importance of the SBIR program and its previous
success in commercialization of results from federally-funded
research and development projects, and includes the requested
level for SBIR.
EXPLORATION
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $7,666,200,000
Budget Estimate, 2025................................... 7,618,200,000
Committee recommendation................................ 7,648,200,000
The Committee provides $7,648,200,000 for Exploration,
which is $18,000,000 below the fiscal year 2024 enacted level
and $30,000,000 above the budget request.
The Exploration account funds the capabilities required to
develop, demonstrate, and deploy the transportation, life
support, and surface systems that will enable sustained human
presence beyond LEO and throughout the solar system. The
Committee believes the Nation deserves a safe and robust human
spaceflight program to explore beyond LEO, including the
establishment of a sustainable lunar presence, and ensuring
U.S. leadership in space.
The Committee provides not less than the request level for
the Space Launch System [SLS], Orion multi-purpose crew vehicle
[Orion] and Exploration Ground Systems [EGS]. These funding
levels ensure the earliest possible crewed launch of SLS, as
well as prepare for the development of future science and
crewed missions. However, NASA must effectively manage the cost
and schedule of the agency's highest priority missions,
especially in light of a constrained fiscal environment. The
Committee is concerned that cost overruns for flagship
missions, including those in the Exploration Directorate are
affecting programs across the agency and that, in the long
term, NASA must drive down launch costs to ensure the long-term
success of the Artemis campaign. The Committee acknowledges the
OIG's findings in IG-24-001 that the lack of competition for
heavy-lift services are impeding the ability to drive down
exploration launch costs. Therefore, not later than 90 days
after enactment of this act, NASA shall provide the Committee
with a report outlining how the agency is planning on reducing
launch costs beginning with Artemis V. The report should
include progress on implementing the recommendations in IG-24-
001 and an analysis of how commercial launch options could be
part of the agency's long-term strategy.
Gateway.--The Committee understands that the Gateway
station is critical to support extended human habitation around
the Moon and provides the request level.
Human Landing System [HLS].--The Committee recognizes the
national importance of America's return to the Moon and
provides $1,896,100,000 to achieve the contracted HLS Option A,
Option B, and Sustaining Lander Development missions, as well
as development of cargo landing services derived from these
crewed landers to support the development of sustainable human
exploration of the Moon and Mars. Competition between industry
partners will drive long-term affordability for the HLS
program. The Committee directs NASA to utilize a competitive
process for contracting cargo landing missions and crewed
landing missions within the purview of the HLS program that
have not yet been awarded.
Exploration Extravehicular Activity [xEVA] Spacesuits.--The
Committee provides not less than $434,200,000 for the xEVA and
Human Surface Mobility program to maintain schedule for the
International Space Station and Artemis missions. NASA shall
only procure EVA spacesuits and services for NASA and
international partner astronauts for Low Earth Orbit, Artemis
and deep space missions that meet the strict safety and mission
criteria required under the xEVA program. Further, the
Committee expects that the HLS, Gateway, and Lunar Terrain
Vehicle development teams are coordinating with the xEVA
program to ensure compatibility.
Mars Habitation and Life Support Systems.--The Committee
recognizes that the immediate and foremost national priority is
to return Americans to the Moon, as part of a strategy for the
United States and its international partners to land humans on
Mars. The Committee strongly supports this goal, and in March
2023 was pleased to approve the establishment of the Moon to
Mars Program Office. The Committee recognizes that NASA is
currently supporting the evaluation of multi-purpose habitation
and life support systems for Mars transit and lunar surfaces.
The Committee further recognizes NASA's capabilities, including
in assembly facilities, currently involved in the Artemis
mission, to manufacture mockup and eventual habitats for these
missions.
In-space Manufacturing Demonstration.--The Committee
encourages NASA to continue partnerships with the private
sector for a fabrication laboratory demonstration of metal and
electronic manufacturing in space.
Exploration Supply Chain.--The Committee recognizes the
importance of the NASA industrial base to the success of the
Artemis campaign, in particular small- and medium-sized
businesses. The Committee notes that cost escalation from
supply chain constraints and inflationary pressures is a
challenge for primes and subcontractors. Not later than 180
days after the enactment of this act, NASA shall provide the
Committee with a report about how the agency is supporting the
industrial base with these challenges, especially small- and
medium-sized businesses.
SPACE OPERATIONS
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $4,220,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 4,389,700,000
Committee recommendation................................ 4,399,700,000
The Committee provides $4,399,700,000 for Space Operations,
which is $179,700,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level
and $10,000,000 above the budget request. The Space Operations
account supports the International Space Station [ISS] and the
supporting functions required to conduct operations in space up
to the full requested level. The ISS is a complex of research
laboratories in LEO in which American and international partner
astronauts conduct unique scientific and technological
investigations in a microgravity environment.
Commercial Crew and Cargo.--The Committee strongly supports
continued, regular access to the ISS and notes that this access
supports national capabilities in Earth orbit and is vital to
retaining U.S. leadership in space. NASA is directed to
maintain the high-skilled workforce supporting ISS operations,
which in turn will have impacts on the safety and operations of
our sustained human presence and mission in LEO. NASA shall
maintain a regular cadence of not less than two crew rotation
missions per year and five cargo missions per year on U.S.
vehicle systems while the ISS is operational.
Commercial Crew Vehicles.--The Committee believes NASA
should consider establishing a reliable crew vehicle program to
ensure uninterrupted access to the ISS and future commercial
LEO platforms. In doing so, NASA is urged to consider
dissimilar redundancy, while leveraging current Federal and
private investment in cargo to benefit crew. The Committee
directs NASA to provide a report, no later than 180 days after
enactment of this act, on what steps are required to modify
currently available cargo vehicles to a crewed variant,
including vehicular modifications, cost, and timing.
Suborbital Crew.--NASA shall continue its Suborbital Crew
Office to perform safety assessments to enable NASA personnel
to procure flights for civil servants on licensed U.S.
suborbital vehicles. NASA shall leverage existing Federal
Aviation Administration [FAA] safety regulations and FAA
licensing requirements to prioritize safety and ensure
coordination to protect public health and safety. NASA shall
also establish a qualification process with a roadmap for
operators to complete the required review process within a
reasonable timeframe.
ISS Deorbit Vehicle.--The Committee supports NASA's efforts
to develop and procure a deorbit vehicle to ensure the safe and
controlled deorbit of the ISS at the end of its useful life.
The Committee notes that the procurement of the deorbit vehicle
should not result in a reduction in support for other
activities on the ISS.
Space Communications.--Reliable, high-speed data relay to,
from, and between NASA spacecraft is critical for NASA
scientific and exploration activities. The Committee recognizes
that NASA has partnered with industry to increase
communications capabilities and reduce costs over legacy
systems. The recommendation supports up to the request level
for the Communications Services Program.
Optical Communications.--The Committee supports NASA's
efforts to develop low-cost optical communications systems. The
Committee is also aware that other agencies, including the
Space Development Agency, are also working on advancing lower-
cost optical communications systems and as such, encourages
NASA to coordinate on these activities when possible and in
particular offer the ground terminal as a testbed.
21st Century Launch Complex.--The Committee notes that
maintaining multiple launch sites contributes to assured access
to the ISS for NASA, researchers, and industry. The
recommendation includes up to $15,000,000 for NASA-owned launch
facilities to fill critical maintenance, capacity, and range
safety gaps, including up to $6,000,000 to upgrade the Bermuda
Tracking and Telemetry Station in order to support remote
operation for government and commercial launch users at the
Wallops Flight Facility launch complex. The Committee further
directs NASA to submit a reprogramming to transfer this funding
to Construction and Environmental Compliance and Restoration
[CECR], if appropriate. The Committee acknowledges that NASA's
original intent for this program was as a bridge between
Constellation and new programs proposed in its fiscal year 2011
budget request. If NASA does not support continuation of this
program, the agency should robustly fund needed investments in
its launch facilities in this account and in CECR, specifically
identifying them in the budget request.
Rocket Propulsion Test Program and Testing
Infrastructure.--The Committee provides up to the fiscal year
2025 requested amount for the NASA Rocket Propulsion Test
program to ensure that test infrastructure remains adequate to
support the SLS and other propulsion development programs. In
managing the program and its infrastructure, NASA should
prioritize facility and fixed infrastructure improvements
specific to infrastructure that is shared among users of the
facility in a continued effort to attract and facilitate
commercial partnerships at NASA's test centers.
Commercial LEO Development.--The Committee supports
maintaining the ISS as long as it can be operated safely.
However, it is anticipated that current commercial efforts to
develop viable alternatives will allow NASA to meet anticipated
mission requirements using free-flying space stations in LEO
before the end of the decade. The recommendation provides not
less than the budget request of $169,600,000 for Commercial LEO
activities to allow for continued opportunities for LEO
commercialization that are not primarily dependent on continual
NASA funding. This funding should be primarily focused on
solving supply rather than demand problems. NASA's goal should
be to buy services to meet its needs and grow promising
research across all industries rather than to fund one-time
novelty events, which are not indicators of future sustainable
expansion of commercial activity in LEO. NASA shall not use
funds provided in this or any other act to subsidize the cost
of any project that is primarily intended for marketing,
advertising, or entertainment.
Within 90 days of enactment of this act, NASA shall brief
the Committee on current plans for rapid and cost-effective
Commercial LEO Destination [CLD] capabilities. This briefing
should include an assessment of the potential benefits of
NASA's CLD requirements being met by a mix of different
services from CLD teams instead of requiring nearly identical
services from providers and of NASA taking incremental steps
towards more advanced CLD capabilities over time.
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS ENGAGEMENT
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $143,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 143,500,000
Committee recommendation................................ 143,500,000
The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
Engagement account funds STEM education activities to educate
and inspire our next generation of explorers and innovators.
The Committee provides $143,500,000 for STEM Engagement, which
is $500,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and equal
to the budget request. As part of this activity, NASA is
directed to continue progress toward the shared goal of both
the Committee and NASA of capping administrative costs at no
more than 5 percent.
STEM ENGAGEMENT
[In thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Committee
recommendation
------------------------------------------------------------------------
NASA Space Grant...................................... 58,500
Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research 26,000
[EPSCOR].............................................
Minority University Research and Education Project.... 45,500
STEM Education and Accountability Projects............ 13,500
-----------------
TOTAL......................................... 143,500
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Space Grant Program.--The Committee provides $58,500,000
for Space Grant and directs that all 52 participating
jurisdictions be supported at not less than $900,000 each. NASA
shall limit administrative costs to the fiscal year 2024 level
and shall continue to have a goal of reducing administrative
costs to no higher than 5 percent. The Committee encourages
NASA to continue using funds to evaluate program performance,
augment base grants, and competitively respond to local,
regional, and national needs.
Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research
[EPSCoR].--The Committee provides $26,000,000 for the NASA
EPSCoR Program and directs that no more than 10 percent shall
be used for administrative costs.
Minority University Research and Education Project
[MUREP].--The Committee continues to encourage MUREP to support
programs that connect science, indigenous culture, and
community, including the integration of indigenous practices,
at minority-serving higher education institutions, including
Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions and
American Indian Tribal Colleges and Universities. The academic
institution or institutions should be located in a State or
States where the need for such indigenous-academic
collaboration is present.
Competitive Program.--The Committee provides up to
$5,000,000 within Next Gen STEM for the Teams Engaging
Affiliate Museums and Informal Institutions [TEAM II] program,
also known as Competitive Program for Science, Museums,
Planetariums, and NASA Visitors Centers. This competitive grant
program supports interactive exhibits, professional development
activities, and community-based programs to engage students,
teachers, and the public in STEM.
SAFETY, SECURITY, AND MISSION SERVICES
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $3,129,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 3,044,440,000
Committee recommendation................................ 3,044,440,000
The Committee provides $3,044,440,000 for Safety, Security,
and Mission Services, which is $84,600,000 below the fiscal
year 2024 enacted level and equal to the budget request. The
Safety, Security, and Mission Services account funds agency
management, including NASA headquarters and each of the nine
NASA field centers, as well as the design and execution of non-
programmatic Construction of Facilities and Environmental
Compliance and Restoration activities.
Workforce Succession Planning.--The Committee expects NASA
to focus on strengthening the civil service workforce's
science, engineer, technical capabilities; to manage the agency
civil service workforce to support strategic priorities
balanced across programs at all centers and facilities; and to
invest in recruiting and retaining the next generation of
innovative scientists and engineers, helping to improve
diversity, inclusion, and equity in STEM careers at the agency.
NASA is encouraged to use the authority Congress has granted
the agency under the NASA Flexibility Act of 2004 (Public Law
108-201) to convert term hires to permanent employees and to
provide information to term employees regarding agency
intention to convert them to permanent status employees.
Further, as a growing number of employees will retire in the
next 5 to 10 years, NASA is instructed to focus on retaining
technical capacity and managing knowledge transfer through
mentorship programs for mid-career employees as well as
accelerated retirement and senior level promotions based on
technical achievements of the mentor/mentee team.
Independent Verification and Validation [IV&V] Program.--
Within the amounts provided for Safety, Security, and Mission
Services, the Committee recommends up to $39,100,000 for NASA's
IV&V Program. If necessary, NASA shall fund additional IV&V
activities from within the mission directorates that make use
of IV&V services. The Committee applauds NASA's changes to the
IV&V Program's governance and funding model to better align
program requirements and associated costs, including the
establishment of the IV&V Advisory Board to provide strategic
direction for the program and work through program requirements
with IV&V and the mission directorates.
Cybersecurity.--The Committee's recommendation includes up
to the request level for Agency Information Technology Services
to support shifting NASA's IT model to one that enhances
cybersecurity with strong governance and information security
practices.
Digital Content Provenance Pilot Program.--The Committee
recognizes the rising societal concern with the forgery of
digital media content and harm from synthetic media. The
Committee emphasizes the importance of maintaining the public
confidence in the integrity of digital media content produced
and published by NASA. Therefore, not later than one year after
enactment of this act, NASA shall evaluate and report on the
feasibility and advisability of implementing additional data
protection technology for digital media content including
images, videos, audio files, and content from NASA's missions.
NASA Special Projects.--The Committee directs NASA to
provide the funding for the projects listed in the table
titled, ``Congressionally Directed Spending'' at the end of
this report in the corresponding amounts. The agreement further
directs NASA to perform the same level of oversight and due
diligence as with any other external partners.
CONSTRUCTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE AND RESTORATION
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $300,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 424,100,000
Committee recommendation................................ 424,100,000
The Committee provides $424,100,000 for Construction and
Environmental Compliance and Restoration, which is $124,100,000
above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and equal to the
budget request. The Construction and Environmental Compliance
and Restoration account provides for design and execution of
programmatic, discrete and minor revitalization, construction
of facilities projects, facility demolition projects, and
environmental compliance and restoration activities.
Unmet Construction Needs.--The Committee is disappointed at
the gulf between the amount NASA requested for this account and
the cost of the projects identified as shovel ready and needed.
NASA is directed to include no fewer than the top 10
construction projects that are needed but unfunded in its
fiscal year 2026 budget request, including any unmet
construction due to aging buildings.
Spaceport Infrastructure Investment.--Within available
funds and existing authorities, NASA is encouraged to
prioritize the most critical needs of its spaceport
infrastructure.
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $47,600,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 50,500,000
Committee recommendation................................ 50,500,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $50,500,000 for the
Office of Inspector General, which is $2,900,000 above the
fiscal year 2024 enacted level and equal to the budget request.
The Office is responsible for promoting efficiency and
preventing and detecting crime, fraud, waste, and
mismanagement.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS
(INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)
The Committee includes bill language regarding the
availability of funds for certain prizes. NASA is reminded that
under the authority provided in section 20144 of title 52,
United States Code, no prize may be announced until the funds
needed to pay it have been appropriated or committed to in
writing by a private source. NASA is directed to provide any
written notification under subsection (h)(4) of that section to
the Committee.
The Committee also includes bill language regarding
transfers of funds between accounts and the NASA spending plan
for fiscal year 2025.
The Committee also includes bill language creating a NASA
Nonrecurring Expenses Fund.
National Science Foundation
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $9,060,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 10,183,000,000
Committee recommendation................................ 9,550,000,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $9,550,000,000 for
the National Science Foundation [NSF]. The recommendation is
$490,000,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and
$633,000,000 below the budget request.
NSF was established as an independent agency by the
National Science Foundation Act of 1950 (Public Law 81-507) and
is authorized to support research and education programs that
promote the progress of science and engineering in the United
States. The Foundation supports research and education in all
major scientific and engineering disciplines through grants,
cooperative agreements, contracts, and other forms of
assistance in all parts of the United States. NSF also supports
unique, large-scale domestic and international research
facilities.
RESEARCH AND RELATED ACTIVITIES
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $7,176,500,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 8,045,320,000
Committee recommendation................................ 7,528,280,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $7,528,280,000 for
Research and Related Activities [R&RA]. The recommendation is
$351,780,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and
$517,040,000 below the budget request.
The R&RA appropriation funds scientific discovery, trains a
dynamic workforce, and supports broadly accessible state-of-
the-art tools and facilities. Research activities contribute to
the achievement of these outcomes through expansion of the
knowledge base; integration of research and education;
stimulation of knowledge transfer among academia and the public
and private sectors, and international activities; and bring
the perspectives of many scientific disciplines to bear on
complex problems important to the Nation. NSF's discipline-
oriented R&RA account includes Biological Sciences; Computer
and Information Science and Engineering; Engineering;
Geosciences; Mathematical and Physical Sciences; Social,
Behavioral and Economic Sciences; Technology, Innovation and
Partnerships; Office of International Science and Engineering;
Office of Polar Programs; Integrative Activities; and the U.S.
Arctic Research Commission. All of these disciplines are part
of a balanced whole.
The Committee's fiscal year 2025 recommendation supports
Federal long-term basic and translational research that has the
potential to transform our economy and way of life. Private
industry, foundations, and non-profits bring additional
expertise, resources, and capacity to NSF-funded research. This
can further accelerate discovery and translation of research
into products and services, enhance the preparation of the
future workforce to benefit society, and grow the American
economy. The Committee strongly encourages NSF to leverage the
Nation's research communities through partnerships and
collaboration to make available infrastructure, expertise, and
financial resources to the U.S. scientific and engineering
research and education enterprise.
Technology, Innovation and Partnerships [TIP].--The
Committee recognizes NSF's critical role in driving U.S.
scientific and technological innovation and supports the TIP
Directorate authorized under the Research and Development,
Competition, and Innovation Act (division B of Public Law 117-
167). The directorate is a cross-cutting platform to advance
science and engineering research leading to breakthrough
technologies, to find solutions to national and societal
challenges, to strengthen U.S. global competitiveness, and to
provide training opportunities for the development of a diverse
STEM workforce. As NSF works to incorporate the goals of TIP
into its research portfolio, NSF is reminded that the success
of TIP will be enhanced through investing in the necessary
foundational basic research provided by scientific disciplines
across the research spectrum.
Regional Innovation Engines [NSF Engines].--As part of the
TIP Directorate, the Committee provides up to $200,000,000 for
the Regional Innovation Engines, authorized under section 10388
of Public Law 117-167, to create regional-scale innovation
ecosystems throughout the United States and help spur economic
growth by bringing together the science and technology research
enterprise and regional-level resources to promote long-term
national competitiveness. The Committee directs NSF to award at
least 20 percent of NSF Engines to institutions in EPSCoR
States.
Scientific Facilities and Instrumentation.--A critical
component of the Nation's scientific enterprise is the
infrastructure that supports researchers in discovery science.
The Committee supports NSF's role in building and operating
groundbreaking research facilities, especially in areas that
maintain or enhance U.S. leadership in key disciplines.
Investments to advance the frontiers of research and education
in science and engineering are critical to the Nation's
innovation enterprise. The Committee encourages NSF to fully
fund its U.S. scientific research facilities and instruments to
adequately support scientists and students engaged in
sustained, cutting-edge research.
As major research facilities transition from construction,
funded in the Major Research Equipment and Facilities
Construction account, to science operations and maintenance,
funded in R&RA, it is necessary for NSF to accommodate this
shift without impacting the existing scientific activities. The
Committee notes that as a result of the National Science
Board's ``Study of Operations and Maintenance Costs for NSF
Facilities'' the agency created the Facility Operation
Transition pilot to enable this shift. The Committee expects
that as major research facilities, such as the Vera C. Rubin
Observatory, move from construction into science operations NSF
will continue to use the Facility Operation Transition to allow
the ongoing operations and maintenance costs to gradually be
absorbed into the managing division or directorate. Further, as
part of the fiscal year 2026 budget request, NSF shall provide
a 5-year operations and maintenance budget outlook for
facilities that have recently graduated from the Major Research
Equipment and Facilities Construction account.
The recommendation includes up to the requested level for
the operations of the National Optical-Infrared Astronomy
Research Laboratory, the National Radio Astronomy
Observatories, and the National Solar Observatory [NSO].
Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope [DKIST].--The Committee
provides not less than the requested level for DKIST
operations. DKIST is the largest and most advanced solar
telescope on the planet and is a valuable resource for research
and educational programs in solar physics. The Committee
recognizes the value of DKIST's operations and does not support
a reduction in its observing time. As such, the Committee
expects NSF to respect the conclusion of the bottom-up
operations and maintenance cost analysis and include the
recommended amount in the fiscal year 2026 budget request to
enable DKIST to operate seven days a week.
Astronomy.--The Committee expects NSF to provide
appropriate levels of support for operating its current
facilities, developing instrumentation, and preparing for
investments in future world-class scientific research
facilities. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering,
and Medicine [NAS] Decadal Survey on Astronomy and Astrophysics
2020 [Astro2020] outlines a comprehensive research strategy and
vision to maintain U.S. science and technology leadership at
the frontiers of astronomy and astrophysics for ground-based
instruments and observatories. The Committee therefore provides
$100,000,000 for NSF to support the development of next
generation astronomy facilities recommended in Astro2020.
The Committee remains strongly supportive of a two-
hemisphere, U.S. Extremely Large Telescope [USELT] program with
a robust user support system and data archive to ensure broad
U.S. community access. This is consistent with the direction in
division C of the joint explanatory statement accompanying
Public Law 118-42 and Astro2020. NSF, within the construct of
the National Science Board approval process, is encouraged to
advance the design of these Astro2020 priority projects during
fiscal year 2025 so that appropriate Major Research Equipment
and Facilities Construction funds can be included in the fiscal
year 2026 budget request. The U.S. ground-based astronomy
program has been the leader in this critical basic science for
more than a century, and the NSF has helped ensure open access
to scientists regardless of their academic institution
affiliation. The USELT program will provide unprecedented
opportunities for scientific discovery and represents the only
major science program undertaken by the Federal Government with
a 50 percent cost share by non-Federal partners, including
major U.S. allies. Not later than 90 days after enactment of
this act, NSF shall brief the Committee about how the
Foundation intends to implement this congressional direction.
Solar Astronomy.--The Committee commends NSF's ongoing
efforts to partner with academic institutions and the NSO to
operate the Richard B. Dunn Solar Telescope [DST]. The
Committee directs NSF to continue working with the NSO and the
academic community to ensure DST and its associated
instrumentation remain available for continued research and
educational programs.
Green Bank Observatory [GBO].--The Committee continues to
support NSF's effort to develop multi-agency plans at GBO and
provides not less than the fiscal year 2024 enacted level to
support operations and maintenance at GBO through multi-agency
plans, or directly through the Foundation. The Committee also
supports efforts to develop new radar capabilities at GBO in
partnership with other agencies such as NASA, the Department of
Defense, and industry.
Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory
[LIGO].--The Committee supports the Foundation's efforts to
invest in infrastructure and improve observational capabilities
at LIGO, including technology development for the next
generation gravitational wave detection network as recommended
in Astro2020 and in the recent report of the Advisory Committee
for the Mathematical and Physical Sciences Directorate. The
Committee provides not less than the request level for LIGO.
Not later than 90 days after enactment of this act, NSF is
directed to brief the Committee regarding the plan to develop
next generation gravitational wave detection network.
Neutrino Research.--The Committee is aware of the many
important scientific contributions being made by the South Pole
neutrino observatory IceCube, the current upgrade underway, and
the initial planning for the next generation facility IceCube-
Gen2 as recommended in Astro2020 and the Particle Physics
Project Prioritization Panel. NSF should consider development
activities for IceCube-Gen2 and ensure an appropriate
transition between the IceCube upgrade and IceCube-Gen2
projects to leverage lessons learned and knowledge transfer
from one project to another.
Climate and Clean Energy.--The Committee supports the U.S.
Global Change Research Program and Clean Energy Technology. As
part of this effort, the Committee encourages NSF to support
meritorious research into carbon dioxide removal technologies,
such as: direct air capture, including early-stage application
of sorbents, solvents, membranes, and related components;
terrestrial and biological carbon removal; carbon
mineralization; and ocean-based carbon removal.
Arctic Research.--The Committee supports NSF's intention to
build upon the Navigating the New Arctic Big Idea and to expand
its support of research and infrastructure in the North
Atlantic sector of the Arctic, which is critical for
understanding how Arctic warming will affect the environmental
and socio-economic conditions of communities along the eastern
coast of North America. This includes observations of emerging
toxins and pathogens in the Arctic and supports the continued
funding of long-term observations during this critical time of
Arctic warming, including atmosphere and snow observations at
Summit Station and projects observing permafrost thaw and
microbiomes. In addition, to maximize investments, the
Committee encourages NSF to develop new multinational
partnerships to support research teams that address pan-Arctic
and global concerns linked to Arctic change. Further, NSF
should enhance support for Arctic-related student programs
aimed at broadening participation, including graduate
dissertation fellowships and the Research Experience for
Undergraduate programs.
Permafrost Research.--The Committee encourages NSF, in
coordination with NOAA, the Environmental Protection Agency,
the Department of Energy, and other relevant Federal agencies,
to improve existing government efforts to improve Earth system
models to better account for physical biogeochemical, and
ecological changes in permafrost regions, including extreme
events such as abrupt thaw processes, wildland fires, and
floods.
Spectrum Innovation.--The Committee supports NSF's program
for wireless spectrum research and collaboration to serve as an
inclusive, interdisciplinary, and innovative community for all
radio spectrum stakeholders across industry, government, and
academia. The Committee encourages NSF to continue to support
research and workforce development initiatives aimed at solving
real-world spectrum-related problems.
EPSCoR.--In recognition that the success of our Nation's
research enterprise relies on success in every State, the
Committee reinforces the requirements codified under section
10325 of Public Law 117-167 that, to the maximum extent
practicable, 16.5 percent of NSF research funding and 20
percent of scholarship funding go to EPSCoR States in fiscal
year 2025. To help achieve these targets, the agreement
provides not less than $258,370,000 for the EPSCoR program.
Within the amount provided, no more than 5 percent shall be
used for administration and other overhead costs. NSF is
encouraged to support projects in EPSCoR States across all
funding initiatives and centers, including Regional Innovation
Engines, Mid-Scale Research Infrastructure awards, and Science
and Technology Centers.
Further, the Committee directs NSF to support the existing
jurisdiction EPSCoR offices, providing up to $750,000 annually
per State office. The State office will be responsible for
supporting NSF and EPSCoR grant applications, ensuring the
continuity of EPSCoR programs across their jurisdictions and
working with the jurisdictional steering committees on
statewide plans and vetting EPSCoR Collaborations for
Optimizing Research Ecosystems [E-CORE] and EPSCoR Research
Incubators for STEM Excellence [E-RISE] submissions, to ensure
they holistically benefit the research goals and priorities of
the entire jurisdiction. To ensure a smooth transition from the
EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Program Track-1
program to the new E-CORE and E-RISE programs, the Committee
encourages NSF to consider raising the maximum funding
available for an E-CORE to $3,500,000 annually and requiring
that all E-CORE and E-RISE submissions from a jurisdiction be
submitted through the jurisdictional EPSCoR office. NSF shall
provide increased technical assistance to EPSCoR jurisdictions
that receive declinations and are encouraged to submit revised
proposals. NSF is also directed to more directly engage with
the EPSCoR community as the agency continues to implement the
``Envisioning the Future of NSF EPSCoR'' report, including
regarding how to achieve the NSF-wide funding targets included
in Public Law 117-167.
Technical Assistance and Outreach to HBCUs and MSIs.--The
Committee recognizes the important role that Historically Black
Colleges and Universities and Minority-Serving Institutions
play in advancing scientific research and innovation. To ensure
that these institutions have access to the resources and
support needed to participate in federally-funded research, NSF
is directed to conduct technical assistance and outreach to
applicants from HBCUs and MSIs, including through the Growing
Research Access for Nationally Transformative Equity and
Diversity [GRANTED] program, in fulfillment of section 10524 of
Public Law 117-167.
Leverage the Power of Biology.--The Committee supports
NSF's funding for research in genomics and biodiversity, and
directs NSF to continue to advance plant genomics research
programs, to further its work in crop-based genomics research,
and to maintain a focus on research related to crops of
economic importance and other elements of the bioeconomy.
VORTEX-SE.--NSF has been working in conjunction with NOAA
to build a full research campaign to study the unique
characteristics of tornadoes in the southeastern United States.
The Committee expects that future budget requests for VORTEX-SE
will include adequate budgetary resources for associated
research and instrumentation that will maximize the scientific
return of this ongoing research. As part of VORTEX-SE, the
Committee encourages NSF to look beyond its traditional
research disciplines and programs and to utilize collaborative
opportunities for co-funding grants that enhance understanding
of the fundamental natural processes and hazards of tornadoes
in the southeast and to improve models of these seasonal
extreme events.
Quantum Science.--The Committee supports continued
investment in quantum science as fundamental, transformative
research that can position the United States as a leader in
emerging fields of economic and scientific importance. The
recommendation provides up to the budget request level for
quantum information science research to support basic
interdisciplinary quantum information science and engineering
research and human resources development in all aspects of
quantum information science and engineering. Within the amount
provided, the Committee recommendation includes $185,000,000
for activities authorized under section 301 of the National
Quantum Initiative Act (Public Law 115-368), and $50,000,000
for National Quantum Information Science Research Centers, as
authorized in section 302 of that act.
The Committee also encourages NSF to partner with
institutions of higher education, industry, and other Federal
agencies in order to develop the next generation of quantum
computing workforce. Such efforts could include quantum
computing-related grants and interdisciplinary research
initiatives related to workforce development activities.
Artificial Intelligence [AI].--The Committee believes it is
important to maintain leadership in AI and commends NSF for its
significant investments in this area. The application of AI and
machine learning tools in research offers the potential to gain
new understandings and accelerate discoveries. The Committee
provides not less than the fiscal year 2024 enacted level for
AI research. Researchers need to understand the appropriate
uses of advanced computing tools to target scarce compute
resources toward appropriate research questions and computer
scientists and programmers need use-specific training to
optimize the use of advanced computing tools in health research
and other complex fields. The Committee encourages NSF to
develop effective AI education and training pathways for the
research workforce, including trainees and senior scientists,
to ensure the U.S. research workforce remains at the forefront
of scientific discovery. Further, the Committee encourages NSF
to continue its efforts in workforce development for AI and
other emerging technologies, including education programs for
non-computer science students, with focused outreach to
community colleges, HBCUs, Hispanic Serving Institutions,
Tribal Colleges and Universities, and MSIs.
National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource
[NAIRR].--The Committee commends NSF on the launch of the NAIRR
pilot, in collaboration with the Department of Energy and
industry partners, to provide needed access to computing
resources to enable AI innovation by researchers. The Committee
provides $30,000,000 for the NAIRR pilot and looks forward to
seeing its continued evolution. Not later than 90 days after
enactment of this act, NSF shall provide the Committee with a
briefing regarding the progress of the pilot, planning and
needs for full realization of the NAIRR as outlined in
``Strengthening and Democratizing the U.S. Artificial
Intelligence Innovation Ecosystem'' report, and budget
expectations for future years.
Transparency, Interpretability, and Explainability of AI.--
The Committee encourages NSF to fund meritorious research and
develop technical methods and techniques to improve the
transparency, interpretability, and explainability of AI to
better understand why and how models arrive at their decisions,
recommendations, and other outputs. NSF is encouraged to
consider this as part of the pilot program for Research in
Rapidly Evolving, High Priority Topics as authorized under
section 5401 of the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative
Act of 2020 (Public Law 116-283).
Mid-Scale Research Infrastructure.--The recommendation
provides $50,000,000 for the Mid-scale Research Infrastructure
program and encourages the Foundation to make no fewer than two
mid-scale awards to EPSCoR States.
HBCUs Excellence in Research.--The Committee supports the
HBCUs Excellence in Research program, and the recommendation
includes $25,000,000 for the program. The program helps to
address NSF's previously troubling track record of only
providing substantial research funding to a small number of
HBCUs.
Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences [SBE].--The
Committee supports the SBE Directorate and recognizes the
fundamental importance of the research it supports in advancing
scientific understanding of public health, defense and
security, education and learning, and the interface between
humans and technology. The SBE Directorate funds more than half
of our Nation's university-based behavioral science research
but remains the smallest of NSF directorates. The Committee
believes that behavioral science provides evidence-based
understanding of human behavior and recognizes the SBE
Directorate's unique role in funding this research and
encourages NSF to continue its support of these programs.
NSF is encouraged to support broad-based research in the
SBE Directorate to develop and publish recommendations,
including from researchers in the social sciences and ethics
and technical subject matter experts, on concrete and practical
guidelines for how organizations will and should deploy AI
systems and identify limitations and concerns about specific
deployment of AI systems in settings.
Research Security.--The Committee notes the importance
placed on research security in subtitle D of Public Law 117-167
and supports the continued implementation of the various
provisions. The Committee further supports NSF's initiative to
create clear guidelines that inform researchers and
universities on disclosure requirements pertaining to research
security. NSF is encouraged to continue to engage university
and affinity groups to listen to any community concerns and
share information about NSF's policies and processes. NSF is
further encouraged to explore ways to assist less-resourced
institutions on disclosure requirements and international
talent retention.
National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics
[NCSES].--The Committee supports the work of the NCSES, and
encourages the NCSES to identify, compile, and analyze existing
nationwide data and conduct survey research to better
understand the National cyber workforce and to support
additional NCSES personnel to ensure adequate staffing for this
research.
Combating Sexual Harassment in Science.--The Committee
strongly supports NSF actions to combat sexual harassment in
science, including the implementation of the Combating Sexual
Harassment in Science subtitle of title V of Public Law 117-
167. The Committee encourages NSF to work in partnership with
stakeholders from across the science ecosystem with experience
in field safety and the prevention of sexual harassment in
science as they support this important work.
Critical Minerals Mining Research and Development.--The
Committee encourages NSF to consider supporting critical
minerals mining research and development activities as
authorized under section 10359 of Public Law 117-167. In
particular, NSF is encouraged to support, on a competitive
basis, institutions of higher education or nonprofit
organizations to provide training and research opportunities to
undergraduate and graduate students to prepare the next
generation of mining engineers and researchers.
Entrepreneurial Fellowships.--The Committee supports the
Entrepreneurial Fellowships program within the TIP Directorate,
as authorized under section 10392 of Public Law 117-167. These
immersive fellowships provide scientists with training, lab
space, industry connections, and other resources to translate
emerging technologies from lab to market in areas key to global
competitiveness.
Sub-Seafloor Sampling Program [S3P].--The NSF's S3P is a
follow-on to the International Ocean Discovery Program. The S3P
program is the latest iteration of a scientific ocean drilling
program that NSF has supported for more than 50 years.
Scientists have collected more than 475 kilometers of core
samples from expeditions across the globe, representing a
unique a valuable resource for researchers and industry. NSF is
directed to report to the Committee within 90 days of enactment
of this act on its plan to meet the breadth of sub-seafloor
sampling needs, which could include plans for a new scientific
ocean drilling vessel. Additionally, NSF is directed to develop
a strategy to maximize the scientific utilization of current
and future earth core samples, including working with the
current U.S. repository for scientific ocean drilling cores on
a long-term plan to build out analytical capabilities and
educational outreach for the earth science community.
Uncrewed Aircraft System Technologies.--The Committee
encourages NSF to consider supporting meritorious uncrewed
aircraft system technologies research activities as authorized
under section 10352 of Public Law 117-167, including a prize
competition and support for undergraduate and graduate
curriculum development.
Wildland Fire Research.--The Committee supports NSF's
recent efforts to advance interdisciplinary wildland fire
science through funding for initial ideation and development of
partnerships. The Committee encourages NSF to build upon this
initiative by supporting collaborative research grants in
wildfire science, including by leveraging NSF-supported
environmental data infrastructure for wildfire science and by
partnering with other Federal programs and agencies such as the
Joint Fire Science Program and NOAA. NSF is encouraged to
consider the recommendations included in the final report of
the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission, which
highlighted the need for new mechanisms to support research on
scientific innovation and technology development related to
wildfires, post-fire monitoring and recovery, and watershed
health-related fire research.
Mathematical Sciences Research Institutes.--The Committee
recognizes the importance of the NSF Mathematical Sciences
Research Institutes across the country, which provide important
basic research in multiple fields. The NSF is encouraged to
continue supporting this program.
Ethical and Societal Considerations Mandate Report.--
Section 10343 of Public Law 117-167 requires that, within 24
months of enactment of the law, NSF draw on stakeholder support
to revise proposal instructions to require that ethical and
societal considerations be included in funding proposals, prior
to making an award. Within 90 days of enactment of this act,
the NSF is required to submit to the Committee a report
detailing the implementation of this requirement.
MAJOR RESEARCH EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES CONSTRUCTION
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $234,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 300,000,000
Committee recommendation................................ 300,000,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $300,000,000 for
Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction [MREFC].
The recommendation is $66,000,000 above the fiscal year 2024
enacted level and equal to the budget request.
The MREFC appropriation supports the acquisition,
procurement, construction, and commissioning of unique national
research platforms and facilities as well as major research
equipment. Projects supported by this appropriation push the
boundaries of technology and offer expanded opportunities for
the science and engineering community. Preliminary design and
development activities, ongoing operations, and maintenance
costs of the facilities are provided through the R&RA
appropriation account.
The Committee's recommendation supports the continued
construction of the Antarctic Infrastructure Recapitalization
and the Leadership-Class Computing Facility. The Committee
encourages NSF and the National Science Board to continue
planning and budgeting for the next generation of major
facilities needed to ensure the United States maintains its
scientific leadership.
The recommendation provides $85,000,000 for Mid-scale
Research Infrastructure. The Committee continues to support
investments in Mid-scale Research Infrastructure, including the
procurement of larger mid-scale instrumentation under the MREFC
account. Using MREFC for larger mid-scale projects will allow
these projects to benefit from the oversight that all MREFC
projects undergo. NSF is encouraged to award at least one mid-
scale project led by an institution in an EPSCoR State.
The Committee encourages GAO to continue its annual review
of programs funded within MREFC so that GAO can report to
Congress shortly after each annual budget submission of the
President and semiannually thereafter on the status of large-
scale NSF projects and activities based on its review of this
information.
Antarctic Research Infrastructure.--The Committee is
concerned about recent announcements to pause Antarctic field
research and delay project design for the fourth-generation
ground-based cosmic microwave background [CMB-S4] and IceCube-
Gen2 due to Antarctic infrastructure challenges. The Committee
understands the difficult environment NSF is facing and has
provided substantial support for Antarctic Infrastructure
Modernization for Science and Antarctic Infrastructure
Recapitalization over several years to upgrade infrastructure
at McMurdo, Amundsen-Scott South Pole, and Palmer Stations.
This effort is now many years behind schedule stretching
potentially another decade before completion. Delays to CMB-S4
and IceCube-Gen2 threaten loss of U.S. leadership as
competitors set up new Antarctic research efforts, loss of
partner support for new science facilities, and major setbacks
in our understanding of sea ice and other Antarctic changes
that are critical to coastal resilience. The Committee is
additionally concerned that decisions to pause major facility
design have been made without proper consultation of the
community and of relevant stakeholders within the Foundation.
The Committee expects NSF to request adequate resources to
enable concurrent infrastructure upgrades with ongoing research
and major facility planning. NSF shall provide the Committee a
comprehensive plan not later than 180 days after enactment of
this act that provides, at a minimum, timelines, milestones,
and funding requirements for future Antarctic upgrades that
enable continued Antarctic field research, new Antarctic
Research Vessel deployment, and a reasonable design path for
high priority South Pole physics experiments.
Study on NSF Research Infrastructure.--The National Science
Board's Vision 2030 States that research infrastructure
``symbolizes a nation's commitment to S[cience] &
E[ngineering], since it represents a significant long-term
undertaking.'' Within 30 days of enactment of this act, NSF
shall update and make public the plan required under 42 U.S.C.
1862n-4 and shall contract with the National Academies to
report on NSF's plans to strengthen research infrastructure.
The report shall analyze whether NSF is providing the major
research facilities to ensure the United States can conduct
world-leading scientific research, how the NSF responds to
international partner interest in major facility construction
partnerships, the adequacy of NSF's capability to join existing
partnerships, and recommendations for the current NSF process
for investing in design and operation of billion-dollar class
major facilities could be improved, including new funding
mechanisms. The report shall be released not later than 270
days after the enactment of this act.
STEM EDUCATION
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $1,172,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 1,300,000,000
Committee recommendation................................ 1,225,000,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $1,225,000,000 for
STEM Education. The recommendation is $53,000,000 above the
fiscal year 2024 enacted level and $75,000,000 below the budget
request.
The STEM Education appropriation supports a comprehensive
set of programs across all levels of education in STEM
including activities that unite school districts with
institutions of higher learning to improve pre-college
education. Other pre-college activities include the development
of the next generation of STEM education leaders, instructional
materials, and the STEM instructional workforce. Undergraduate
activities support curriculum, laboratory, and instructional
improvement; expand the STEM talent pool; attract STEM
participants to teaching; augment advanced technological
education at 2-year colleges; and develop dissemination tools.
Graduate support is directed to research and teaching
fellowships, internships, and instructional workforce
improvement by linking precollege education systems with higher
education. Programs also seek to broaden the participation of
groups underrepresented in the STEM enterprise and promote
informal science education.
Informal Science Education.--The Committee maintains its
strong support for NSF's informal science education program and
provides not less than $70,000,000 for Advancing Informal STEM
Learning. The Committee encourages NSF to coordinate and
provide necessary support for investments in summer and both
in- and out-of-school time STEM education programs across
Federal agencies, including support for extracurricular STEM
programs. The Directorate for STEM Education is further
encouraged to continue its NSF-wide efforts to support informal
STEM education programs and program providers, including
support for high-quality professional development, and
leveraging the research directorates to support activities that
match their respective content areas.
Hands-on and Experiential Learning Opportunities.--
Developing a robust, talented, and diverse homegrown workforce,
particularly in the fields of STEM, is critical to the success
of the U.S. innovation economy. The Committee directs NSF to
provide grants to support the development of hands-on learning
opportunities in STEM education as authorized under section
10311 of Public Law 117-167, including via afterschool
activities and innovative learning opportunities such as
robotics competitions.
Advanced Technological Education.--The Committee provides
$75,000,000 for Advanced Technological Education.
Broadening Participation.--The Committee recognizes that
the future of U.S. economic competitiveness and our Nation's
ability to address national, economic, and health security
threats depends on sustaining a robust STEM workforce. As the
demographics of our Nation evolve, ensuring individuals from
underrepresented communities across the country can enter and
sustain a career as part of the STEM workforce is essential to
securing the workforce going forward. The Committee is deeply
concerned that entrenched financial barriers are increasingly
deterring students, particularly those from underrepresented
communities, from pursuing STEM careers. The Committee
encourages NSF to evaluate the adequacy of compensation for
trainees and early career researchers supported through
fellowships, training grants, and research awards. NSF is also
encouraged continue supporting the recruitment, retention, and
advancement of underrepresented faculty at U.S. institutions of
higher education through relevant existing programs.
The Committee supports the requested increases related to
Broadening Participation in STEM programs. The Committee
provides not less than the fiscal year 2024 enacted level for
the ADVANCE program, the HBCUs Undergraduate Program, the
Hispanic Serving Institutions program, the Alliances for
Graduate Education and the Professoriate, the Louis Stokes
Alliances for Minority Participation, the Robert Noyce
Scholarship Program, the Eddie Bernice Johnson Inclusion Across
the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented
Discoverers in Engineering and Science [INCLUDES] Initiative,
and the Centers for Research Excellence in Science and
Technology. In addition, $20,000,000 is provided for the Tribal
Colleges and Universities Program.
Transformative Education Research and Translation.--The
Committee encourages NSF to establish a program for Centers for
Transformative Education Research and Translation as authorized
under section 10395 of Public Law 117-167. These centers could
instrument large-scale digital learning platforms, enable
multi-stakeholder partnerships of institutions of higher
education and State and local education agencies to support
collaborative research and translation in K-12 STEM education
innovation, and accelerate STEM learning outcomes of students
from underserved regions and students of color. The Committee
encourages NSF to collaborate with the Department of Education
and consider how these centers could help address the learning
recovery associated with the pandemic and foster the benefits
of technology.
National STEM Teacher Corps.--In order to prepare the
future STEM workforce and to create a scientifically literate
public, the Committee appreciates the importance of supporting
and recognizing outstanding STEM teachers in our Nation's
classrooms, rewarding them for their accomplishments, and
creating rewarding career paths to which all STEM teachers can
aspire. Therefore, the Committee provides $40,000,000 for the
National STEM Teacher Corps pilot program authorized under
section 10311 of Public Law 117-167.
CyberCorps: Scholarships for Service.--The Committee
provides not less than the fiscal year 2024 enacted level for
the CyberCorps: Scholarship for Service program. NSF is
encouraged to increase the number of scholarships awarded at
participating institutions and to increase the number of
institutions that receive grants to participate in the program.
AI Scholarships for Service.--The Committee recognizes the
importance of attracting, educating, and retaining a strong
pipeline of students and workers from diverse and
nontraditional backgrounds in STEM fields, particularly in AI.
Therefore, not later than 30 days after the enactment of this
act, NSF shall provide the Committee with the feasibility study
on the creation of an AI Scholarship for Service Program
required under subsection 10313(d)(2) of Public Law 117-167.
Further, if the creation of such a program is found to be
feasible, the Committee encourages NSF to implement the program
as directed under subsection 10313(d).
Enhancing Graduate Education and Training.--The Committee
supports measures that improve graduate student advising and
mentorship and funding mechanisms. The Committee recognizes the
importance of these matters to increase talent retention and
international competitiveness, including through the
Innovations for Graduate Education Program. The Committee
encourages NSF to develop methods that enhance graduate
education, to set clear mentorship standards in federally
funded projects, and to study the impact of funding models on
graduate student productivity and outcomes.
CREATING HELPFUL INCENTIVES TO PRODUCE SEMICONDUCTORS [CHIPS] FOR
AMERICA WORKFORCE AND EDUCATION FUND
Division A of Public Law 117-167 established the CHIPS for
America Workforce and Education Fund.
Microelectronics Workforce Credentialing.--The Committee
encourages NSF to establish a pilot program or to utilize
existing programs to create a national credentialing platform
with industry-recognized, transferable, modular digital
stackable credentials for semiconductor manufacturing. The
awards should connect to regions where the Department of
Commerce and microelectronics industry are investing in
manufacturing facilities and workforce development.
Diversity in Microelectronics and Semiconductors Research
and Development.--The Committee understands the efforts being
undertaken by NSF and the Department of Commerce to grow a
diverse workforce to support the manufacturing of
microelectronics and semiconductors. The Committee wants to
ensure that research and development funding supporting the
microelectronics and semiconductors ecosystem is also
supporting the NSF's goal of developing talent around the
country, including in underrepresented communities. As such,
the Committee encourages NSF to partner with non-profit
academic organizations that are not already well funded by NSF
such as some MSIs, community colleges, master's degree level
institutions, and predominantly undergraduate institutions with
current or emerging capacity in microelectronics and
semiconductors research in order to significantly develop these
capabilities and to increase the graduates from these
institutions.
The Committee allocates the funds according to the amounts
listed in the following table.
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION ALLOCATION OF FUNDS: CHIPS ACT FISCAL YEAR
2025
[In thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Account-Project and Activity Amount
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors $50,000
[CHIPS] for America Workforce and Education Fund.......
Research & Related Activities....................... 25,000
STEM Education Activities........................... 25,000
---------------
Total........................................... 50,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------
AGENCY OPERATIONS AND AWARD MANAGEMENT
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $448,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 504,000,000
Committee recommendation................................ 465,000,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $465,000,000 for
Agency Operations and Award Management. The recommendation is
$17,000,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and
$39,000,000 below the budget request.
The appropriation provides salaries and expenses, including
staff salaries, benefits, travel, training, rent, advisory and
assistance services, communications and utilities expenses,
supplies, equipment, and other operating expenses necessary for
management of NSF's research and education activities.
The Committee continues to believe that NSF should include
criteria that evaluate how a grant proposal will advance our
Nation's national security and economic interests, as well as
promote the progress of science and innovation in the United
States.
The Committee reiterates its long-standing requirement that
NSF submit reprogrammings when initiating new programs or
activities of more than $500,000 or when reorganizing
components. The Committee expects to be notified of
reprogramming actions, which involve less than the above-
mentioned amount if such actions would have the effect of
changing the agency's funding requirements in future years, or
if programs or projects specifically cited in the Committee's
explanatory statement are affected.
Tribal Approval.--The Committee directs NSF to update its
Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide to more
thoroughly address issues relating to the scope of Native-owned
lands covered by the policy, Tribal delegation of authority to
Tribal organizations to issue approvals, and the appropriate
scope of subsistence resources considered in the Guide, after
conducting a thorough consultation with Tribal nations, Alaska
Native corporations, and Native Hawaiian organizations, and by
inviting comments from other Tribal organizations.
OFFICE OF THE NATIONAL SCIENCE BOARD
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $5,090,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 5,220,000
Committee recommendation................................ 5,220,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $5,220,000 for the
Office of the National Science Board. The recommendation is
$130,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and equal to
the budget request.
The National Science Board is the governing body of NSF and
is charged with serving as an independent adviser to the
President and Congress on policy matters related to science and
engineering research and education.
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $24,410,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 28,460,000
Committee recommendation................................ 26,500,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $26,500,000 for the
Office of Inspector General [OIG]. The recommendation is
$2,090,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and
$1,960,000 below the budget request.
The OIG appropriation provides audit and investigation
functions to identify and correct deficiencies that could lead
to instances of fraud, waste, or mismanagement.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
The bill includes two administrative provisions. One allows
limited transfers of funds among accounts. The other requires
notification for disposal of certain assets.
TITLE IV
RELATED AGENCIES
Commission on Civil Rights
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $14,350,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 14,850,000
Committee recommendation................................ 14,850,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $14,850,000 for the
salaries and expenses of the Commission on Civil Rights. This
recommendation is $500,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted
level and equal to the budget request.
Donations.--The Commission shall provide to the Committee
quarterly updates on all gifts and donations, as well as the
terms of any specific activities funded by the gift or
donation. Additionally, anticipated funding from gifts or
donations shall be included in the Commission's annual spend
plan.
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $455,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 488,221,000
Committee recommendation................................ 488,221,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $488,221,000 for
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission [EEOC] salaries and
expenses. This recommendation is $33,221,000 above the fiscal
year 2024 enacted level and equal to the budget request.
The EEOC serves both U.S. public and private workplaces by
helping provide a fair and inclusive workplace, committed to
enhancing employee retention, productivity, and profitability.
Inventory Reduction.--The Committee continues to direct the
EEOC to prioritize its staffing and resources toward reducing
the number of current and outstanding unresolved private sector
pending charges and public sector hearings. The Committee
further directs EEOC to use appropriated funds to resolve the
backlog of existing and incoming claims and not for activities
that do not directly support this activity.
Public Comment on EEOC Guidance.--The Committee remains
concerned that, as the EEOC conducts its business in protecting
against employment discrimination, its guidance can be adopted
without the opportunity of public input prior to implementation
and enforcement. Therefore, if requested by at least two
Commissioners, the EEOC shall make any new guidance available
for public comment in the Federal Register for not less than 30
days prior to taking any potential action on proposed guidance.
Artificial Intelligence and Algorithmic Fairness.--The
Committee is encouraged by the EEOC's recent efforts to ensure
that the use of software, including artificial intelligence,
machine learning, and other automated decision-making systems
used in hiring and other employment decisions complies with
Federal civil rights laws.
State and Local Enforcement Assistance.--The Committee
recommends up to $32,500,000 to assist State and local
enforcement agencies. This will help ensure that EEOC provides
adequate resources to its State partners.
International Trade Commission
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $122,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 126,100,000
Committee recommendation................................ 126,100,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $126,100,000 for
International Trade Commission [ITC] salaries and expenses. The
recommendation is $4,100,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted
level and equal to the administration's budget request.
ITC is an independent, quasi-judicial agency responsible
for conducting trade-related investigations and providing
Congress and the President with independent technical advice
related to U.S. international trade policy.
Commissioner Vacancies.--The Committee stresses the
importance of filling Commissioner vacancies to fulfill ITC's
critical mission. The Committee expresses its desire to see
those vacancies filled promptly with qualified nominees.
Legal Services Corporation
PAYMENT TO THE LEGAL SERVICES CORPORATION
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $560,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 566,000,000
Committee recommendation................................ 566,000,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $566,000,000 for
payment to Legal Services Corporation [LSC]. The recommendation
is $6,000,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and
equal to the President's budget request.
The Committee's recommendation provides $520,100,000 for
basic field programs, to be used for competitively awarded
grants and contracts; $27,900,000 for management and
administration; $5,000,000 for client self-help and information
technology; $6,000,000 for the Office of the Inspector General
[OIG]; $2,000,000 for loan repayment assistance; and $5,000,000
for LSC's Pro Bono Innovation Fund.
Governance and Management.--LSC must continue to improve
its governance and management in order to further restore the
transparency of the organization and direct additional funds
into legal aid, where resources are desperately needed. The
Committee expects the OIG to continue conducting annual audits
of LSC grantees to ensure that funds are not being used in
contravention of the restrictions by which LSC grantees are
required to abide.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS--LEGAL SERVICES CORPORATION
The Committee's recommendation continues the administrative
provisions contained in the fiscal year 1998 appropriations act
(Public Law 105-119) regarding operation of this program to
provide basic legal services to disadvantaged individuals and
the restrictions on the use of LSC funds.
LSC funds cannot be used to engage in litigation and
related activities with respect to a variety of matters
including: (1) redistricting; (2) class action suits; (3)
representation of undocumented immigrants; (4) political
activities; (5) abortion; (6) prisoner litigation; (7) welfare
reform; (8) representation of charged drug dealers during
eviction proceedings; and (9) solicitation of clients. The
exception to the restrictions occurs in a case where there is
imminent threat of physical harm to the client or prospective
client.
The Committee's recommendation adopts the administration's
proposal to permit LSC recipients to operate with boards of
directors that have as few as 33 percent attorneys without
requiring appointment by bar associations. LSC recipients
operating in rural areas, where there are not as many attorneys
available or willing to serve on boards, stand to benefit most
from the flexibility that this provision provides. This
provision also improves the ability of LSC recipients to have
fiscal experts, community representatives, and others with
diverse skills and perspectives on their governing bodies.
Marine Mammal Commission
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $4,500,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 5,040,000
Committee recommendation................................ 5,040,000
The Committee provides $5,040,000 for the Marine Mammal
Commission. The recommendation is $540,000 above the fiscal
year 2024 enacted level and equal to the budget request.
The Marine Mammal Commission and its Committee of
Scientific Advisors on Marine Mammals provide oversight and
recommend actions on domestic and international topics to
advance policies and provisions of the Marine Mammal Protection
Act of 1972 (Public Law 92-522, as amended). The Commission
provides precise, up-to-date scientific information to Congress
on issues related to the safety of marine mammals.
Office of the United States Trade Representative
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $59,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 61,000,000
Committee recommendation................................ 61,000,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $61,000,000 for the
Office of the United States Trade Representative [USTR]
salaries and expenses. The recommendation is $2,000,000 above
the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and equal to the budget
request. USTR is responsible for developing and leading
international negotiations for the U.S. on policies regarding
international trade, direct investment, and commodities. Its
areas of responsibility include all matters relating to the
World Trade Organization; trade, commodity, and direct
investment matters dealt with by certain international
institutions; industrial, agricultural, and services trade
policy; and trade-related protection of intellectual property
and the environment.
Within funds provided, the Committee continues to support
USTR's accepting full financial responsibilities of the
Interagency Center on Trade Implementation, Monitoring, and
Enforcement (formerly named the Interagency Trade Enforcement
Center) in fiscal year 2025.
Economy Act Transfers.--USTR is directed to continue
isolating Economy Act payments as individual transfers and to
submit documentation of and justification for all Economy Act
transfers, regardless of amount, to and from other Federal
agencies, to the Committee not less than 15 days before such
transfers of sums are made.
Travel.--USTR is directed to provide monthly travel reports
detailing all trips outside of the U.S., including the purposes
and costs of such trips. Additionally, USTR shall continue to
provide the Committee with quarterly reports outlining the
status of ongoing trade negotiations, enforcement activities,
and objectives achieved for existing trade agreements.
USMCA.--The Committee directs USTR to provide quarterly
expenditure reports, by object class, no later than 30 days
after the end of each fiscal quarter, for funding provided to
USTR by title IX of the USMCA Implementation Act (Public Law
116-113).
Indo-Pacific Economic Framework.--The Committee notes the
ongoing interagency work to negotiate the Indo-Pacific Economic
Framework. The Committee encourages USTR to secure commitments
that strengthen supply chain security for critical minerals,
pharmaceuticals and active pharmaceutical ingredients among
nations party to the agreement.
Annual Trade Agenda.--The Committee requests the
President's Trade Policy Agenda submitted during fiscal year
2025 include an explanation of how the administration's trade
policy objectives and priorities support and advance the
objectives of the National Defense Strategy and the National
Security Strategy.
U.S.-United Kingdom [UK] Trade Relationship.--The Committee
recognizes that robust trade with the UK is mutually
beneficial, strengthening our already close economic
relationship. The Committee encourages USTR to further
strengthen these economic ties.
Quad Strategic Partnership.--The Committee encourages USTR
to further promote and strengthen the economic ties with the
Quad strategic partnership among the U.S., India, Japan, and
Australia.
Rare Earth Minerals.--USTR, in consultation with relevant
departments and agencies, shall report to the Committee, within
180 days of enactment of this act, on the administration's
efforts to address the threat posed by China's control of the
global supply of rare earth minerals, including (1) the
administration's efforts and plan to promote a more reliable
and secure global supply chains for rare earth minerals, (2) a
summary of any engagements with the Quad partners to promote
shared investment and development of rare earth minerals, and
(3) a summary of any engagements with other strategic allies to
promote shared investment and development of rare earth
minerals.
Section 301 Tariff Review.--The Committee notes that USTR
is wrapping up the U.S. supply chain resiliency and Section 301
tariff review. Among others, the four-year review considered
other actions that could be taken in the investigation,
including additional tariffs on products of the People's
Republic of China [PRC], such as compound semiconductors. The
investigation also examined the impact on U.S. manufacturers
and whether the tariff duty rate should be adjusted. The
Committee directs USTR to consider taking action under its
existing authorities, including Section 301, to increase duties
on imports of indium phosphide, packaged optical modules, and
finished goods (optical transceivers) from the PRC, as may be
appropriate to encourage the PRC to eliminate its unfair trade
policies and practices. USTR is also directed to consider the
impact of imports of these products from the PRC on the
domestic supply chain as part of its ongoing supply chain
resiliency initiative.
Examining Unfair Chinese Trade Practices.--The Committee
recognizes that non-allied nations are becoming large exporters
of electric vehicles worldwide and is concerned that electric
vehicles from such countries will soon flood the U.S. market.
Some Chinese automakers are seeking to establish manufacturing
plants in Mexico and other strategic locations to sidestep U.S.
tariffs. The Committee directs USTR, in consultation with other
relevant departments and agencies, to examine non-allied
nations' non-market policies and practices related but not
limited to electric vehicles, including industrial targeting,
non-market excess capacity, direct subsidies, low interest
loans, loan forgiveness, targeted regulations, and licensing
arrangements, as well as policies that prevent U.S auto
manufacturers from competing in their markets on a level
playing field, and report its findings to this Committee within
180 days of enactment of this act.
Trade and Agricultural Exports.--The Committee supports
efforts to reduce foreign tariffs and non-tariff trade barriers
for U.S. agricultural exports, including the strong enforcement
of trade rules and regulations. However, the Committee is
concerned that trade actions resulting in decreased foreign
market access for U.S. agricultural products due to retaliation
threaten to harm our Nation's farmers and ranchers. The
Committee urges USTR and the Secretary of Commerce to fully
evaluate and consider the impact foreign tariffs and other
retaliatory actions have on U.S. farmers and ranchers when
negotiating with trade partners and in making trade-related
decisions.
Parity for American Exports.--The Committee directs the
USTR to seek parity for American exports, which have been
targeted and unduly harmed by retaliatory tariffs resulting
from ongoing international trade disputes, to allow them to
fairly compete in overseas markets.
Protection of U.S. Innovation in the Global Marketplace.--
The Committee directs USTR to advance the protection and
enforcement of intellectual property rights with trading
partners around the world in order to protect U.S. innovation.
Strengthening protections for intellectual property rights
reinforces America's global competitiveness and incentivizes
the American businesses and workers who bring these
technologies to market.
U.S.-European Union [EU] Trade and Technology Council
[TTC].--The Committee recognizes the importance of the TTC as a
forum for promoting U.S. and EU competitiveness and prosperity
through increasing transatlantic trade, investment, and
engagement on matters related to critical and emerging
technology. The Committee awaits receipt of the joint report on
the U.S.-U TTC, as directed by the joint explanatory statement
accompanying Public Law 118-42.
TRADE ENFORCEMENT TRUST FUND
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $15,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 15,000,000
Committee recommendation................................ 15,000,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $15,000,000 for the
Trade Enforcement Trust Fund as authorized under the Trade
Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 (Public Law 114-
125). The recommendation is equal to the fiscal year 2024
enacted level and the budget request.
Trade Enforcement Trust Fund.--The Committee supports
efforts to enforce U.S. rights under trade agreements and to
increase compliance of U.S. trade partners. The Committee
directs USTR, as part of its fiscal year 2025 spending plan, to
provide a breakdown of expenses for the Trade Enforcement Trust
Fund's activities.
State Justice Institute
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriations, 2024.................................... $7,640,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................... 7,640,000
Committee recommendation................................ 7,640,000
The Committee's recommendation provides $7,640,000 for the
State Justice Institute [SJI]. The recommendation is equal to
the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and equal to the budget
request.
SJI was created in 1984 to further the development and
adoption of improved judicial administration in State courts.
Fines, Fees, and Bail Practices.--The Committee encourages
SJI to continue investments in the areas of fines, fees, and
bail practices, including assisting State courts in taking a
leadership role in reviewing these practices to ensure
processes are fair and access to justice is assured;
implementing alternative forms of sanctions; developing
processes for indigency review; promoting transparency,
governance, structural reforms that promote access to justice,
accountability, and oversight; and supporting projects that
implement the principles of Conference of Chief Justices/
Conference of State Court Administrators National Task Force on
Fines, Fees, and Bail Practices.
Legal Deserts.--The Committee is concerned that many areas
of the country have too few practicing attorneys to ensure that
litigants in these areas can retain counsel without taking
burdensome steps. The American Bar Association [ABA] has
referred to these areas as ``legal deserts.'' Using 2020 data,
the ABA found that 1,300 counties in the U.S. have less than 1
attorney per 1,000 residents, and many have no attorneys. As a
result, many litigants appear in court without representation.
Legal deserts may hit juveniles hardest because they are among
the most vulnerable participants in the legal system. The
Committee urges SJI to examine the issues related to legal
deserts and to prepare a report, within 180 days of enactment
of this act, with recommendations to address legal deserts.
TITLE V
GENERAL PROVISIONS
(INCLUDING TRANSFERS AND RESCISSIONS OF FUNDS)
The Committee recommends the following general provisions
for the departments, agencies, offices, and commissions funded
in the accompanying act. Similar provisions were included in
the fiscal year 2024 act.
Section 501 prohibits the use of appropriations for certain
publicity and propaganda purposes.
Section 502 prohibits any appropriations contained in this
bill from remaining available for obligation beyond the current
fiscal year unless expressly provided.
Section 503 limits funds for certain consulting purposes.
Section 504 provides that, should any provision of the bill
be held to be invalid, the remainder of the act would not be
affected.
Section 505 stipulates the policy and procedures by which
funding available to the agencies funded under this bill may be
reprogrammed for other purposes.
Section 506 provides for a penalty for persons found to
have falsely mislabeled products.
Section 507 requires agencies to provide quarterly reports
to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees regarding
unobligated balances.
Section 508 requires agencies and departments funded in
this bill to absorb any necessary costs related to downsizing
or consolidation within the amounts provided to the agency or
department.
Section 509 limits funds for the sale or export of tobacco
or tobacco products.
Section 510 stipulates obligation of receipts and the use
of certain funds for victim services available under the Crime
Victims Fund.
Of the funds set aside for Indian Tribes, the Committee
expects that the Office for Victims of Crime [OVC] will award
such funds to Indian Tribes that have not been designated high-
risk grantees by the DOJ and that comply with grant application
requirements. OVC is expected to provide instructional model
grant applications and other guidance to aid Tribes in
preparing grant applications. Grant-receiving Tribes will need
to certify that grant funds will not be used to supplant funds
otherwise available for Tribal victim assistance so that OVC
can ensure grant accountability and that grants are being used
effectively to improve services for Tribal victims of crime.
Section 511 prohibits the use of DOJ funds for programs
that discriminate against, denigrate, or otherwise undermine
the religious beliefs of students participating in such
programs.
Section 512 limits transfers of funds between agencies.
Section 513 requires the Inspectors General of the
Departments of Commerce and Justice, NASA, NSF, and LSC to
conduct reviews of activities funded in this bill and requires
certifications regarding conflicts of interest.
Section 514 prohibits funds for certain telecommunications
and information technology acquisitions unless the acquiring
department or agency has assessed the supply chain risk of the
technology, including risks from technology originating in
China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
Section 515 prohibits the use of funds to support or
justify the use of torture.
Section 516 prohibits funds for activities that seek to
include certain language in new trade agreements.
Section 517 prohibits funds to authorize a national
security letter in contravention of the statutes authorizing
the FBI to issue national security letters.
Section 518 requires notification to the Committees in the
event of cost overruns.
Section 519 authorizes funds appropriated for intelligence
activities for the DOJ during fiscal year 2025 until the
enactment of the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
2025.
Section 520 prohibits contracts or grant awards in excess
of $5,000,000 unless the prospective contractor or grantee has
certified in writing that he or she has filed all Federal tax
returns, has not been convicted of a criminal offense under the
IRS Code of 1986, and has no unpaid Federal tax assessment.
Section 521 specifies rescissions of prior appropriations.
Section 522 prohibits the use of funds to purchase first
class or premium airline travel in contravention of current
regulations.
Section 523 prohibits the use of funds to pay for the
attendance of more than 50 employees at any single conference
outside the United States and limits the cost of any such
conference incurred by an agency, with certain exemptions.
Section 524 requires agencies funded in this bill to report
on undisbursed balances.
Section 525 requires, when practicable, the use of funds in
this act to purchase light bulbs that have the ``Energy Star''
or ``Federal Energy Management Program'' designation.
Section 526 prohibits the use of funds by NASA, OSTP, or
the National Space Council to engage in bilateral activities
with China or a Chinese-owned company or effectuate the hosting
of official Chinese visitors at certain facilities unless the
activities are authorized by subsequent legislation or NASA,
OSTP, or the National Space Council have made a certification
pursuant to subsections (c) and (d) of this section.
Section 527 prohibits the use of funds to establish or
maintain a computer network that does not block pornography,
except for law enforcement purposes.
Section 528 requires departments and agencies funded in
this bill to submit spending plans to the House and Senate
Appropriations Committees within 45 days of enactment of this
act.
Section 529 prohibits funds to pay for award or incentive
fees for contractors with below satisfactory performance or
performance that fails to meet the basic requirements of the
contract. The Committee directs any head of any executive
branch department, agency, board, commission, or office funded
by this bill to require that all contracts within their purview
that provide award fees to link such fees to successful
acquisition outcomes, specifying the terms of cost, schedule,
and performance.
Section 530 prohibits the use of funds by the Department of
Justice or the Drug Enforcement Administration in contravention
of a certain section of the Agricultural Act of 2014.
Section 531 prohibits the Department of Justice from
preventing certain States from implementing State laws
regarding the use of medical marijuana.
Section 532 requires quarterly reports from the Department
of Commerce, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration,
and the National Science Foundation of travel to China.
Section 533 requires 10 percent of the funds for certain
programs be allocated for assistance in persistent poverty
counties.
Section 534 prohibits the use of funds in this act to
require certain export licenses.
Section 535 prohibits the use of funds in this act to deny
certain import applications regarding ``curios or relics''
firearms, parts, or ammunition.
Section 536 prohibits funds from being used to deny the
importation of shotgun models if no application for the
importation of such models, in the same configuration, had been
denied prior to January 1, 2011, on the basis that the shotgun
was not particularly suitable for or readily adaptable to
sporting purposes.
Section 537 prohibits the use of funds to implement the
Arms Trade Treaty until the Senate approves a resolution of
ratification for the Treaty.
Section 538 includes language regarding detainees held at
Guantanamo Bay.
Section 539 includes language regarding facilities for
housing detainees held at Guantanamo Bay.
Section 540 extends the availability of certain funds.
Section 541 provides that the Department of Commerce and
Department of Justice may utilize funding to provide payments
pursuant to section 901(i)(2) of title IX of division J of the
Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020.
Section 541 sets certain requirements for the allocations
of funds related to the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 (Public
Law 117-167).
Section 542 is a new provision providing for rescission
from defunct NASA accounts.
Section 543 States that each amount designated by the
Congress as an emergency requirement pursuant to the Balanced
Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 is contingent
on the President so designating all such emergency amounts and
transmitting such designations to Congress. The provision is
consistent with the requirements in the Fiscal Responsibility
Act of 2024.
COMPLIANCE WITH PARAGRAPH 7, RULE XVI OF THE STANDING RULES OF THE
SENATE
Rule XVI, paragraph 7 requires that every report on a
general appropriation bill filed by the Committee must identify
items of appropriation not made to carry out the provisions of
an existing law, a treaty stipulation, or an act or resolution
previously passed by the Senate during that session.
The Committee recommends funding for the following programs
or activities that currently lack an authorization for fiscal
year 2025, either in whole or in part, and therefore fall under
this rule:
APPROPRIATIONS NOT AUTHORIZED BY LAW--FISCAL YEAR 2025
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Last year of
Agency/program authorization
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Department of Commerce:
International Trade Administration:
Export Promotion.................................. 1996
Economic and Statistics Administration
Salaries and Expenses............................. n/a
National Telecommunications and Information
Administration:
Salaries and Expenses............................. 1993
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration:
Operations, Research, and Facilities:.............
NOAA Authorization Act of 1992.............. 2006
Windstorm Impact Reduction Act.............. 2017
Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation 2021
Act of 2017................................
Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control..... 2002
National Ocean Service...................... 1993
Coastal Zone Management..................... 2013
National Oceans and Coastal Security Fund... 2019
Marine Protection, Research, Preservation & 2005
Sanctuaries................................
Estuaries and Clean Waters Act.............. 2005
National Marine Sanctuaries Amendments Act 2005
of 2000....................................
Oil Pollution Act........................... 2011
Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act........... 2005
Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection, and 1990
Restoration Act............................
Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act...... 2002
National Marine Fisheries Service:................
Marine Mammal Protection.................... 1999
Species Recovery Grants..................... 1992
NOAA Marine Fisheries Program............... 2000
Interjurisdictional Fisheries............... 2012
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 2013
Management.................................
Endangered Species Act...................... 1992
Pacific Salmon Treaty Act of 1985........... 2009
Estuary Restoration Act..................... 2012
High Seas Driftnet Fisheries Enforcement Act 2012
Lacey Act Amendments of 1981................ 2008
Saltonstall-Kennedy Act of 1954............. 1991
Oceanic and Atmospheric Research:.................
Climate Laboratories and Cooperative 1993
Institutes.................................
National Integrated Drought Information 2023
System (NIDIS).............................
Great Lakes and Lake Champlain Invasive 2019
Species Program............................
National Ocean Service:...........................
Marine Protection, Research, Preservation & 2005
Sanctuaries................................
National Weather Service:.........................
Procurement, Acquisition and Construction:........
NOAA Corps.................................. 2020
Department of Justice:
General Administration:
Salaries and Expenses....................... 2009
Justice Information Sharing Technology...... 2009
Executive Office for Immigration Review:..........
Salaries and Expenses....................... 2009
Office of Inspector General:......................
Salaries and Expenses....................... 2009
U.S. Parole Commission:...........................
Salaries and Expenses....................... 2009
Legal Activities:
General Legal Activities:.........................
Salaries and Expenses....................... 2009
Antitrust Division:...............................
Salaries and Expenses....................... 2009
U.S. Attorneys:...................................
Salaries and Expenses....................... 2009
Foreign Claims Settlement Commission:.............
Salaries and Expenses....................... 2009
Fees and Expenses of Witnesses.............. 2009
Community Relations Service:
Salaries and Expenses....................... 2009
Assets Forfeiture Fund Current Budget 2009
Authority..................................
U.S. Marshals Service....................... 2009
Salaries and Expenses....................... 2009
Federal Prison Detention.................... 2009
Construction................................ 2009
National Security Division:.......................
Salaries and Expenses....................... n/a
Interagency Law Enforcement:......................
Interagency Crime and Drug Enforcement...... 2009
Federal Bureau of Investigation............. 2009
Salaries and Expenses....................... 2009
Construction................................ 2009
Drug Enforcement Administration:
Salaries and Expenses....................... 2009
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives:
Salaries and Expenses....................... 2009
Federal Prison System............................. 2009
Salaries and Expenses....................... 2009
Buildings and Facilities.................... 2009
Office of Justice Programs:
Research, Evaluation, and Statistics:
National Institute of Justice..................... 1995
Bureau of Justice Statistics...................... 1995
State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance:
Adam Walsh Act.................................... 2009
Bulletproof Vest Partnership...................... 2020
Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants.......... 2012
John R. Justice Grant Program..................... 2014
Capital Litigation Improvement Grant Program...... 2021
Missing Americans Alert Program (Kevin and 2022
Avonte's Law)....................................
Prison Rape Prevention and Prosecution Program.... 2010
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).................. 2021
Drug Court Program................................ 2023
Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program... 2021
Residential Substance Abuse Treatment............. 2000
State Criminal Alien Assistance Program........... 2011
Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes 2012
Prevention Grants Program........................
Keep Young Athletes Safe.......................... 2022
National Criminal History Improvement Program 2022
(NCHIP)..........................................
NICS Act Record Improvement Program (NARIP)....... 2013
Paul Coverdell Grants............................. 2021
Second Chance Act/Offender Re-Entry............... 2023
Victims of Trafficking Programs................... 2021
Juvenile Justice Programs:
Part B-Formula Grants............................. 2020
COPS Programs:
COPS Hiring Program............................... 2009
Tribal Resources Grant Program.................... 2015
Community Policing Development/Training and 2009
Technical Assistance.............................
Regional Information Sharing Activities........... 2003
STOP School Violence Act.......................... 2028
National Aeronautics and Space Administration:
Science........................................... 2017
Aeronautics....................................... 2017
Exploration....................................... 2017
Space Operations.................................. 2017
Education......................................... 2017
Safety, Security and Mission Services............. 2017
Construction and Environmental Compliance and 2017
Restoration......................................
Office of the Inspector General................... 2017
National Science Foundation....................... 2027
Related Agencies:
Commission on Civil Rights:
Salaries and Expenses............................. 1995
International Trade Commission:
Salaries and Expenses............................. 2004
Payment to the Legal Services Corporation:
Salaries and Expenses............................. 1980
Marine Mammal Commission:
Salaries and Expenses............................. 1999
Office of the U.S. Trade Representative:
Salaries and Expenses............................. 2004
State Justice Institute:
Salaries and Expenses............................. 2008
------------------------------------------------------------------------
COMPLIANCE WITH PARAGRAPH 7(c), RULE XXVI OF THE STANDING RULES OF THE
SENATE
Pursuant to paragraph 7(c) of rule XXVI, on July 25, 2024,
the Committee ordered favorably reported a bill (S. 4795)
making appropriations for the Departments of Commerce and
Justice, Science, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year
ending September 30, 2025, and for other purposes, provided,
that the bill be subject to amendment and that the bill be
consistent with its budget allocation, and provided that the
Chairman of the Committee or his designee be authorized to
offer the substance of the original bill as a Committee
amendment in the nature of a substitute to the House companion
measure, by a recorded vote of 26-3, a quorum being present.
The vote was as follows:
Yeas Nays
Chair Murray Mr. Manchin
Mr. Durbin Mr. Hagerty
Mr. Reed Mr. Rubio
Mr. Tester
Mrs. Shaheen
Mr. Merkley
Mr. Coons
Mr. Schatz
Ms. Baldwin
Mr. Murphy
Mr. Van Hollen
Mr. Heinrich
Mr. Peters
Ms. Sinema
Ms. Collins
Mr. McConnell
Ms. Murkowski
Mr. Graham
Mr. Moran
Mr. Hoeven
Mr. Boozman
Mrs. Capito
Mr. Kennedy
Mrs. Hyde-Smith
Mrs. Britt
Mrs. Fischer
COMPLIANCE WITH PARAGRAPH 12, RULE XXVI OF THE STANDING RULES OF THE
SENATE
Paragraph 12 of the rule XXVI requires that Committee
reports on a bill or joint resolution repealing or amending any
statute or part of any statute include ``(a) the text of the
statute or part thereof which is proposed to be repealed; and
(b) a comparative print of that part of the bill or joint
resolution making the amendment and of the statute or part
thereof proposed to be amended, showing by stricken-through
type and italics, parallel columns, or other appropriate
typographical devices the omissions and insertions which would
be made by the bill or joint resolution if enacted in the form
recommended by the Committee.''
In compliance with this rule, changes in existing law
proposed to be made by the bill are shown as follows: existing
law to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets; new matter is
printed in italic; and existing law in which no change is
proposed is shown in roman.
DEPARTMENTS OF COMMERCE, JUSTICE, AND STATE, THE JUDICIARY, AND RELATED
AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 1996 (PUBLIC LAW 104-134)
TITLE V--RELATED AGENCIES
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Maritime Administration
* * * * * * *
Legal Services Corporation
* * * * * * *
ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS--LEGAL SERVICES CORPORATION
Sec. 502. None of the funds appropriated in this Act to the
Legal Services Corporation shall be used by the Corporation to
make a grant, or enter into a contract, for the provision of
legal assistance unless the Corporation ensures that the person
or entity receiving funding to provide such legal assistance
is--
* * * * * * *
(2) a qualified nonprofit organization, chartered
under the laws of a State or the District of Columbia,
that--
(A) furnishes legal assistance to eligible
clients; and
[(B) is governed by a board of directors or
other governing body, the majority of which is
comprised of attorneys who--
(i) are admitted to practice in a
State or the District of Columbia; and
(ii) are appointed to terms of
office on such board or body by the
governing body of a State, county, or
municipal bar association, the
membership of which represents a
majority of the attorneys practicing
law in the locality in which the
organization is to provide legal
assistance;]
(B) is governed by a board of directors or
other governing body, 33 percent of which is
comprised of attorneys who are members of the
bar of a State, as defined in section 1002(8)
of the Legal Services Corporation Act (42
U.S.C. 2996a(8)), in which the legal assistance
is to be provided;
------
BUDGETARY IMPACT OF BILL
PREPARED IN CONSULTATION WITH THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE PURSUANT TO PSEC. 308(a), PUBLIC LAW 93-344, AS
AMENDED
[In millions of dollars]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Budget authority Outlays
-------------------------------------------------------
Committee Amount in Committee Amount in
allocation bill allocation bill
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Comparison of amounts in the bill with the subcommittee
allocation for 2025: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice,
Science, and Related Agencies:
Mandatory........................................... 487 487 541 \1\541
Discretionary....................................... 69,235 69,235 84,937 \1\84,927
Defense......................................... 6,613 6,613 NA NA
Non-defense..................................... 62,622 62,622 NA NA
Projection of outlays associated with the
recommendation:
2025................................................ ............ ............ ............ \2\49,494
2026................................................ ............ ............ ............ 20,396
2027................................................ ............ ............ ............ 7,136
2028.................................................... ............ ............ ............ 3,406
2029 and future years................................... ............ ............ ............ 3,376
Financial assistance to State and local governments for NA 2,441 NA \2\(72)
P2025
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\Includes outlays from prior-year budget authority.
\2\Excludes outlays from prior-year budget authority.
NA: Not applicable.
NOTE.--Consistent with the funding recommended in the bill as an emergency requirement in accordance with
subparagraph (A)(i) of section 251(b)(2) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, the
Committee anticipates that the Budget Committee will provide, at the appropriate time, a 302(a) allocation for
the Committee on Appropriations reflecting an upward adjustment of $4,500,000,000 in budget authority plus the
associated outlays.
DISCLOSURE OF CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING ITEMS
The Constitution vests in the Congress the power of the
purse. The Committee believes strongly that Congress should
make the decisions on how to allocate the people's money. As
defined in Rule XLIV of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the
term ``congressionally directed spending item'' means a
provision or report language included primarily at the request
of a Senator, providing, authorizing, or recommending a
specific amount of discretionary budget authority, credit
authority, or other spending authority for a contract, loan,
loan guarantee, grant, loan authority, or other expenditure
with or to an entity, or targeted to a specific State, locality
or congressional district, other than through a statutory or
administrative, formula-driven, or competitive award process.
For each item, a Member is required to provide a certification
that neither the Member nor the Member's immediate family has a
pecuniary interest in such congressionally directed spending
item. Such certifications are available to the public on the
website of the Senate Committee on Appropriations (https://
www.appropriations.senate.
gov/congressionally-directed-spending requests). Following is a
list of congressionally directed spending items included in the
Senate recommendation discussed in this report, along with the
name of each Senator who submitted a request to the Committee
of jurisdiction for each item so identified. Neither the
Committee recommendation nor this report contains any limited
tax benefits or limited tariff benefits as defined in rule
XLIV.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Recommendation
Account Project Location Recipient ($) Requestor(s)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOC-NIST STRS....................... Mechanical Engineering Montgomery, AL......... Alabama State 300,000 Britt
Training Equipment. University.
DOC-NIST STRS....................... Advanced Manufacturing Lorain County, OH...... Lorain County 988,000 Brown
Training Equipment. Community College
District.
DOC-NIST STRS....................... Gonzaga University Center Spokane, WA............ Gonzaga University.... 1,662,000 Cantwell
for Materials Research.
DOC-NIST STRS....................... University of Washington Seattle, WA............ University of 1,500,000 Cantwell
AI Research Washington.
Infrastructure.
DOC-NIST STRS....................... Forensic Genomics Cabell, WV............. Marshall University... 2,500,000 Capito, Manchin
Institute.
DOC-NIST STRS....................... Nuclear Magnetic Monongalia, WV......... West Virginia 1,100,000 Capito, Manchin
Resonance (NMR) and University.
Liquid Chromatography-MS
Instrumentation.
DOC-NIST STRS....................... Center for Education and Baltimore City, MD..... Morgan State 3,400,000 Cardin, Van Hollen
Research in University.
Microelectronics
Equipment.
DOC-NIST STRS....................... Gene Editing Institute's Newark, DE............. ChristianaCare Health 798,000 Carper
Learning Lab Expansion. System.
DOC-NIST STRS....................... Biopharmaceutical Newark, DE............. University of Delaware 4,000,000 Carper, Coons
Manufacturing Equipment.
DOC-NIST STRS....................... Electron Microscopy Sight Baton Rouge, LA........ Louisiana State 1,000,000 Cassidy
Initiative. University.
DOC-NIST STRS....................... Silicon Bayou Lafayette, LA.......... University of 5,000,000 Cassidy, Kennedy
Semiconductor Technology Louisiana Lafayette.
Center--Phase II.
DOC-NIST STRS....................... Eastern Illinois Charleston, IL......... Eastern Illinois 580,000 Duckworth
University Student University.
Security Operations
Center.
DOC-NIST STRS....................... Harper College Quantum Palatine, IL........... William Rainey Harper 500,000 Duckworth
Workforce Education and College.
Training Network.
DOC-NIST STRS....................... Western Pennsylvania Allegheny County, PA... University of 1,000,000 Fetterman
Shared Quantum Pittsburgh.
Information Core.
DOC-NIST STRS....................... Increasing Capacity and Kearney, NE............ University of Nebraska 3,000,000 Fischer
Infrastructure in Board of Regents.
Comparative Biomedical
Research.
DOC-NIST STRS....................... Advanced Water Resources Lincoln, NE............ University of Nebraska 2,000,000 Fischer
Research Capacity for Board of Regents.
Nebraska.
DOC-NIST STRS....................... Clarkson University: St. Lawrence, NY....... Clarkson University... 1,500,000 Gillibrand
Flawless Semiconductor
Chip Manufacturing
Through Chemical-
Mechanical Polishing of
Wafers.
DOC-NIST STRS....................... Rochester Institute of Monroe, NY............. Rochester Institute of 2,000,000 Gillibrand, Schumer
Technology: Rochester Technology.
Quantum Network (RoQNET).
DOC-NIST STRS....................... Imaging Equipment for Onondaga, NY........... Syracuse University... 1,000,000 Gillibrand, Schumer
Semiconductor Packaging.
DOC-NIST STRS....................... Center for Generative AI Erie, NY............... University at Buffalo. 2,500,000 Gillibrand, Schumer
Safety Programs.
DOC-NIST STRS....................... Electron Microscopy Core Anderson, SC........... Clemson University.... 1,700,000 Graham
Facility Equipment.
DOC-NIST STRS....................... Medical Imaging Equipment Clemson, SC............ Clemson University.... 990,000 Graham
DOC-NIST STRS....................... Intelligent Manufacturing Charleston, SC......... The Citadel........... 3,550,000 Graham
Equipment.
DOC-NIST STRS....................... Photonics and Columbia, SC........... University of South 4,160,000 Graham
Microelectronics Carolina.
Laboratory Equipment.
DOC-NIST STRS....................... Developing Safe, Ethical, City of Albuquerque, NM University of New 720,000 Heinrich, Lujan
and Explainable Mexico.
Artificial Intelligence.
DOC-NIST STRS....................... Graphene and Graphene- Oxford, MS............. The University of 4,000,000 Hyde-Smith, Wicker
Like Low-Dimensional Mississippi.
Materials.
DOC-NIST STRS....................... Old Dominion University's Norfolk City, VA....... Old Dominion 1,207,000 Kaine, Warner
Center of Excellence in University.
Trustworthy Artificial
Intelligence.
DOC-NIST STRS....................... AMPD Phase II at the CoE South Charleston, WV... RAPID Manufacturing 1,000,000 Manchin
for Process Technology Institute (a dba of
Development. American Institute of
Chemical Engineers).
DOC-NIST STRS....................... Soil Carbon Sampling and Falmouth, MA........... Woodwell Climate 800,000 Markey, Warren
Analysis Laboratory. Research Center.
DOC-NIST STRS....................... An End to Forever Worcester, MA.......... Worcester Polytechnic 1,500,000 Markey, Warren
Chemicals. Institute.
DOC-NIST STRS....................... Next Generation Benton County, OR...... Oregon State 2,520,000 Merkley, Wyden
Semiconductor Test University.
Facility.
DOC-NIST STRS....................... Semiconductor Innovation Multnomah County, OR... Portland State 1,650,000 Merkley, Wyden
and Nanoscience University.
Equipment Purchase.
DOC-NIST STRS....................... Imaging and Lane County, OR........ University of Oregon.. 3,000,000 Merkley, Wyden
Characterization
Research and Training
Equipment.
DOC-NIST STRS....................... Kansas City Kansas Kansas City, KS........ Kansas City Kansas 2,949,000 Moran
Community College-- Community College.
Advanced Manufacturing
Workforce Enhancement
Program.
DOC-NIST STRS....................... Kansas State University Olathe, KS............. Kansas State 5,004,000 Moran
Olathe--Advanced University.
Manufacturing.
DOC-NIST STRS....................... Advanced Manufacturing Wichita, KS............ Wichita State 5,000,000 Moran
Technology and Equipment. University.
DOC-NIST STRS....................... Operational Technology Tulsa, OK.............. The University of 2,500,000 Mullin
and Cybersecurity. Tulsa.
DOC-NIST STRS....................... Clean Energy Accelerator Centralia, WA.......... Centralia College..... 1,000,000 Murray
Project.
DOC-NIST STRS....................... Electric Automotive Auburn, WA............. Green River College... 1,400,000 Murray
Center of Higher
Education.
DOC-NIST STRS....................... Cybersecurity Science Hub Olympia, WA............ South Puget Sound 1,500,000 Murray
Community College.
DOC-NIST STRS....................... Kirsten Wind Tunnel Seattle, WA............ University of 3,000,000 Murray
Improvements. Washington.
DOC-NIST STRS....................... Cold Lab Upgrades........ Seattle, WA............ University of 5,000,000 Murray
Washington.
DOC-NIST STRS....................... Prosser Irrigated Prosser, WA............ Washington State 1,800,000 Murray
Agriculture Research University.
Center Improvements.
DOC-NIST STRS....................... Aquatic Pathobiology Lab Pullman, WA............ Washington State 1,425,000 Murray
Upgrades. University.
DOC-NIST STRS....................... Safe and Secure AI Houghton, MI........... Michigan Technological 2,500,000 Peters, Stabenow
Manufacturing University.
Implementation Program.
DOC-NIST STRS....................... Nanofabrication Cleanroom Kings, NY.............. New York University 1,000,000 Schumer
Equipment. (NYU).
DOC-NIST STRS....................... Building Capacity for Durham, NH............. University of New 890,000 Shaheen
PFAS Analysis. Hampshire.
DOC-NIST STRS....................... Advanced Qubits and Tougaloo, MS........... Tougaloo College...... 1,000,000 Wicker
Quantum Systems.
DOC-NIST Construction............... University of Maine Orono, ME.............. University of Maine... 45,000,000 Collins
Health Science Complex.
DOC-NIST Construction............... Healthy Kentucky Research Lexington, KY.......... University of Kentucky 35,000,000 McConnell
Building.
DOC-NIST Construction............... Renovation of Forsyth Hays, KS............... Fort Hays State 2,600,000 Moran
Library at Fort Hays University.
State University.
DOC-NIST Construction............... University of Kansas Kansas City, KS........ University of Kansas 36,000,000 Moran
Cancer Center Addition. Cancer Center.
DOC-NIST Construction............... Bolstering Advanced Air Wichita, KS............ Wichita State 5,000,000 Moran
Mobility Capabilities. University.
DOC-NIST Construction............... Hot Cell Facility Pullman, WA............ Washington State 7,000,000 Murray
Construction. University.
DOC-NIST Construction............... Great Bay National Greenland, NH.......... New Hampshire Fish and 5,000,000 Shaheen
Estuarine Research Game Department/Great
Reserve: Research Bay National
Facility. Estuarine Research
Reserve.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Thames River Marine New London, CT......... Connecticut College... 56,000 Blumenthal, Murphy
Habitat Feasibility
Study.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Connecticut Shell Fairfield, New Haven, CORR--Collective 112,000 Blumenthal, Murphy
Recycling and Shellfish and Middlesex Oyster Recycling &
Restoration Counties, CT. Restoration
Collaborative. Foundation, Inc..
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Equipment Purchase for Groton, CT............. Inter District 699,000 Blumenthal, Murphy
Marine Science Education. Committee for Project
Oceanology.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ AWF Relic Oyster Reef Mobile, AL............. Alabama Wildlife 400,000 Britt
Restoration in Mobile Federation.
Bay.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ University of South Mobile, AL............. University of South 2,000,000 Britt
Alabama Weather Radar Alabama.
Study and Report.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Study of Sediment Mobile, AL............. Alabama Port Authority 400,000 Britt, Tuberville
Management in Mobile
Harbor.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Prospect and Control Whatcom County, WA..... Lummi Indian Business 1,000,000 Cantwell
Trapping for European Council.
Green Crab on Lummi
Reservation Tidelands.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Real-time Southern King County, WA........ Maritime Blue--Quiet 395,000 Cantwell
Resident Orca Hydrophone Sound.
Location Tracking for
Commercial Mariners.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Washington Wild Kelp Puget Sound, Statewide, Washington Department 3,000,000 Cantwell, Murray
Forest and Eelgrass WA. of Fish and Wildlife.
Meadow Recovery.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Invasive Blue Catfish Anne Arundel County, Maryland Department of 500,000 Cardin, Van Hollen
Mitigation. Calvert County, Cecil Natural Resources.
County, Harford
County, Charles
County, Dorchester
County, Kent County,
Queen Anne's County,
St. Mary's County,
Somerset County,
Talbot County, MD.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Patuxent Riverkeeper and Prince George's County, Patuxent Riverkeeper.. 313,000 Cardin, Van Hollen
Chesapeake Biological MD.
Laboratory Pollution
Monitoring Collaborative.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Chesapeake Global Dorchester County, MD.. University of Maryland 800,000 Cardin, Van Hollen
Collaboratory. Center for
Environmental Science.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Bluefin Tuna Research.... Ogunquit, ME........... The Bluefin 129,000 Collins
Collaborative.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ American Lobster Walpole, ME............ University of Maine 1,000,000 Collins
Settlement Index System.
Expansion.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Gulf of Maine Ocean Coastal counties from University of Maine 5,000,000 Collins, King
Observation System. Washington County to System.
York County, ME.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Aquaculture Research and Dover, DE.............. Delaware State 517,000 Coons
Demonstration Facility University.
Relocation Feasibility
Study.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Nature Your City Project. Bronx, NY.............. New York Botanical 750,000 Gillibrand, Schumer
Garden.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Research Operations Charleston, SC......... SC Department of 1,000,000 Graham
Support. Natural Resources.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ STEM Programming for Charleston, SC......... South Carolina 336,000 Graham
South Carolina's K-12 Aquarium.
Students.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Hanakaoo Beach Park Dune County of Maui, HI..... Hawaii Climate Change 77,000 Hirono
Restoration Project. Mitigation and
Adaptation Commission.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Resurrecting the Wailoa County of Hawaii, HI... Hawaii Department of 775,000 Hirono
Station to Support Land and Natural
Amaama Production to Resources, Division
Help Revitalize of Aquatic Resources.
Fishponds.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Unomia Survey............ Statewide, HI.......... Hawaii Department of 400,000 Hirono
Land and Natural
Resources, Division
of Aquatic Resources.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Wetland Restoration for a County of Maui, HI..... Molokai Land Trust.... 596,000 Hirono
Climate Resilient
Community in Molokai.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Hawaii Restorative Hawaii County, Kauai Hawaii Department of 500,000 Hirono, Schatz
Aquaculture Feasibility. County, Maui County, Agriculture.
City and County of
Honolulu, HI.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Hawaii Pacific University City and County of Hawaii Pacific 350,000 Hirono, Schatz
Oceanic Institute Honolulu, HI. University.
Equipment Initiative.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Data Assembly Hub Hattiesburg, MS........ University of Southern 4,500,000 Hyde-Smith, Wicker
Production Rollout. Mississippi.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Coastal Virginia Water- Statewide/Multiple Middle Peninsula 802,000 Kaine, Warner
Level Monitoring Program. Locations, VA. Planning District
Commission.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Downeast Institute-- Washington County, ME.. Downeast Institute.... 572,000 King
Capacity Building and
Ocean Studies.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Data Collection for York, Cumberland, Marine Mammals of 333,000 King
Protected Species. Sagadahoc, Lincoln, Maine.
and Knox Counties, ME.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Minnesota State Climate Minneapolis, MN........ American Association 375,000 Klobuchar, Smith
Office, Drought Plan. of State
Climatologists.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Multisource Climate Data Marion, WV............. High Technology 1,000,000 Manchin
Fusion. Foundation.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Massachusetts' State Boston, MA............. American Association 375,000 Markey, Warren
Hazard Mitigation and of State
Climate Adaptation Plan. Climatologists.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Climate Resilience in Boston, MA............. Charles River 500,000 Markey, Warren
Charles River Watershed. Watershed Association.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Fishing for the Future: Falmouth, MA........... Coonamessett Farm 1,875,000 Markey, Warren
Developing Climate- Foundation.
Resilient Fisheries for
Massachusetts.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Offshore Wind Roadmap Multiple Counties, OR.. Oregon Department of 1,500,000 Merkley, Wyden
Implementation. Land Conservation and
Development.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Climate-Ready Coast and Statewide, AK.......... Alaska Climate 300,000 Murkowski
Indigenous Climate Research Center.
Resilience.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Southeast Alaska Harbor Statewide, AK.......... Alaska Department of 1,915,000 Murkowski
Porpoise Assessment to Fish and Game.
Avoid Unnecessary
Regulatory and Economic
Impacts to the Salmon
Gillnet Fishery.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Alaska Seafood Statewide, AK.......... Alaska Fisheries 2,000,000 Murkowski
Modernization Initiative. Development
Foundation.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Wild-Caught Alaska Statewide, AK.......... Alaska Seafood 3,000,000 Murkowski
Seafood Promotion. Marketing Institute.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Capacity Building to Statewide, AK.......... Bering Sea Fishermen's 500,000 Murkowski
Support Cooperating Association.
Agency Status for Tribes
and Tribal Organizations
in Alaska.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ In-season Genetic Bristol Bay, AK........ Bristol Bay Science 3,500,000 Murkowski
Analysis of Chum Salmon and Research
Bycatch in the Bering Institute (BBSRI).
Sea Pollock Fishery.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Northern Bering Sea Statewide, AK.......... North Pacific Research 2,500,000 Murkowski
Integrated Ecosystem Board.
Research.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ PWSSC Oceanography Cordova, AK............ Prince William Sound 355,000 Murkowski
Profiler. Science Center.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Improving Salmon Counting Statewide, AK.......... University of Alaska.. 1,992,000 Murkowski
with Drone Maritime
Lidar.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Office of the Washington Seattle, WA............ American Association 375,000 Murray
State Climatologist of State
Outreach Expansion. Climatologists.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Growing a Flood Resilient Tacoma, WA............. American Rivers....... 2,000,000 Murray
Washington State.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ CFRF Fisheries Research.. Narragansett, RI....... Commercial Fisheries 250,000 Reed
Research Foundation.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Salve's Path to Blue Newport, RI............ Salve Regina 1,100,000 Reed
Growth: Education, University.
Engagement, &
Aquaculture.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Beach Monitoring Program Providence, RI......... Rhode Island 500,000 Reed, Whitehouse
Data Modernization. Department of Health.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ URI Research to Integrate Narragansett, RI....... University of Rhode 1,250,000 Reed, Whitehouse
Ocean Energy into Marine Island.
Ecosystems.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ "Next-Gen" Healthy Waters Narragansett, RI....... University of Rhode 2,200,000 Reed, Whitehouse
Initiative. Island.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Marine Resource City and County of Department of Land and 611,000 Schatz
Management Career Honolulu, HI. Natural Resources,
Development. Division of Aquatic
Resources.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Engaging Local Students Maui County, HI........ Hawaii Department of 500,000 Schatz
in Humpback Whale Land and Natural
Management. Resources, Division
of Aquatic Resources.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Ukumehame Wetland Maui County, HI........ Hawaii Department of 1,500,000 Schatz
Restoration. Land and Natural
Resources, Division
of Aquatic Resources.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Marine Mammal and Sea Suffolk, NY............ Atlantic Marine 350,000 Schumer
Turtle Stranding Conservation Society,
Response Efforts in New Ltd..
York State.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Queens College Green Queens, NY............. Research Foundation of 734,000 Schumer
Energy & Coastal CUNY on behalf of
Sustainability Field Queens College CUNY.
Station.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Engineering Study to Richmond, NY........... Staten Island Economic 250,000 Schumer
Inform Solutions for Development
Flood Mitigation in Corporation.
Staten Island's West
Shore Business
Improvement District.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Squamscott Fields Salt Epping, NH............. Epping, Rockingham 2,100,000 Shaheen
Marsh Resiliency Project. County, Southeast
Land Trust of New
Hampshire, Land
Conservation
Department.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Public Presentation of Rye, NH................ Seacoast Science 3,500,000 Shaheen
the Principles of Ocean Center.
and Climate Literacy.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ State-of-the-art Systems Durham, NH............. University of New 738,000 Shaheen
Control and Automation Hampshire.
for Land-Based
Aquaculture.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ State Drought Plan and Statewide, VT.......... American Association 375,000 Welch
Flood Data Gathering. of State
Climatologists.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Stream Gages............. Statewide, VT.......... Lamoille County 649,000 Welch
Regional Planning
Commission.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Addressing Rhode Island Statewide, RI.......... The Nature Conservancy 500,000 Whitehouse
Headwater Streams.
DOC-NOAA ORF........................ Corn Neck Road........... New Shoreham, RI....... Town of New Shoreham.. 1,000,000 Whitehouse
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Electronic Translation Brown County, WI....... Brown County.......... 20,000 Baldwin
Devices.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Child Advocacy Centers Statewide, WI.......... Children's Hospital 670,000 Baldwin
Services. and Health System,
Inc..
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Vehicle Barriers......... City of Appleton, WI... City of Appleton...... 1,457,000 Baldwin
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Detecting Lethal Opioids. Racine, WI............. City of Racine Police 185,000 Baldwin
Department.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Housing Supportive City of Wausau, WI..... City of Wausau........ 491,000 Baldwin
Services.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Victim Advocacy Program.. Statewide, WI.......... Disability Rights 464,000 Baldwin
Wisconsin.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Community Domestic Abuse Milwaukee County, WI... Sojourner Family Peace 375,000 Baldwin
Advocacy Program. Center.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Incident Management Alamosa, CO............ Adams State University 523,000 Bennet, Hickenlooper
Communications System to
Support Emergency
Preparedness.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Sheriff's Office Fentanyl Denver, CO............. City and County of 208,000 Bennet, Hickenlooper
Contraband Detection Denver.
Equipment.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Denver and Migrant Youth Denver, CO............. City and County of 2,925,000 Bennet, Hickenlooper
Community Reintegration Denver.
Project.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Garfield County's Drug Rifle, CO.............. City of Rifle......... 401,000 Bennet, Hickenlooper
Testing Public Safety
Initiative.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Domestic Violence New Haven, CT.......... Havenly............... 68,000 Blumenthal, Murphy
Survivor Fellowship
Program.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Hospital-based Violence Hartford, CT........... Saint Francis Hospital 1,500,000 Blumenthal, Murphy
Intervention Trauma and Medical Center.
Recovery Center
Augmenting Staffing
Needs.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Second Chance Re-entry Hartford, CT........... Second Chance Re-entry 250,000 Blumenthal, Murphy
Initiative Program Initiative Program
(SCRIP). (SCRIP).
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Connecticut De-escalation West Haven, CT......... University of New 1,500,000 Blumenthal, Murphy
Training Center at the Haven.
University of New Haven.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Youth Violence Prevention Bridgeport, Hartford, Youth Advocate 1,500,000 Blumenthal, Murphy
Project for Connecticut. and New Haven, CT. Programs, Inc..
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Essex County School of Essex, NJ.............. Essex County School of 750,000 Booker
Technology District Wide Technology.
Security Camera Upgrade.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Firearms Investigation Trenton, NJ............ New Jersey State 200,000 Booker
Unit. Police, Firearms
Investigation Unit.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Statewide Legal Advocacy Trenton, NJ............ The New Jersey 321,000 Booker
for Survivors of Sexual Coalition Against
Violence Project. Sexual Assault.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Rectangular Rapid Bergen County, NJ...... Bergen County 500,000 Booker, Menendez
Flashing Beacons and Sheriff's Office.
Safety Kits.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Peaceful Families Program Jersey City, NJ........ City of Jersey City... 800,000 Booker, Menendez
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Alabama A&M Campus Madison, AL............ Alabama A&M University 200,000 Britt
Security Upgrades.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Rapid DNA Implementation Statewide (partnerships Alabama Department of 750,000 Britt
Program. in Madison, Jefferson, Forensic Sciences.
and St. Clair), AL.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Baldwin County Sheriff's Baldwin, AL............ Baldwin County 396,000 Britt
Office Water Safety and Sheriff's Office.
Public Safety Equipment.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Bullock County Sheriff's Bullock, AL............ Bullock County 50,000 Britt
Department Patrol Cars. Sheriff's Department.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... City of Dothan Gun Shot Houston, AL............ City of Dothan........ 1,257,000 Britt
Detection.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Luverne Police Department Crenshaw, AL........... City of Luverne Police 200,000 Britt
Fleet Upgrade. Department.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Patrol Vehicle for the Shelby, AL............. City of Montevallo.... 55,000 Britt
City of Montevallo.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Etowah County Sheriff's Etowah, AL............. Etowah County 300,000 Britt
Office Patrol/Dive Commission.
Vehicle.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Akron Law Enforcement Summit County, OH...... City of Akron......... 146,000 Brown
Life-Saving Equipment.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Justice Center Upgrade Summit County, OH...... City of Barberton..... 750,000 Brown
and Renovation.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Increase Capacity & Franklin County, OH.... Freedom a la Cart..... 400,000 Brown
Services for Survivors
of Human Trafficking in
Ohio.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Westfield Center Law Medina County, OH...... The Village of 50,000 Brown
Enforcement Vehicle. Westfield Center.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Expanding Mental Health San Diego, CA.......... San Diego Community 1,646,000 Butler
and Basic Needs Services. College District.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Improving Automated San Jose, CA........... San Jose State 850,000 Butler
Detection of Artificial University Research
Intelligence-Generated Foundation.
Child Sexual Abuse
Material.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... City of Alameda Crime City of Alameda, CA.... City of Alameda....... 900,000 Butler, Padilla
Victims Initiative.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Rapid DNA System......... Bellingham, WA......... Bellingham Police 517,000 Cantwell
Department.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Mobile Alternative Spokane, WA............ City of Spokane....... 2,000,000 Cantwell, Murray
Response Teams Expansion.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Cabell County Sheriff's Cabell, WV............. Cabell County 500,000 Capito
Office Mental Crisis Commission.
Response.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Morgantown Police Cruiser Monongalia, WV......... City of Morgantown.... 1,500,000 Capito
Fleet Upgrade.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Nitro Tech Upgrade....... Kanawha, WV............ City of Nitro......... 500,000 Capito
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Winfield Police Vehicle.. Putnam, WV............. City of Winfield...... 61,000 Capito
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Jefferson County Public Jefferson, WV.......... Jefferson County 120,000 Capito
Safety Equipment. Commission.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Town of Mason LE Tech Mason, WV.............. Town of Mason......... 400,000 Capito
Upgrade.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Public Safety Upgrades... Cabell County, WV...... Huntington Police 500,000 Capito, Manchin
Department.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... University of Charleston Kanawha, WV............ University of 1,922,000 Capito, Manchin
WV Corrections Charleston.
Leadership.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Gun Violence Prevention.. Montgomery County, MD.. Montgomery County 70,000 Cardin, Van Hollen
Sheriff's Office.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... SafePath Network: St. Mary's County, MD.. Safe House Project.... 251,000 Cardin, Van Hollen
Bridging Hope for
Trafficking Survivors.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Building a Safer Statewide, DE.......... Delaware Coalition 400,000 Carper
Delaware: Gun Safety Against Gun Violence
First. Education Fund.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Public Safety Emergency Milford, DE............ City of Milford Police 397,000 Carper, Coons
Rescue Vehicle. Department.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Enhancing Delivery of Statewide, DE.......... Community Legal Aid 738,000 Carper, Coons
Legal Aid to Victims of Society, Inc..
Crime and Domestic
Violence.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Campus Safety Dover, DE.............. Delaware State 725,000 Carper, Coons
Improvements. University.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Police Department Patrol Viola, DE.............. Town of Viola Police 74,000 Carper, Coons
Car. Department.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Emergency Response and Wilmington, DE......... Wilmington Police 400,000 Carper, Coons
Rescue Vehicle. Department.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... In-School Mentoring Montgomery, PA......... Big Brothers Big 650,000 Casey
Program. Sisters Independence
Region.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Police Technology Upgrade Allegheny, PA.......... Borough of Carnegie... 43,000 Casey
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Eastern PA Regional Radio Carbon, PA............. Carbon County 1,000,000 Casey
Network. Commissioners.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Modernization of Central Centre, PA............. Central Counties Youth 300,000 Casey
Counties Youth Center Center.
for Safety, Security and
Wellbeing of Juveniles
and Staff.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Private Cellular Lackawanna, PA......... City of Scranton...... 1,000,000 Casey
Networking and Public
Safety Cameras.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Anti-Violence Philadelphia, PA....... Concilio de 340,000 Casey
Intervention and Organizaciones
Prevention School Hispanas.
Program.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Philadelphia Gaming Philadelphia, PA....... Institute for the 116,000 Casey
Initiative--Gun Violence Development of
Diversionary Project. African American
Youth, Inc. (IDAAY).
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Law Enforcement Safety York, PA............... LogosWorks............ 461,000 Casey
Initiative.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Restorative Intensive Philadelphia, PA....... NO-MO INC............. 152,000 Casey
Prevention Service
Program.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... City of Wilkes-Barre New Luzerne County, PA..... City of Wilkes-Barre.. 522,000 Casey, Fetterman
Police Vehicles.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Dunmore Police Department Lackawanna, PA......... Dunmore Borough....... 288,000 Casey, Fetterman
Cruisers.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Middleburg PD Body-Worn Snyder, PA............. Middleburg Borough 120,000 Casey, Fetterman
Camera & Dash-Cam Police Department.
Technology Program.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Improving Services at Philadelphia, PA....... Villanova University.. 850,000 Casey, Fetterman
Civil Justice and
Clemency Clinics.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... 22nd Judicial District Covington, LA.......... 22nd Judicial District 675,000 Cassidy
Comprehensive Mental Court Specialty
Health and Substance Courts.
Abuse Treatment
Initiative.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... East Baton Rouge Crime East Baton Rouge, LA... East Baton Rouge 1,280,000 Cassidy
Gun Intelligence Center District Attorney's
Program. Office.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Advanced Forensic Center Jefferson Parish, LA... Jefferson Parish 1,000,000 Cassidy, Kennedy
Equipment Project. Coroner's Office.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Cumberland County Jail Cumberland County, ME.. Cumberland County 77,000 Collins
Public Safety Equipment. Sheriff's Office.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Farmington Police Farmington, ME......... Farmington Police 240,000 Collins
Department Public Safety Department.
Equipment.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Hancock County Public Hancock County, ME..... Hancock County........ 2,300,000 Collins
Safety Equipment.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Lewiston Police Lewiston, ME........... Lewiston Police 2,073,000 Collins
Department Public Safety Department.
Equipment.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Rumford Police Department Rumford, ME............ Rumford Police 750,000 Collins
Public Safety Equipment. Department.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Somerset County Sheriff's Somerset County, ME.... Somerset County 294,000 Collins
Office Public Safety Sheriff's Office.
Equipment.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Portland Police Portland, ME........... Portland Police 325,000 Collins, King
Department Emergency Department.
Response Vessel.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Waldo County Sheriff's Waldo County, ME....... Waldo County Sheriff's 381,000 Collins, King
Office Public Safety Office.
Equipment.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Wells Police Department Wells, ME.............. Wells Police 378,000 Collins, King
Emergency Response Department.
Vessel.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Equipment to Enhance Wilmington, DE......... Delaware Division of 1,450,000 Coons
Casework Capabilities in Forensic Science.
the Toxicology Unit.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Expanding Public Defense Wilmington, DE......... Partners for Justice.. 93,000 Coons
in Delaware.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Tri-County Special Humboldt County, NV.... Humboldt County 337,000 Cortez Masto, Rosen
Response Team Armored Sheriff's Office.
Vehicle.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Rapid DNA Machine........ Mineral County, NV..... Mineral County........ 384,000 Cortez Masto, Rosen
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Crisis Intervention Aurora, IL............. City of Aurora........ 128,000 Duckworth
Training--City of Aurora.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Communications Equipment Kane County, IL........ County of Kane........ 200,000 Duckworth
Upgrade.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Defy Ventures Programming Chicago, IL............ Defy Ventures......... 100,000 Duckworth
Support.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... A Community School Urbana, IL............. Urbana School District 262,000 Duckworth
Project--A Partnership 116.
for Community Success to
Decrease Community
Violence.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Youth Violence Prevention Chicago, IL............ Youth Advocate 1,000,000 Duckworth, Durbin
Project for Chicago. Programs, Inc..
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Springfield Police Springfield, IL........ City of Springfield... 750,000 Durbin
Department Equipment
Upgrades.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Equipment Upgrades....... Kane County, IL........ Kane County Coroner's 1,000,000 Durbin
Office.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Equipment Upgrades....... Oak Park, IL........... Oak Park Police 170,000 Durbin
Department.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Gun Violence Injury Chicago, IL............ Rush University System 1,700,000 Durbin
Registry. for Health.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Youth Mentoring Northern Illinois, IL.. Save One Life 250,000 Durbin
Initiative. Foundation.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Reentry Initiative....... Sangamon County, IL.... SING-Shifting Into New 300,000 Durbin
Gear Reentry Program.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Police and community Chicago, IL............ University of Chicago 600,000 Durbin
violence intervention Crime Lab.
initiative.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Public Safety Equipment Luzerne County, PA..... City of Nanticoke..... 298,000 Fetterman
Upgrade.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Communication Equipment Venango County, PA..... Oil City and Franklin 170,000 Fetterman
Upgrades. Public Safety and
Fire Departments.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Omaha Police Department Omaha, NE.............. City of Omaha......... 1,750,000 Fischer
Public Safety Equipment.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Body-Worn Cameras Lancaster County, NE... Lancaster County...... 1,091,000 Fischer
Technology.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Drug and Violent Crime Scotts Bluff, NE....... Western Nebraska 150,000 Fischer
Multi-Jurisdictional Law Intelligence and
Enforcement Task Force. Narcotics Group.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Holocaust Museum & Suffolk, NY............ Holocaust Museum & 250,000 Gillibrand, Schumer
Tolerance Center Police Tolerance Center of
Training Program ``Law Nassau County, Inc..
Enforcement and Society:
Lessons of the
Holocaust''.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Police Department Blackville, SC......... Blackville Police 229,000 Graham
Equipment. Department.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Police Department Eutawville, SC......... Eutawville Police 120,000 Graham
Equipment. Department.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Police Department McCormick, SC.......... McCormick Police 145,000 Graham
Equipment. Department.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Law Enforcement Equipment Clover, SC............. United States Deputy 450,000 Graham
and Training. Sheriff's Association.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Forensic Laboratory and City of Albuquerque, NM Albuquerque Police 908,000 Heinrich
Crime Scene Processing Department.
Equipment.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Forensic and Crime Scene Bernalillo County, NM.. Bernalillo County 1,050,000 Heinrich
Reconstruction Equipment. Sheriff's Office.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Crime Forensic Equipment. City of Farmington, NM. City of Farmington.... 629,000 Heinrich
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Evidence Processing Lab.. City of Las Cruces, NM. City of Las Cruces.... 1,000,000 Heinrich
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Campus Lighting and Portales, NM........... Eastern New Mexico 533,000 Heinrich
Safety. University.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Crime Scene City of Gallup, NM..... Gallup Police 115,000 Heinrich
Reconstruction Equipment. Department.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Sexual Assault Helpline Statewide, NM.......... New Mexico Coalition 1,668,000 Heinrich
and Workforce Trauma of Sexual Assault
Institute. Programs.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Violence Intervention Bernalillo County, NM.. Bernalillo County 500,000 Heinrich, Lujan
Program. Sheriff's Office.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Expanding New Mexico Albuquerque, NM........ University of New 1,490,000 Heinrich, Lujan
Capacity for Decedent Mexico--Office of the
Bone DNA Testing and Medical Investigator.
Analysis.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Access to Education (ATE) City and County of University of Hawaii 1,100,000 Hirono
Project. Honolulu, County of System.
Kauai, HI.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Vehicle Fleet Expansion Corinth, MS............ City of Corinth Police 474,000 Hyde-Smith
and Vehicle Equipment. Department.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Training for Justice Statewide, MS.......... University of 838,000 Hyde-Smith, Wicker
System Professionals. Mississippi.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Sheriff Office AEDs...... Greene County, VA...... County of Greene...... 28,000 Kaine, Warner
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... FailSafe-ERA Restorative Statewide/Multiple FailSafe-ERA.......... 460,000 Kaine, Warner
Reentry. Locations, VA.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Advancing Victim Fairfax County, VA..... George Mason 1,188,000 Kaine, Warner
Services: Domestic University.
Violence Response
Training.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Freedom Project.......... Statewide/Multiple Latisha's House 650,000 Kaine, Warner
Locations, VA. Foundation.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... NextUp--Increasing Safety Richmond City, VA...... NextUp RVA............ 640,000 Kaine, Warner
& Accessibility to Out
of School Time
Opportunities.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Suffolk Commonwealth's Suffolk City, VA....... Suffolk Commonwealth's 73,000 Kaine, Warner
Attorney's Safety and Attorney's Office.
Leadership Academy for
Youth (S.L.A.Y.).
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Gang Prevention & Youth Statewide/Multiple The Edward Brown 612,000 Kaine, Warner
Empowerment Program. Locations, VA. Foundation.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... The Virginia Mass Statewide/Multiple VTVCARE............... 35,000 Kaine, Warner
Violence Care Fund Locations, VA.
Victim Support Model
Documentary.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Repeaters for Dispatch at Camp Verde, AZ......... Camp Verde............ 70,000 Kelly, Sinema
Verde Lakes Project.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Police Department Nogales, AZ............ City of Nogales-- 436,000 Kelly, Sinema
Incident Command Nogales Police
Response Vehicles. Department.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Sheriff's Office Public Coconino County, AZ.... Coconino County 2,230,000 Kelly, Sinema
Safety Interoperability Sherriff's Office.
Communications.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... County Regional SWAT La Paz County, AZ...... La Paz County 448,000 Kelly, Sinema
Team--SWAT Ambulance Sheriff's Office.
Project.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Summerhaven Public Safety Pima County, AZ........ Pima County........... 1,500,000 Kelly, Sinema
Radio Coverage.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Pima County Sheriff's Pima County, AZ........ Pima County Sheriff's 1,350,000 Kelly, Sinema
Department Training Department.
Facility Upgrades.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Mobile Command/Evidence Snowflake, AZ.......... Snowflake Taylor 579,000 Kelly, Sinema
Vehicle. Police Department.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Public Safety Vehicles to Wellton, AZ............ Town of Wellton Police 305,000 Kelly, Sinema
Upgrade Police Department.
Department Fleet.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Public Safety Equipment Vermilion Parish, LA... Vermilion Parish 1,000,000 Kennedy
and Support. Police Jury.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Drug Quality Control Monroe, LA............. University of 2,260,000 Kennedy
Laboratory. Louisiana at Monroe,
College of Pharmacy.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Hennepin County Sheriff's Minneapolis, MN........ Hennepin County 610,000 Klobuchar
Office Focus on Fentanyl Sheriff's Office.
Education, Intelligence,
and Warrant Execution
Funding.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Early Support for Mental Anoka County, MN....... Anoka County 626,000 Klobuchar, Smith
Health and Justice. Attorney's Office.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Police Equipment Rochester, MN.......... City of Rochester..... 435,000 Klobuchar, Smith
Modernization.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... First Responder Safety South St. Paul, MN..... City of South St. Paul 350,000 Klobuchar, Smith
Initiative.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Expansion of School-Based Albuquerque, NM........ City of Albuquerque, 1,035,000 Lujan
Violence Initiative. Albuquerque Safety
Department.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Domestic Violence & Albuquerque, NM........ Coalition to Stop 93,000 Lujan
Sexual Assault Violence Against
Conference. Native Women.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Law Enforcement Assisted San Juan County, NM.... San Juan County LEAD.. 218,000 Lujan
Diversion.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Patrol Vehicles.......... Los Lunas, NM.......... Valencia County....... 309,000 Lujan
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Public Safety Upgrades... Harrison County, WV.... City of Clarksburg.... 345,000 Manchin
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Supporting Justice and Randolph and Tucker Randolph County 25,000 Manchin
Healing for Victims of Counties, WV. Children's Advocacy
Child Abuse. Center, Inc.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Public Safety Officer Greenbrier, WV......... Town of Rainelle...... 50,000 Manchin
Equipment, Evidence Room
Creation.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Changing Behaviors and Boston, MA............. Roca, Inc............. 1,346,000 Markey, Warren
Reducing Violence:
Roca's Young Women's
Program.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Veterans Treatment Court. Lawrence, KS........... 7th Judicial District. 1,000,000 Moran
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Kansas Bureau of Pittsburg, KS.......... Kansas Bureau of 8,000,000 Moran
Investigation Southeast Investigation.
Kansas Regional Crime
Center and Laboratory.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... TITAN: Tulsa Institute of Tulsa, OK.............. The University of 2,000,000 Mullin
Trauma, Adversity and Tulsa.
Injustice.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Technical Assistance for Statewide, AK.......... Alaska Native Women's 1,000,000 Murkowski
Alaska Tribal Justice Resource Center.
Systems.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Anchorage Youth Court.... Anchorage, AK.......... Anchorage Youth Court. 27,000 Murkowski
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Youth Human Trafficking Statewide, WA.......... Children and Youth 500,000 Murray
Coordination, Training, Justice Center.
and Technical Assistance.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Services for Sexual Renton, WA............. King County Sexual 2,500,000 Murray
Assault Survivors. Assault Resource
Center.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Interrupting Violence in Atlanta, GA............ Grady Health System... 145,000 Ossoff
Youth and Young Adults
(IVYY) Project.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Technology Investments... Cobb County, GA........ SafePath Children's 100,000 Ossoff
Advocacy Center, Inc..
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... World Cup 2026 Security Fulton County, GA...... Atlanta World Cup Host 500,000 Ossoff, Warnock
Planning. Committee.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Valdosta Co-Responder Valdosta-Lowndes Behavioral Health 210,000 Ossoff, Warnock
Program. County, GA. Services of South
Georgia.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Community Cure Violence DeKalb County, Fulton CHRIS 180 Inc......... 677,000 Ossoff, Warnock
Program--Zone 6. County, GA.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Opioid Detection System.. Fayetteville, GA....... City of Fayetteville.. 90,000 Ossoff, Warnock
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... SafePath Network: Statewide, GA.......... Safe House Project, 599,000 Ossoff, Warnock
Bridging the Gap for Inc..
Survivors of Human
Trafficking.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Community-Based Crime Sumter County, GA...... Southwest Georgia 474,000 Ossoff, Warnock
Victims Services. Children's Alliance.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Campus Security Fulton County, GA...... Spelman College, 272,000 Ossoff, Warnock
Improvements at Spelman Public Safety
College. Department.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Pre- and Post-Release Cobb County, GA........ The Extension......... 787,000 Ossoff, Warnock
Treatment for Substance
Use.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... City of Flint Solar- Flint, MI.............. City of Flint......... 135,000 Peters
Powered Pole Camera
Project.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Howell Police Department Howell, MI............. City of Howell........ 146,000 Peters
Axon Fleet In-Car Camera
System Implementation.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Officer Safety Equipment. Warren, MI............. City of Warren Police 38,000 Peters
Department.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Westland Police Westland, MI........... City of Westland...... 75,000 Peters
Technology Upgrade.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Patrol Vehicles Houghton, MI........... County of Houghton.... 385,000 Peters
Replacement for Aging
Fleet.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Eastern Michigan Washtenaw County, MI... Eastern Michigan 750,000 Peters
University--Police & University.
Fire Leadership Training.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... I.G.N.I.T.E. (Inmate Flint, MI.............. Genesee County 500,000 Peters
Growth Naturally and Sheriff's Office.
Intentionally Through
Education).
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... DNA Analysis Technology.. Paw Paw, MI............ Van Buren County...... 576,000 Peters
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Cure Violence Grand Grand Rapids, MI....... City of Grand Rapids.. 500,000 Peters, Stabenow
Rapids.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Kalamazoo Department of Kalamazoo, MI.......... City of Kalamazoo..... 963,000 Peters, Stabenow
Public Safety Patrol
Vehicles.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... CLEMIS Modernization and Waterford, MI.......... Oakland County........ 2,000,000 Peters, Stabenow
Transformation Project.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Day One Child Sexual Statewide, RI.......... Day One............... 470,000 Reed
Abuse Prevention and
Services.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Elizabeth Buffum Chace Warwick, RI............ Elizabeth Buffum Chace 335,000 Reed
Center Domestic Violence Center.
Survivor Support.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Security Upgrades at Providence, RI......... Johnson & Wales 111,000 Reed
Johnson & Wales University.
University.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Nonviolence Support Teams Providence, RI......... Nonviolence Institute. 255,000 Reed
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... West Warwick Cruiser West Warwick, RI....... West Warwick Police 100,000 Reed
Replacement. Department.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Women's Resource Center Newport, RI............ Women's Resource 200,000 Reed
Services for Victims of Center.
Domestic Violence.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Statewide Public Safety Statewide, RI.......... Rhode Island 689,000 Reed, Whitehouse
Computer Aided Dispatch Department of Public
Records Management Safety.
System.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Police Equipment & Patrol Central Falls, RI...... The City of Central 990,000 Reed, Whitehouse
Vehicles. Falls.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Victims' Rights Project.. Statewide, VT.......... Vermont Legal Aid..... 385,000 Sanders
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Justice Mobile........... Statewide, VT.......... Vermont Legal Aid..... 1,601,000 Sanders
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Coney Island Public Kings, NY.............. Alliance for Coney 600,000 Schumer
Safety Initiative. Island, Inc..
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Hate Crime Victim Support New York City, NY...... Asians Fighting 100,000 Schumer
and Prevention. Injustice, Inc..
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Therapy & Supportive Statewide, NY.......... Getting Out and 250,000 Schumer
Services in East Harlem Staying Out (GOSO).
for Survivors of
Violence and Families of
At-Risk Youth.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Master of Social Work Portsmouth, NH......... Children's Law Center 92,000 Shaheen
Funding Project. of New Hampshire.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Rochester Police Rochester, NH.......... City of Rochester..... 70,000 Shaheen
Department Virtual
Reality Training Project.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Law Enforcement Hampton, NH............ Hampton Police 925,000 Shaheen
Accountability Program Department.
Project.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... De-Escalation Range Nashua, NH............. Nashua Police 85,000 Shaheen
Simulator. Department.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Increasing Access to Concord, NH............ New Hampshire 400,000 Shaheen
Legal Systems for Coalition Against
Victims and Survivors. Domestic and Sexual
Violence.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Dispatch and Land Mobile Newmarket, NH.......... Newmarket Police 353,000 Shaheen
Radio (LMR) Upgrade. Department.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Records and Dispatch Newport, NH............ Newport Police 132,000 Shaheen
Software. Department.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... uSafeUS Expansion........ Durham, NH............. University of New 840,000 Shaheen
Hampshire.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Public Safety Initiative. Calhoun County, MI..... City of Albion........ 97,000 Stabenow
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Police Crime Reduction Saginaw County, MI..... Saginaw Police 250,000 Stabenow
Initiative through Department.
Community Engagement and
Increased Outreach
Efforts.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... SafePath Network-- Mecklenburg, NC........ Safe House Project.... 599,000 Tillis
Bridging Hope for
Trafficking Survivors in
North Carolina.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Police Department and Mayodan, NC............ Town of Mayodan....... 342,000 Tillis
Fire Department Radio
Upgrades.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Public Safety Equipment.. Tuskegee, AL........... Macon County 150,000 Tuberville
Commission.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Public Safety Equipment.. Camden, AL............. Wilcox County 150,000 Tuberville
Sheriff's Office.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Domestic Violence Burke County, Columbia SafeHomes of Augusta, 242,000 Warnock
Training Program for Law County, Glascock Inc..
Enforcement and Judges. County, Jefferson
County, Lincoln
County, McDuffie
County, Richmond
County, Taliaferro
County, Warren County,
Wilkes County, GA.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Tharros Place for Human Chatham County, GA..... Tharros Place, Inc.... 500,000 Warnock
Trafficking Survivors.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Peer Recovery Coaches in Waterbury, VT.......... Vermont Department of 1,884,000 Welch
Correctional Facilities. Corrections.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Patrol Vehicle........... North Providence, RI... Town of North 62,000 Whitehouse
Providence.
DOJ-OJP Byrne....................... Police Equipment & Patrol Scituate, RI........... Town of Scituate 449,000 Whitehouse
Vehicles. Police Department.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Emergency Services Radio Ashland, WI............ Ashland County........ 3,486,000 Baldwin
Infrastructure.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Emergency Management and Fond du Lac County, WI. Fond du Lac County.... 1,300,000 Baldwin
Sheriff's Office Mobile
Command Post.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Office Camera Program.... Jefferson County, WI... Jefferson County 19,000 Baldwin
Sheriff's Office.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Ute Mountain Ute Tribe Towaoc, CO............. Ute Mountain Ute Tribe 2,000,000 Bennet, Hickenlooper
Public Safety Project.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Community Enrichment Waterbury, CT.......... Police Activity League 30,000 Blumenthal, Murphy
Initiatives. of Waterbury.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Radio Upgrades........... South Windsor, CT...... South Windsor Police 176,000 Blumenthal, Murphy
Department.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Town of Ledyard for Ledyard, CT............ Town of Ledyard....... 229,000 Blumenthal, Murphy
Police Dispatch System
Replacement.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Monroe Police Department Monroe, CT............. Town of Monroe........ 350,000 Blumenthal, Murphy
Equipment Upgrades.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Dispatch Call Handling Simsbury, CT........... Town of Simsbury...... 62,000 Blumenthal, Murphy
Software and Upgrades.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... East Windsor Township East Windsor, NJ....... Township of East 200,000 Booker
Police Department Next Windsor.
Generation 9-1-1
Upgrades.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Comprehensive Emergency Union City, NJ......... City of Union City.... 1,200,000 Booker, Menendez
Response and Training
Enhancement Initiative.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Batesville Police Batesville, AR......... Batesville Police 575,000 Boozman
Department Equipment. Department.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Jonesboro Public Safety Jonesboro, AR.......... City of Jonesboro..... 3,500,000 Boozman
Equipment.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Central Arkansas Criminal Little Rock, AR........ Little Rock Police 4,500,000 Boozman
Intelligence Network. Department.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... University of Arkansas Little Rock, AR........ University of Arkansas 1,000,000 Boozman
for Medical Sciences for Medical Sciences.
Police Department
Equipment.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Cherokee County Mobile Cherokee, AL........... Cherokee County 300,000 Britt
Command Center for Sheriff's Office.
Critical Incidents and
Disasters.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... City of Decatur Public Morgan, AL............. City of Decatur....... 250,000 Britt
Safety Enhancements.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Fairhope Law Enforcement Baldwin, AL............ City of Fairhope...... 400,000 Britt
Equipment Upgrade.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Jacksonville Police Calhoun, AL............ City of Jacksonville 200,000 Britt
Department Tactical Police Department.
Multipurpose Response
and Rescue Vehicle.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... P25 Radio Upgrade Project Russell/Lee, AL........ City of Phenix City... 350,000 Britt
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Roanoke Police Department Randolph, AL........... City of Roanoke....... 100,000 Britt
Communications.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... DeKalb County DeKalb, AL............. DeKalb County 250,000 Britt
Technological Commission.
Advancements in
Communication and Safety.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Hoover Police Department Jefferson and Shelby, Hoover Police 350,000 Britt
Body Worn Camera Program AL. Department.
Upgrade.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Pell City Public Safety St. Clair, AL.......... Pell City Police 400,000 Britt
and Investigative Department.
Technology Enhancements.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Slocomb Police Department Geneva, AL............. Slocomb Police 20,000 Britt
Public Safety Equipment. Department.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... St. Clair County Sheriff St. Clair, AL.......... St. Clair County 250,000 Britt
Crisis Intervention and Commission.
Negotiations Response
Vehicle.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Cleburne County Sheriff's Cleburne, AL........... Cleburne County 435,000 Britt, Tuberville
Office Patrol Vehicles. Sheriff's Office.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Lawrence County Public Lawrence, AL........... Lawrence County 650,000 Britt, Tuberville
Safety Radio Upgrade. Commission.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Cleveland First Responder Cuyahoga County, OH.... City of Cleveland..... 1,000,000 Brown
Radio Modernization.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Portsmouth First Scioto County, OH...... City of Portsmouth.... 410,000 Brown
Responder Radio
Modernization.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Lake County Public Safety Lake County, OH........ Lake County, Ohio 966,000 Brown
Equipment. Board of
Commissioners.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Mingo Law Enforcement Jefferson County, OH... Village of Mingo...... 91,000 Brown
Technology.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Police Department Huron, CA.............. City of Huron......... 262,000 Butler
Equipment Update.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... EOC Technology Refresh... Oroville, CA........... County of Butte....... 200,000 Butler
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Campus Police Upgrades... Marion, WV............. Fairmont State 400,000 Capito
University.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Implementing Community- Greenbrier, WV......... Lewisburg Police 11,000 Capito
Oriented Policing. Department.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... On-Board Computer System Wetzel, WV............. New Martinsville 94,000 Capito
for Police Cruisers Police Department.
(MDT).
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... LiveScan System.......... White Hall, WV......... Town of White Hall.... 34,000 Capito
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... WVU Law Enforcement and Monongalia, WV......... West Virginia 1,300,000 Capito
Safety Equipment. University.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Public Safety Technology Putnam, WV............. City of Hurricane..... 503,000 Capito, Manchin
and Equipment Upgrade.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Public Safety and Fayette, WV............ City of Oak Hill...... 109,000 Capito, Manchin
Services Technology
Expansion.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Fayette County Sheriff's Fayette, WV............ Fayette County 27,000 Capito, Manchin
Department Portable Commission.
Radios.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Computer Aided Dispatch Baltimore City, MD..... City of Baltimore 3,700,000 Cardin, Van Hollen
Replacement. Police Department.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Security Camera Statewide, DE.......... Delaware Department of 946,000 Carper, Coons
Equipment--Level IV, Correction.
Level V and P&P.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Child Exploitation Delaware, PA........... Pennsylvania Internet 500,000 Casey
Investigation Support. Crimes Against
Children (ICAC) Task
Force.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Integrated Technology Bucks, PA.............. Warminster Township 665,000 Casey, Fetterman
Enhancement Program for Police Department.
the Warminster Township
Police Department in
Bucks County.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Brewer Police Department Brewer, ME............. Brewer Police 256,000 Collins
Public Safety Equipment. Department.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Old Town Police Old Town, ME........... Old Town Police 235,000 Collins
Department Public Safety Department.
Equipment.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Cornish Public Safety Cornish, ME............ Town of Cornish....... 218,000 Collins
Communications Equipment.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Veazie Police Department Veazie, ME............. Town of Veazie Police 75,000 Collins
Public Safety Equipment. Department.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Washington County Washington County, ME.. Washington County 187,000 Collins
Sheriff's Office Public Sheriff's Office.
Safety Equipment.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... York County Public Safety York County, ME........ York County........... 500,000 Collins
Communications Project.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Winthrop Public Safety Winthrop, ME........... Town of Winthrop...... 1,162,000 Collins, King
Communications Equipment.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Equipment and Technology Dewey Beach, DE........ Town of Dewey Beach... 462,000 Coons
Items.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Command Vehicle Carson City, NV........ Carson City Sheriff's 898,000 Cortez Masto, Rosen
Replacement. Office.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... First Responder White Pine County, NV.. City of Ely........... 5,000,000 Cortez Masto, Rosen
Communication Equipment
Project.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Dispatch and Emergency Fallon, NV............. City of Fallon........ 1,000,000 Cortez Masto, Rosen
Response Communication
System.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Senior Center Public Las Vegas, NV.......... City of Las Vegas..... 840,000 Cortez Masto, Rosen
Safety Advanced
Monitoring.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Police Training Simulator Clark County, NV....... College of Southern 316,000 Cortez Masto, Rosen
Nevada.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Emergency Response Henderson, NV.......... Henderson Police 341,000 Cortez Masto, Rosen
Wellness Vehicle. Department.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Equipment Upgrades....... Lander County, NV...... Lander County......... 392,000 Cortez Masto, Rosen
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Mobile Crisis Response Lyon County, NV........ Lyon County........... 90,000 Cortez Masto, Rosen
Vehicle.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Mobile Emergency Command Storey County, NV...... Storey County......... 239,000 Cortez Masto, Rosen
Center (MECC).
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Digital Evidence Project. Carbon County, PA...... Weatherly Police 93,000 Fetterman
Department.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Southeast Communications Beatrice, NE........... City of Beatrice...... 782,000 Fischer
911 Center Equipment
Upgrades.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Communications and Radio Minden, NE............. City of Minden........ 292,000 Fischer
Update.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Town of Smithtown: Suffolk, NY............ Town of Smithtown..... 435,000 Gillibrand, Schumer
Smithtown Public Safety
Emergency Response
Mobile Command Vehicle.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Public Safety Equipment.. Cayce, SC.............. City of Cayce......... 329,000 Graham
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Police Department City of Myrtle Beach, City of Myrtle Beach.. 1,000,000 Graham
Equipment. SC.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Mobile Security Trailers. Dona Ana County, NM.... Dona Ana County 268,000 Heinrich
Sheriff's Office.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... County of Maui Real Time Maui County, HI........ County of Maui........ 2,500,000 Hirono, Schatz
Crime Center.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Public Safety Technology Florence, MS........... City of Florence 600,000 Hyde-Smith
and Equipment Upgrades. Police Department.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Fleet Expansion.......... Leland, MS............. City of Leland........ 130,000 Hyde-Smith
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Law Enforcement Training. Adams County, MS....... Copiah Lincoln 150,000 Hyde-Smith
Community College.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Rural Law Enforcement Statewide, MS.......... Mississippi Department 1,056,000 Hyde-Smith
Project. of Public Safety.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Public Safety Mobile Data Moss Point, MS......... Moss Point Police 100,000 Hyde-Smith
Terminals. Department.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... City of Bristol Police Bristol City, VA....... City of Bristol....... 295,000 Kaine, Warner
Vehicles.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... City of Colonial Heights Colonial Heights City, City of Colonial 40,000 Kaine, Warner
Computer Upgrade. VA. Heights Police
Department.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Dickenson County Dickenson County, VA... Dickenson County...... 1,822,000 Kaine, Warner
Sheriff's Department
Public Safety
Communication Upgrade.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Prince Edward Public Prince Edward County, Prince Edward County.. 1,695,000 Kaine, Warner
Safety Interoperable VA.
Radio System.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Police Department Mobile Loudoun County, VA..... Town of Leesburg...... 400,000 Kaine, Warner
Command Post Trailer.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Police Command Vehicle... El Mirage, AZ.......... City of El Mirage..... 1,500,000 Kelly, Sinema
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Joint Powers Command Blaine, MN............. City of Blaine........ 750,000 Klobuchar, Smith
Vehicle Replacement (CV-
1).
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... City of Princeton--Mille Princeton, MN.......... City of Princeton-- 750,000 Klobuchar, Smith
Lacs County Joint Radio Mille Lacs County.
Simulcast Equipment
Project.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Lake of the Woods Fast Baudette, MN........... Lake of the Woods 542,000 Klobuchar, Smith
Response Boat for Search County.
and Rescue.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Prairie Island Indian Welch, MN.............. Prairie Island Indian 1,178,000 Klobuchar, Smith
Community Mobile Community Department
Incident Command Vehicle. of Public Safety.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Northern Minnesota Cook, Lake, Aitkin, St. Louis County...... 2,000,000 Klobuchar, Smith
Counties Records System Carlton, Crow Wing,
Collaborative. Cass, Koochiching,
Itasca and St. Louis
Counties, MN.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Bernalillo County Bernalillo County, NM.. Bernalillo County..... 500,000 Lujan
Sheriff's Office Vehicle
Acquisition.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Communications System Grants, NM............. Cibola County......... 780,000 Lujan
Enhancements.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Smart County Technology Clay, WV............... Clay County Schools... 550,000 Manchin
``Technically Building a
Safer Clay County''.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Mobile 911............... Logan, WV.............. Logan County 911...... 410,000 Manchin
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Town of Parsons Public Tucker, WV............. Parsons Police 50,000 Manchin
Safety Technology Department.
Integration and
Enhancement.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Sheriff's Office Jackson County, OR..... Jackson County........ 2,250,000 Merkley, Wyden
Communications Equipment
Upgrade.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Technology Upgrades...... Abilene, KS............ Abilene Police 104,000 Moran
Department.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Equipment Upgrades....... Hiawatha, KS........... Brown County Sheriff.. 177,000 Moran
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Technology Upgrades...... Cottonwood, KS......... Chase County Sheriff.. 362,000 Moran
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Technology Upgrades...... Girard, KS............. Crawford County 262,000 Moran
Sheriff.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Technology Upgrades...... Abilene, KS............ Dickinson County 750,000 Moran
Sheriff.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Technology Upgrades...... Hays, KS............... Ellis County Sheriff.. 377,000 Moran
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Equipment Upgrades....... Elwood, KS............. Elwood Police 123,000 Moran
Department.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Equipment Upgrades....... Ulysses, KS............ Grant County Sheriff.. 194,000 Moran
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Technology Upgrades...... Eureka, KS............. Greenwood County 637,000 Moran
Sheriff.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Technology Upgrades...... Sublette, KS........... Haskell County Sheriff 214,000 Moran
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Technology Upgrades...... Leawood, KS............ Leawood Police 43,000 Moran
Department.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Technology Upgrades...... Lindsborg, KS.......... Lindsborg Police 78,000 Moran
Department.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Technology Upgrades...... Oakley, KS............. Logan County Sheriff.. 68,000 Moran
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Technology Upgrades...... McPherson, KS.......... McPherson County 138,000 Moran
Sheriff.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Equipment Upgrades....... Paola, KS.............. Miami County Sheriff.. 474,000 Moran
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Equipment Upgrades....... Beloit, KS............. Mitchell County 141,000 Moran
Sheriff.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Technology Upgrades...... Neodesha, KS........... Neodesha Police 75,000 Moran
Department.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Technology Upgrades...... Norton, KS............. Norton City Police 63,000 Moran
Department.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Technology Upgrades...... Osawatomie, KS......... Osawatomie Police 157,000 Moran
Department.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Technology Upgrades...... Seneca, KS............. Seneca Police 536,000 Moran
Department.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Technology Upgrades...... Smith Center, KS....... Smith County Sheriff.. 27,000 Moran
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Technology Upgrades...... WaKeeney, KS........... Trego County Sheriff.. 52,000 Moran
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Camera and Public Alert Wyandotte County, KS... Unified Government of 225,000 Moran
System Upgrades. Wyandotte County.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Technology Upgrades...... Victoria, KS........... Victoria Police 78,000 Moran
Department.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Equipment Upgrades....... Wathena, KS............ Wathena Police 95,000 Moran
Department.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Technology Upgrades...... Leoti, KS.............. Wichita County Sheriff 80,000 Moran
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Equipment Upgrades....... Yates Center, KS....... Yates Center Police 146,000 Moran
Department.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Internet Crimes Against Anchorage, AK.......... Anchorage Police 150,000 Murkowski
Children Taskforce. Department.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Computer and Vehicle Anchorage, AK.......... Anchorage Police 676,000 Murkowski
Replacement. Department.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Emergency Services Chugach Census Area, City of Valdez........ 6,100,000 Murkowski
Infrastructure Unorganized Borough,
Replacement. AK.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Marquette Police Marquette, MI.......... City of Marquette..... 286,000 Peters
Department--Portable
Radio Upgrades.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Portable Radio Pinconning, MI......... Pinconning Police 26,000 Peters
Communication Devices. Department.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... East Greenwich Police East Greenwich, RI..... Town of East Greenwich 750,000 Reed
Dispatch Center
Modernization.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Lincoln IT Infrastructure Lincoln, RI............ Lincoln Police 180,000 Reed, Whitehouse
Upgrade. Department.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Broadband & Camera North Kingstown, RI.... Town of North 600,000 Reed, Whitehouse
Systems. Kingstown.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Public Safety Dispatch West Greenwich, RI..... West Greenwich Police. 200,000 Reed, Whitehouse
Center Upgrade.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Public Safety Statewide, VT.......... State of Vermont 2,000,000 Sanders
Communications Equipment Department of Public
Upgrade. Safety.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Operation Rapid Response. Suffolk, NY............ Town of Islip......... 716,000 Schumer
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Concord Police Department Concord, NH............ City of Concord....... 100,000 Shaheen
Active Shooter Response
Equipment & Training.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... ICACCOPS & NH ICAC Portsmouth, NH......... City of Portsmouth.... 1,000,000 Shaheen
Enhanced Capacity
Program.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Derry, Londonderry, Derry, NH.............. Derry Police 1,750,000 Shaheen
Windham Police RMS/CAD Department.
System.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Grafton County Sheriff's North Haverhill, NH.... Grafton County 90,000 Shaheen
Department Computer Sheriff's Department.
Forensic Unit.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Public Safety Radio Hillsborough, NH....... Hillsboro Police 950,000 Shaheen
Equipment. Department.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... City of Manchester Radio Manchester, NH......... Manchester Police 4,000,000 Shaheen
Replacement Project. Department.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... New Hampshire State Concord, NH............ NH Dept. of Safety-- 360,000 Shaheen
Police Special Division of State
Investigations Unit Police.
(SIU) Cybercrime
Response Van.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Northern Border Dispatch Pittsburg, NH.......... Northern Border 225,000 Shaheen
Border Security Dispatch.
Communication.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Plaistow Regional Public Plaistow, NH........... Plaistow Police 1,000,000 Shaheen
Safety Communications Department.
Infrastructure Project.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Somersworth Police Somersworth, NH........ Somersworth Police 123,000 Shaheen
Portable Radios. Department.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Public Safety Custer County, SD...... Custer County 964,000 Thune
Communications Equipment Sheriff's Office.
Upgrade.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Greensboro Police Greensboro, NC......... City of Greensboro.... 820,000 Tillis
Technology & Real Time
Intelligence Upgrades.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Holly Springs Holly Springs, NC...... Town of Holly Springs. 1,074,000 Tillis
Interoperable
Communications Equipment.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Mooresville Police Mooresville, NC........ Town of Mooresville... 1,478,000 Tillis
Technology Improvement
Project.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Rapid DNA for the Union Monroe, NC............. Union County Sheriff's 861,000 Tillis
County Sheriff's Office. Office.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Strengthening the Athens-Clarke County, University of Georgia. 1,500,000 Warnock
Commitment to Public Tift County, Spalding
Safety at the University County, GA.
of Georgia.
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Public Safety Through Hinds County, MS....... Hinds County Sheriff's 750,000 Wicker
Technology. Office (HCSO).
DOJ-COPS Tech....................... Humphreys County Humphreys County, MS... Humphreys County...... 460,000 Wicker
Sheriff's Department
Technology Upgrades.
NASA-SSMS........................... Astrophysics and Data Avon, CT............... Talcott Mountain 1,700,000 Blumenthal, Murphy
Science Education Science Center for
Destination. Student Involvement,
Inc..
NASA-SSMS........................... Northern Ohio Materials Cuyahoga County, OH.... Ohio Aerospace 1,700,000 Brown
and Infrastructure Institute.
Consortium for the
Hydrogen Economy.
NASA-SSMS........................... Akron Aerospace Research Summit County, OH...... The University of 1,059,000 Brown
Center. Akron.
NASA-SSMS........................... NASA STEM Space Santa Ana, CA.......... Discovery Science 2,000,000 Butler, Padilla
Exploration Coding Foundation.
Initiative.
NASA-SSMS........................... Keystone Region Space Jefferson, WV.......... Keystone Space 1,500,000 Capito
Innovation Programming. Collaborative.
NASA-SSMS........................... Procurement of X-Ray Monongalia, WV......... West Virginia 600,000 Capito, Manchin
Diffractor for University.
Advancement of Cross-
Disciplinary Research in
Energy, Materials, and
Biomedicine.
NASA-SSMS........................... National Children's Washington, DC......... National Children's 1,175,000 Cardin, Kaine, Van
Museum STEM exhibits and Museum. Hollen, Warner
PreK-5 educational grade
programming.
NASA-SSMS........................... Addressing Air Quality Baltimore County, MD... Goucher College....... 151,000 Cardin, Van Hollen
and Environmental
Inequities.
NASA-SSMS........................... STEM Education Programs Allegheny, PA.......... Gwen's Girls.......... 325,000 Casey
and Career Exploration
for K-12 Students.
NASA-SSMS........................... Equipment and Programming Allegheny, PA.......... Keystone Space 500,000 Casey
for Space Industry Collaborative.
Innovation Center.
NASA-SSMS........................... Develop Mentoring and Philadelphia, PA....... Mentor Leaders Produce 200,000 Casey
STEM Tutoring Pilot Mentor Leaders.
Program.
NASA-SSMS........................... Cosmic Ray Modeling and Honolulu, HI........... University of Hawaii.. 1,900,000 Hirono, Schatz
Forecasting for Space
Weather.
NASA-SSMS........................... Demonstration of Starkville, MS......... Mississippi State 2,500,000 Hyde-Smith, Wicker
Composite Manufacturing University.
for Blended Wing Body
Airframe.
NASA-SSMS........................... Bolstering Advanced Air Wichita, KS............ Wichita State 5,000,000 Moran
Mobility Capabilities. University.
NASA-SSMS........................... Hypersonic Flight Wichita, KS............ Wichita State 10,000,000 Moran
Research. University.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
COMPARATIVE STATEMENT OF NEW BUDGET (OBLIGATIONAL) AUTHORITY FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024 AND BUDGET ESTIMATES AND AMOUNTS RECOMMENDED IN THE BILL FOR FISCAL
YEAR 2025
[In thousands of dollars]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Senate Committee recommendation
compared with (+ or -)
Item 2024 Budget estimate Committee -----------------------------------
appropriation recommendation 2024
appropriation Budget estimate
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TITLE I--DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
Operations and administration................................. 573,000 657,500 598,000 +25,000 -59,500
Operations and Administration (emergency)..................... 50,000 ................ 50,000 ................ +50,000
Offsetting fee collections.................................... -12,000 -12,000 -12,000 ................ ................
Direct appropriation...................................... 611,000 645,500 636,000 +25,000 -9,500
Bureau of Industry and Security
Operations and administration................................. 31,817 74,575 15,000 -16,817 -59,575
Operations and Administration (emergency)..................... 20,000 ................ 50,000 +30,000 +50,000
CWC Enforcement (Defense)..................................... 139,183 148,817 141,000 +1,817 -7,817
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, Bureau of Industry and Security.................... 191,000 223,392 206,000 +15,000 -17,392
=========================================================================================
Economic Development Administration
Economic Development Assistance Programs...................... 370,000 437,000 369,000 -1,000 -68,000
Economic Development Assistance Programs (emergency)...... 30,000 ................ 41,000 +11,000 +41,000
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal, Economic Development Assistance Programs.... 400,000 437,000 410,000 +10,000 -27,000
Salaries and expenses......................................... 68,000 85,864 73,000 +5,000 -12,864
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, Economic Development Administration................ 468,000 522,864 483,000 +15,000 -39,864
=========================================================================================
Minority Business Development Agency
Minority Business Development................................. 68,250 80,000 70,000 +1,750 -10,000
Economic and Statistical Analysis
Salaries and expenses......................................... 125,000 138,500 130,000 +5,000 -8,500
Bureau of the Census
Current Surveys and Programs.................................. 328,500 367,347 367,347 +38,847 ................
Periodic censuses and programs................................ 1,054,000 1,210,344 1,210,344 +156,344 ................
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, Bureau of the Census............................... 1,382,500 1,577,691 1,577,691 +195,191 ................
=========================================================================================
National Telecommunications and Information Administration
Salaries and expenses......................................... 57,000 65,000 59,650 +2,650 -5,350
Facilities Management & Construction.......................... 2,000 2,000 2,000 ................ ................
IIJA By Transfer (Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment ................ (-5,000) ................ ................ (+5,000)
Program).................................................
IIJA Transfer (Connecting Minority Communities)........... ................ (5,000) ................ ................ (-5,000)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, National Telecommunications and Information 59,000 67,000 61,650 +2,650 -5,350
Administration.......................................
=========================================================================================
United States Patent and Trademark Office
Salaries and expenses, current year fee funding............... 4,195,799 4,554,940 4,554,940 +359,141 ................
Offsetting fee collections.................................... -4,195,799 -4,554,940 -4,554,940 -359,141 ................
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, United States Patent and Trademark Office.......... ................ ................ ................ ................ ................
=========================================================================================
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Scientific and Technical Research and Services................ 1,080,000 975,000 1,064,244 -15,756 +89,244
(transfer out)............................................ (-9,000) (-9,000) (-9,000) ................ ................
Industrial Technology Services................................ 212,000 212,000 225,000 +13,000 +13,000
Manufacturing extension partnerships...................... (175,000) (175,000) (175,000) ................ ................
Manufacturing USA......................................... (37,000) (37,000) (50,000) (+13,000) (+13,000)
Construction of Research Facilities........................... 168,000 311,500 150,600 -17,400 -160,900
Construction of Research Facilities (emergency)........... ................ ................ 95,000 +95,000 +95,000
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal, Construction of Research Facilities......... 168,000 311,500 245,600 +77,600 -65,900
Working Capital Fund (by transfer)............................ (9,000) (9,000) (9,000) ................ ................
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, National Institute of Standards and Technology..... 1,460,000 1,498,500 1,534,844 +74,844 +36,344
=========================================================================================
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Operations, Research, and Facilities.......................... 4,548,485 4,357,238 4,679,077 +130,592 +321,839
Operations, Research, and Facilities (emergency).......... ................ 15,000 ................ ................ -15,000
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal, Operations, research and Facilities......... 4,548,485 4,372,238 4,679,077 +130,592 +306,839
(by transfer)......................................... (369,522) (377,363) (335,131) (-34,391) (-42,232)
Promote and Develop Fund (transfer out)............... (-369,522) (-377,363) (-335,121) (+34,401) (+42,242)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal.......................................... 4,548,485 4,372,238 4,679,077 +130,592 +306,839
Procurement, Acquisition and Construction..................... 1,619,866 1,941,093 1,146,516 -473,350 -794,577
Procurement, Acquisition and Construction (emergency)..... 100,000 180,325 815,000 +715,000 +634,675
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal, Procurement Acquisition and Construction.... 1,719,866 2,121,418 1,961,516 +241,650 -159,902
Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery............................... 65,000 65,000 70,000 +5,000 +5,000
Fishermen's Contingency Fund.................................. 349 349 349 ................ ................
Fisheries Disaster Assistance................................. 300 ................ 300 ................ +300
Fisheries Finance Program Account............................. -15,000 -12,000 -12,000 +3,000 ................
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.... 6,319,000 6,547,005 6,699,242 +380,242 +152,237
=========================================================================================
Departmental Management
Salaries and expenses......................................... 94,500 112,238 95,000 +500 -17,238
Renovation and Modernization.................................. 1,142 1,142 1,142 ................ ................
Office of Inspector General................................... 48,000 50,900 50,000 +2,000 -900
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, Departmental Management............................ 143,642 164,280 146,142 +2,500 -18,138
=========================================================================================
Total, title I, Department of Commerce.................... 10,827,392 11,464,732 11,544,569 +717,177 +79,837
=========================================================================================
Appropriations........................................ (10,627,392) (11,269,407) (10,493,569) (-133,823) (-775,838)
Emergency appropriations.............................. (200,000) (195,325) (1,051,000) (+851,000) (+855,675)
(by transfer)............................................. 378,522 381,363 344,131 -34,391 -37,232
(transfer out)............................................ -378,522 -386,363 -344,121 +34,401 +42,242
TITLE II--DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Justice Operations Management Accountability
Salaries and expenses......................................... 142,000 163,905 145,000 +3,000 -18,905
Justice Information Sharing Technology........................ 30,000 202,395 155,029 +125,029 -47,366
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, Justice Operations Management Accountability....... 172,000 366,300 300,029 +128,029 -66,271
=========================================================================================
Executive Office for Immigration Review....................... 844,000 981,133 860,000 +16,000 -121,133
Transfer from immigration examinations fee account........ -4,000 -4,000 -4,000 ................ ................
Direct appropriation.................................. 840,000 977,133 856,000 +16,000 -121,133
Office of Inspector General................................... 139,000 166,590 146,000 +7,000 -20,590
United States Parole Commission
Salaries and expenses......................................... 14,000 15,530 14,591 +591 -939
Legal Activities
Salaries and expenses, general legal activities............... 1,090,000 1,194,493 1,130,000 +40,000 -64,493
Vaccine Injury Compensation Trust Fund........................ 22,700 36,738 22,700 ................ -14,038
Salaries and expenses, Antitrust Division..................... 233,000 288,000 304,000 +71,000 +16,000
Offsetting fee collections--current year.................. -278,000 -304,000 -304,000 -26,000 ................
Direct appropriation.................................. -45,000 -16,000 ................ +45,000 +16,000
Salaries and expenses, United States Attorneys................ 2,611,000 2,826,433 2,664,000 +53,000 -162,433
United States Trustee System Fund............................. 245,000 263,514 250,000 +5,000 -13,514
Offsetting fee collections................................ -230,000 -245,000 -245,000 -15,000 ................
Direct appropriation.................................. 15,000 18,514 5,000 -10,000 -13,514
Salaries and expenses, Foreign Claims Settlement Commission... 2,504 2,656 2,504 ................ -152
Fees and expenses of witnesses................................ 270,000 320,000 320,000 +50,000 ................
Salaries and expenses, Community Relations Service............ 24,000 29,088 25,024 +1,024 -4,064
Assets Forfeiture Fund........................................ 20,514 20,514 20,514 ................ ................
Office for Access to Justice.................................. ................ 10,478 ................ ................ -10,478
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, Legal Activities................................... 4,010,718 4,442,914 4,189,742 +179,024 -253,172
=========================================================================================
United States Marshals Service
Salaries and expenses......................................... 1,529,000 1,865,630 1,537,000 +8,000 -328,630
Salaries and expenses (emergency)......................... 163,000 ................ 196,000 +33,000 +196,000
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal, Salaries and expenses....................... 1,692,000 1,865,630 1,733,000 +41,000 -132,630
Construction.................................................. 15,000 18,000 18,000 +3,000 ................
Federal Prisoner Detention.................................... 1,850,000 2,140,697 1,990,697 +140,697 -150,000
Federal Prisoner Detention (emergency).................... 250,000 ................ 250,000 ................ +250,000
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal, Federal Prisoner Detention.................. 2,100,000 2,140,697 2,240,697 +140,697 +100,000
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, United States Marshals Service............. 3,807,000 4,024,327 3,991,697 +184,697 -32,630
=========================================================================================
National Security Division
Salaries and expenses......................................... 128,000 143,540 133,512 +5,512 -10,028
Interagency Law Enforcement
Interagency Crime and Drug Enforcement........................ 547,000 550,458 550,458 +3,458 ................
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Salaries and expenses......................................... 4,318,154 4,573,433 4,028,047 -290,107 -545,386
Salaries and expenses (emergency)......................... ................ ................ 338,000 +338,000 +338,000
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal, Salaries and expenses....................... 4,318,154 4,573,433 4,366,047 +47,893 -207,386
Counterintelligence and national security..................... 6,325,559 6,699,511 6,395,715 +70,156 -303,796
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal, Salaries and expenses........................... 10,643,713 11,272,944 10,761,762 +118,049 -511,182
Construction.................................................. 30,000 61,895 211,895 +181,895 +150,000
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, Federal Bureau of Investigation.................... 10,673,713 11,334,839 10,973,657 +299,944 -361,182
=========================================================================================
Drug Enforcement Administration
Salaries and expenses......................................... 2,859,000 3,338,723 2,890,723 +31,723 -448,000
Salaries and expenses (emergency)......................... 328,000 ................ 361,000 +33,000 +361,000
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal, Salaries and expenses....................... 3,187,000 3,338,723 3,251,723 +64,723 -87,000
Diversion control fund................................ -620,000 -651,723 -651,723 -31,723 ................
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, Drug Enforcement Administration............ 2,567,000 2,687,000 2,600,000 +33,000 -87,000
=========================================================================================
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Salaries and expenses......................................... 1,625,000 1,952,000 1,685,000 +60,000 -267,000
Construction.................................................. ................ ................ ................ ................ ................
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives 1,625,000 1,952,000 1,685,000 +60,000 -267,000
=========================================================================================
Federal Prison System
Salaries and expenses......................................... 8,392,588 8,557,339 8,492,588 +100,000 -64,751
Buildings and facilities...................................... 179,762 81,215 171,215 -8,547 +90,000
Buildings and facilities (emergency)...................... ................ 179,000 119,000 +119,000 -60,000
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal, Buildings and facilities.................... 179,762 260,215 290,215 +110,453 +30,000
Limitation on administrative expenses, Federal Prison 2,700 2,700 2,700 ................ ................
Industries, Incorporated.....................................
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, Federal Prison System.............................. 8,575,050 8,820,254 8,785,503 +210,453 -34,751
=========================================================================================
State and Local Law Enforcement Activities
Office on Violence Against Women:
Prevention and prosecution programs....................... ................ ................ ................ ................ ................
(by transfer)......................................... (80,000) ................ ................ (-80,000) ................
Crime Victims Fund (transfer out)......................... (-80,000) ................ ................ (+80,000) ................
Violence Against Women Prevention & Prosecution Programs.. 633,000 800,000 739,500 +106,500 -60,500
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal.............................................. 633,000 800,000 739,500 +106,500 -60,500
Office of Justice Programs:
Research, evaluation and statistics....................... 65,000 77,000 75,000 +10,000 -2,000
State and local law enforcement assistance................ 2,350,061 2,009,000 2,149,338 -200,723 +140,338
State and local law enforcement assistance (emergency).... 125,000 ................ ................ -125,000 ................
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal, state and local law enforcement assistance.. 2,475,061 2,009,000 2,149,338 -325,723 +140,338
Juvenile justice programs................................. 375,000 407,000 407,000 +32,000 ................
Public safety officer benefits:
Death benefits........................................ 174,000 246,000 246,000 +72,000 ................
Disability and education benefits..................... 34,800 34,800 34,800 ................ ................
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal.......................................... 208,800 280,800 280,800 +72,000 ................
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, Office of Justice Programs..................... 3,123,861 2,773,800 2,912,138 -211,723 +138,338
=========================================================================================
Community Oriented Policing Services:
COPS programs............................................. 664,516 534,000 548,123 -116,393 +14,123
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, State and Local Law Enforcement Activities..... 4,421,377 4,107,800 4,199,761 -221,616 +91,961
=========================================================================================
General Provision
Total, title II, Department of Justice................ 37,519,858 39,588,685 38,425,950 +906,092 -1,162,735
=========================================================================================
Appropriations.................................... (36,653,858) (39,409,685) (37,161,950) (+508,092) (-2,247,735)
Emergency appropriations.......................... (866,000) (179,000) (1,264,000) (+398,000) (+1,085,000)
(by transfer)......................................... 80,000 ................ ................ -80,000 ................
(transfer out)........................................ -80,000 ................ ................ +80,000 ................
TITLE III--SCIENCE
Office of Science and Technology Policy....................... 7,965 7,965 7,965 ................ ................
National Space Council........................................ 1,965 1,965 1,965 ................ ................
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Science....................................................... 7,334,200 7,565,700 7,575,700 +241,500 +10,000
Aeronautics................................................... 935,000 965,800 965,800 +30,800 ................
Space Technology.............................................. 1,100,000 1,181,800 1,181,800 +81,800 ................
Deep Space Exploration Systems................................ 7,216,200 7,618,200 6,436,200 -780,000 -1,182,000
Deep Space Exploration Systems (emergency)................ 450,000 ................ 1,212,000 +762,000 +1,212,000
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal, Deep Space Exploration System............... 7,666,200 7,618,200 7,648,200 -18,000 +30,000
Space Operations.............................................. 4,220,000 4,389,700 4,399,700 +179,700 +10,000
Space Operations (rescission)................................. ................ -1,000 ................ ................ +1,000
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Engagement.. 143,000 143,500 143,500 +500 ................
Safety, Security and Mission Services......................... 3,129,000 3,044,440 3,044,400 -84,600 -40
Construction and environmental compliance and restoration..... 50,000 128,100 424,100 +374,100 +296,000
Construction and enviromental compliance and restoration 250,000 296,000 ................ -250,000 -296,000
(emergency)..............................................
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal, Construction and environmental compliance 300,000 424,100 424,100 +124,100 ................
and restoration......................................
Office of Inspector General................................... 47,600 50,500 50,500 +2,900 ................
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, National Aeronautics and Space Administration...... 24,875,000 25,382,740 25,433,700 +558,700 +50,960
=========================================================================================
National Science Foundation
Research and related activities 1/............................ 7,067,190 7,519,320 6,449,280 -617,910 -1,070,040
Research and related activities (emergency)............... ................ 420,000 973,000 +973,000 +553,000
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal, Research and related activities............. 7,067,190 7,939,320 7,422,280 +355,090 -517,040
Defense function...................................... 109,310 106,000 106,000 -3,310 ................
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal.......................................... 7,176,500 8,045,320 7,528,280 +351,780 -517,040
Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction.......... ................ 300,000 300,000 +300,000 ................
Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction 234,000 ................ ................ -234,000 ................
(emergency)..................................................
Education and Human Resources 1/.............................. 1,172,000 1,300,000 1,225,000 +53,000 -75,000
Agency Operations and Award Management........................ 448,000 504,000 465,000 +17,000 -39,000
Office of the National Science Board.......................... 5,090 5,220 5,220 +130 ................
Office of Inspector General................................... 24,410 28,460 26,500 +2,090 -1,960
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, National Science Foundation........................ 9,060,000 10,183,000 9,550,000 +490,000 -633,000
=========================================================================================
Total, Title III, Science................................. 33,944,930 35,575,670 34,993,630 +1,048,700 -582,040
=========================================================================================
Appropriations........................................ (33,010,930) (34,860,670) (32,808,630) (-202,300) (-2,052,040)
Emergency appropriations.............................. (934,000) (716,000) (2,185,000) (+1,251,000) (+1,469,000)
TITLE IV--RELATED AGENCIES
Commission on Civil Rights
Salaries and expenses......................................... 14,350 14,850 14,850 +500 ................
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Salaries and expenses......................................... 455,000 488,221 488,221 +33,221 ................
International Trade Commission
Salaries and expenses......................................... 122,000 126,100 126,100 +4,100 ................
Legal Services Corporation
Payment to the Legal Services Corporation..................... 560,000 566,000 566,000 +6,000 ................
Marine Mammal Commission
Salaries and expenses......................................... 4,500 5,040 5,040 +540 ................
Office of the US Trade Representative
Salaries and expenses......................................... 59,000 61,000 61,000 +2,000 ................
Trade Enforcement Trust Fund.................................. 15,000 15,000 15,000 ................ ................
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, Office of the US Trade Representative.............. 74,000 76,000 76,000 +2,000 ................
=========================================================================================
State Justice Institute
Salaries and expenses......................................... 7,640 7,640 7,640 ................ ................
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, title IV, Related Agencies......................... 1,237,490 1,283,851 1,283,851 +46,361 ................
=========================================================================================
TITLE V--GENERAL PROVISIONS
Crime Victims Fund (transfer out) (Sec 510)................... (-10,000) (-5,000) (-5,000) (+5,000) ................
Department of Justice OIG (by transfer)................... (10,000) (5,000) (5,000) (-5,000) ................
Economic Development Assistance Programs (rescission)......... -35,000 -30,000 -20,000 +15,000 +10,000
DOC, Nonrecurring Expenses Fund (rescission).................. -12,440,000 -9,560,000 -9,560,000 +2,880,000 ................
DOJ, Working Capital Fund (rescission)........................ -131,572 -340,000 -250,000 -118,428 +90,000
Federal Prison System, Buildings and Facilities (rescission).. -19,000 -579,000 ................ +19,000 +579,000
DOJ, Drug Enforcement Administration (rescission)............. ................ -10,000 ................ ................ +10,000
Office of Justice programs (rescission)....................... -120,000 -125,000 -125,000 -5,000 ................
COPS (rescission)............................................. -15,000 -20,000 -20,000 -5,000 ................
DOJ, Violence against women prevention and prosecution -5,000 -15,000 -15,000 -10,000 ................
programs.....................................................
DOJ, Assets Forfeiture Fund (rescission)...................... -500,000 ................ ................ +500,000 ................
HAVANA Act Payments (NDD)..................................... ................ ................ ................ ................ ................
HAVANA Act Payments (Def)..................................... ................ ................ ................ ................ ................
Inflation Reduction Act (rescission) (P L 117-169 Sec 10301).. ................ ................ ................ ................ ................
DOC, Periodic Censuses and Programs (rescission).............. -10,000 ................ ................ +10,000 ................
DOC, NIST Working Capital Fund (rescission)................... -10,000 ................ ................ +10,000 ................
FBI S&E nondefense (rescission)............................... -149,176 -20,000 -20,285 +128,891 -285
FBI S&E defense (rescission).................................. -218,524 -30,000 -29,715 +188,809 +285
DOC, Working Capital Fund (rescission)........................ -10,000 ................ ................ +10,000 ................
Space Operations (rescission)................................. ................ ................ -1,000 -1,000 -1,000
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, title V, General Provisions........................ -13,663,272 -10,729,000 -10,041,000 +3,622,272 +688,000
=========================================================================================
OTHER APPROPRIATIONS
THE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT AND JOBS ACT, 2022
(P L 117-58)
DIVISION J--APPROPRIATIONS
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Telecommunications and Information Administration
Digital Equity................................................ ................ ................ ................ ................ ................
Appropriations available from prior year advances (550,000) (550,000) (550,000) ................ ................
(emergency)..............................................
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, National Telecommunications and Information ................ ................ ................ ................ ................
Admin................................................
=========================================================================================
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Operations, Research, and Facilities.......................... ................ ................ ................ ................ ................
Appropriations available from prior year advances (515,584) (515,583) (515,583) (-1) ................
(emergency)..............................................
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, Operations, Research and Facilities............ ................ ................ ................ ................ ................
=========================================================================================
Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery............................... ................ ................ ................ ................ ................
Appropriations available from prior year advances (34,400) (34,400) (34,400) ................ ................
(emergency)..............................................
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ................ ................ ................ ................ ................
=========================================================================================
Total, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, 2022... ................ ................ ................ ................ ................
=========================================================================================
BIPARTISAN SAFER COMMUNITIES SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT,
2022
(P L 117-159)
DIVISION B--APPROPRIATIONS
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Office of Justice Programs
State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance.................... ................ ................ ................ ................ ................
Appropriations available from prior year advances (280,000) (280,000) (280,000) ................ ................
(emergency)..............................................
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance..... ................ ................ ................ ................ ................
=========================================================================================
Community Oriented Policing Services Programs (STOP School ................ ................ ................ ................ ................
Violence Act)................................................
Appropriations available from prior year advances (20,000) (20,000) (20,000) ................ ................
(emergency)..............................................
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, Community Oriented Policing Services........... ................ ................ ................ ................ ................
=========================================================================================
Total, Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, 2022......... ................ ................ ................ ................ ................
=========================================================================================
Total, Other Appropriations........................... ................ ................ ................ ................ ................
=========================================================================================
Grand total................................................... 69,866,398 77,183,938 76,207,000 +6,340,602 -976,938
=========================================================================================
Appropriations............................................ (81,529,670) (86,823,613) (81,748,000) (+218,330) (-5,075,613)
Rescissions............................................... (-13,663,272) (-10,730,000) (-10,041,000) (+3,622,272) (+689,000)
Emergency appropriations.................................. (2,000,000) (1,090,325) (4,500,000) (+2,500,000) (+3,409,675)
(by transfer)................................................. 468,522 386,363 349,131 -119,391 -37,232
(transfer out)................................................ -468,522 -386,363 -349,121 +119,401 +37,242
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grand total excluding Other Appropriations.................... 69,866,398 77,183,938 76,207,000 +6,340,602 -976,938
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