# Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2016 Appropriations

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URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/crs%3AR44061

## Record

- **Collection:** Congressional research report
- **Document type:** CRS Report
- **Published:** January 20, 2016
- **Citation:** R44061

## Text

Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies:
FY2016 Appropriations
,name redacted,
Specialist in Natural Resources Policy
January 20, 2016

Congressional Research Service
7-....
www.crs.gov
R44061

Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2016 Appropriations

Summary
The Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bill includes funding for most of
the Department of the Interior (DOI) and for agencies within other departments—including the
Forest Service within the Department of Agriculture and the Indian Health Service within the
Department of Health and Human Services. It also provides funding for the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), arts and cultural agencies, and numerous other entities.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 (P.L. 114-113), provided $32.23 billion for FY2016
for Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies. The total included $452.0 million for the
Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program, which compensates counties and local governments
for nontaxable lands within their jurisdictions. It also included additional funding for Wildland
Fire Management, but it did not provide for either a new adjustment to the discretionary spending
limits in law or emergency funding for this purpose, both of which had been proposed. The
FY2016 enacted total was a $1.75 billion increase (5.7%) over the FY2015 total of $30.48 billion.
Compared to FY2015, FY2016 funding for all DOI agencies increased by $925.5 million (8.3%),
for EPA remained the same, and for Related Agencies increased by $822.3 million (7.3%).
Agencies received varying amounts of the $32.23 billion for FY2016. The appropriations were
$12.02 billion (37.3% of total) for DOI agencies, $8.14 billion (25.3% of total) for EPA, and
$12.07 billion (37.5% of total) for other agencies and entities in Title III of the bill.
In earlier action, the President had requested $33.32 billion in FY2016 Interior, Environment, and
Related Agencies appropriations. The President had sought an increase of $2.85 billion (9.3%)
compared to the FY2015 total appropriation of $30.48 billion. The President’s request for
FY2016 did not include funding for PILT, whereas the FY2015 appropriation included $372.0
million for the program. For Wildland Fire Management in FY2016, the President proposed a
new $1.05 billion discretionary cap adjustment.
H.R. 2822, as reported by the House Appropriations Committee on June 18, 2015, contained
$30.23 billion for Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies for FY2016. The bill included
$452.0 million for PILT but did not include a new cap adjustment for wildfires. The House
considered many amendments during three days of floor debate, but no vote on final passage
occurred. S. 1645, as reported by the Senate Appropriations Committee on June 23, 2015,
contained $31.13 billion for Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies. The total did not
include discretionary funding for PILT, but it reflected $1.05 billion in emergency appropriations
for Wildland Fire Management. S. 1645 was not considered on the Senate floor.
The Senate committee-reported bill included $899.6 million (3.0%) more than the House
committee-reported bill. The largest dollar difference was for Wildland Fire Management. The
Senate bill also was $653.6 million (2.1%) more than FY2015 appropriations, whereas the House
bill was $246.0 million (0.8%) less than FY2015. Both the Senate and House committee-reported
bills contained lower funding for FY2016 than sought by the President; S. 1645 was $2.19 billion
(6.6%) less than the President’s request, while H.R. 2822 was $3.09 billion (9.3%) less.

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Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2016 Appropriations

Contents
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1
Overview of Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies............................................................. 1
Title I. Department of the Interior ............................................................................................. 2
Title II. Environmental Protection Agency ............................................................................... 3
Title III. Related Agencies......................................................................................................... 3
FY2016 Enacted Appropriations ..................................................................................................... 4
FY2016 Earlier Action .................................................................................................................. 10
Components of the FY2016 President’s Request .................................................................... 10
FY2016 President’s Request Compared with FY2015 Enacted Appropriations...................... 11
Comparison of FY2016 Bills Reported by House and Senate Appropriations
Committees .......................................................................................................................... 14
FY2016 Committee-Reported Bills Compared to FY2015 Appropriations............................ 16
FY2016 Committee-Reported Bills Compared to FY2016 President’s Request .................... 16

Figures
Figure 1. Components of FY2016 Enacted Appropriations for Interior, Environment, and
Related Agencies .......................................................................................................................... 6
Figure 2. Components of the President’s FY2016 Request for Interior, Environment, and
Related Agencies ......................................................................................................................... 11

Tables
Table 1. Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2015 Enacted AppropriationsFY2016 Enacted Appropriations .................................................................................................. 7
Table 2. Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2016 Appropriations Requested
by the President Compared with FY2015 Enacted Appropriations............................................ 13

Contacts
Author Contact Information .......................................................................................................... 17
Key Policy Staff ............................................................................................................................ 17

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Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2016 Appropriations

Introduction
This report focuses on FY2016 appropriations for Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies. It
first presents a brief overview of the agencies in the bill. It then describes the appropriations
enacted for FY2016 in Division G of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 (P.L. 114-113),
on December 18, 2015. The report next sets out earlier action on FY2016 funding for Interior,
Environment, and Related Agencies. This section includes a description of the appropriations
requested by the President for FY2016 and a comparison of the President’s request and
appropriations enacted for FY2015. It also includes a comparison of the FY2016 appropriations
reported by the House and Senate Appropriations Committees with each other, with FY2015
enacted appropriations, and with FY2016 appropriations requested by the President.
Appropriations are complex. For example, budget justifications for requests for some agencies are
large, numbering several hundred pages and containing numerous funding, programmatic, and
legislative changes for congressional consideration. Further, appropriations laws provide funds
for numerous accounts, activities, and subactivities, and the accompanying explanatory
statements provide additional directives and other important information. This report does not
provide account- and subaccount-level information or detail of budgetary reorganizations or
legislative changes enacted in law or proposed by the President, the House Appropriations
Committee, or the Senate Appropriations Committee. For information on FY2016 appropriations
for a particular agency or for individual accounts, programs, or activities administered by a
particular agency, contact the key policy staff listed at the end of this report.1

Overview of Interior, Environment, and
Related Agencies
The annual Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bill2 includes funding for
agencies and programs in three separate federal departments as well as numerous related
agencies. The Interior bill typically contains three primary titles. Title I provides funding for most
Department of the Interior (DOI) agencies,3 many of which manage land and other natural
resource or regulatory programs. Title II contains appropriations for the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA). Title III funds about 20 agencies in other departments, such as the Forest Service
in the Department of Agriculture and the Indian Health Service in the Department of Health and
Human Services; arts and cultural agencies, such as the Smithsonian Institution; and various other
entities. Title III of the bill is referred to as “Related Agencies.” Selected major agencies in the
Interior bill are briefly described below.

1

In addition, for selected reports related to appropriations for Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, see the
Congressional Research Service (CRS) website at http://www.crs.gov/pages/subissue.aspx?cliid=2346&parentid=73&
preview=False.
2
Hereinafter this bill is sometimes referred to as the Interior bill.
3
The exceptions are the Bureau of Reclamation and the Central Utah Project, which receive appropriations through
Energy and Water Development Appropriations laws. For information on FY2016 appropriations for these entities, see
CRS Report R43966, Energy and Water Development: FY2016 Appropriations, by (name redacted)
.

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Title I. Department of the Interior
The mission of DOI is to protect and manage the nation’s natural resources and cultural heritage;
provide scientific and other information about those resources; and exercise trust responsibilities
and other commitments to American Indians, Alaska Natives, and affiliated island communities.4
DOI agencies funded in the Interior bill5 that carry out this mission include the following:










The Bureau of Land Management administers about 245 million acres of public
land, mostly in the West, for diverse uses such as energy and mineral
development, livestock grazing, recreation, and preservation. The agency is also
responsible for about 700 million acres of federal subsurface mineral estate
throughout the nation and supervises the mineral operations on about 56 million
acres of Indian Trust lands.
The Fish and Wildlife Service administers the National Wildlife Refuge System,
consisting of 89 million acres of federal land, of which 77 million acres (86%)
are in Alaska. It also manages several large marine refuges and marine national
monuments, sometimes jointly with other federal agencies. It is the primary
agency responsible for implementing the Endangered Species Act (through
listing of species; consulting with other federal agencies; collaborating with
private entities and state, tribal, and local governments; and through other
measures), promoting wildlife habitat, enforcing federal wildlife laws, supporting
wildlife and ecosystem science, conserving migratory birds, administering grants
to aid state fish and wildlife programs, and coordinating with state, international,
and other federal agencies on fish and wildlife issues.
The National Park Service administers the National Park System—407 diverse
units covering 85 million acres in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S.
territories. Roughly two-thirds of the system’s lands are in Alaska. The National
Park Service has a dual mission—to preserve unique resources and to provide for
their enjoyment by the public. The agency also supports and promotes some
resource conservation activities outside the Park System through grant and
technical assistance programs and cooperation with partners.
The U.S. Geological Survey is a science agency that provides physical and
biological information related to geological resources, climate change, and
energy, mineral, water, and biological sciences and resources. In addition, it is the
federal government’s principal civilian mapping agency and a primary source of
data on the quality of the nation’s water resources.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management manages development of the nation’s
offshore conventional and renewable energy resources in the Atlantic, the Pacific,
the Gulf of Mexico, and the Arctic. These resources are in areas covering

4

This statement is taken from the Department of the Interior (DOI) website at http://www.doi.gov/whoweare/missionstatement.cfm.
5
In addition, Interior appropriations bills provide funding within two broad DOI accounts covering diverse programs.
The Departmental Offices account funds the Office of the Secretary (including the Office of Natural Resources
Revenue), Insular Affairs, Office of the Solicitor, Office of Inspector General, and Office of Special Trustee for
American Indians. Discretionary appropriations for the Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program are also shown
within this account. The Department-Wide Programs account funds DOI Wildland Fire Management, Central
Hazardous Materials Fund, Natural Resource Damage Assessment Fund, and Working Capital Fund.

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





approximately 1.7 billion acres located beyond state waters, mostly in the Alaska
region (more than 1 billion acres) but also off all coastal states.
The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement provides regulatory and
safety oversight for resource development in the Outer Continental Shelf. Among
its responsibilities are oil and gas permitting, facility inspections, environmental
compliance, and oil spill response planning.
The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement works with states
and tribes to reclaim abandoned coal mines. The agency also regulates active coal
mines to minimize environmental impacts during mining and to reclaim affected
lands and waters after mining.
Indian Affairs provides and funds a variety of services to federally recognized
American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes and their members and historically
has been the lead agency in federal dealings with tribes. The Bureau of Indian
Affairs is responsible for programs that include government operations, courts,
law enforcement, fire protection, social programs, roads, economic development,
employment assistance, housing repair, irrigation, dams, Indian rights protection,
implementation of land and water settlements, and management of trust assets
(real estate and natural resources). The Bureau of Indian Education funds an
elementary and secondary school system, institutions of higher education, and
other educational programs.

Title II. Environmental Protection Agency
The mission of EPA is to protect human health and the environment. Primary responsibilities
include the implementation of federal statutes regulating air quality, water quality, pesticides,
toxic substances, management and disposal of solid and hazardous wastes, and cleanup of
environmental contamination. EPA also awards grants to assist states and local governments in
implementing federal law and in complying with federal requirements to control pollution.

Title III. Related Agencies
Among the Related Agencies funded in the Interior bill, roughly 95% of the funding is typically
provided to the following agencies and organizations:




The Forest Service in the Department of Agriculture manages 193 million acres
of national forests, national grasslands, and a tallgrass prairie in 44 states and the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; provides technical and financial assistance to
states, tribes, and private forest landowners; and conducts research on sustaining
forest resources for future generations.
The Indian Health Service in the Department of Health and Human Services
provides medical and environmental health services for more than 2 million
American Indians and Alaska Natives. Health care is provided through a system
of facilities and programs operated by the agency, tribes and tribal organizations,
and urban Indian organizations. As of January 2015, the agency operated 28
hospitals, 62 health centers, and 25 health stations. Tribes and tribal
organizations, through Indian Health Service contracts and compacts, operated
another 18 hospitals, 282 health centers, 80 health stations, and 150 Alaska

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



Native village clinics. Urban Indian organizations operated 33 ambulatory or
referral programs.6
The Smithsonian Institution is a museum and research complex consisting of 19
museums and galleries, the National Zoo, and nine research facilities throughout
the United States and around the world. Almost 27 million people visited
Smithsonian facilities in 2014. Established by federal legislation in 1846 with the
acceptance of a trust donation by the institution’s namesake benefactor, the
Smithsonian is funded by both federal appropriations and a private trust, with
nearly $1.36 billion in total revenue from all sources of funding for FY2014.7
The National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the
Humanities make up the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities.
The National Endowment for the Arts is a major federal source of support for all
arts disciplines. Since 1965 it has awarded more than 145,000 grants that have
been distributed to all states. The National Endowment for the Humanities
generally supports grants for humanities education, research, preservation, and
public humanities programs; creation of regional humanities centers; and
development of humanities programs under the jurisdiction of state humanities
councils. Since 1965, it has awarded almost 63,000 grants. It also supports a
Challenge Grant program to stimulate and match private donations in support of
humanities institutions.

FY2016 Enacted Appropriations
Prior to enactment of FY2016 appropriations for Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, the
Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (P.L. 114-74)8 raised the caps in the Budget Control Act of 2011
(P.L. 112-25)9 for each type of discretionary spending—defense and nondefense. Specifically, the
2015 law raised the caps by $25 billion in FY2016 (and $15 billion in FY2017).10 Thus,
consideration of the appropriations legislation enacted for FY2016 was subject to the increased
spending limits in the 2015 law.

6

Department of Health and Human Services, Indian Health Service, IHS Year 2015 Profile, January 2015,
http://www.ihs.gov/newsroom/factsheets/ihsyear2015profile/. For additional information on the agency, see CRS
Report R43330, The Indian Health Service (IHS): An Overview, by (name redacted) .
7
Except for the revenue figure, these statistics are from the Smithsonian Institution’s website at http://www.si.edu/
About. The revenue figure is from Smithsonian Institution, Today. Tomorrow. Forever. 2014 Annual Report, p. 48,
http://www.si.edu/Content/Pdf/About/2014-Smithsonian-Annual-Report.pdf.
8
The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (P.L. 114-74) was enacted on November 2, 2015. For more information on the
law, see CRS Insight IN10389, Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015: Adjustments to the Budget Control Act of 2011, by
(name redacted) .
9
The Budget Control Act of 2011 (BCA; P.L. 112-25) imposed limits on discretionary spending for each of the fiscal
years between FY2012 and FY2021.
10
Both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees report “302(b)” allocations for the House and Senate Interior
Appropriations Subcommittees (and other Appropriations subcommittees). These allocations function as ceilings on the
Interior bill. After enactment of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, the Senate Appropriations Committee issued
revised 302(b) allocations. For the Senate Interior Subcommittee, the discretionary allocation was $32.86 billion and
the total allocation (including mandatory budget authority) was $32.92 billion. See S.Rept. 114-197, issued on
December 18, 2015. Since enactment of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, the House Appropriations Committee has
not issued revised allocations. For an overview of 302(b) allocations, see CRS Report RS20144, Allocations and
Subdivisions in the Congressional Budget Process, by (name redacted)

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The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016, enacted December 18, 2015, provided $32.23 billion
for Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies.11 The total included $452.0 million for the
Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program, which compensates counties and local governments
for nontaxable lands within their jurisdictions.12 Although the enacted appropriation included
additional funding for Wildland Fire Management as compared with FY2015, it did not provide
for either a new cap adjustment to the discretionary spending limits in law or emergency funding
for this purpose, as had been proposed.13
Agencies received varying amounts of the $32.23 billion total appropriation. For DOI agencies14
in Title I, appropriations were $12.02 billion. This figure was 37.3% of the total enacted. For
EPA, appropriations were $8.14 billion, or 25.3% of the total. For agencies and other entities in
Title III, appropriations were $12.07 billion, or 37.5% of the total. Figure 1 identifies the share of
the FY2016 enacted appropriations for particular agencies.15
Moreover, FY2016 appropriations were concentrated on a relatively small subset of agencies.
Three agencies—the EPA, Forest Service, and Indian Health Service—received nearly threefifths (57.8%) of the enacted appropriations. Together with the National Park Service and Indian
Affairs, these five agencies received three-quarters (75.3%) of the total FY2016 appropriations.
For DOI agencies, appropriations ranged from $74.2 million for the Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management to $2.85 billion for the National Park Service. Appropriations for 7 of the 10 DOI
agencies were more than $1 billion. The National Park Service and Indian Affairs ($2.80 billion)
together accounted for nearly half (47.0%) of the $12.02 billion enacted for DOI agencies.
Funding enacted for the 20 Related Agencies in Title III had a wider range, from $1.0 million for
the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission to $5.66 billion for the Forest Service. The
second-largest appropriations figure was for the Indian Health Service, with $4.81 billion, and the
next-largest was less than $1 billion—$840.2 million for the Smithsonian Institution. By contrast,
six agencies had appropriations of less than $10 million each.

11

See Division G of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 (P.L. 114-113).
For additional information on the Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program, see CRS Report RL31392, PILT
(Payments in Lieu of Taxes): Somewhat Simplified, by (name redacted).
13
For information on funding for wildland fires, see CRS Report R43077, Wildfire Management: Federal Funding and
Related Statistics, by (name redacted) and (name redacted)
.
14
In the context of DOI, the term agencies is used to encompass the eight DOI agencies described in the “Title I.
Department of the Interior” section of this report as well as DOI departmental offices and DOI department-wide
programs.
15
In text and tables throughout this report, figures may not sum to the precise totals shown due to rounding.
12

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Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2016 Appropriations

Figure 1. Components of FY2016 Enacted Appropriations for Interior, Environment,
and Related Agencies

Source: Prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) with data from the House Appropriations
Committee.
Notes: Agencies shown in shades of brown/yellow are in the Department of the Interior (DOI), Title I of the
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 (P.L. 114-113). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), shown in
blue, is Title II of the bill. Agencies shown in shades of green are Related Agencies, Title III of the bill.
Percentages do not sum to 100% due to rounding.

The FY2016 total enacted appropriation was a $1.75 billion increase (5.7%) over the FY2015
enacted appropriation of $30.48 billion. Similar to the FY2016 enacted appropriation, the
FY2015 enacted appropriation included funding for PILT—$372.0 million for FY2015.16
FY2016 enacted appropriations for all DOI agencies increased by $925.5 million (8.3%), with all
10 DOI agencies receiving additional funding above the FY2015 levels. The National Park
Service and Indian Affairs received the largest dollar increases. An increase of $236.6 million
(9.1%) above the FY2015 enacted level for the National Park Service was provided in
anticipation of increased visitation for the agency’s centennial in 2016 and for grants to states for
outdoor recreation (through the Land and Water Conservation Fund), construction and
maintenance, and other programs. An increase of $194.6 million (7.5%) for Indian Affairs was
included for various activities, among them public safety and justice, contract support costs,
education, and construction of educational facilities.
FY2016 total enacted appropriations for EPA were the same as the FY2015 enacted
appropriations. All EPA accounts were funded at FY2015 levels, with the exception of the
16

The $372.0 million for PILT for FY2015 was included in §11 of the general provisions of P.L. 113-235, whereas
regular appropriations for the Interior bill were contained in Division F of the law. Hereinafter, the FY2015 bill total
and DOI total reflect the $372.0 million for PILT.

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account for State and Tribal Assistance Grants (STAG), which was reduced by $27.0 million
overall.17 In addition, FY2016 appropriations included $27.0 million for purposes of EPA meeting
federal requirements for cybersecurity implementation.18 Most EPA programs and activities
within accounts also were funded at FY2015 enacted levels, although some received higher or
lower amounts relative to FY2015.
FY2016 enacted appropriations for Related Agencies increased by $822.3 million (7.3%) from
the FY2015 level. The Forest Service received the largest dollar increase—$608.1 million
(12.0%). Most of the increase was for Wildland Fire Management, especially fire suppression
under the FLAME Wildfire Suppression Reserve Account.
For each agency, Table 1 contains the FY2015 enacted appropriations, amount requested by the
President for FY2016, level reported by the House Appropriations Committee in H.R. 2822 for
FY2016, level reported by the Senate Appropriations Committee in S. 1645 for FY2016, and
level enacted for FY2016 in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 (P.L. 114-113).
Table 1. Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2015 Enacted
Appropriations-FY2016 Enacted Appropriations
($ in thousands)

Bureau or Agency

FY2015
Enacted
Approps.

FY2016
Requested
Approps.

FY2016 House
CommitteeReported, H.R.
2822

FY2016 Senate
CommitteeReported, S.
1645

FY2016
Enacted
Approps.

Title I: Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management

$1,120,235

$1,230,896

$1,150,594

$1,187,801

$1,236,735

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

1,439,764

1,575,510

1,431,726

1,441,201

1,508,368

National Park Service

2,614,599

3,047,707

2,667,110

2,729,027

2,851,245

U.S. Geological Survey

1,045,000

1,194,782

1,045,000

1,058,503

1,062,000

Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management

72,422

74,235

70,648

74,235

74,235

Bureau of Safety and
Environmental Enforcement

81,046

82,464

87,046

88,464

88,464

Office of Surface Mining
Reclamation
and Enforcement

150,112

160,462

180,556

150,135

240,556

Bureau of Indian Affairs and
Bureau of Indian Education

2,601,498

2,924,968

2,766,433

2,693,026

2,796,120

Departmental Offices

994,580a

696,007

1,060,791b

620,580

1,080,086b

Office of the Secretary

637,263a

327,939

717,279b

265,263

721,769b

Insular Affairs

102,441

102,978

89,294

102,441

103,441

Office of the Solicitor

65,800

69,888

65,142

63,800

65,800

17

Within the STAG account, the FY2016 appropriation included $21.0 million for a new grant program category:
“Multipurpose Grants to States and Tribes.” The money was for “grants to States and federally recognized Indian tribes
for implementation of environmental programs and projects that complement existing environmental program grants,
including interagency agreements.”
18
This funding was included in the FY2016 appropriations law under EPA’s “Administrative Provisions.”

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Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2016 Appropriations

Bureau or Agency

FY2015
Enacted
Approps.

FY2016
Requested
Approps.

FY2016 House
CommitteeReported, H.R.
2822

FY2016 Senate
CommitteeReported, S.
1645

FY2016
Enacted
Approps.

Office of Inspector General

50,047

52,224

50,047

50,047

50,047

Office of Special Trustee for
American Indians

139,029

142,978

139,029

139,029

139,029

Department-Wide Programs

971,656

1,099,204

971,023

1,183,623

1,078,622

Wildland Fire Management

896,779

1,005,495

896,795

1,108,745

993,745

Central Hazardous Materials
Fund

10,010

10,011

10,010

10,011

10,010

Natural Resource Damage
Assessment Fund

7,767

9,236

7,689

7,767

7,767

Working Capital Fund

57,100

74,462

56,529

57,100

67,100

11,090,912a

12,086,235

11,430,927b

11,226,595

12,016,431b

8,139,887

8,591,718

7,422,157

7,597,357

8,139, 887

Forest Service

5,056,246

5,780,410

5,043,678

5,977,877

5,664,346

Indian Health Service

4,642,381

5,102,985

4,787,868

4,779,311

4,807,589

National Institute of
Environmental Health Sciences

77,349

77,349

77,349

77,349

77,349

Agency for Toxic Substances and
Disease Registry

74,691

74,691

74,691

74,691

74,691

Council on Environmental Quality
and Office of Environmental
Quality

3,000

3,015

3,000

3,000

3,000

Chemical Safety and Hazard
Investigation Board

11,000

12,271

11,000

10,700

11,000

Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian
Relocation

7,341

8,400

7,341

7,341

15,000

Institute of American Indian and
Alaska Native Culture and Arts
Development

9,469

11,619

9,469

11,619

11,619

Smithsonian Institution

819,541

935,825

819,541

819,541

840,243

National Gallery of Art

138,500

152,660

138,500

138,500

147,552

John F. Kennedy Center for the
Performing Arts

32,800

36,400

32,800

32,800

36,400

Woodrow Wilson International
Center for Scholars

10,500

10,420

10,420

10,500

10,500

National Endowment for the Arts

146,021

147,949

146,021

146,021

147,949

National Endowment for the
Humanities

146,021

147,942

146,021

146,021

147,942

Subtotal, Title I: Department
of the Interior
Subtotal, Title II:
Environmental Protection
Agencyc
Title III: Related Agencies

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Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2016 Appropriations

Bureau or Agency

FY2015
Enacted
Approps.

FY2016
Requested
Approps.

FY2016 House
CommitteeReported, H.R.
2822

FY2016 Senate
CommitteeReported, S.
1645

FY2016
Enacted
Approps.

Commission of Fine Arts

2,524

2,653

2,524

2,653

2,653

National Capital Arts and
Cultural Affairs

2,000

2,000

2,000

2,000

2,000

Advisory Council on Historic
Preservation

6,204

6,080

6,080

6,080

6,080

National Capital Planning
Commission

7,948

8,348

7,948

7,948

8,348

U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum

52,385

54,959

52,385

52,385

54,000

Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial
Commissiond

1,000

70,200

0

1,000

1,000

Subtotal, Title III: Related
Agencies

11,246,921

12,646,176

11,378,636

12,307,337

12,069,261

Total: Interior, Environment,
and Related Agenciese

30,477,720

33,324,129

30,231,720

31,131,289

32,225,579

Source: Prepared by CRS with data from the House and Senate Appropriations Committees.
Notes: The FY2015 enacted appropriations, FY2016 House committee-reported appropriations in H.R. 2822,
and FY2016 enacted appropriations included appropriations for the Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program, as
detailed in notes a and b below.
As a component of funds for Wildland Fire Management, both the FY2016 requested appropriations and the
FY2016 Senate committee-reported appropriations in S. 1645 included $1.05 billion. The President’s request
proposed these funds as a discretionary cap adjustment, whereas the Senate bill recommended them as
emergency appropriations.
a. This figure includes $372.0 million for PILT. FY2015 discretionary appropriations for PILT were provided in
§11 of the general provisions of P.L. 113-235. This table reflects these appropriations under DOI
Departmental Offices, Office of the Secretary. However, the law does not specify the appropriations to this
account but states only that the funds are available to the Secretary of the Interior.
b. This figure includes $452.0 million for PILT.
c. Both the FY2015 and FY2016 enacted appropriations included a rescission of $40.0 million from unobligated
balances from the State and Tribal Assistance Grants (STAG) account. In effect, these rescissions increase
the availability of funds for expenditure by the agency in the years in which they are applied, functioning as
an offset to new appropriations. For additional information on appropriations for the Environmental
Protection Agency for FY2015, see CRS Report R43709, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): FY2015
Appropriations, by (name redacted) . For additional information on appropriations for the Environmental
Protection Agency for FY2016, see CRS Report R44208, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): FY2016
Appropriations, by (name redacted) and (name redacted) .
d. The President’s FY2016 request consisted of $2.0 million for salaries and expenses and $68.2 million for
construction of the memorial. The FY2015 appropriations provided funding only for salaries and expenses.
e. The FY2015 appropriations figure reflects appropriations in P.L. 113-235 of $30.17 billion in Division F and
$372.0 million for PILT in §11 of the general provisions. It also reflects rescissions of $68.0 million. The
FY2016 request reflects appropriations of $32.30 billion, a proposed cap adjustment of $1.05 billion, and
rescissions of $30.0 million. The FY2016 House committee-reported bill reflects appropriations of $30.27
billion and rescissions of $36.0 million. The FY2016 Senate committee-reported bill reflects appropriations
of $30.10 billion, emergency appropriations of $1.05 billion, and rescissions of $28.0 million. The FY2016
appropriations figure reflects appropriations in P.L. 114-113 of $32.29 billion. It also reflects rescissions of
$68.0 million.

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Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2016 Appropriations

FY2016 Earlier Action
Components of the FY2016 President’s Request
For FY2016, the President requested $33.32 billion for the approximately 30 agencies and entities
typically funded in the annual Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations law.
For the 10 major DOI agencies in Title I of the bill, the request was $12.09 billion, or 36.3% of
the total requested. For EPA, funded in Title II of the bill, the request was $8.59 billion, or 25.8%
of the total. For about 20 agencies and other entities typically funded in Title III of the bill, the
request was $12.65 billion, or 38.0% of the total.
The total requested by the Administration included a proposed $1.05 billion cap adjustment to the
discretionary spending limits in law.19 Of the total proposed adjustment, $200.0 million was for
DOI Wildland Fire Management, and $854.6 million was for Forest Service Wildland Fire
Management.
Appropriations for agencies vary widely for a number of reasons relating to the number, breadth,
and complexity of agency responsibilities; alternative sources of funding (e.g., mandatory
appropriations); and Administration and congressional priorities, among other factors. Thus,
although the President’s FY2016 request covered approximately 30 agencies, funding for a small
subset of these agencies accounted for most of the total. For example, the requested
appropriations for three agencies—EPA, Forest Service, and Indian Health Service—were nearly
three-fifths (58.4%) of the total request. Further, more than three-quarters (76.4%) of the request
was for these three agencies and two others—National Park Service and Indian Affairs.
For DOI agencies, the FY2016 requests ranged from $74.2 million for the Bureau of Ocean
Energy Management to $3.05 billion for the National Park Service. The requests for 6 of the 10
agencies exceeded $1 billion. Nearly half (49.4%) of the $12.09 billion requested for DOI
agencies was for two agencies—the National Park Service and Indian Affairs ($2.92 billion).
For Related Agencies in Title III, the requested funding levels exhibited even more variation. The
President sought amounts ranging from $2.0 million for grants under National Capital Arts and
Cultural Affairs to $5.78 billion for the Forest Service. The Indian Health Service would be the
only other agency to receive more than $5 billion. The next-largest request was for the
Smithsonian Institution, at $935.8 million. By contrast, 14 agencies would receive less than $80
million each, including 6 with appropriations of less than $10 million each.
Figure 2 identifies the share of the President’s request for particular agencies in the Interior bill.
Table 2 contains the FY2015 enacted appropriations for each agency, amount requested by the
President for FY2016 for each agency, and percentage change from FY2015 as compared with
the President’s request for FY2016.

19

Budget authority designated for certain purposes would cause the limits to be adjusted, making it effectively not
subject to the limits. The President’s proposal would have allowed a new cap adjustment for some of the costs of
wildland fire management. For additional information on discretionary spending limits, cap adjustments, and proposals
for a cap adjustment related to wildland fire management, see CRS Report R44082, Wildfire Spending: Background,
Issues, and Legislation in the 114th Congress, by (name redacted) et al.

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Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2016 Appropriations

Figure 2. Components of the President’s FY2016 Request for Interior, Environment,
and Related Agencies

Source: Prepared by CRS with data from the House Appropriations Committee.
Notes: Agencies shown in shades of brown/yellow are in DOI, Title I of the bill. EPA, shown in blue, is Title II of
the bill. Agencies shown in shades of green are Related Agencies, Title III of the bill.

FY2016 President’s Request Compared with FY2015
Enacted Appropriations
The President’s request of $33.32 billion for FY2016 would have been an increase of $2.85
billion (9.3%) over the total FY2015 enacted appropriations of $30.48 billion. The FY2015
appropriation included $372.0 million for PILT, as noted above, whereas the President did not
seek discretionary funding for PILT for FY2016.20 The FY2016 request would have been an
increase of $3.22 billion (10.7%) over FY2015 appropriations of $30.11 billion excluding the
PILT funding. Unlike the President’s request, the FY2015 enacted appropriation did not include a
cap adjustment for Wildland Fire Management.
Under the President’s proposal, the total for each of the three titles of the bill would have
increased above FY2015 by varying amounts. DOI agencies would have received an increase of
$994.3 million (9.0%), funding for EPA would have increased by $451.8 million (5.6%), and the
total for all Related Agencies in Title III would have increased by $1.40 billion (12.4%).

20

Instead, the President supported mandatory funding for PILT for FY2016, which would require a change in law.

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With regard to DOI, the President proposed increases above FY2015 for 9 of the 10 agencies. The
increases varied in dollar amount and percentage of appropriations, with the lowest dollar
increase of $1.4 million (1.7%) for the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement and the
highest of $433.1 million (16.6%) for the National Park Service. Some of the National Park
Service increase was intended to enhance park units in light of the agency’s 2016 centennial.
Activities that would have received additional funds included park facility operations and
maintenance, resource stewardship, visitor services, line item construction, historic preservation,
and the centennial challenge (a federal matching program to leverage donations for park units).
Only one DOI account, Departmental Offices, would have received an overall decrease ($298.6
million, 30.0%) under the President’s FY2016 request. This decrease would have occurred
because the President did not seek discretionary funding under this account for PILT, as noted.
The other four programs included under this heading would have received increases under the
President’s proposal, as shown in Table 2.
Within the overall increase for EPA, the President sought additional funds for each of the
agency’s accounts. The $228.0 million (8.7%) increase for the Environmental Programs and
Management account was the largest overall dollar increase proposed for EPA accounts. This
account funds a broad array of activities supporting EPA’s development and enforcement of
pollution control regulations and standards, technical assistance, and administrative and
operational expenses. The $65.1 million (6.0%) increase for the Hazardous Substance Superfund
account was the second-largest overall dollar increase for EPA accounts. This account supports
the assessment and cleanup of sites contaminated from the release of hazardous substances.21 EPA
administers these activities under the Superfund program, as authorized in the Comprehensive
Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA).22
Despite the increases the President sought for each EPA account, funding for some programs and
activities would have remained level or declined. The largest proposed dollar decrease ($332.9
million, 23.0%) was for grants to states for wastewater infrastructure projects through the Clean
Water State Revolving Fund. By contrast, the President sought an increase ($279.1 million,
30.8%) for drinking water infrastructure grants to states through the Drinking Water State
Revolving Fund.
Although most Title III agencies would have received increases under the President’s FY2016
proposal, the three largest agencies would have received the biggest dollar increases. Specifically,
the President sought an additional $724.2 million (14.3%) for the Forest Service, $460.6 million
(9.9%) for the Indian Health Service, and $116.3 million (14.2%) for the Smithsonian Institution.
The proposed Forest Service increase was primarily for suppressing wildland fires and for the
National Forest System account. The Indian Health Service would have received increases for
many programs and activities, including clinical services, contract support costs, and construction
of facilities for health care and sanitation. The Smithsonian Institution’s additional funds were to
be directed to facilities maintenance, operations, security, revitalization, planning, and design,
among other purposes. By contrast, three Title III agencies would have received level funding,
and two agencies would have received decreases.23
21

For a more detailed description of this and other EPA accounts discussed in this report, see Appendix B of CRS
Report R44208, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): FY2016 Appropriations, by (name redacted) and (name red
acted) .
22
CERCLA (42 U.S.C. §9601 et seq.) requires responsible parties to pay for the cleanup of environmental
contamination and authorizes the cleanup of sites where the responsible parties cannot pay or cannot be found.
23
Agencies that would have received level appropriations are the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences,
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, and National Capital Arts and Cultural Affairs. Agencies that
(continued...)

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Table 2. Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2016 Appropriations
Requested by the President Compared with FY2015 Enacted Appropriations
($ in thousands)

Bureau or Agency

FY2015
Enacted
Approps.

FY2016
Requested
Approps.

Percent
Change

Title I: Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management

$1,120,235

$1,229,896

9.8

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

1,439,764

1,575,510

9.4

National Park Service

2,614,599

3,047,707

16.6

U.S. Geological Survey

1,045,000

1,194,782

14.3

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

72,422

74,235

2.5

Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement

81,046

82,464

1.7

Office of Surface Mining Reclamation
and Enforcement

150,112

160,462

6.9

Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education

2,601,498

2,924,968

12.4

Departmental Offices

994,580a

696,007

-30.0

Office of the Secretary

637,263a

327,939

-48.5

Insular Affairs

102,441

102,978

0.5

Office of the Solicitor

65,800

69,888

6.2

Office of Inspector General

50,047

52,224

4.3

Office of Special Trustee for American Indians

139,029

142,978

2.8

Department-Wide Programs

971,656

1,099,204

13.1

Wildland Fire Management

896,779

1,005,495

12.1

Central Hazardous Materials Fund

10,010

10,011

<0.1

Natural Resource Damage Assessment Fund

7,767

9,236

18.9

Working Capital Fund

57,100

74,462

30.4

11,090,912a

12,085,235

9.0

8,139,887

8,591,718

5.6

Forest Service

5,056,246

5,780,410

14.3

Indian Health Service

4,642,381

5,102,985

9.9

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

77,349

77,349

0

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

74,691

74,691

0

Council on Environmental Quality and Office of
Environmental Quality

3,000

3,015

0.5

Subtotal, Title I: Department of the Interior
Subtotal, Title II: Environmental Protection Agencyb
Title III: Related Agencies

(...continued)
would have received decreases are the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and the Advisory Council on
Historic Preservation.

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Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2016 Appropriations

Bureau or Agency

FY2015
Enacted
Approps.

FY2016
Requested
Approps.

Percent
Change

Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board

11,000

12,271

11.6

Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation

7,341

8,400

14.4

Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and
Arts Development

9,469

11,619

22.7

Smithsonian Institution

819,541

935,825

14.2

National Gallery of Art

138,500

152,660

10.2

John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

32,800

36,400

11.0

Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

10,500

10,420

-0.8

National Endowment for the Arts

146,021

147,949

1.3

National Endowment for the Humanities

146,021

147,942

1.3

Commission of Fine Arts

2,524

2,653

5.1

National Capital Arts and Cultural Affairs

2,000

2,000

0

Advisory Council on Historic Preservation

6,204

6,080

-2.0

National Capital Planning Commission

7,948

8,348

5.0

U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum

52,385

54,959

4.9

Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commissionc

1,000

70,200

6,920.0

Subtotal, Title III: Related Agencies

11,246,921

12,646,176

12.4

Total: Interior, Environment, and Related Agenciesd

30,477,720

33,323,129

9.3

Source: Prepared by CRS with data from the House Appropriations Committee.
a. FY2015 discretionary appropriations for PILT were provided in §11 of the general provisions of P.L. 113235. This table reflects these appropriations under DOI Departmental Offices, Office of the Secretary.
However, the law does not specify the appropriations to this account but states only that the funds are
available to the Secretary of the Interior.
b. For additional information on appropriations enacted for the Environmental Protection Agency for FY2015
and requested for FY2016, see CRS Report R44208, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): FY2016
Appropriations, by (name redacted) and (name redacted) .
c. The President’s FY2016 request consisted of $2.0 million for salaries and expenses and $68.2 million for
construction of the memorial. The FY2015 appropriations provided funding only for salaries and expenses.
d. The FY2015 appropriations figure reflects appropriations in P.L. 113-235 of $30.17 billion in Division F and
$372.0 million in §11 of the general provisions. It also reflects rescissions of $68.0 million. The FY2016
request reflects appropriations of $32.30 billion, a proposed cap adjustment of $1.05 billion, and rescissions
of $30.0 million.

Comparison of FY2016 Bills Reported by House and Senate
Appropriations Committees
H.R. 2822, as reported by the House Appropriations Committee on June 18, 2015, would have
provided $30.23 billion for Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies for FY2016.24 The total
24

For FY2016, both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees reported “302(b)” allocations for the Interior
Subcommittees that were lower than the President’s request. For the House Interior Subcommittee, the discretionary
allocation was $30.17 billion and the total allocation (including mandatory budget authority) was $30.23 billion
(continued...)

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Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2016 Appropriations

included $452.0 million for PILT. During three days of floor debate, the House considered dozens
of amendments to H.R. 2822. Although 57 of the amendments were agreed to, others were
rejected, withdrawn, or considered but not voted upon.25 No vote on final passage of the bill
occurred following a difference of opinion on amendments related to display and sale of the
Confederate flag on National Park Service lands.26
S. 1645, as reported by the Senate Appropriations Committee on June 23, 2015, would have
provided $31.13 billion for Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies. The total included $1.05
billion in emergency appropriations for Wildland Fire Management activities of DOI and the
Forest Service. Such emergency funding typically does not count toward a subcommittee’s
allocation for the bill.27 S. 1645 was not considered by the Senate. See Table 1 for the House and
Senate bill totals as well as agency and title totals.
The Senate committee-reported bill was $899.6 million (3.0%) more than the House committeereported bill. The largest dollar difference was for Wildland Fire Management. S. 1645 included
$4.66 billion for DOI and Forest Service Wildland Fire Management, which was $1.08 billion
(30.1%) more than the $3.58 billion in H.R. 2822. Unlike H.R. 2822, the Senate bill did not
include discretionary appropriations for PILT. Other selected differences between the bills are
highlighted below.
With regard to DOI agencies, H.R. 2822 included $11.43 billion for FY2016, which was $204.3
million (1.8%) more than the $11.23 billion in S. 1645. The higher House bill total was primarily
due to the inclusion of $452.0 million for PILT under DOI Departmental Offices.28 Of the 10 DOI
agencies, S. 1645 recommended higher funding for all but three: Office of Surface Mining
Reclamation and Enforcement, Indian Affairs, and Departmental Offices.
The $7.60 billion reported in S. 1645 for EPA was $175.2 million (2.4%) more than the $7.42
billion reported in H.R. 2822. The bills proposed different levels of appropriations for all nine
EPA accounts. The Senate bill included higher funding for all accounts except for two—Science
and Technology and the Leaking Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund (LUST). The Science
and Technology account funds the development of the scientific knowledge and tools to inform
EPA’s formulation of pollution control regulations, standards, and agency guidance. The LUST
account is used in part for preventing and responding to releases from underground storage tanks
that contain petroleum. The largest dollar difference was for the Environmental Programs and
Management account, with the Senate committee reporting $2.56 billion, or $89.2 million (3.6%)
more than the $2.47 billion reported in the House bill. Activities in the account that would have
received higher funding in the Senate bill included geographic programs, information
exchange/outreach, and legal/science/regulatory/economic review.

(...continued)
(H.Rept. 114-198). For the Senate Interior Subcommittee, the discretionary allocation was $30.01 billion and the total
allocation (including mandatory budget authority) was $30.07 billion (S.Rept. 114-81). The 302(b) allocation for the
Senate Interior Subcommittee has since been revised, as noted above. The most recent allocation is contained in S.Rept.
114-197, issued on December 18, 2015.
25
Information on amendments to H.R. 2822 is contained in the Legislative Information System (LIS) at
https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/2822/amendments.
26
For information on National Park Service policies pertaining to the display and sale of the Confederate flag on
agency lands, and related amendments considered during House debate on H.R. 2822, see CRS Insight IN10313,
Display of the Confederate Flag at Federal Cemeteries, by (name redacted) and (name redacted)
.
27
As noted above, the 302(b) allocation for the Senate Interior Subcommittee was $30.07 billion.
28
Within this account, PILT funding was included in the total for the Office of the Secretary.

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Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2016 Appropriations

For all 20 Related Agencies in Title III, the Senate committee-reported bill included $12.31
billion, $928.7 million (8.2%) more than the $11.38 billion included in the House committeereported bill. The funding recommendations in the two bills were equal for 13 agencies, higher
for 5 agencies in the Senate bill, and higher for 2 agencies in the House bill. The overall
difference between the two bills was primarily related to the Forest Service, for which the Senate
committee reported $5.98 billion—$934.2 million (18.5%) more than the $5.04 billion in H.R.
2822. The higher funding for Wildland Fire Management in the Senate bill ($867.8 million
higher, 32.3%) was the single biggest difference.

FY2016 Committee-Reported Bills Compared to
FY2015 Appropriations
H.R. 2822 as reported by the House Appropriations Committee recommended decreased
appropriations from the FY2015 enacted level, while S. 1645 as reported from the Senate
Appropriations Committee recommended an increase above FY2015 enacted appropriations.
With regard to the House bill, the $30.23 billion for FY2016 was $246.0 million (0.8%) less than
the FY2015 appropriation of $30.48 billion (including FY2015 PILT funding). DOI agencies,
however, would have received an overall increase of $340.0 million (3.1%) for FY2016, with 6 of
the 10 DOI agencies sharing in the increase. The largest recommended dollar increase was $164.9
million (6.3%) for Indian Affairs. Like the FY2015 appropriation, the House committee bill
included discretionary funding for PILT.
For EPA, H.R. 2822 would have reduced funding by $717.7 million (8.8%)—the largest
recommended decrease in the reported bill. The EPA account with the largest dollar decline
would be State and Tribal Assistance Grants, with $565.3 million (15.9%) less than FY2015,
largely from reduced funding for grants to states through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund
(SRF) and the Drinking Water SRF. While Title III agencies would have received an overall
increase of $131.7 million (1.2%) for FY2016, the Indian Health Service was the only agency for
which additional funds were recommended ($145.5 million, 3.1%). Most Title III agencies would
have received level funding, with others proposed at levels lower than FY2015.
With regard to the Senate bill, the $31.13 billion for FY2016 was $653.6 million (2.1%) more
than FY2015 appropriations ($30.48 billion, including PILT funding). S. 1645 included higher
appropriations for every DOI agency except Departmental Offices, largely because it did not
propose PILT funding. As with the House bill, EPA would have received the largest decrease—
$542.5 million (6.7%)—with State and Tribal Assistance Grants declining more than other
accounts ($517.2 million, 14.6%) in large part from reduced grants to states through the SRFs.
Most Title III agencies would have received level funding under the Senate bill, and a couple
would have received lower appropriations. Nevertheless, the Senate bill recommended overall
higher funding for Title III agencies ($1.06 billion, 9.4%). The largest dollar increases were
$921.6 million (18.2%) for the Forest Service, primarily attributable to increased funding for
Wildland Fire Management, and $136.9 million (2.9%) for the Indian Health Service.

FY2016 Committee-Reported Bills Compared to FY2016
President’s Request
Both the House and Senate committee-reported bills had recommended lower funding for
FY2016 than sought by the President. The $30.23 billion in H.R. 2822 as reported by the House
Appropriations Committee for FY2016 was $3.09 billion (9.3%) less than the President’s request
of $33.32 billion for FY2016. H.R. 2822 recommended lower funding than sought by the

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Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2016 Appropriations

President for many agencies, including the following: $1.17 billion (13.6%) lower for EPA,
$736.7 million (12.7%) for the Forest Service, and $380.6 million (12.5%) for the National Park
Service. However, for some agencies H.R. 2822 recommended the same or higher funding
relative to the President’s request. For instance, the House bill recommended $364.8 million
(52.4%) more than the President for DOI Departmental Offices, largely due to funding for PILT
included within this account (under Office of the Secretary).
The $31.13 billion in S. 1645 as reported by the Senate Appropriations Committee for FY2016
was $2.19 billion (6.6%) less than the President’s request. Like the House bill, S. 1645 also
recommended lower funding than sought by the President for many agencies. Among the lower
amounts were the following: $994.4 million (11.6%) less for EPA, $323.7 million (6.3%) less for
the Indian Health Service, and $318.7 million (10.5%) less for the National Park Service. For
other agencies, S. 1645 contained the same or higher funding relative to the President’s request.
For instance, the Senate bill proposed $197.5 million (3.4%) more than the President for the
Forest Service, largely due to additional funding for the Wildland Fire Management account.
Unlike the President’s request, the FY2016 House committee-reported bill did not include a cap
adjustment for Wildland Fire Management. S. 1645 included bill language to provide for a new
cap adjustment and also designated some of the funds in the bill for Wildland Fire Management
as emergency funding.29

Author Contact Information
(name redacted)
Specialist in Natural Resources Policy
[redacted]@crs.loc.gov , 7-....

Key Policy Staff
Area of Expertise

Name

Phone

E-mail

Coordinator

(name redacted)

7-....

/redacted/@crs.loc.gov

Bureau of Indian Affairs, coordinator

(name redacted)

7-....

/redacted/@crs.loc.gov

Bureau of Indian Education

(name redacted)

7-....

/redacted/@crs.loc.gov

Bureau of Land Management

(name redacted)

7-....

/redacted/@crs.loc.gov

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

(name redacted)
(name redacted)

7-....
7-....

/redacted/@crs.loc.gov
/redacted/@crs.loc.gov

29

As noted above, the BCA imposed limits on discretionary spending for each of the fiscal years between FY2012 and
FY2021. Any budget authority designated for certain purposes would have caused the BCA limits to be adjusted,
making it effectively not subject to the limits. S. 1645 would have allowed a new cap adjustment for some of the costs
of wildland fire management. For additional information on the proposal in the Senate bill, see S.Rept. 114-70 on S.
1645, p. 6 and p. 84 and CRS Report R44082, Wildfire Spending: Background, Issues, and Legislation in the 114th
Congress, by (name redacted) et al.

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Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2016 Appropriations

Area of Expertise

Name

Phone

E-mail

Bureau of Safety and Environmental
Enforcement

(name redacted)
(name redacted)

7-....
7-....

/redacted/@crs.loc.gov
/redacted/@crs.loc.gov

Environmental Protection Agency

(name redacted)

7-....

/redacted/@crs.loc.gov

Fish and Wildlife Service

(name redacted)

7-....

/redacted/@crs.loc.gov

Forest Service

(name redacted)

7-....

/redacted/@crs.loc.gov

Indian Health Service

(name redacted)

7-....

/redacted/@crs.loc.gov

Land and Water Conservation Fund

(name redacted)

7-....

/redacted/@crs.loc.gov

Office of Insular Affairs

(name redacted)

7-....

/redacted/@crs.loc.gov

Office of Natural Resources Revenue

(name redacted)

7-....

/redacted/@crs.loc.gov

Office of Surface Mining Reclamation
and Enforcement

(name redacted)

7-....

/redacted/@crs.loc.gov

National Endowment for the Arts and
National Endowment for the
Humanities

(name redacted)

7-....

/redacted/@crs.loc.gov

National Park Service

(name redacted)

7-....

/redacted/@crs.loc.gov

Smithsonian Institution

(name redacted)

7-....

/redacted/@crs.loc.gov

U.S. Geological Survey

(name redacted)

7-....

/redacted/@crs.loc.gov

Wildland Fire Management

(name redacted)

7-....

/redacted/@crs.loc.gov

Congressional Research Service

18

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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/crs%3AR44061. Public record. Not legal advice.
