House Interior-Environment Appropriations Bill Reopens EPA, National Park Service

A PDF copy of this summary is available here. Additional details on the legislative package are available here.

House Appropriations Committee Democrats have filed legislation to reopen the federal government and fund the Department of the Interior, Environmental Protection Agency, Forest Service, and other agencies.

The legislation is virtually identical to the FY19 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies bill that passed the Senate Appropriations Committee on a 31-0 vote and was adopted by the full Senate on a 92-6 vote.

It provides $35.9 billion in discretionary funding, $6 billion above the President’s budget request and $300 million above the FY2018 enacted level. The legislation will end the Trump Shutdown and fund the agencies covered in the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill through September 30.

Bill Highlights:

Department of the Interior (DOI) — $13.2 billion overall for the Interior Department, including full funding for the Payment in Lieu of Taxes program.

• Bureau of Land Management (BLM) — $1.34 billion, an increase of $11 million above the FY2018 enacted level and $320 million above the President’s budget request.

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) — $1.57 billion, which is $19.7 million below the FY2018 enacted level and $349 million above the President’s budget request.

• National Park Service (NPS) — $3.22 billion, an increase of $16.4 million above the FY2018 enacted level and $517 million above the President’s budget request.

• U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) — $1.15 billion, which is equal to the FY2018 enacted level and $289 million above the President’s budget request.

• Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education (BIA/BIE) — $3.07 billion, an increase of $13 million above the FY2018 enacted level and $663 million above the President’s budget request. Within this amount, Contract Support Costs are fully funded.

Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) — $425 million, which is equal to the FY 2018 enacted level and $425 million above the President’s budget request.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) — $8.8 billion (Title II: $8.1 billion and Title IV: $766 million), which equal to the FY2018 enacted level and $2.6 billion above the President’s budget request.

• Clean Water State Revolving Fund — $1.7 billion (Title II: $1.4 billion, Title IV: $300 million), which is equal to the 2018 enacted level and $300 million above the President’s budget request.

• Safe Drinking Water State Revolving Fund — $1.2 billion, which is equal to the 2018 enacted level and $300 million above the President’s budget request.

• Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) Grants — $63 million (Title II: $10 million, Title IV: $53 million), which is equal to the FY 2018 enacted level and $43 million above the President’s budget request.

Indian Health Service (IHS) — $5.77 billion, an increase of $234 million above the FY2018 enacted level and $348 million above the President’s budget request.  The bill fully funds Contract Support Costs.

U.S. Forest Service (FS, non-fire) — $3.07 billion, an increase of $15 million above than the 2018 enacted level and $851 million above the President’s budget request.

Wildland Fire Management — $4.36 billion ($1.16 billion DOI; $3.2 billion FS) to fight wildland fire. This amount provides fire suppression funding at the 10-year average and an additional $900 million ($176 million DOI; $724 million FS).  

Smithsonian Institution — $1.043 billion, equal to the FY2018 enacted level and $86 million above the President’s budget request.

National Endowment for the Arts and Humanities (NEA/NEH) — $155 million for both NEA and NEH.  This is a $2.1 million increase above the FY2018 enacted levels for each endowment and rejects the President’s budget proposal to eliminate the Agencies.