LegiStorm

Summary:

This report discusses the FY2016 appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and provides an overview of the Administration's FY2016 request. The report makes note of many budgetary resources provided to DHS, but its primary focus is on funding approved by Congress through the appropriations process. It also includes an Appendix with definitions of key budget terms used throughout the suite of Congressional Research Service reports on homeland security appropriations. It also directs the reader to other reports providing context for and additional details regarding specific component appropriations and issues engaged through the FY2016 appropriations process. The Administration requested $41.4 billion in adjusted net discretionary budget authority for DHS for FY2016, as part of an overall budget that the Office of Management and Budget estimates to be $64.8 billion (including fees, trust funds, and other funding that is not annually appropriated or does not score against discretionary budget limits). The request amounted to a $1.7 billion, or 4.4%, increase from the $39.7 billion enacted for FY2015 through the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2015 (P.L. 114-4). The Administration also requested an additional $6.7 billion not reflected above for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in disaster relief funding, as defined by the Budget Control Act (BCA, P.L. 112-25), and a $160 million transfer from the Navy to the Coast Guard for overseas contingency operations (OCO) funding. Neither the disaster relief funding nor the OCO funding is considered when calculating the total amount of adjusted net discretionary budget authority, as neither count against the discretionary spending limit. On June 18, 2015, the Senate Committee on Appropriations reported out S. 1619, accompanied by S.Rept. 114-68. S. 1619 included $40.2 billion in adjusted net discretionary budget authority for FY2016. This was $1.2 billion (2.9%) below the level requested by the Administration, but over $0.5 billion (1.4%) above the enacted level for FY2015. The Senate committee-reported bill included the Administration-requested levels for disaster relief funding and OCO funding covered by BCA adjustments—the latter as an appropriation in the DHS appropriations bill rather than the requested transfer. On July 14, 2015, the House Committee on Appropriations reported out H.R. 3128, accompanied by H.Rept. 114-215. H.R. 3128 included $39.3 billion in adjusted net discretionary budget authority for FY2016. This was almost $2.1 billion (5.0%) below the level requested by the Administration, and $337 million (0.8%) below the FY2015 enacted level. While the House-reported bill included the Administration-requested level for disaster relief funding, overseas contingency operations funding for the Coast Guard covered by BCA adjustments was provided in the House-passed Department of Defense appropriations act as a transfer from the Navy—therefore it is not included in the total funding in this bill for DHS. On December 18, 2015, the President signed into law P.L. 114-113, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016, Division F of which was the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2016. The act included almost $41.0 billion in adjusted net discretionary budget authority for DHS for FY2016, almost $1.3 billion more than was provided for FY2015, and $443 million less than was requested. The enacted bill included the requested overseas contingency operations and disaster relief funding as well. This report will be updated in the event a supplemental appropriation is provided for DHS for FY2016.