America COMPETES 2010 and the FY2013 Budget (CRS Report for Congress)
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| Release Date |
Revised Dec. 27, 2013 |
| Report Number |
R42430 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
Heather B. Gonzalez, Specialist in Science and Technology Policy |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
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Summary:
Signed on January 4, 2011, the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 (COMPETES 2010, P.L. 111-358) sought to improve U.S. competitiveness and innovation by authorizing, among other things, increased federal support for research in the physical sciences and engineering, as well as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. Certain provisions of the law, including major funding authorizations, expired in FY2013. This report describes the President's FY2013 budget request for selected COMPETES 2010 provisions and tracks the status of FY2013 funding for these appropriations accounts.
The President's FY2013 budget requested an increase of 4.1% for the "doubling path" accounts at the National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Energy's Office of Science, and National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST's) core laboratory and construction. This growth rate was less than the COMPETES 2010 authorized rate of 6.3% and equal to the FY2012 enacted appropriations rate. At the end of the COMPETES 2010 authorization period in FY2013, the growth rate in the targeted accounts was 3.0% (from the FY2006 baseline). Funding levels for the targeted accountsâindividually and combinedâwere generally below FY2010 levels. The sole exception was the NIST core laboratory account, which was higher in FY2013 than in FY2010.
For FY2013, Congress provided both regular and continuing appropriations to COMPETES 2010 agencies. NSF and NIST received regular appropriations, while the Office of Science and Department of Education received continuing funding. The combined effects of sequestration and rescissions in P.L. 113-6 (FY2013 Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act) resulted in year-over-year reductions for the Office of Science, the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), and most NSF accounts. FY2013 funding for most NIST accounts increased slightly over FY2012 enacted levels. All of the selected COMPETES 2010 accounts were funded below authorized levels. Table A-1 contains information about the FY2013 funding status of selected provisions from COMPETES 2010.
Both the House and the Senate Committee on Appropriations approved FY2013 appropriations bills for the NSF, NIST, and Office of Science before Congress enacted P.L. 113-6. As initially proposed, differences between House and Senate top line funding levels for NSF and NIST were less than 1%, while the difference in funding for the Office of Science was 2.2%. Proposed FY2013 funding for ARPA-E revealed larger differences between the chambers. The House would have provided $200 million while the Senate Committee on Appropriations sought the authorized amount ($312.0 million). FY2013 funding for COMPETES 2010's STEM education provisions were largely consistent with previous appropriations cycles, which have not typically included specific funding levels for these activities. A notable exception to this rule is the main education account at NSF. As initially requested, passed, and recommended, the President's, House, and Senate Committee on Appropriations each provided $875.6 million for this account in FY2013. Post-rescission, post-sequestration FY2013 funding for this account was $833.3 million.
