United States Department of Agriculture 

Marketing and Regulatory Programs 

Agricultural Marketing Service 

AMS Directive AMS 2020.2 11/03/2023 

RESTRICTIONS ON THE DISCLOSURE OF BUDGET 

ESTIMATES AND SUPPORTING MATERIALS 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

1. PURPOSE ............................................................................................................................... 

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2. SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS AND REPLACEMENT HIGHLIGHTS 1 

3. AUTHORITIES AND REFERENCES 1 

4. SCOPE 1 

5. POLICY................................................................................................................................... 

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6. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 2 

7. DISCLOSURES PROHIBITED – TO THE PUBLIC 2 

8. DISCLOSURES PROHIBITED 2 

9. RECORDS MANAGEMENT 3 

10. INQUIRIES AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 3 

1. PURPOSE 

This Directive sets forth responsibilities and restrictions on the disclosure of budget 

estimates and supporting materials. 

2. SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS AND REPLACEMENT HIGHLIGHTS 

This Directive replaces AMS Directive 430-3, dated 8/13/93. 

3. AUTHORITIES AND REFERENCES 

Restrictions on the disclosure of budget estimates and supporting materials are contained 

in Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-11, Section 22; and in the 

Departmental Budget Manual, Part 1, Chapter 2, Section 1. 

4. SCOPE 

This Directive applies to AMS programs and employees. 

Distribution: AMS Originating Office: AMS-Budget 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. POLICY 

It is AMS policy to comply with all regulations concerning the confidentiality of 

budgetary data. 

6. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

All AMS employees having access to budgetary data are responsible for following the 

provisions of this Directive concerning the confidential nature of budgetary data. 

7. DISCLOSURES PROHIBITED – TO THE PUBLIC 

a. Disclosure of the following data to the public is prohibited: 

(1) Program/Staff, Agency, and Department estimates and all other budget 

estimates and supporting materials that precede the President's budget. 

Budgetary data includes the amount of the proposed appropriation, the 

language of the appropriation estimate, and any limitations contained within 

it. Restrictions apply to past and current estimates. Similar restrictions also 

apply to supplemental and deficiency estimates and budget amendments. 

(2) The President's budget prior to transmittal to the Congress. 

(3) Data on congressional action on the President's budget, and Agency material 

furnished to congressional committees in connection with consideration of the 

budget prior to release by the committee or other congressional agency 

involved. 

b. Disclosure of the following data to a Member of Congress or staff is prohibited: 

(1) The budgetary data stated in paragraph 6a(1), except when requested in formal 

appropriation hearings, or when a direct request is received from a Member of 

Congress (or a member of his/her staff acting at the direction of the Member 

of Congress) in connection with their consideration of the budget after its 

transmittal. Such requests shall be forwarded to the AMS Budget Division for 

appropriate Agency and Department coordination. 

(2) The President's budget prior to transmittal to the Congress. 

8. DISCLOSURES PROHIBITED 

The regulations of the Executive Branch, Department, or Agency do not prohibit making 

the following data available: 

a. The budget estimates and supporting materials, at any stage of preparation of the 

budget, to other Federal employees of the Executive Branch when they require the 

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information in the performance of their official duties. 

b. The President's budget after it is made public through formal transmittal to the 

Congress. 

c. Data relating to congressional action on the budget, including committee actions and 

reports, Department comments furnished to the Congress, etc., but only after and to 

the extent that such data are released to the public by the committees or other 

congressional agencies. This release is most commonly made through printed bills 

and reports, and published debate in the Congressional Record. 

d. Data published in the Federal Register. 

9. RECORDS MANAGEMENT 

Federal records created by this Directive must be maintained in accordance with the 

established General Records Schedule (GRS) and/or the AMS/APHIS Records 

Management Handbook when applicable. If employees are named in an active litigation 

hold, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, and/or other action, those records, 

regardless of media, must be preserved and maintained in their native format until 

otherwise notified by your Agency Records Officer and/or the Office of General Counsel. 

a. MRP Information Technology, Information Management Branch (MRP-IT, IMB) is 

the official recordkeeper of this Directive, which is to be preserved permanently, per 

Paperwork and Data Management (PDM) 4-1. 

b. The Resource Management Specialists for FMD are the official recordkeepers of the 

records listed below, which will be maintained in accordance with the APHIS 

Records Handbook and with: 

(1) GRS 1.1 – Item 001: Official record of assignment and subject files; destroy when 

3 years old, but longer retention is authorized if required for business use. 

(2) GRS 1.2 – Item 010: Financial transaction records related to collecting debts and 

accounting; official record held in the office of record; destroy 6 years after final 

payment or cancellation, but longer retention is authorized if required for business 

use. 

(3) GRS 1.2 – Item 011: Copies used for administrative or reference purposes; 

destroy when business use ceases. 

10. INQUIRIES AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 

a. Contact the AMS Budget Division for further information. 

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b. This Directive can be accessed online via the AMS Issuances Web page. 

/s/ 

Erin Morris 

Associate Administrator 

Agricultural Marketing Service 

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