Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: Overview of FY2019 Appropriations
Released: 2019-03-29T00:00:00

Introduction

This report focuses on FY2019 discretionary appropriations for Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies. At issue for Congress were determining the amount of funding for agencies and programs in the bill, and the terms and conditions of such funding.

This report first presents a short overview of the agencies and other entities funded in the bill. It then describes the appropriations requested by President Trump for FY2019 for Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies. Next, it briefly compares the appropriations enacted for FY2018 with the FY2019 appropriations requested by the President; passed by the House in H.R. 6147 (115 th Congress) on July 19, 2018; passed by the Senate, also in H.R. 6147 (115 th Congress) on August 1, 2018; and enacted in Division E of P.L. 116-6 on February 15, 2019. Finally, this report compares FY2018 and FY2019 funding for several agencies and issues that have been among those of interest to Congress. They include the Bureau of Land Management, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Forest Service, Indian Affairs, Indian Health Service, Land and Water Conservation Fund, National Park Service, Payments in Lieu of Taxes Program, Smithsonian Institution, U.S. Geological Survey, and Wildland Fire Management.

For FY2019, the enacted appropriation for Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies was $35.61 billion. This total was composed of $13.02 billion for DOI agencies in Title I, $8.06 billion for EPA in Title II, $13.74 billion for "Related Agencies" in Title III, and $791.0 million in Title IV for certain activities of EPA. The FY2019 appropriation was $300.0 million (0.8%) more than the FY2018 regular appropriation of $35.31 billion, but $975.4 million (2.7%) less than the FY2018 total appropriation of $36.59 billion, including $1.28 billion in emergency supplemental appropriations for disaster relief. The FY2019 appropriation was $7.28 billion (25.7%) more than the President's request ($28.34 billion), $305.5 million (0.9%) more than the level passed by the House ($35.31 billion), and $301.0 million (0.8%) less than the level passed by the Senate ($35.91 billion).

Because the FY2019 appropriation was not enacted until February 15, 2019, Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies received continuing appropriations for certain periods before that date. Specifically, from the start of the fiscal year on October 1, 2018, through December 21, 2018, continuing appropriations were provided at the FY2018 level (in Division G of P.L. 115-141 ). The continuing resolution (CR) generally provided funds for continuing projects and activities under the same authority and conditions and to the same extent and manner as for FY2018. However, the CR included certain exceptions ("anomalies") that changed the purposes or amounts of funds, extended expiring provisions of law, or made other changes to existing law.

The CR expired after December 21, 2018, before being extended on January 25, 2019, through February 15, 2019. As a result of the lapse in funds, a partial government shutdown went into effect between December 22, 2018, and January 25, 2019. During that time, agencies in the Interior bill generally operated under "contingency" plans that summarize activities that would cease and activities that would continue during a lapse in appropriations.

In the 116 th Congress, the House and Senate considered a variety of measures to provide FY2019 funding to Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies. Other than H.J.Res. 31 , enacted as P.L. 116-6 and containing regular FY2019 appropriations, these measures are not discussed in this report. They included proposals for relatively short-term as well as full-year funding, and are identified on the CRS Appropriations Status Table at http://www.crs.gov/AppropriationsStatusTable/Index .

Appropriations are complex. Budget justifications for some agencies are large, often several hundred pages long 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 generally does not provide in-depth information at the account and subaccount levels, nor does it detail budgetary reorganizations or legislative changes enacted in law or proposed for FY2019. For information on a particular agency or on individual accounts, programs, or activities administered by a particular agency, contact the key policy staff listed at the end of this report. In addition, for selected reports related to appropriations for Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, such as individual agencies (e.g., National Park Service) or cross-cutting programs (e.g., Wildland Fire Management), see the "Interior & Environment Appropriations" subissue under the "Appropriations" Issue Area page on the Congressional Research Service (CRS) website.

Overview of Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies

The annual Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bill includes funding and other provisions for agencies and programs in three separate federal departments and for numerous related agencies. The Interior bill typically contains three primary appropriations titles and a fourth title with general provisions. Title I provides funding for most Department of the Interior (DOI) agencies, many of which manage land and other natural resource or regulatory programs. Title I also typically includes general provisions related to DOI agencies. Title II contains appropriations and administrative provisions for EPA. Title III, Related Agencies, currently funds 23 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, including the Smithsonian Institution; and various other organizations and entities. Title III also contains administrative provisions for some agencies funded therein. A fourth title of the bill, General Provisions, typically contains additional guidance and direction for agencies in the bill. In addition, in the FY2018 appropriations law and the House-passed, Senate-passed, and enacted measures for FY2019, Title IV also included appropriations, primarily for EPA. Selected major agencies in the Interior bill are briefly described below.

Title I. Department of the Interior11

DOI's mission is to protect and manage the nation's natural resources and cultural heritage; provide scientific and other information about those resources and natural hazards; and exercise trust responsibilities and other commitments to American Indians, Alaska Natives, and affiliated island communities. There are eight DOI agencies and two other broad accounts funded in the Interior bill that carry out this mission. Hereinafter, these agencies and broad accounts are referred to collectively as the 10 DOI "agencies." Not including the two broad accounts, the DOI agencies funded in the Interior bill include the following:

The Bureau of Land Management administers about 246 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 also is responsible for about 700 million acres of federal onshore subsurface mineral estate throughout the nation and supervises the mineral operations on about 56 million acres of Indian trust lands. The U.S. F ish and Wildlife Service administers 89 million acres of federal land within the National Wildlife Refuge System and other areas, including 77 million acres in Alaska. It also manages several large marine refuges and marine national monuments, sometimes jointly with other federal agencies. In addition, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the primary agency responsible for implementing the Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. §§1531 et seq.) through listing of species; consulting with other federal agencies; collaborating with private entities and state, tribal, and local governments; and other measures. It is also the primary agency responsible for 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 80 million acres of federal land within the National Park System, including 419 separate units in the 50 states, 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 National 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 and land use change; natural hazards; 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 located in areas covering 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 mining sites. The agency also regulates active coal mining sites to minimize environmental impacts during mining and to reclaim affected lands and waters after mining. Indian Affairs agencies provide and fund a variety of services to federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes and their members. Historically, these agencies have taken the lead 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

EPA has no organic statute establishing an overall mission; rather, the agency administers various environmental statutes, which have an express or general objective to protect human health and the environment. Primary responsibilities include the implementation of federal statutes regulating air quality, water quality, drinking water safety, 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 complying with federal requirements to control pollution. The agency also administers programs that provide financial assistance for public wastewater and drinking water infrastructure projects.

Title III. Related Agencies

Title III of the Interior bill currently funds 23 agencies, organizations, and other entities, which are collectively referred to hereinafter as the "Related Agencies." Among the Related Agencies funded in the Interior bill, roughly 95% of the funding is typically provided to the following:

The Forest Service in the Department of Agriculture manages 193 million acres of federal land within the National Forest System—consisting of national forests, national grasslands, and other areas—in 43 states, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. It also 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. The agency operates 26 hospitals, 57 health centers, and 21 health stations. Tribes and tribal organizations, through Indian Health Service contracts and compacts, operate another 22 hospitals, 286 health centers, 62 health stations, and 134 Alaska Native village clinics. The Smithsonian Institution is a museum and research complex consisting of 19 museums and galleries, the National Zoo, and 9 research facilities throughout the United States and around the world. 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. 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, which 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 approximately 63,000 grants. It also supports a Challenge Grant program to stimulate and match private donations in support of humanities institutions.

FY2019 Appropriations

Components of President Trump's Request

For FY2019, President Trump requested $28.34 billion for the more than 30 agencies and entities in the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. The President also requested the establishment of a new adjustment to the discretionary spending limits for certain wildland fire suppression activities, and he requested $1.52 billion to be made available through the cap adjustment for FY2019. Budget authority designated for those activities would cause the spending limits to be adjusted, making it effectively not subject to the limits.

For the 10 major DOI agencies in Title I of the bill, the request was $10.59 billion, or 37.4% of the $28.34 billion total requested. For EPA, funded in Title II of the bill, the request was $6.19 billion, or 21.8% of the total. For the 23 agencies and other entities funded in Title III of the bill, the request was $11.56 billion, or 40.8% of the total.

Appropriations for agencies vary widely for 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 FY2019 request covered more than 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 more than half (57.4%) of the total request. Further, three-quarters (75.5%) of the request was for these three agencies and two others, National Park Service and Indian Affairs.

For DOI agencies, the FY2019 requests ranged from $121.7 million for the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement to $2.70 billion for the National Park Service. The requests for 5 of the 10 agencies exceeded $1 billion. Nearly half (48.3%) of the $10.59 billion requested for DOI agencies was for two agencies—the National Park Service ($2.70 billion) and Indian Affairs ($2.41 billion).

For Related Agencies in Title III, the requested funding levels exhibited even more variation. The President sought amounts ranging from no funding for two entities—grants under National Capital Arts and Cultural Affairs and the Women's Suffrage Centennial Commission—to $5.42 billion for the Indian Health Service. The Forest Service was the only other agency for which more than $4 billion was requested. The next-largest request was for the Smithsonian Institution, at $957.4 million. By contrast, 19 entities each had requests of $62 million or less, including 12 with requests of less than $10 million each.

Figure 1 identifies the share of the President's FY2019 request for particular agencies in the Interior bill.

Overview of FY2019 Appropriations Compared with FY2018 Enacted Appropriations

For FY2018, the total enacted appropriation for Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies was $36.59 billion. This total included $35.31 billion in regular appropriations and $1.28 billion in emergency supplemental appropriations for disaster relief. As noted, for FY2019, the President sought $28.34 billion for agencies in the Interior bill and a discretionary cap adjustment of $1.52 billion for wildland fire suppression. Neither the House nor the Senate version of H.R. 6147 , as passed during the 115 th Congress, nor the FY2019 enacted legislation, contained the cap adjustment.

H.R. 6147 , as passed by the House on July 19, 2018, would have provided $35.31 billion for FY2019. H.R. 6147 , as passed by the Senate on August 1, 2018, would have provided $35.91 billion for FY2019.

For FY2019, the enacted appropriation for Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies in P.L. 116-6 was $35.61 billion. Thus, when including the supplemental disaster funding for FY2018, the President's request, House-passed bill, Senate-passed bill, and FY2019 enacted appropriation contained less overall funding for FY2019 as compared to the FY2018 total of $36.59 billion, as follows:

$8.25 billion (22.5%) less under the President's request, $1.28 billion (3.5%) less under the House-passed bill, $674.4 million (1.8%) less under the Senate-passed bill, and $975.4 million (2.7%) less under the FY2019 enacted appropriation.

However, relative to the regular FY2018 appropriation of $35.31 billion (excluding the supplemental disaster funding), for FY2019:

the President's request would have reduced funding by $6.98 billion (19.8%), the House-passed bill would have provided nearly level appropriations, with a decrease of $5.5 million (<0.1%), the Senate-passed bill would have increased funding by $601.0 million (1.7%), and the FY2019 enacted appropriation provided an increase of $300.0 million (0.8%).

Figure 2 depicts the regular appropriations enacted for FY2018, requested by the President for FY2019, in H.R. 6147 (115 th Congress) as passed by the House for FY2019, in H.R. 6147 (115 th Congress) as passed by the Senate for FY2019, and enacted for FY2019 in Division E of P.L. 116-6 . It shows the appropriations contained in each of the three main appropriations titles of the Interior bill—Title I (DOI), Title II (EPA), and Title III (Related Agencies)—and in the general provisions in Title IV. For FY2018 enacted appropriations, it also depicts the emergency supplemental appropriations for disaster relief. Table 1 , at the end of this report, lists the appropriations for each agency that were enacted for FY2018, requested by the President for FY2019, passed by the House in H.R. 6147 (115 th Congress) for FY2019, passed by the Senate in H.R. 6147 (115 th Congress) for FY2019, and enacted for FY2019 in Division E of P.L. 116-6 . It also contains the percentage changes between FY2018 enacted appropriations and FY2019 enacted appropriations.

Selected Agencies and Programs25

There are many differences among the FY2018 enacted appropriations and the FY2019 funding requested by the President, passed by the House, passed by the Senate, and enacted. Selected agencies and programs are highlighted below, among the many of interest to Members of Congress, stakeholders, and the public. For the selected agencies and programs, the discussions below briefly compare FY2018 regular annual funding with FY2019 levels requested by the Administration, approved by the House in H.R. 6147 (115 th Congress), approved by the Senate in H.R. 6147 (115 th Congress), and enacted for FY2019 in Division E of P.L. 116-6 . Including FY2018 emergency supplemental appropriations would result in different comparisons for some of the agencies and programs covered below.

Bureau of Land Management

The Administration sought a decrease of 23.2% from the FY2018 appropriation ($1.33 billion) for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The request contained lower funding for many BLM accounts and programs, including those for overall Management of Lands and Resources, and Land Acquisition by the agency. The House and Senate versions of the bill included increased appropriations for BLM for FY2019, of 4.1% and 0.9% respectively, with additional funds for the Management of Lands and Resources. The Senate also would have provided an increase for Land Acquisition, but the House would have reduced funds for that purpose. Further, the Administration proposed a budget restructuring within the Management of Lands and Resources account, to increase flexibility, cost savings, and program integration. The Senate, but not the House, would have adopted this restructuring.

The FY2019 enacted appropriation of $1.35 billion was a $14.3 million (1.1%) increase over the FY2018 appropriation. It reflected the President's proposed restructuring in the Management of Lands and Resources account, and increased funds for that account and for Land Acquisition, with level funding for other accounts.

Environmental Protection Agency

For FY2018, EPA received $8.06 billion in Title II of the regular appropriations law, and another $766.0 million in Title IV of that law, for an FY2018 regular appropriation of $8.82 billion. This discussion generally reflects funding in Title II only. Relative to the FY2018 appropriations in Title II only ($8.06 billion), the EPA would have received a decrease under the Administration's request (23.2%) and under the House-passed bill (1.6%), but it would have received level funding under the Senate-passed bill. The request contained lower funding for several accounts, among them Science and Technology, Environmental Programs and Management (including geographic programs), and State and Tribal Assistance Grants (STAG, including categorical grants). However, the Administration sought level funding in the STAG account for capitalization grants to states for wastewater infrastructure projects through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) and for drinking water infrastructure grants to states through the Drinking Water SRF. Moreover, the Administration asked for increased appropriations for two accounts, Buildings and Facilities and the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Program.

The House and Senate versions of the bill both supported level (or nearly level) funding for some accounts and programs (e.g., the Clean Water SRF and the Drinking Water SRF). However, whereas the Senate would have provided level funding for many accounts, the House more often supported decreases (e.g., Science and Technology, and Environmental Programs and Management) or increases (e.g., Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Program, and Hazardous Substance Superfund).

For FY2019, EPA received $8.06 billion in Title II of the regular appropriations law, and another $791.0 million in Title IV of that law, for an FY2019 regular appropriation of $8.85 billion. This was a $25.0 million (0.3%) increase over the FY2018 total appropriation. The $8.06 billion enacted for FY2019 in Title II was equal to the FY2018 appropriation for Title II (and the Senate-passed level for FY2019). The FY2019 enacted appropriation included funding at the FY2018 level for each EPA account except for STAG, which increased by $42.9 million (1.2%) over FY2018. There was a corresponding change in rescissions, with $42.9 million more in (account-specific) rescissions enacted in FY2019 than in FY2018.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

For the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), differing amounts of reductions from the FY2018 level ($1.59 billion) were proposed for FY2019 by the Administration (23.1%), House (0.9%), and Senate (1.2%). The Administration sought to reduce funding for the Resource Management account overall, with cuts in programs such as ecological services, habitat conservation, and fish and aquatic conservation, and to eliminate funding for programs including cooperative landscape conservation and science support. The House and Senate versions of the bill would have increased funding for Resource Management, with little change for many programs relative to FY2018, and would have retained funding for cooperative landscape conservation and science support. Citing "higher priorities," the Administration also proposed eliminating discretionary appropriations for two other FWS accounts—the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund and the National Wildlife Refuge Fund. The House- and Senate-passed bills retained discretionary funding for these accounts. Further, the Administration proposed relatively large reductions from the FY2018 level for the Land Acquisition (89.1%) and Construction (79.3%) accounts. The House and Senate supported smaller reductions for both accounts.

The FY2019 enacted appropriation of $1.58 billion was $17.0 million (1.1%) less than the FY2018 appropriation. Like the House-passed and Senate-passed bills, the FY2019 appropriation increased funding for Resource Management, and retained funding for the cooperative landscape conservation and science support programs funded by this account. Similarly, the enacted appropriation included funding for the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund and the National Wildlife Refuge Fund. It also increased Land Acquisition, reduced Construction, and rescinded $15.0 million from Coastal Impact Assistance Program Grants.

Forest Service

For FY2019, the Administration requested 21.5% less for the Forest Service (FS) than was enacted for FY2018 ($5.93 billion). Within the overall reduction, the President proposed decreases for each FS account, including 81.6% less for Capital Improvement and Maintenance, 47.7% less for State and Private Forestry, and 10.6% less for the National Forest System. The Administration also sought to eliminate funding for some programs, including Land Acquisition (from the Land and Water Conservation Fund), Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration, and certain cooperative forestry programs such as Forest Legacy. For FY2019, the House and Senate bills would have provided overall increases for the FS of 3.3% and 6.1% respectively, with increases for some FS accounts and retention of programs the Administration sought to eliminate. The House and Senate supported differing levels of appropriations for major FS accounts, with the House approving higher amounts than the Senate for the National Forest System and Capital Improvement and Maintenance and the Senate approving higher amounts than the House for Land Acquisition and Wildland Fire Management, among other differences.

For FY2019, the FS enacted appropriation of $6.09 billion was $152.5 million (2.6%) higher than the FY2018 appropriation. It included higher funding than enacted for FY2018 for all major accounts except Capital Improvement and Maintenance (which decreased by 0.7%). For Wildland Fire Management, the FY2019 appropriation of $3.00 billion was 4.3% higher than the FY2018 appropriation, nearly the same as the House-passed level, and 7.0% less than the Senate-passed amount. The FS total FY2019 appropriation also included funding for programs the Administration had sought to eliminate, as noted above.

Indian Affairs

The Administration's FY2019 requested appropriation for Indian Affairs (IA) was 21.2% less than the FY2018 enacted amount ($3.06 billion). Most Indian programs would have been funded at lower levels, including human services, natural resources management, and public safety and justice. Education and construction (including construction of educational facilities) were among the largest dollar decreases in the budget request. The House- and Senate-passed measures contained overall increases of 1.3% and 0.4% respectively for IA, with relatively stable funding for many programs and activities as compared with FY2018 enacted amounts.

Enacted appropriations of $3.08 billion for FY2019 were a $17.5 million (0.6%) increase over FY2018 appropriations. For FY2019, most programs received relatively small dollar increases or stable funding as compared with FY2018. Changes relative to FY2018 included an increase of 1.5% for public safety and justice and of 2.3% for contract support costs, and a decrease of 9.7% for Indian Land and Water Claim Settlements and Miscellaneous Payments to Indians. The appropriation for education programs declined 1.1% from FY2018 to FY2019. This was primarily due to the inclusion of a one-time increase of $16.9 million for FY2018 for the Haskell Indian Nations University and the Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute, to convert these postsecondary institutions to forward funding to align with the school year funding cycle.

Indian Health Service

Under the Administration's FY2019 request, the Indian Health Service (IHS) would have received 2.1% less than the FY2018 appropriation ($5.54 billion). The overall decrease was composed of a variety of program reductions and increases. For example, the Administration proposed cutting the Indian Health Facilities account (41.7%), including for maintenance and improvement of facilities and construction of both health care and sanitation facilities, and proposed no funding for programs including the Indian Health Care Improvement Fund, health education, and community health representatives. However, the Administration requested additional monies for clinical services including hospital and health clinics, mental health, and alcohol and substance abuse, and for contract support costs (to help tribes pay the costs of administering IHS-funded programs). The Administration also sought to fund the Special Diabetes Program for Indians through discretionary appropriations; currently the program has a direct appropriation.

The House and Senate bills would have approved increases of 6.7% and 4.2% respectively over FY2018 appropriations for IHS. Both chambers included higher funding for clinical services than enacted for FY2018 and requested by the Administration for FY2019, and both agreed with the Administration's proposed level for contract support costs. The House, but not the Senate, included appropriations for the Indian Health Care Improvement Fund and would have provided more than the FY2018 appropriation for the fund. Both chambers sought to retain funding for health education and community health representatives. Both chambers also supported level funding for most Indian Health Facilities programs but provided additional funds for facilities and environmental health support. Neither chamber sought to fund the Special Diabetes Program for Indians through discretionary appropriations.

The FY2019 enacted appropriation of $5.80 billion was an increase of $266.5 million (4.8%) for IHS over FY2018 appropriations. The total included level or increased funds for most programs and activities, for instance, with increases for clinical services and contract support costs. The enacted total included funding for programs the President sought to eliminate, including the Indian Health Care Improvement Fund, health education, and community health representatives. Similar to the House-passed and Senate-passed bills, the FY2019 enacted appropriation did not fund the Special Diabetes Program for Indians through discretionary appropriations, and provided level funding for most Indian Health Facilities programs except for facilities and environmental health support, which received an increase.

Land and Water Conservation Fund

The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) has funded land acquisition for the four main federal land management agencies, a matching grant program to states to support outdoor recreation, and other purposes. For FY2019, the Administration did not seek discretionary appropriations for most programs that received appropriations from the LWCF in FY2018, and proposed an overall reduction of $12.9 million due to rescisssions of prior-year funds for some program components. In contrast, the House and Senate would have provided LWCF funding for the same programs as in FY2018, including land acquisition by the federal land management agencies. However, both the House and the Senate versions of the bill contained reductions from the FY2018 level ($425.0 million), of 15.2% and 3.8% respectively. In contrast, the FY2019 enacted appropriation of $435.0 million was a $10.0 million (2.4%) increase over FY2018.

National Park Service

For FY2019, the Administration requested 15.6% less for the National Park Service (NPS) than was enacted for FY2018 ($3.20 billion). Within the overall reduction, the President proposed cuts for each NPS account and many programs, including Construction, the Historic Preservation Fund, facility operations and maintenance, and heritage partnership programs. The President proposed the elimination of discretionary funding for other programs, including grants to states for outdoor recreation, line item acquisitions by the NPS, and the Centennial Challenge Program (a matching grant program to encourage donations).

The House and Senate would have approved overall increases of 1.9% and 0.5% respectively for the NPS for FY2019. Their bills sought to fund many accounts and programs at levels similar to those enacted for FY2018. However, both chambers included increases for some programs (e.g., facility operations and maintenance) and reductions for other programs (e.g., line-item acquisitions). In still other cases, the chambers differed as to the direction of the change, for instance, with the House supporting an increase for the Historic Preservation Fund and the Senate approving a decrease.

For FY2019, the enacted appropriation was $3.22 billion, which was $20.5 million (0.6%) more than the FY2018 appropriation. The total reflected various increases for several accounts, namely the Operation of the National Park System, National Recreation and Preservation, Historic Preservation Fund, and Construction. However, FY2019 funds were lower than FY2018 appropriations for two other accounts: the Centennial Challenge, and Land Acquisition and State Assistance account, due to a decrease for land acquisition by the NPS.

Payments in Lieu of Taxes

The Payments in Lieu of Taxes Program (PILT) would have been reduced from the FY2018 level ($553.2 million) under the President's request ($465.0 million, a 15.9% reduction). For FY2019, the House-passed bill and the Senate-passed bill both contained $500.0 million, a reduction of 9.6% from the FY2018 amount. In earlier action, the Senate Appropriations Committee had reported that $500.0 million was the estimate of full funding for PILT for FY2019. PILT compensates counties and local governments for nontaxable lands within their jurisdictions. The authorized level for the program is calculated under a formula that considers various factors and varies from year to year. The authorized payment is currently subject to annual appropriations.

The FY2019 appropriation for PILT was $500.0 million, a decrease of $53.2 million (9.6%) from the FY2018 level. As noted, this was the level that had been approved in the House-passed and Senate-passed bills.

Smithsonian Institution

For FY2019, the Smithsonian Institution (SI) would have received a decrease (8.2%) under the Administration's request, an increase (1.2%) under the House-passed bill, and essentially level funding under the Senate-passed bill as compared with the FY2018 appropriation ($1.04 billion). However, the Administration, House, and Senate all supported funding at or near the FY2018 level for most SI museums, research institutes, and other programs. A key difference was in funding for the Facilities Capital account, which includes revitalization, planning and design, and construction of facilities. The Administration requested a 29.6% decrease for this account, the Senate approved a smaller decrease of 2.7%, and the House approved an increase of 1.8%. In addition, the Administration, House, and Senate all supported an increase of 2.2% over the FY2018 level for Facilities Services, which encompasses maintenance, operation, security, and support of facilities.

For FY2019, the enacted appropriation of $1.04 billion was essentially level with the FY2018 appropriation. The FY2019 total included funding at or near the FY2018 level for most SI museums, research institutes, and other programs. An exception was an increase of 2.2% over the FY2018 level for Facilities Services, as had been recommended by the President and approved by the House and Senate. Another exception was the Facilities Capital account, which received a 2.7% overall decrease; this comprised reduced funding for planning and design, the elimination of construction monies, and additional funds for revitalization.

U.S. Geological Survey

Relative to FY2018 appropriations ($1.15 billion), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) would have received a decrease (25.1%) under the Administration's request, an increase (2.1%) under the House-passed bill, and level funding under the Senate-passed bill. The request proposed reduced funding for all eight major USGS program areas, including ecosystems, land resources, natural hazards, and water resources. The request also would have cut most subprograms, although in a few cases it contained additional funds (e.g., for mineral and energy resources). In contrast, both chambers would have maintained level funding or would have increased appropriations for all USGS program areas except natural hazards, which would have declined by 4.8% in the House-passed bill and by 12.0% in the Senate-passed bill.

For FY2019, USGS received an appropriation of $1.16 billion, an increase of $12.1 million (1.1%) over FY2018. Of the eight major USGS program areas, five received increases, two received decreases, and one received level funding. The largest dollar and percentage increase was for energy, minerals, and environmental health, which gained $8.9 million (8.7%), primarily for mineral resources. The largest dollar and percentage decrease was for natural hazards, which was cut by $12.4 million (6.9%) for the volcano hazards subprogram.

Wildland Fire Management55

For FY2019, the Administration proposed $3.79 billion in discretionary appropriations for Wildland Fire Management (WFM) of DOI and the FS, a 12.9% decrease from the FY2018 enacted level ($4.35 billion). However, the President also sought a $1.52 billion cap adjustment to the discretionary spending limits in law, so that funding for certain wildland fire suppression activities would not be subject to the limits. Including those funds, the total FY2019 request was $5.31 billion. This would be an increase of 22.0% over the FY2018 appropriation. The House and Senate bills contained increases of 3.1% and 12.0% respectively over the FY2018 appropriation. Neither chamber's FY2019 bill included a discretionary cap adjustment for wildland fire suppression for FY2019. However, a cap adjustment was enacted as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018, and is scheduled to go into effect in FY2020. Further, the Administration, House, and Senate did not support appropriations for FY2019 for the FS or DOI FLAME accounts. The FLAME account received $342.0 million in emergency supplemental appropriations in FY2018.

For FY2019, the total appropriation for Wildland Fire Management for DOI and FS was $4.48 billion; this was $124.8 million (2.9%) more than the FY2018 appropriation. The increase over FY2018 was primarily for the FS, for suppression operations. The total appropriation consisted of $941.2 million for DOI and $3.54 for FS. The FY2019 appropriations law did not include a discretionary cap adjustment for wildland fire suppression for FY2019, as sought by the President, or funding for the DOI or FS FLAME accounts.