The main agency of concern to the geoscience community in the Energy, Water and Related Agencies appropriations bill is the Department of Energy (DOE). Programs of interest to the geosciences include those for renewable energy and activities within the Office of Science such as the Basic Energy Science program which has a geoscience division.

• Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 Energy, Water and Related Agencies Appropriations Process
• Summary Table: FY 2014 - FY 2015 Temporary CR Energy, Water and Related Agencies Appropriations Process
• Summary Table: FY 2012 - FY 2015 President's Request Energy, Water and Related Agnecies
• Appropriations Homepage

Appropriations Update: Congress Passes Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 Omnibus Spending Bill 

After passing a 2-day extension of the existing continuing resolution (CR), which provided funding through December 11, Congress passed the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2015 on Saturday, December 13. This bill will fund most of the federal government through September 30, 2016.

Dubbed the “CRomnibus”, the bill provides yearlong funding for 11 out of the 12 appropriations bills. The 12th bill, which funds the Department of Homeland Security, is only funded through February 27, 2015. 

Appropriations Update: Continuing Appropriations Resolution (H.J. Res 124)

This September, Congress passed a short-term Continuing Resolution (CR) funding the federal government at FY 2014 levels through December 11, 2014. The stop-gap spending measure ensures that federally funded agencies will have enough money to operate through the first couple months of FY 2015, which began October 1.

The bill will continue to provide top-level funding of $1.012 trillion for the federal government. The House approved its version of the CR (H.J. Res 124) on September 17, and the Senate approved the House bill on September 18. President Obama signed the bill on September 19.

Congress will take up the issue of funding the federal government for the remainder of FY 2015 again after the November elections.

Appropriations Update: Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 Energy, Water and Related Agencies 

The House passed their version of the fiscal year (FY) 2015 Energy, Water and Related Agencies appropriations bill on July 10, 2014. The Senate has not yet put forward or considered a Senate version of the bill. 

* Formerly listed as "Coal"

Sources: FY 2015 Omnibus Spending Bill (Division D), FY 2015 House Energy, Water and Related Agencies Appropriations Report, FY 2015 Senate Energy, Water and Related Agencies Appropriations Report, FY 2014 Omnibus Bill, DOE FY 2015 Budget Request, DOE FY 2014 Budget Request, ARPA-E FY 2014 Budget Request, DOE FY 2012 Budget Table, Basic Energy Sciences FY 2014 Request, Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists FY 2014 Request, EERE Budget Formulation

^ At the time of this posting, the Senate Appropriations committee had not put forth or considered a Senate Energy, Water and Related Agencies Appropriations bill
* Formerly listed as "Coal"

Sources: FY 2015 House Energy, Water and Related Agnecies Appropriations Report, FY 2015 Senate Energy, Water and Related Agencies Appropriations Report, FY 2014 Omnibus Bill, DOE FY 2015 Budget Request, DOE FY 2014 Budget Request, ARPA-E FY 2014 Budget Request, DOE FY 2012 Budget Table, Basic Energy Sciences FY 2014 Request, Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists FY 2014 Request, EERE Budget Formulation

* FY 2012 "Current Appropriation" for it and all subcategories (Sources: DOE Budget Table and ARPA-E FY 2014 Budget Request)

Sources: FY 2014 Omnibus Bill, DOE FY 2015 Budget Request, DOE FY 2014 Budget Request, ARPA-E FY 2014 Budget Request, DOE FY 2012 Budget Table, Basic Energy Sciences FY 2014 Request, Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists FY 2014 Request, EERE Budget Formulation
 

Please send any comments or requests for information to the AGI Geoscience Policy at govt@agiweb.org.

Contributed by Abigail Seadler, AGI Geoscience Policy Staff

Last updated October 16, 2014