Geoscience Policy Monthly Review
january 2014
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budget
Congress and the White House were able to come to an agreement on an omnibus spending deal this January, approving a budget for fiscal year (FY) 2014. More than 4 months late, the bill sets top line spending levels for the federal government at $1.012 trillion through September 30, 2014.
Total funding for USGS for FY 2014 is $1.032 billion, which is up slightly from the FY 2013 Enacted (with sequester) total of $1.0122 billion. Within the USGS natural hazards will receive $1 million for earthquake risk assessments, $1.2 million for Eastern U.S. earthquakes research and monitoring, $900,000 for volcano and landslide disaster response, and $1 million for coastal LiDar imaging. Funding amounts for mineral resources within the USGS were not specified, however the explanatory text dictates that, “The Committees recognize that the Survey’s mineral reports are highly valued by governmental and nongovernmental entities and encourage the Survey to consider additional sources of funds to support these reports and other aspects of the minerals program.” Additionally, the National Cooperative Geological Mapping program will receive $24.397 million for FY 2014, and data preservation within the Survey’s core science systems should receive $400,000.
The President’s FY 2015 budget is due to be released on Tuesday, March 4. Now that FY 2014 is off the table, appropriators will be focusing on FY 2015 spending for the year beginning on 1 October 2014.
Sources: Congress.gov; House of Representatives; U.S. Senate