The Senate Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) Appropriations Subcommittee passed the Senate’s FY16 CJS appropriations bill this morning. The $51.1 billion draft advanced by unanimous consent and would provide $7.3 billion for the National Science Foundation (NSF), $5.4 billion for National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), $18.3 billion for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and $893 million for National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
Unlike the House, the Senate bill did not include directorate level allocations of funds. Historically, Congress has allocated a broad amount to NSF overall, allowing the agency the discretion to allocate funding by directorate as it sees fit. The Senate bill would fund NSF at $7.34 billion, which is equal to the FY15 enacted level. This funding includes $5.93 billion for NSF’s research and research facilities to support today’s scientists, engineers and technicians, and $866 million for NSF’s education and training programs to build tomorrow’s innovation workforce.
NOAA is funded at $5.4 billion, which includes a $23 million increase above the FY2015 enacted level for the National Weather Service. The bill provides full funding for NOAA’s flagship weather satellites, which are critical for accurate weather warnings to protect lives and property. Funding for NOAA also targets new areas of investment for fisheries management, including the testing and implementation of new technologies to expand opportunities for American commercial and recreational fishermen. The bill provides $2.3 million to plan for a new Ocean Survey Vessel, but does not include the requested $147 million to fund construction of the vessel.
The bill funds NASA at $18.3 billion, a $279 million increase over FY2015, to support the human and robotic exploration of space, fund science missions that enhance the understanding of the Earth, the solar system, and the universe, and support fundamental aeronautics research. This includes $5.3 billion for Science, which is $50 million above the FY2015 enacted level and $6.4 million above the request. This funding encompasses missions from the Earth, to the Moon, throughout the Solar system, and the far reaches of the universe.
The bill provides $893 million for NIST, $29 million above the FY2015 enacted level. The funding will strengthen the U.S. cybersecurity posture through cutting-edge research and development, expand opportunities in the areas of advanced manufacturing, and continue promotion of the highest quality standards to maintain fairness in the marketplace.
Additional information on the bill can be found here. Federal Relations will continue to monitor and post more details when they are available.