The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Budget for FY2016

Summary

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) conducts scientific research in areas such as ecosystems, climate, global climate change, weather, and oceans; supplies information and data on the oceans and atmosphere; and manages coastal and marine organisms and environments. In 1970, Reorganization Plan No. 4 created NOAA in the Department of Commerce. Reorganization Plan No. 4 brought together environmental agencies from within the Department of Commerce, such as the National Weather Service, and from other departments and agencies, such as the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Commercial Fisheries and the National Science Foundation’s National Sea Grant Program. The reorganization was intended to unify the nation’s environmental activities related to oceanic and atmospheric management and research and to provide a systematic approach for monitoring, analyzing, and protecting the environment. One of NOAA’s main challenges is related to this diverse mission of science, service, and stewardship. A review of research undertaken by the agency found that “the major challenge for NOAA is connecting the pieces of its research program and ensuring research is linked to the broader science needs of the agency.”

The Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2015 (P.L. 113-235), provided $5.441 billion for NOAA. President Obama has requested $5.975 billion for NOAA’s FY2016 budget. This amount is $533.7 million (9.8%) more than the FY2015 enacted appropriation level. On June 3, 2015, the House passed the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016 (H.R. 2578). The House-passed bill would provide a total of $5.169 billion for NOAA in FY2016. This amount is $271.7 million (5.0%) less than the FY2015 enacted appropriation level and $805.4 million (13.5%) less than the Administration’s FY2016 request. On June 16, 2015, the Senate Committee on Appropriations reported the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016. The Senate committee-reported bill would provide a total of $5.382 billion for NOAA in FY2016. This amount is $59.4 million (1.1%) less than the FY2015- enacted appropriation, $593.1 million (9.9%) less than the Administration’s FY2016 request, and $212.3 million (4.1%) more than the House-passed bill.

The following report provides a summary of actions taken by the Administration and Congress to appropriate funding for NOAA in FY2016. The summary compares the FY2015 enacted appropriations, the FY2016 Administration request, the House-passed bill, and the Senate committee-reported bill for NOAA’s accounts, line offices, and selected programs. NOAA’s two main accounts are Operations, Research, and Facilities (ORF) and Procurement, Acquisition, and Construction (PAC). NOAA’s line offices include the National Ocean Service (NOS); National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS); Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR); National Weather Service (NWS); and National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS). In addition to NOAA’s five line offices, Program Support (PS) provides cross-cutting services for the agency and includes the Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO), Corporate Services, the Office of Education, and Facilities.