DHS Appropriations FY2016: Protection, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery

Summary

This report is part of a suite of reports that discuss appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for FY2016. It specifically discusses appropriations for the components of DHS included in the third title of the homeland security appropriations bill—the National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD), the Office of Health Affairs (OHA), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Collectively, Congress has labeled these components in the appropriations act in recent years as “Protection, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery.”

The report provides an overview of the Administration’s FY2016 request for Protection, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery, and the appropriations proposed by Congress thus far. Rather than limiting the scope of its review to the third title, the report includes information on provisions throughout the proposed bill and report that directly affect these functions.

Protection, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery is the second largest of the four titles that carry the bulk of the funding in the bill. The Administration requested $6,222 million for these components in FY2016, $267 million more than was provided for FY2015. These three components make up 15.0% of the administration’s $41.4 billion request for the department in net discretionary budget authority, and the proposed additional funding is 15.5% of the total net increase requested. Most of the proposed net discretionary increase is for NPPD ($157 million, or 10.5% more than last year) and its work in cybersecurity and communications.

The Administration also requested an additional $6.7 billion not reflected above for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in disaster relief funding, as defined by the Budget Control Act (BCA, P.L. 112-25).

Senate-reported S. 1619 envisions the components included in this title receiving $6,291 million in net discretionary budget authority. This would be $69 million (1.1%) more than requested, and $336 million (5.6%) more than was provided in FY2015. The Senate-reported bill also includes the requested disaster relief funding.

House-reported H.R. 3128 envisions the components included in this title receiving $6,122 million in net discretionary budget authority. This would be $100 million (1.6%) less than requested, and $167 million (2.8%) more than was provided in FY2015. Like the Senate-reported bill, the House-reported bill also includes the requested disaster relief funding.

Additional information on the broader subject of FY2016 funding for the department can be found in CRS Report R44053, Department of Homeland Security Appropriations: FY2016, as well as links to analytical overviews and details regarding appropriations for other components.

This report will be updated throughout the FY2016 appropriations process.