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1 1 (March 30, 2023)

handle is hein.crs/govelcs0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional Research Service ~ Inforrming the legislative debate since 1914 March 30, 2023 Bureau of Reclamation: FY2024 Budget and Appropriations Overview The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), part of the Department of the Interior, is responsible for the construction and operation of hundreds of large dams and water diversion structures in the 17 western reclamation states as designated in statute (43 U.S.C. §391). These projects provide water to approximately 10 million acres of farmland and 31 million people. Reclamation is the largest wholesale supplier of water in these 17 states and the second-largest hydroelectric power producer in the nation. Reclamation's mission areas and geographic scope are narrower than those of the other principal federal water resource agency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Reclamation has evolved since its creation in 1902; its focus has shifted from construction of new water storage projects to operation and maintenance (O&M) of existing projects. Reclamation also has expanded into new areas, such as funding water projects on tribal lands and in rural areas. Congress also has authorized new Reclamation grants for nonfederal projects, including those for water reuse and recycling, desalination, conservation and efficiency, and restoration, among other purposes. Reclamation's Water and Related Resources account funds most agency activities, including construction, O&M, dam safety, ecosystem restoration, Indian water rights settlements, and most programmatic and grant authorities. Reclamation typically also receives funding for three smaller accounts: California Bay-Delta Restoration, the Central Valley Project Restoration Fund (which is offset by customer receipts), and Policy and Administration. FY2024 Budget and Appropriations The Administration budget request for Reclamation is usually for a lower amount than the final enacted total of annual appropriations. For FY2024, the President requested $1.45 billion in current budget authority (i.e., appropriations before offsets) for Reclamation. The Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2023 (Division D of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, P.L. 117-328), provided $1.93 billion for Reclamation. Figure 1 shows recent Reclamation annual appropriations levels. In addition to regular appropriations, Congress has provided Reclamation with supplemental appropriations that may factor into FY2024 appropriations considerations. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA; P.L. 117-58) included $8.30 billion in supplemental appropriations for various infrastructure-focused Reclamation expenditures. This funding is to be made available in equal installments from FY2022 to FY2026 (i.e., $1.66 billion per year). P.L. 117-169 (popularly known as the Inflation Reduction Act, IRA) provided an additional $4.59 billion for Reclamation, including $4.00 billion for western drought mitigation with priority given to actions in the Colorado River Basin. IIJA funding is no year funding, meaning it remains available until expended; IRA funding is to remain available until FY2026 or FY2031, depending on the provision. Reclamation has been gradually allocating IIJA funding in spend plans for each fiscal year and is releasing IRA funding on a rolling basis. Figure 1. Reclamation Annual Appropriations from FY20 1 5 to FY2023 and FY2024 Budget Request (nominal $ in millions) $2,000 $1,500 $1,000 $500 $o iscam Yar . Water and Related Resources All Other Accounts Source: CRS, based on FY2015-FY2023 enacted appropriations and the FY2024 President's Budget request. Notes: Does not reflect supplemental funding or offsetting receipts. Earmarks and Reclamation Most of Reclamation's budget goes to projects rather than programs, and the Water and Related Resources account consists largely of individual project funding lines. During the 112th1 116th Congresses, Reclamation appropriations were subject to general earmark moratoriums that restricted Congress from funding geographically specific project line items not requested by the Administration. Instead, Congress included additional funding amounts for selected categories of Reclamation projects, typically in five categories: Rural Water, Water Conservation and Delivery, Environmental Restoration and Compliance, Fish Passage/Fish Screens, and Facilities Maintenance and Rehabilitation. The Administration recommended allocations of these funds for specific projects in spend plans made available several months after enactment of the appropriations bills. (Spend plans are available at http://www.usbr.gov/budget/.)

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