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1 1 (November 29, 2023)

handle is hein.crs/govenol0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional Research Service Inforrming the legislative debate since 1914 0 November 29, 2023 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: FY2024 Appropriations Introduction The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), an agency within the Department of the Interior (DOI), has a mission to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats. Congress funds FWS through discretionary and mandatory appropriations. FWS discretionary appropriations typically are included in the annual Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations acts. Discretionary appropriations fund many activities related to the agency's mission, such as resource management and conservation, construction projects, and payments and grants to states and other parties. This In Focus focuses primarily on annual discretionary funding for FWS for FY2024. FWS sometimes receives supplemental funding in addition to annual discretionary appropriations. For instance, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA; P.L. 117-58), enacted in 2021, provided FWS with supplemental funding of $91.0 million annually from FY2022 to FY2026. The monies were provided for activities under the Resource Management account, including fish and wildlife passage restoration and regional ecosystem restoration. Further, mandatory (permanent) appropriations are provided to FWS under various statutes within the jurisdiction of authorizing committees. The Interior Budget in Brief, Fiscal Year 2024, estimated FWS mandatory appropriations at $2.14 billion in FY2023 and $1.99 billion for FY2024. These totals do not include $95.0 million in annual mandatory funding authorized under the Great American Outdoors Act (P.L. 116-152) for deferred maintenance. FWS Discretionary Appropriations From FY2015 to FY2023, FWS received, on average, $1.76 billion annually in discretionary funding (adjusted to FY2022 dollars; see Figure 1). For FY2024, the Administration requested $2.09 billion in discretionary funding for FWS across eight accounts (Table 1). Regular FY2024 appropriations were not enacted by the start of the fiscal year (October 1, 2023). FWS is receiving funding at FY2023 levels under a continuing resolution in effect through February 2, 2024 (P.L. 118-22). For FY2024, H.R. 4821, as passed by the House on November 3, 2023, would appropriate $1.54 billion for FWS, a $233.8 million decrease from the FY2023 enacted level and $552.7 million less than the Administration's FY2024 request. S. 2605, as reported by the Senate Appropriations Committee on July 27, 2023, would appropriate $1.80 billion for FWS for FY2024, $30.6 million more than the FY2023 enacted level and $288.4 million less than the FY2024 request. Figure I. FY2015-FY2024 FWS Discretionary Funding (in FY2022 dollars) $2.0 Billion - .Admin Request 0 Congress Enacted so Source: CRS using budget authority data from Appendix A of The Interior Budget in Brief In general, enacted amounts are taken from the volume two years later than the fiscal year indicated. Notes: Appropriations generally exclude supplemental funding, transfers, recessions, and cancellations. Figures are adjusted to FY2022 constant dollars using Office of Management and Budget, President's Budget Fiscal Year 2024, Historical Tables, Table 10. 1: Gross Domestic Product and Deflators Used in the Historical Tables: 1 940-2028. Resource Management Account The Resource Management account comprises the majority (88% in FY2023) of the FWS annual discretionary appropriation (Table 1). For FY2024, the Administration requested a $303.4 million increase from the FY2023 enacted level for this account. The House-passed bill contained a $212.5 million decrease from FY2023. The Senate committee-reported bill contained a $30.4 million increase from FY2023. Table 2 shows the funding levels for activities within the account. Other FWS Accounts In FY2023, $217.6 million in annual discretionary funding was appropriated for seven other FWS accounts that support construction, conservation activities, financial and technical assistance, and revenue sharing, among other activities (Table 1). For FY2024, the Administration requested a $15.6 million increase from the FY2023 enacted level for these seven accounts. The House-passed bill contained a $21.3 million decrease from FY2023. The Senate committee-reported bill contained a $0.2 million increase from FY2023. Issues for Congress Among other issues for FY2024, Congress is considering the funding levels of agency activities that aim to improve and restore habitats. For example, the IIJA provided $200 million to be distributed over five years to FWS for technical assistance and project funding to restore fish passages in rivers. The Administration's FY2024 request would provide an additional $18.6 million through the Fisheries and Aquatic Conservation activity for fish passage improvement. Authorizing committees continue to assess

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