FY 2015 Appropriations: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Congress has completed the FY 2015 appropriations cycle with House and Senate approval of a $1.1 trillion bill providing funding through September 30, 2015 for all departments and agencies with the exception of the Department of Homeland Security that will be funded through early 2015.

The bill has not been printed in final report form. The section on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration starts on PDF page 8; a funding table is on PDF page 62.
Note that language in the previous Senate appropriations report stands unless modified by language in the conference report.

NOAA:

The FY 2014 appropriation was $5,320.6 million
The FY 2015 request is $5,496.7 million, an increase of $176.1 million or 3.3 percent
The House bill provides $5,310.1 million, a decrease of $10.5 million or 0.2 percent below current funding
The Senate bill provides $5,420.0 million, an increase of $99.4 million or 1.9 percent above current funding
The final bill provides $5,441.0 million, an increase of $120.4 million or 2.3 percent above current funding

Within NOAA are the following selected programs:

National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service (total):

The FY 2014 appropriation was $2,083.1 million
The FY 2015 request is $2,247.9 million, an increase of $164.8 million or 7.9 percent
The House bill provides $2,221.3 million, an increase of $138.2 million or 6.6 percent above current funding
The Senate bill provides $2,176.6 million, an increase of $93.5 million or 4.5 percent above current funding
The final bill provides $2,224.5 million, an increase of $141.4 million or 6.8 percent above current funding

See important report language starting on PDF page 14 regarding satellites.

National Ocean Service (total):

The FY 2014 appropriation was $498.7 million
The FY 2015 request is $519.4 million, an increase of $20.7 million or 4.2 percent
The House bill provides $469.8 million, a decrease of $28.9 million or 5.8 percent below current funding
The Senate bill provides $493.5 million, a decrease of $5.2 million or 1.0 percent below current funding
The final bill provides $484.8 million, a decrease of $13.9 million or 2.8 percent below current funding

National Weather Service (total):

The FY 2014 appropriation was $1,067.3 million
The FY 2015 request is $1,063.4 million, a decrease of $3.9 million or 0.4 percent
The House bill provides $1,079.7 million, an increase of $12.4 million or 1.2 percent above current funding.
The Senate bill provides $1,087.2 million, an increase of $19.9 million or 1.9 percent above current funding
The final bill provides $1,087.5 million, an increase of $20.2 million or 1.9 percent above current funding

Report language on PDF page 9 states: “Funding for the core life and safety missions fulfilled by the National Weather Service remains a high priority for the Committees on Appropriations. The agreement reiterates both House and Senate report language regarding the National Weather Service. NOAA shallcontinue to brief the Committees on Appropriations on no less than a quarterly basis regardingongoing activities at the National Weather Service.”

Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (total):

The FY 2014 appropriation was $426.8 million
The FY 2015 request is $462.2 million, an increase of $35.4 million or 8.3 percent
The House bill provides $393.3 million, a decrease of $33.5 million or 7.8 percent below current funding
The Senate bill provides $443.4 million, an increase of $16.6 million or 3.9 percent above current funding
The final bill provides $446.3 million, an increase of $19.5 million or 4.6 percent above current funding