The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022 included provisions allowing 18 federal agencies to make nearly $9.1 billion available for about 5,000 specific projects at the request of members of Congress. These requests could not exceed 1% of total discretionary funding. Members request funds for specific projects that otherwise would have been left to the discretion of agencies.
What are the intended uses of these funds?
These funds cover a range of purposes. Specifically, in 18 agencies, funds are allocated to several broad objectives, or budget functions, broad categories into which all federal spending is placed. The largest categories include environmental projects, such as flood mitigation, and community development projects, such as efforts to prevent homelessness and expand affordable housing.
Budget Functions of Funding Provisions in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022
Who are the designated recipients?
Funds have been allocated to projects in 47 states, 4 US territories and the District of Columbia.
Funding Provisions in the Consolidated Appropriations by Location Act of 2022
The Senate and House have prohibited members from requesting funds directly for for-profit entities. In fiscal year 2022, approximately half of the designated recipients of these funds are tribal, state, local, or territorial governments. In some cases, these entities may distribute the funds in the future to subrecipients, such as nonprofit organizations, to implement the projects. In other cases, a federal agency has been designated to directly undertake projects, such as building dams or dredging rivers, in communities.
Funding Provisions in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022, by Type of Recipient
|
Types of recipients |
Funding of provisions |
Number of layouts |
|
Federal government |
$2,127,707,000 |
314 |
|
Tribal/State/Local/Territorial Government |
$4,142,941,310 |
2343 |
|
Institutions of higher education |
$1,069,635,749 |
594 |
|
Other non-profit organizations |
$1,724,116,089 |
1712 |
|
$9,064,400,148 |
4963 |
Availability of funds
Congress generally grants budgetary authority to an agency for use during a specific period, called the stand-by period. A time-limited authorization may be granted for one or more years, while some budgetary authorizations never expire.
For example, more than 68% of funds are available to agencies for a fixed period, ranging from 1 year to 5 years. After the fund availability period expires, agencies generally have 5 years to fully disburse the funds. The remaining 32% of the funds are not time-limited, so the funds will be available for obligation until spent. In some cases, the time frame agencies set for recipients to spend the funds may be shorter than specified in the law.
