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1 [1] (September 15, 2022)

handle is hein.crs/goveiuz0001 and id is 1 raw text is: , Congressional Research Service Inforring the legislative debate since 1914 Updated September 15, 2022 Bureau of Reclamation: FY2023 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 designated in statute by Congress. 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 of existing projects. Reclamation also has expanded into new areas, such as funding for 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, operation and maintenance, 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. FY2023 Budget and Appropriations The Administration request is usually less than the final enacted total for Reclamation. For FY2023, President Biden requested $1.41 billion in gross current budget authority (i.e., appropriations before offsets) for Reclamation. H.R. 8294, Division C, Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2023, as passed by the House on July 20, 2022, contained $1.89 billion for Reclamation. On July 28, 2022, the Chair of the Senate Committee on Appropriations released draft bill text and a draft accompanying explanatory statement with $1.92 billion contained for Reclamation. On the same day, this draft bill text was introduced as S. 4660. This In Focus continues to refer to the Senate Committee majority draft bill on which the draft explanatory statement is based. Figure 1 shows enacted appropriations levels for Reclamation's accounts since FY2015. In addition to regular appropriations, Congress has recently provided Reclamation with supplemental appropriations that may factor into FY2023 appropriations considerations. First, in September 2021, Congress included $210 million in supplemental funding for Reclamation in the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2022 (P.L. 117- 43, Division B); these funds were provided to combat western drought and wildfire. Then, in October 2021 under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (P.L. 117-58), Congress enacted $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). Finally, in P.L. 117-169 (popularly known as the Inflation Reduction Act), enacted in August 2022, Congress approved an additional $4 billion for Reclamation for western drought mitigation, with priority given to actions in the Colorado River Basin. All of this funding is no year funding, meaning it remains available until expended. Figure 1. Reclamation Annual Appropriations: FY20 15-FY2023 (nominal $ in millions) $2,000 $1,500 $1,000 $500 $o D Water and Related Resources All Other Accounts Source: CRS, based on FY2015-FY2022 enacted appropriations, the FY2023 budget request, and FY2023 Appropriations Committees data. Notes: Does not reflect supplemental funding or offsetting receipts for the Central Valley Project Restoration Fund. 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 112th_ 116th Congresses, Reclamation appropriations were subject to general earmark moratoriums that restricted Congress from funding geographically specific nttps://crsreor