NSF Finally Gets an FY 1996 Budget--House Subcommittee Marks Up FY 1997 Bill
Congress and the White House finally agreed on a fiscal year (FY) 1996 Omnibus Appropriations Act that would fund several departments and agencies for the remainder of the fiscal year (ending September 30, 1996). Included in this bill is the FY 1996 appropriation for the National Science Foundation (NSF). NSF, along with many other federal agencies, had been operating since October 1, 1995, on temporary spending authority because Congress and the White House had failed to agree on an appropriations bill. This inability to reach an agreement also resulted in two government shutdowns.
The FY 1996 spending bill included an additional $40 million for NSF Research and Related Activities. This is $140 million less than requested by the Administration, but more than appropriated for FY 1995.
On May 30, the House VA-HUD Appropriations Subcommittee marked up its FY 1997 bill, which includes funding for NSF. The full Appropriations Committee mark-up for this bill is scheduled for June 13, and the Chair, Rep. Livingston (R-LA), has indicated that there may be some additional money available for the bill. It is possible that NSF could get a small increase. The following table includes the FY 1996 budget for the major accounts at NSF and the FY 1997 House recommendations from the VA-HUD Subcommittee.
FY96 Request FY96 Final FY97 Request FY97 Final
Research & Related Activities 2,454 2,314 2,472 2,422
Education & Human Resources 599 599 619 612
Academic Research Facilities 100 100 0 0
Major Research Equipment 70 70 95 80
Salaries & Expenses 127 127 134 134
Relocation 5 5 --- ---
Inspector General 4 4 5 5
TOTAL NSF 3,360 3,220 3,325 3,253