FY2020 Appropriations Bills Released

By Deborah Koolbeck

As the Congress rapidly approaches the December 20 deadline for the Continuing Resolution (maintaining federal spending at the Fiscal Year 2019 (FY19) levels while the next year’s levels are negotiated), agreement was reached, and the two bills were released on December 16, 2019.  

The Bipartisan Budget Agreement of 2019 raised the non-defense and defense discretionary caps for FY20 and FY21, and was signed in early August as recess began. Given that the U.S. Senate had taken a stance not to move any bills without the aforementioned agreement in place, their work began in earnest in September. However, the bills were not completed by the end of the fiscal year (September 30), so Congress passed a  Continuing Resolution (CR) through November 21, 2019. With consternation around key issues, including funding for the border wall, another CR was put in place through December 20, 2019. It was unclear if the divisions between both parties and both bodies could be resolved by the new cutoff date, but it appears that the Congress is on target to meet its deadline.

The two “minibuses” are dubbed the domestic priorities and international assistance appropriations minibus and the national security appropriations minibus. See the division-by-division summary of the domestic priorities & international assistance bill and specific details on the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies bill (specific funding levels are at the end of the document).

Key Programs Important to Educator Preparation:

Both measure passed the U.S. House of Representatives on December 17, and the U.S. Senate is expected to pass and sign them both into law by the deadline of 11:59 p.m. on December 20, 2019. Stayed tuned to Ed Prep Matters and as funding opportunities unfold.

Tags: advocacy, federal issues, funding

Deborah Koolbeck

Senior Director of Government Relations, AACTE