114-113 ( H.R. The act i ncluded all 12 regular appropriations acts . The total EPA appropriation for FY201 6 was the same as enacted for FY2015 but $451.8 million (5.3%) below the President's FY2016 request of $8.59 billion . 2822 for the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies on June 18, 2015, and proposed $7.42 billion for EPA for FY2016. The Senate Committee on Appropriations reported S. 1645 on June 23, 2015, and proposed a total of $7.60 billion for EPA. 114-74 ; H.R. The allocation of funding for EPA and most other departments and agencies within the increased spending limits was left to the appropriations process. Continuing Resolution

Enacted September 30, 2015, P.L. 114-53 ( H.R. No exceptions to the across-the-board rescission were specified for EPA in the CR. Bipartisan Budget Act of 201512

Consideration of the enacted FY2016 appropriations for EPA and other federal departments and agencies were subject to the higher limits on discretionary spending enacted November 2, 2015, in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 ( P.L. 1314 ). Table 2 presents the FY2016 enacted appropriations for EPA under Title II of Division G of P.L. As indicated in Table 2 , the FY2016 enacted appropriations provided the same level of funding as the FY2015 enacted level for all nine of the EPA appropriations accounts but was below the FY2016 requested levels for all nine accounts. The President's FY2016 requested funding for each of the nine EPA appropriations accounts would have been an increase compared to FY2015 enacted levels. The House and Senate committee-reported bills recommended decreases compared to the FY2016 request for all nine EPA appropriations accounts. Funding and Policy-Related Issues

During the debate and consideration of EPA's FY2016 appropriations, much attention was focused on the agency's implementation of air quality and climate change regulations and research activities, prioritization and adequacy of funding for wastewater and drinking water infrastructure projects, categorical grants to assist states in implementing federal pollution control laws, and federal financial assistance for environmental cleanup of Superfund and brownfield sites. Funding for geographic-specific water quality initiatives (e.g., the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and efforts to restore the Chesapeake Bay) also drew some attention. In addition to funding priorities among the various EPA programs and activities, several recent and pending EPA regulatory actions—including several that were central to debates during previous EPA appropriations—were again prominent in the debate regarding the FY2016 appropriations. Actions under the CWA, most notably the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers joint rule to define the scope of waters protected under the CWA and the Safe Drinking Water Act—including the use of U.S. iron and steel for drinking water infrastructure projects; the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), including coal ash regulations; the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA); the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Superfund financial responsibility; and the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), including regulation of lead in ammunition and fishing tackle—also received attention. The general provisions in Title IV of Division G of P.L. 114-113 included provisions restricting the use of funds for certain EPA actions similar to those contained in previous recent appropriations but incorporated only a subset of those included in H.R. Section 425 (Notification Requirements) requires the EPA Administrator to work with states having publicly owned treatment works that discharge to the Great Lakes to create public notice requirements for a combined sewer overflow discharge to the Great Lakes. Section 418 addresses reporting requirements for GHG emissions associated with manure management systems. The FY2016 enacted appropriation for these grants in P.L. As noted earlier in this report (see "EPA Regulations: Prohibitions/Restrictions on Use of FY2016 Appropriations"), in the general provisions in Title IV of Division G of P.L. 1268(c)) to establish the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to carry out certain protection and restoration programs and projects and authorizes $300.0 million for FY2016. P.L. 114-113 generally funds these program activities for FY2016 at or near the FY2015 enacted levels and similar to H.R. 2822 and S. 1645 as reported, the President's FY2016 request, and FY2015 enacted levels. The total FY2016 enacted appropriations of $153.3 million for the EPA brownfields program is the same amount as the total FY2015 enacted level, $35.8 million (18.9%) less than the President's FY2016 request of $189.1 million, $2.0 million (1.3%) less than the $155.3 million included in the Senate committee-reported bill, but $6.9 million (4.7%) more than the $146.4 million proposed in the House committee-reported bill. Appendix C. Congressional Hearings
Hearings Regarding EPA's FY2016 Budget Request:
House Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittees on Energy and Power and Environment and the Economy
The Fiscal Year 2016 EPA Budget , February 25, 2015. http://energycommerce.house.gov/hearing/fiscal-year-2016-epa-budget
House Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
Budget Hearing — Environment Protection Agenc y , February 26, 2015. http://appropriations.house.gov/calendararchive/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=393995 
Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works
Oversight h earing: Examining the President's budget request for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency , March 4, 2015. http://www.epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/hearings?ID=01067C9A-0F60-8C2F-302C-D4CE887F604E 
House Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
Public and Outside Witness Hearing—Interior, Environment and related Agencies , March 18, 2015. http://appropriations.house.gov/calendararchive/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=393958
House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment
The President's Fiscal Year 2016 Budget: Administration Priorities for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency , March 18, 2015. http://transportation.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=398705
Senate Committee on Appropriations: Interior Environment and Related Agencies Subcommittee
Interior Subcommittee Hearing: FY16 Environmental Protection Agency Budget: Hearing to review the Fiscal Year 2016 funding request and budget justification for the Environmental Protection Agency , April 29, 2015. http://www.appropriations.senate.gov/hearings/interior-subcommittee-hearing-fy16-environmental-protection-agency-budget
Appendix D. Funding Prohibitions Proposed in H.R. 2822 and S. 1645 as Reported but Not Retained in P.L. 114-113 ).
Enacted on December 18, 2015, Title II of Division G of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 (P.L. 114-113; H.R. 2029) provided $8.14 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for FY2016. The act appropriated funding for the full fiscal year through September 30, 2016, for the 12 regular appropriations acts, including "Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies," under which EPA is funded. The total FY2016 enacted appropriations of $8.14 billion for EPA was the same as enacted for FY2015 but $451.8 million (5.3%) below the President's FY2016 request of $8.59 billion. No regular appropriations acts for FY2016—including the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies—were enacted prior to the start of the fiscal year. Instead, EPA and other federal departments and agencies operated under a continuing resolution (P.L. 114-53; H.R. 719) prior to the enactment of P.L. 114-113.
Total discretionary appropriations enacted for FY2016 for all federal departments and agencies were based on increased limits on discretionary spending enacted November 2, 2015, in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (P.L. 114-74; H.R. 1314). Prior to the increased spending limits per the Bipartisan Budget Act, the House Committee on Appropriations reported H.R. 2822 on June 18, 2015, for the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies proposing $7.42 billion for EPA for FY2016. The Senate Committee on Appropriations reported S. 1645 on June 23, 2015, proposing $7.60 billion for EPA.
With the exception of the State and Tribal Assistance Grants (STAG) account, which represents almost 44% of the FY2016 total appropriations for EPA, the FY2016 appropriations were the same as the FY2015 enacted level for eight of the nine EPA appropriations accounts but were below the FY2016 requested levels for all nine accounts. The House and Senate committee-reported bills (H.R. 2822 and S. 1645) proposed decreases for all of the EPA appropriations accounts for FY2016 compared to the President's request and were generally less than or equal to FY2015 enacted appropriations for the nine accounts. There were both increases and decreases enacted for FY2016 across the individual program activities funded within the nine EPA appropriations accounts when compared to the FY2016 requested and FY2015 enacted appropriations.
Congressional debate and hearings on EPA's FY2016 appropriations focused significantly on federal financial assistance to states for wastewater and drinking water infrastructure projects, various categorical grants to states to support general implementation and enforcement of federal environmental programs as delegated to the states, funding for the agency's implementation and research support for air pollution control regulations, EPA actions to address climate change and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and funding for environmental remediation. Funding levels for several geographic-specific initiatives, including the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and efforts to restore the Chesapeake Bay, also garnered congressional interest.
Additionally, similar to the debate regarding recent fiscal years appropriations for EPA, several recent and pending EPA regulatory actions received considerable attention during the consideration of EPA's FY2016 appropriations—most notably those that address GHG emissions and the definition of "waters of the United States." The general provisions in Title IV of Division G of P.L. 114-113 included provisions restricting the use of funds for certain EPA actions. Those provisions were similar to those contained in previous appropriations but represent only a subset of those included in the House and Senate committee-reported bills. Provisions included in P.L. 114-113 addressed EPA air quality regulation of livestock operations and reporting requirements for manure systems, use of U.S. iron and steel for drinking water infrastructure projects, and possible EPA regulation of lead in ammunition and fishing tackle. (EPA has not proposed such lead regulations.) Title IV of P.L. 114-113 also includes two provisions concerning the Great Lakes—one regarding public notice requirements for a combined sewer overflow discharge to the Great Lakes and another to amend the Clean Water Act to establish and authorize $300.0 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to carry out certain specified protection and restoration programs and projects.
This CRS report provides an overview of FY2016 enacted appropriations for EPA accounts and certain program activities specified in P.L. 114-113 compared to H.R. 2822 and S. 1645 as reported, the President's FY2016 request, and FY2015 enacted appropriations. The report also highlights issues associated with a subset of accounts and programs that were prominent in the debate on EPA's FY2016 appropriations during the 114th Congress.