	Introduction

This report discusses the FY2016 budget request, related congressional actions, and appropriations (discretionary budget authority) for the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) and Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau). These entities make up the Economics and Statistics Administration (ESA) in the U.S. Department of Commerce, which is funded under annual appropriations for the Departments of Commerce and Justice, and science and related agencies (CJS). The FY2016 Budget Request

		Economics and Statistics Administration (Except the Census Bureau)

The Administration's FY2016 budget request for the Economics and Statistics Administration (including BEA but not the Census Bureau) was $113.8 million, $13.8 million (13.8%) above the $100.0 million enacted for FY2015. Of the $113.8 million, $3.9 million was to fund ESA's policy support and management oversight. The request exceeded the $3.7 million FY2015 appropriation by $138,000 (3.7%). The remaining FY2016 funds, $110.0 million, were for BEA and would have been $13.7 million (14.2%) more than the agency's $96.3 million FY2015-enacted funding level. The Administration requested $662.6 million for the 2020 Decennial Census in FY2016, a $318.0 million (92.3%) increase from the $344.6 million enacted for FY2015. The Administration's FY2016 request for the ACS was $256.8 million, $25.9 million (11.2%) above the FY2015-enacted amount of $230.9 million. The recommended amount was the same as the FY2015 funding level for ESA and was $13.8 million (12.2%) below the FY2016 request of $113.8 million. On June 3, 2015, the House passed H.R. 2578 , retaining the committee-approved FY2016 funding level for ESA. H.R. The transfers—of $4.0 million from Current Surveys and Programs and $117.3 million from Periodic Censuses and Programs—would have left the bureau with $991.7 million in total funding—$261.0 million for Current Surveys and Programs and $730.7 million for Periodic Censuses and Programs. The House-passed amount for the bureau was $96.3 million (8.9%) below the FY2015-enacted amount of $1,088.0 million and $508.3 million (33.9%) less than the $1,500.0 million FY2016 request. Senate Action

		Economics and Statistics Administration (Except the Census Bureau)

On June 16, 2015, the Senate Appropriations Committee reported its version of H.R. 2578 recommended $1,128.0 million for the Census Bureau in FY2016, $40.0 million (3.7%) above the $1,088.0 million FY2015 funding level, $372.0 million (24.8%) below the $1,500.0 million requested for FY2016, and $136.3 million (13.7%) more than the House-passed amount of $991.7 million. 2029 , P.L. 114-113 , became law on December 18, 2015. It provides $109.0 million for ESA (with no separate amount shown for BEA), $9.0 million (9.0%) more than the $100.0 million enacted for FY2015, passed by the House, and recommended by the Senate committee, and $4.8 million (4.3%) less than the $113.8 million requested for FY2016. Census Bureau

The FY2016 appropriations act funds the Census Bureau at $1,370.0 million, $282.0 million (25.9%) more than the $1,088.0 million enacted for FY2015, $130.0 million (8.7%) below the $1,500.0 million requested for FY2016, $378.3 million (38.1%) more than the House-passed $991.7 million, and $242.0 million (21.5%) above the Senate Appropriations Committee-reported $1,128.0 million. The act provides $270.0 million for Current Surveys and Programs, $7.9 million (2.8%) less than the requested $277.9 million, $9.0 million (3.4%) above the House-passed amount of $261.0 million, and $4.0 million (1.5%) more than the $266.0 million the Senate committee recommended. The $1,100.0 million provided for Periodic Censuses and Programs is $122.1 million (10.0%) less than the requested $1,222.1 million; it exceeds the House-passed amount of $730.7 million by $369.3 million (50.5%) and the Senate committee-reported amount of $862.0 million by $238.0 million (27.6%). The act approves the bureau's restructuring of its two major accounts and does not include House-passed language that, in effect, would have made ACS responses voluntary instead of mandatory.
This report discusses FY2016 appropriations (discretionary budget authority) for the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) and Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau), which make up the Economics and Statistics Administration (ESA) in the U.S. Department of Commerce. The report will not be updated.
The FY2016 budget request for ESA (except the Census Bureau) was $113.8 million, $13.8 million (13.8%) over the $100.0 million FY2015-enacted funding level. Of the $113.8 million, the $110.0 million requested for BEA was $13.7 million (14.2%) above the $96.3 million FY2015-enacted amount; the $3.9 million requested for ESA's policy support and management oversight was $138,000 (3.7%) more than the $3.7 million enacted for FY2015.
The FY2016 request for the Census Bureau was $1,500.0 million, $412.0 million (37.9%) above the $1,088.0 million FY2015-enacted amount. The FY2016 request was divided between the bureau's two, newly restructured, major accounts: $277.9 million for Current Surveys and Programs (formerly Salaries and Expenses), and $1,222.1 million for Periodic Censuses and Programs. Two key programs under this account are the 2020 Decennial Census, for which the FY2016 request of $662.6 million was $318.0 million (92.3%) more than enacted for FY2015; and the American Community Survey (ACS), with a request of $256.8 million, $25.9 million (11.2%) above the FY2015-enacted level.
H.R. 2578, the FY2016 appropriations bill for the Commerce and Justice Departments, and science and related agencies (CJS), passed the House on June 3, 2015. The bill would have funded ESA at $100.0 million (with no separate level shown for BEA), the same as in FY2015 and $13.8 million (12.2%) below the FY2016 request. H.R. 2578, as amended during House consideration, would have provided the Census Bureau with $991.7 million in FY2016—$261.0 million for Current Surveys and Programs, and $730.7 million for Periodic Censuses and Programs. The total for the bureau would have been $96.3 million (8.9%) less than in FY2015 and $508.3 million (33.9%) below the FY2016 request.
On June 16, 2015, the Senate Committee on Appropriations reported its version of H.R. 2578, which, like the House-passed bill, recommended $100.0 million for ESA (and had no separate breakout for BEA). The committee's $1,128.0 million recommendation for the Census Bureau was $40.0 million (3.7%) above the FY2015 funding level, $372.0 million (24.8%) below the FY2016 request, and $136.3 million (13.7%) more than the House approved.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016, H.R. 2029, P.L. 114-113, became law on December 18, 2015. It provides $109.0 million for ESA (with no separate amount shown for BEA), $9.0 million (9.0%) more than enacted for FY2015, passed by the House, and recommended by the Senate Appropriations committee, and $4.8 million (4.3%) less than requested for FY2016. The act funds the Census Bureau at $1,370.0 million, $282.0 million (25.9%) more than in FY2015, $130.0 million (8.7%) below the FY2016 request, $378.3 million (38.1%) more than the House approved, and $242.0 million (21.5%) more than the Senate committee reported. The act provides $270.0 million for Current Surveys and Programs, $7.9 million (2.8%) less than requested, $9.0 million (3.4%) above the House-passed amount, and $4.0 million (1.5%) more than the Senate committee recommended. The $1,100.0 million provided for Periodic Censuses and Programs is $122.1 million (10.0%) less than requested; it exceeds the House-passed amount by $369.3 million (50.5%) and the Senate committee-reported amount by $238.0 million (27.6%). The act does not include House-passed language that, in effect, would have made ACS responses voluntary instead of mandatory, as they now are.