	Frequently Asked Questions

		In addition to the Senate and House of Representatives, what is funded by the legislative branch appropriations bill? Table 2 provides information on funding levels for the Senate, House of Representatives, and legislative branch agencies in recent years as well as the requested, House-passed, Senate-passed, and enacted levels for FY2019. The FY2019 legislative branch budget request of $4.960 billion was submitted on February 12, 2018, prior to the enactment of FY2018 funding on March 23, 2018. Agency assessments for FY2019 may subsequently have been revised—for example, to account for items funded or not funded in the FY2018 Consolidated Appropriations Act. Subsequent discussions may vary from the levels or language included in the budget request due to this timing. By law, the President includes the legislative branch request in the annual budget submission without change. The House passed H.R. 5895 , which contained funding for the legislative branch, on June 8, 2018. The Senate passed H.R. 5895 , as amended ( S.Amdt. 2910 ), on June 25, 2018. The Senate agreed to the conference report ( H.Rept. 115-929 ) on H.R. 5895 on September 12, 2018. The House agreed to the conference report on September 13, 2018. H.R. 5895 was signed into law on September 21, 2018 ( P.L. 115-244 ; the Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019). Why is the legislative branch budget request included in the President's budget request? The FY2019 act included a provision prohibiting this adjustment. The House and Senate both consider funding levels for the legislative branch agencies and joint entities.
This report responds to frequently asked questions about legislative branch appropriations. Frequently asked questions include the items that are funded within this bill; development, presentation, and consideration of the legislative branch budget requests; the legislative branch budget in historical perspective; and recent actions.
The House and Senate considered FY2019 legislative branch funding during 2018:
The FY2019 legislative branch budget request of $4.960 billion was submitted on February 12, 2018. The budget request levels were developed prior to the enactment of full-year appropriations for FY2018. Agency assessments for FY2019 may subsequently have been revised—for example, to account for items funded or not funded in the FY2018 Consolidated Appropriations Act. Subsequent discussions may vary from the levels or language included in the budget request due to this timing. By law, the President includes the legislative branch request in the annual budget submission without change. H.R. 5895, which contained funding for the legislative branch, was passed by the House on June 8, 2018 (212-179, Roll No. 257). Senate consideration of H.R. 5895 began June 18, 2018, and the Senate agreed to S.Amdt. 2910. H.R. 5895, as amended, passed the Senate on June 25, 2018 (86-5, Record Vote No. 139). The Senate agreed to the conference report (H.Rept. 115-929) on September 12, 2018 (92-5, Record Vote Number 207). The House agreed to the conference report on September 13, 2018 (377-20, Roll No. 399). H.R. 5895 was signed into law on September 21, 2018 (P.L. 115-244; the Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019).
The FY2019 act provides $4.836 billion for the legislative branch, an increase of $136.0 million (+2.9%) from the FY2018 enacted level.
For additional information, including information on the most recent legislative branch appropriations bills, see CRS Report R45214, Legislative Branch: FY2019 Appropriations, by Ida A. Brudnick and Sarah J. Eckman.