	Introduction

In its second session, the 114 th Congress has considered whether and how to provide funds to control the spread of the Zika virus throughout the Americas. Zika infection, primarily spread by Aedes mosquitoes and sexual contact, has been linked to severe birth defects and other health concerns. Local transmission of the Zika virus has occurred in American Samoa, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and south Florida. This report incorporates all information from CRS Report R44549, Supplemental Appropriations for Zika Response: The FY2016 Conference Agreement in Brief , with no substantive changes. That CRS report is no longer available. Administration Actions

		Supplemental Request

On February 22, 2016, the Obama Administration requested more than $1.89 billion in supplemental funding to respond to the Zika outbreak. The Administration called for all these funds to be provided as an emergency requirement, which would therefore effectively exempt them from the discretionary spending limits. The emergency request included $1.509 billion for HHS, $335 million for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and $41 million for the Department of State. The request also sought authority to transfer some of those supplemental emergency appropriations to other federal agencies such as the Department of Defense, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, to allow greater flexibility as circumstances change. It also sought to provide HHS, the Department of State, and USAID with authority for direct hiring and personal services contracting, not limited to positions related to Zika response efforts. On April 6, 2016, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Secretary of HHS announced that they had identified $589 million—$510 million of it from "existing Ebola resources within the Department of Health and Human Services and Department of State/USAID"—that could quickly be redirected and spent on immediate efforts to control and respond to the spread of the Zika virus in the Americas. As part of the reprogramming, on April 8, 2016, USAID notified Congress of its intent to redirect $295 million of the $510 million from FY2015 unobligated Ebola Economic Support Funds (ESF) to be used for Zika response and other purposes. Of that amount, USAID transferred $158 million to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including $78 million for international Zika response efforts and $80 million for Ebola response. The remaining $137 million, also from FY2015 ESF, was to be redirected to fund various USAID Zika response activities. Congressional Actions

Between May and September 2016, supplemental funding for Zika response received floor consideration in both the House and the Senate. Congress resolved its consideration of Zika funding on September 28, 2016, when the Senate and House passed H.R. This vehicle incorporated appropriations for Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies (Division A); $1.1 billion in FY2016 Zika supplemental funding (Division B); a short-term continuing resolution (CR) for FY2017 that would fund remaining government operations through December 9, 2016 (Division C); and a number of rescissions (Division D). 5325. The bill would have provided $622.1 million, to be available until September 30, 2016, for domestic and international Zika response efforts. The House passed the measure on May 18, 2016, without amendment. Senate Bill (H.R. 2577)

Senate action on Zika funding initially occurred as an amendment to the FY2017 Military Construction-Veterans Affairs and Transportation-Housing and Urban Development appropriations bills. On May 19, 2016, the Senate adopted H.R. These Zika funds would generally be available until September 30, 2017, with the exception of Global Health Funds, which would be available until expended. Conference Report (H.Rept. 114-640 , to accompany H.R. 2577 .) Amounts to HHS and State/USAID accounts were somewhat similar to those in the Senate proposal. However, other aspects of the agreement generated some controversy. Two provisions received particular attention: one specifying the purposes of funding provided to the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG), and another rescinding certain funds provided by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA, P.L. 111-148 , as amended) intended to establish health exchanges in the territories. The conference agreement was agreed to by the House on June 23, 2016. On June 28, the Senate voted not to invoke cloture on the measure. It included Division B, which would provide $1.1 billion in FY2016 funding for Zika response. The President signed the bill on September 29, 2016. Division D rescinds $400 million in budget authority, $231.9 million of which is designated as an emergency.
The second session of the 114th Congress has considered whether and how to provide funds to control the spread of the Zika virus throughout the Americas. Zika infection, which is primarily spread by Aedes mosquitoes and sexual contact, has been linked to birth defects and other health concerns. Local transmission of the virus has occurred in Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Florida.
On February 22, 2016, the Obama Administration requested more than $1.89 billion in supplemental funding for the Zika response, all of which it asked to be designated as an emergency requirement, which would effectively exempt the funds from discretionary spending limits. The request included $1.509 billion for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), $335 million for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and $41 million for the Department of State. The request sought authority to transfer the requested funds to other federal agencies to allow greater flexibility as circumstances change. It also sought to provide HHS, the Department of State, and USAID with authority for direct hiring and personal services contracting, not limited to positions related to Zika response efforts.
On April 6, 2016, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Secretary of HHS announced that they had identified $589 million—$510 million of it from "existing Ebola resources" within HHS and Department of State/USAID—that could be redirected and spent on immediate efforts to control the spread of Zika in the Americas. On April 8, 2016, the Administration notified Congress of the transfer of $295 million (included in the $510 million) from FY2015 unobligated USAID Ebola Economic Support Funds (ESF) to be used for Zika response efforts and other purposes. Of that amount, USAID would provide $158 million to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)—$78 million for Zika response and $80 million for Ebola response. The remaining $137 million would fund various USAID Zika response activities.
In May, both the House and the Senate passed supplemental appropriations measures for Zika response. On May 18, the House passed a stand-alone bill (H.R. 5243) to provide $622.1 million, which would be available until September 30, 2016. It did not designate these funds as an emergency requirement, but instead rescinded an equal amount of budget authority. On May 19, as the Senate was considering a bill to provide regular FY2017 appropriations for Military Construction-Veterans Affairs and Transportation-Housing and Urban Development, it amended that bill so that it also would provide $1.1 billion for Zika response, to be available, depending on the account, either until September 30, 2017, or until expended (S.Amdt. 3900 to H.R. 2577). The Senate bill did not contain any rescissions and instead designated the Zika-related appropriations as emergency requirements.
A conference agreement to provide $1.1 billion in Zika response funding (H.Rept. 114-640, to accompany H.R. 2577) was filed on June 22 and agreed to by the House on June 23. Amounts to HHS and Department of State/USAID were generally similar to those in the Senate proposal. However, other aspects of the agreement generated some controversy. These included a provision associated with health care funding that would be provided through the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG), and a provision that would rescind a total of $750 million, most of it from unspent funds provided by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA, P.L. 111-148, as amended) intended to establish health exchanges in the territories. The Senate voted three times (in June, July, and September) not to invoke cloture on the measure.
On August 11, 2016, the Administration reprogrammed $81 million within HHS to continue funding for Zika vaccine research efforts.
On September 28, 2016, the Senate and House passed H.R. 5325, a legislative vehicle that incorporated appropriations for Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies (Division A); $1.1 billion in FY2016 Zika supplemental funding (Division B); a short-term continuing resolution (CR) for FY2017 that would fund remaining government operations through December 9, 2016 (Division C); and a number of rescissions (Division D). The President signed the legislation on September 29, 2016.
This report tracks administrative and congressional action on FY2016 supplemental funding to address the Zika virus. This report incorporates all information from CRS Report R44549, Supplemental Appropriations for Zika Response: The FY2016 Conference Agreement in Brief, with no substantive changes. That CRS report is no longer available.