On May 18, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS), and Related Agencies passed, by voice vote, the FY2017 CJS and Related Agencies spending bill (as-yet-unnumbered). The Senate CJS Subcommittee approved the legislation on April 21 (see The Source, 4/22/16). The legislation provides funding for the Departments of Commerce and Justice, as well as for federal science agencies, such as the National Science Foundation and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
According to the committee summary, the bill would provide $56 billion in discretionary funding for FY2017. This amount is $279 million over FY2016 and $1.4 billion over President Obama’s FY2017 budget request.
The Department of Justice would receive $29 billion. The total is $247 million over FY2016. Funding would include $528 million for the Office on Violence Against Women, an increase of $48 million over FY2016, and $20 million for programs under the Adam Walsh Act (P.L. 109-248). DNA Initiative grants would receive $125 million; $45 million would be allocated to reduce the backlog in analyzing rape kits.
The measure includes $103 million to address the epidemic of opioid abuse.
The bill would continue existing provisions to ban the use of federal funds for abortions.
Additional information will be made available once the committee releases its report.
