Overview
Title
Making appropriations for energy and water development and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, and for other purposes.
ELI5 AI
S. 4927 is a plan to spend money on making things like rivers, energy, and water safer and better in the U.S., but some people worry about making sure the spending is fair and not wasted.
Summary AI
S. 4927 is a bill that allocates funds for energy and water development projects in the United States for the fiscal year ending on September 30, 2025. It provides detailed appropriations for various government departments, including the Corps of Engineers, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the Department of Energy, addressing areas like river restoration, flood damage reduction, and energy security. The bill also sets guidelines for the reprogramming of funds, ensuring checks on budget adjustments and maintaining transparency on the usage of allocated resources. Additionally, it outlines funding for several independent agencies, such as the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Delta Regional Authority, to support infrastructure and development programs.
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Bill Statistics
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Language
Complexity
AnalysisAI
The bill under discussion is a legislative proposal for making appropriations related to energy and water development in the United States for the fiscal year ending on September 30, 2025. It includes funding for various agencies and projects concerned with these sectors, extending financial resources to initiatives like energy efficiency, renewable energy, water resource management, infrastructure development, and nuclear safety measures.
General Summary
At its core, this bill earmarks funds from the U.S. Treasury for multiple projects spanning energy and water sectors. It identifies specific allocations for activities related to the Department of Energy, Army Corps of Engineers, and other relevant federal agencies. Among its significant inclusions are efforts focusing on construction and maintenance of water infrastructure, promoting energy efficiency, supporting renewable energy initiatives, and ensuring nuclear safety. The appropriations act outlines monetary support for research, development, and infrastructure improvements within these fields, sustaining ongoing operations in managing and protecting essential resources in the country.
Summary of Significant Issues
The bill presents several challenges and potential concerns emanating from vague language and insufficient oversight mechanisms. Particularly:
Lack of Oversight: Sections repeatedly highlight issues regarding transparency in fund allocation and oversight. Although funds are appropriated for numerous projects, there appears to be limited information provided on how these funds will be monitored and evaluated for effectiveness, potentially leading to misuse or inefficient utilization of resources.
Complex Language and Ambiguity: The legal and technical jargon employed throughout the bill, as observed in various sections, might prove problematic for individuals attempting to understand the legislation's implications without specialized knowledge. The ambiguous phrasing in parts regarding fund reprogramming and criteria for eligibility may allow for interpretations that might not best serve public interest.
Potential for Wasteful Spending: Several sections, including those relating to the reallocation of funds and prohibitions around project expenditures, raise concerns about possible wastefulness. Notably, the substantial financial allocations without rigorous accountability measures could open avenues for inefficient expenditures.
Environmental and Operational Concerns: Some environmental provisions, such as those dealing with dredged material in Section 104, might raise operational costs, causing concerns about financial strain on the associated state or federal departments.
Impact on the Public
The bill's broad public implications revolve around how effectively it can balance resource allocation against enforcement of stringent oversight measures. On one hand, it can positively stimulate technological advancements in energy and water management areas, potentially leading to improved infrastructure, sustainable energy practices, and better environmental conservation outcomes. Moreover, the investments in renewable energy and nuclear safety might drive progress toward meeting environmental goals and enhancing public safety.
On the other hand, the absence of robust oversight and clearly defined criteria for fund utilization might result in inefficiencies, public skepticism, or even potential misallocation of taxpayer dollars. Given that oversight and transparency are recurring themes in governmental financial management, the public's trust might be undermined if these issues are not addressed earnestly within the legislative text.
Impact on Specific Stakeholders
Federal and State Agencies: While the bill ostensibly provides broad financial resources to relevant federal and state agencies that stand to support their energy and water-related missions, it might add more bureaucratic complexity without reinforcement of accountability.
Environmental and Technical Experts: The legislation holds promise for the technical community, promising investments in research, infrastructure projects, and technological enhancements. However, these benefits could become mired in procedural delays or inadequate execution strategies due to unclear guidelines and potential favoritism in project selection.
Local Communities and Industries: Communities located near major water systems or development projects may experience positive effects if funds are appropriately allocated towards projects enhancing local infrastructure, safety, and economic opportunities. However, communities may also face disruptions or heightened scrutiny under this funding model if transparency is not sufficiently ensured.
Overall, while the appropriations bill carries distinct potential for progressing energy and water development programs, its ultimate efficacy is contingent upon addressing notable critiques concerning transparency, oversight, and relevance of the outlined provisions. Clear resolutions and amendments could significantly enhance the likelihood of proportional positive impact across intended sectors and among targeted stakeholder groups.
Financial Assessment
The bill, S. 4927, is focused on appropriations for energy and water development projects, with substantial financial allocations across various departments and programs. A key aspect of this legislation is ensuring the allocation of resources to improve infrastructure, security, and environmental management.
Summary of Financial Allocations
The bill authorizes substantial funding for different sectors. Specifically, it allocates:
- $107,800,000 for investigations related to river and harbor, flood, storm damage reduction, and aquatic ecosystem restoration.
- $200,000,000 is assigned for planning, engineering, and design expenses relating to similar projects.
- A noteworthy allocation of $2,979,041,000 is marked for construction activities, indicating the bill's significant focus on infrastructural development related to water bodies.
- For operations and maintenance, $5,849,129,000 is earmarked, a significant sum highlighting ongoing commitments to maintaining infrastructure.
- An additional $224,000,000 is noted for the regulatory program, and $325,000,000 for remedial action concerning past nuclear activities.
Other vital allocations include $342,000,000 for non-defense environmental cleanup and $8,600,000,000 for science-related expenses, reflecting the breadth of activities covered.
Issues Related to Financial Allocations
One of the notable issues raised is the lack of specified oversight and detailed accountability for the appropriations. Sections concerning the Corps of Engineers and Department of the Interior illustrate significant financial resources allocated without clear mechanisms for ensuring transparency in how these funds are used. The absence of accountability measures is a concern as it may lead to the misuse of taxpayer money, especially given the size of allocations like the $5.8 billion for operation and maintenance.
Section 306 imposes restrictions on federal funding exceeding $100,000,000 for grant allocations unless internal management procedures are followed. While this aims to place checks on large financial awards, it still lacks clarity on oversight mechanisms, which could lead to favoritism if not properly monitored.
The decision outlined in Section 104, to restrict open lake placement alternatives for dredged material, adds hidden costs which are not addressed in the bill. This lack of clarity on fiscal management could lead to further financial implications, thus emphasizing the issue of fiscal and environmental transparency.
Sections 110 and 502 discuss fund transfers across departments but lack comprehensive guidelines or reporting requirements to ensure equitable distribution. This is coupled with concerns over the accuracy and fairness of financial management within government agencies.
The bill's provision in Section 310, allowing for the reallocation of $800 million for advanced reactor projects, lacks oversight provisions. This represents a significant fiscal outlay, and the absence of transparency guidelines raises potential fiscal mismanagement concerns.
Conclusion
Overall, S. 4927 presents significant allocations aimed at energy and water development. However, several issues relating to oversight and transparency remain. The bill emphasizes appropriations, yet stakeholders and taxpayers would benefit from more stringent oversight mechanisms to ensure fiscal responsibility and proper usage of these funds.
Issues
The bill places significant financial resources in various programs without specifying clear oversight or detailed accountability measures to ensure appropriate usage. This lack of transparency, seen in Sections 101, 102, 103, 105, and 203, poses a potential risk of misuse of funds, which can concern taxpayers and stakeholders.
Section 306 restricts federal funding to specific thresholds for awards but lacks clarity on oversight and criteria, potentially opening avenues for favoritism or biased fund allocations.
Section 104's prohibition on open lake placement alternatives for dredged material from Lake Erie creates concerns about potentially increased operational costs. The lack of consideration for the fiscal implications highlights transparency issues, which could be problematic considering the significant environmental impact and associated costs.
Section 302 deems funds for intelligence activities as authorized, which might bypass detailed legislative oversight. This could raise concerns about transparency and accountability in intelligence funding among the general public.
Section 502 involves complex transfer authority conditions that might not guarantee transparency or equitability in fund allocations among departments, raising concerns of governmental financial management accuracy.
Section 401's reliance on potentially outdated Internal Commission Procedures from 2011 might not align with current best practices, raising legal and procedural transparency issues for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
There is a notable absence of oversight provisions regarding the reallocation of a substantial $800 million in Section 310 for advanced reactor demonstrations, which could potentially be viewed as fiscally imprudent without clear justification or transparency guidelines.
Section 503 requires blocking pornography on all networks using funds from this act, however, defining 'pornography' is ambiguous which could lead to implementation inconsistency.
Section 205 provides no context or explanation for changing the date from 2024 to 2025, leaving implications of this amendment unspecified, which could lead to potential budget mismanagement.
Sections
Sections are presented as they are annotated in the original legislative text. Any missing headers, numbers, or non-consecutive order is due to the original text.
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Summary AI
The section states that funds from the U.S. Treasury, not already allocated for other uses, are set aside for energy and water development and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025.
101. Investigations Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The section outlines rules for how funds allocated in a certain part of a government bill can be used or changed, stating that certain fund adjustments, such as creating new programs or shifting funds from one activity to another, require approval from both Houses of Congress unless they meet specific guidelines. These guidelines include limits on how much money can be reprogrammed based on the project's category, such as investigations, construction, and more, with specific exemptions and emergency provisions also included.
Money References
- SEC. 101. (a) None of the funds provided in title I of this Act, or provided by previous appropriations Acts to the agencies or entities funded in title I of this Act that remain available for obligation or expenditure in fiscal year 2025, shall be available for obligation or expenditure through a reprogramming of funds that: (1) creates or initiates a new program, project, or activity; (2) eliminates a program, project, or activity; (3) increases funds or personnel for any program, project, or activity for which funds have been denied or restricted by this Act, unless prior approval is received from the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress; (4) proposes to use funds directed for a specific activity for a different purpose, unless prior approval is received from the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress; (5) augments or reduces existing programs, projects, or activities in excess of the amounts contained in paragraphs (6) through (11), unless prior approval is received from the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress; (6) INVESTIGATIONS.—For a base level over $100,000, reprogramming of 25 percent of the base amount up to a limit of $150,000 per project, study or activity is allowed:
- Provided, That for a base level less than $100,000, the reprogramming limit is $25,000: Provided further, That up to $25,000 may be reprogrammed into any continuing study or activity that did not receive an appropriation for existing obligations and concomitant administrative expenses; (7) PLANNING, ENGINEERING, AND DESIGN.—For a base level over $2,000,000, reprogramming of 15 percent of the base amount up to a limit of $3,000,000 per project, study or activity is allowed:
- Provided, That for a base level less than $2,000,000, the reprogramming limit is $300,000: Provided further, That up to $300,000 may be reprogrammed into any continuing study or activity that did not receive an appropriation for existing obligations and concomitant administrative expenses;
- (8) CONSTRUCTION.—For a base level over $2,000,000, reprogramming of 15 percent of the base amount up to a limit of $3,000,000 per project, study or activity is allowed:
- Provided, That for a base level less than $2,000,000, the reprogramming limit is $300,000:
- Provided further, That up to $3,000,000 may be reprogrammed for settled contractor claims, changed conditions, or real estate deficiency judgments:
- Provided further, That up to $300,000 may be reprogrammed into any continuing study or activity that did not receive an appropriation for existing obligations and concomitant administrative expenses;
- Provided further, That for a base level over $1,000,000, reprogramming of 15 percent of the base amount up to a limit of $5,000,000 per project, study, or activity is allowed:
- Provided further, That for a base level less than $1,000,000, the reprogramming limit is $150,000:
- Provided further, That $150,000 may be reprogrammed into any continuing study or activity that did not receive an appropriation;
- (b) De minimus reprogrammings.—In no case should a reprogramming for less than $50,000 be submitted to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress.
102. Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
Certain funds cannot be used to make or change contracts if they exceed the allocated budget for a program unless additional funds were made available through reprogramming according to section 101.
103. Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The Secretary of the Army is allowed to transfer up to $8,200,000 to the Fish and Wildlife Service, which can use the funds to address the loss of fish habitats caused by projects carried out by the Corps of Engineers.
Money References
- The Secretary of the Army may transfer to the Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Fish and Wildlife Service may accept and expend, up to $8,200,000 of funds provided in this title under the heading “Operation and Maintenance” to mitigate for fisheries lost due to Corps of Engineers projects.
104. Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The section states that no funds from this Act can be used for placing dredged material in Lake Erie unless it is approved by State water quality certification. Until such approval, the Corps of Engineers must continue to use upland sites for the disposal of dredged material.
105. Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
Any extra money given out by this Act can only go to projects that the Chief of Engineers says are eligible.
201. Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The section outlines restrictions on how funds designated for Water and Related Resources can be reprogrammed, including limits on starting or changing programs, transferring specific amounts, and other conditions that require approval from Congress. It also requires the Bureau of Reclamation to report quarterly to Congress on any reallocation of these funds.
Money References
- SEC. 201. (a) None of the funds provided in title II of this Act for Water and Related Resources, or provided by previous or subsequent appropriations Acts to the agencies or entities funded in title II of this Act for Water and Related Resources that remain available for obligation or expenditure in fiscal year 2025, shall be available for obligation or expenditure through a reprogramming of funds that— (1) initiates or creates a new program, project, or activity; (2) eliminates a program, project, or activity; (3) increases funds for any program, project, or activity for which funds have been denied or restricted by this Act, unless prior approval is received from the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress; (4) restarts or resumes any program, project or activity for which funds are not provided in this Act, unless prior approval is received from the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress; (5) transfers funds in excess of the following limits, unless prior approval is received from the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress: (A) 15 percent for any program, project or activity for which $2,000,000 or more is available at the beginning of the fiscal year; or (B) $400,000 for any program, project or activity for which less than $2,000,000 is available at the beginning of the fiscal year; (6) transfers more than $500,000 from either the Facilities Operation, Maintenance, and Rehabilitation category or the Resources Management and Development category to any program, project, or activity in the other category, unless prior approval is received from the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress; or (7) transfers, where necessary to discharge legal obligations of the Bureau of Reclamation, more than $5,000,000 to provide adequate funds for settled contractor claims, increased contractor earnings due to accelerated rates of operations, and real estate deficiency judgments, unless prior approval is received from the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress.
202. Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The section prohibits using funds from the Act to decide on the final discharge point for the San Luis Unit's drainage until a plan is created with California's approval to meet water quality standards. It also states that cleanup and drainage program costs must be categorized and repaid as specified, and any future U.S. funding for San Luis Unit drainage must be reimbursed by beneficiaries.
203. Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
In Section 203, the law from 2004 called the Calfed Bay-Delta Authorization Act is being updated to change any reference of the year "2022" to "2025."
204. Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The section changes a part of the Reclamation States Emergency Drought Relief Act of 1991 by extending the date from “2022” to “2025”, allowing drought relief measures under this Act to be available for an additional three years.
205. Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
Section 205 changes the year mentioned in Section 3 of Public Law 106–392 from "2024" to "2025" wherever it appears.
206. Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The section prohibits the use of any funds from the current or previous Acts for the Shasta Dam and Reservoir Enlargement Project.
301. Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The rules in this section state that funds provided to the Department of Energy must not be used for projects that Congress has not approved, and detailed notifications and reports are required for significant financial actions. Additionally, contracts and grants must be fully funded upfront or include a condition based on future budget availability, and most changes to funding levels require congressional approval, with some emergency waivers possible for substantial risks. Unused funds from prior appropriations can be merged with current funds for the same purposes.
Money References
- Unless the Secretary of Energy notifies the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress at least 3 full business days in advance, none of the funds made available in this title may be used to— (A) make a grant allocation or discretionary grant award totaling $1,000,000 or more; (B) make a discretionary contract award or Other Transaction Agreement totaling $1,000,000 or more, including a contract covered by the Federal Acquisition Regulation; (C) provide nonoperational funding through a competition restricted only to Department of Energy National Laboratories totaling $1,000,000 or more; (D) provide nonoperational funding directly to a Department of Energy National Laboratory totaling $25,000,000 or more; (E) issue a letter of intent to make an allocation, award, or Agreement in excess of the limits in subparagraph (A), (B), (C), or (D); or (F) announce publicly the intention to make an allocation, award, or Agreement in excess of the limits in subparagraph (A), (B), (C), or (D). (2) The Secretary of Energy shall submit to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress within 15 days of the conclusion of each quarter a report detailing each grant allocation or discretionary grant award totaling less than $1,000,000 provided during the previous quarter. (3) The notification required by paragraph (1) and the report required by paragraph (2) shall include the recipient of the award, the amount of the award, the fiscal year for which the funds for the award were appropriated, the account and program, project, or activity from which the funds are being drawn, the title of the award, and a brief description of the activity for which the award is made.
- (e) The amounts made available by this title may be reprogrammed for any program, project, or activity, and the Department shall notify, and obtain the prior approval of, the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress at least 30 days prior to the use of any proposed reprogramming that would cause any program, project, or activity funding level to increase or decrease by more than $5,000,000 or 10 percent, whichever is less, during the time period covered by this Act.
302. Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
Funds provided by this or any other law for intelligence activities are considered officially approved by Congress, according to the National Security Act of 1947, throughout the fiscal year 2025 until the Intelligence Authorization Act for that year is passed.
303. Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The section states that $67,000,000 of unused funds from the previous year meant for the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration are being permanently taken back. However, funds that were marked by Congress as necessary for emergencies cannot be taken away.
Money References
- SEC. 303. Of the unobligated balances from prior year appropriations made available to the Department of Energy under the heading “Atomic Energy Defense Activities—National Nuclear Security Administration—Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation”, $67,000,000 are hereby permanently rescinded:
304. Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
None of the money provided in this part of the bill can be used to build facilities labeled as high-hazard nuclear facilities unless an independent review is done by the Office of Enterprise Assessments to make sure the project follows nuclear safety rules.
305. Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
None of the money provided in this section can be used to advance certain big construction projects within the Department of Energy, costing over $100 million, until an independent estimate of the project's cost has been created.
Money References
- None of the funds made available in this title may be used to approve critical decision-2 or critical decision-3 under Department of Energy Order 413.3B, or any successive departmental guidance, for construction projects where the total project cost exceeds $100,000,000, until a separate independent cost estimate has been developed for the project for that critical decision. ---
306. Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The section states that no funds from this title can be used for any grant or cooperative agreement that costs more than $100 million in federal funding, unless it is managed through internal independent project management procedures.
Money References
- None of the funds made available in this title may be used to support a grant allocation award, discretionary grant award, research and demonstration or cooperative agreement that exceeds $100,000,000 in Federal funding unless the award, demonstration, or agreement is carried out through internal independent project management procedures.
307. Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
Funds from the Colorado River Basins Power Marketing Fund under the Western Area Power Administration are not allowed to be moved to the general fund of the Treasury during the current fiscal year.
308. Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The section modifies a previous law by replacing the term “Generation 3+” with the word “advanced.”
309. Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
Section 309 of the bill changes the amount of money specified in Section 50142(b) of a previous law (Public Law 117–169) by increasing it from $25,000,000 to $100,000,000.
Money References
- SEC. 309. Section 50142(b) of Public Law 117–169 is amended by striking “$25,000,000” and inserting “$100,000,000”.
310. Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The section states that up to $400 million each for the years 2025 and 2026, previously set aside for "Nuclear Energy" under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, can be used for various purposes related to nuclear energy. These purposes include advanced reactor demonstrations, commercial utility projects, risk reduction initiatives, nuclear fuel availability, and activities under the Civil Nuclear Credit Program.
Money References
- SEC. 310. Of the amounts previously appropriated under the heading “Department of Energy—Energy Programs—Nuclear Energy” in division J of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117–58), up to $400,000,000 that are made available for fiscal year 2025 and up to $400,000,000 that are made available for fiscal year 2026, shall be available, in addition to amounts otherwise available, for any of the following purposes— (1) the two advanced reactor demonstrations from the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program, as authorized under section 959A of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16279a); (2) the two competitive awards for commercial utility deployment projects, as authorized under section 959A of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16279a), and as referenced in section 311(1)(A) of division D of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (Public Law 118–42), as amended by this Act; (3) Risk Reduction for Future Generations, as described under the heading Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program in the explanatory statement accompanying division C of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (Public Law 116–94); (4) Advanced Nuclear Fuel Availability Program; or (5) to carry out activities under the Civil Nuclear Credit Program, as authorized under section 40323 of Public Law 117–58: Provided, That amounts repurposed pursuant to this section shall continue to be treated as amounts specified in section 103(b) of division A of Public Law 118–5.
311. Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The section allocates up to $300 million for each of the fiscal years 2025 and 2026 to support projects enhancing the manufacturing of electric grid components, like transformers, within the U.S. This funding is additional to previous allocations and can partially supplement certain electricity-related activities authorized by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, while keeping its original availability period and treatment.
Money References
- Of the amounts previously appropriated under the heading “Department of Energy—Energy Programs—Electricity” in division J of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117–58), up to $300,000,000 that are made available for fiscal year 2025 and up to $300,000,000 that are made available for fiscal year 2026, shall be available, in addition to amounts otherwise made available for such purposes, for financial assistance, procurement, technical assistance, and workforce support, to enhance the domestic supply chain for the manufacture of distribution and power transformers, components, and electric grid components:
312. Definitions Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The text outlines a program allowing the Secretary of Energy to set up and manage storage facilities for spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste, using a process that requires agreement from local and state governments and affected tribes. These facilities are funded by the Nuclear Waste Fund, and the program includes public consultations, a consent-based approval process, and plans for eventual permanent disposal.
313. Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
Funds from various energy-related programs in this section can be reallocated within their own accounts to support small business and technology commercialization activities, without adhering to certain restrictions, as long as award decisions are made in collaboration with the appropriate overseeing offices.
314. Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
Section 314 amends a specific part of an existing law to include site support prime contractors at the National Energy Technology Laboratory alongside the Department of Energy, suggesting they will now have similar responsibilities or recognition.
401. Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is required to follow its own internal procedures from July 5, 2011, when answering requests for information from Congress, while also adhering to guidelines provided by the Department of Justice for all federal agencies.
402. Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The section outlines the rules for reallocating funds within the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, requiring notification to Congress for significant changes. It also allows for waiver of notification if there's a substantial risk, bans increasing funds or personnel for restricted activities, and mandates monthly budget reports to Congress.
Money References
- SEC. 402. (a) The amounts made available by this title for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission may be reprogrammed for any program, project, or activity, and the Commission shall notify the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress at least 30 days prior to the use of any proposed reprogramming that would cause any program funding level to increase or decrease by more than $500,000 or 10 percent, whichever is less, during the time period covered by this Act.
501. Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
None of the money from this Act can be used to try to influence Congress about any laws or budget issues they are thinking about, except for communicating with them as allowed by a specific law, 18 U.S.C. 1913.
502. Read Opens in new tab
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Funds from this Act cannot be moved between government departments or agencies unless authorized by this or another law, and any such use of transfer authority must be reported to Congress every six months, detailing the amounts and reasons for the transfers.
503. Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
Funds from this Act cannot be used to maintain or create a computer network unless it blocks access to pornography. However, there is an exception allowing funds to be used for law enforcement and legal activities related to criminal investigations or prosecutions.
504. Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
None of the funds from this Act may be used in ways that go against Executive Order No. 12898, which focuses on addressing environmental justice issues for minority and low-income communities.
505. Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The funds provided by this Act can only be used according to the rules and details outlined in the Act and the report that comes with it.