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Highlights from the President's FY15 Department of Commerce Budget Request
Enacted FY14 funding is used for comparisons unless otherwise noted.
The president’s FY15 budget request for the Department of Commerce (DOC) totals $8.8 billion in discretionary funding (6.9 percent increase over FY14 enacted), with increased funding for most agencies and programs related to research, technology transfer, advanced manufacturing and regional economic development. The department would play a key role in the administration’s Opportunity, Growth and Security Initiative (OGSI), managing the planned expansion of the National Network of Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI) to include 45 institutes over the next 10 years.
Discretionary funding for DOC’s TBED-related component offices (including salaries and expenses) includes:
| DOC Component | FY15 Request ($ millions) |
Percent Change from FY14 enacted |
|---|---|---|
| National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration | 5,496.70 | 3.3 |
| Operations, Research and Facilities | 3,361.20 | 2.7 |
| Procurement, Acquisition and Construction | 2,206.40 | 9.1 |
| Bureau of the Census | 1,211.40 | 28.2 |
| National Institute of Standards & Technology | 904.9 | 5.7 |
| Scientific and Technical Research and Services | 680 | 4.5 |
| Industrial Technology Services | 161 | 12.6 |
| Construction of Research Facilities | 59 | 5.4 |
| International Trade Administration | 497.3 | 8 |
| Economic Development Administration | 248.2 | 0.7 |
| Economic Development Assistance Programs | 210 | 0.2 |
| Bureau of Industry and Security | 110.5 | 11 |
| Economic and Statistics Administration | 111 | 9 |
| National Telecommunications & Information Administration | 51 | 10.9 |
| Minority Business Development Agency | 28.3 | 1 |
The FY15 budget request would provide $3.2 billion in spending authority for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, though the agency is funded through patent fee collections when the proceeds from these fees are sufficient to cover operations.
The International Trade and Investment Administration would receive $497.3 million (8 percent increase), with $20 million to expand SelectUSA, which is intended to become the first, coordinated federal government effort to recruit businesses to invest in the U.S. The Bureau of Economic Analysis would receive $4 million to support the expansion of SelectUSA.
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
NIST would receive $904.9 million under the proposed FY15 budget, a 5.7 percent increase over FY14 enacted levels, including $680 million (4.5 percent increase) for NIST laboratories. Under the request, NIST laboratories would receive additional funding for research investments in forensic science, cyber-physical systems, advanced materials and synthetic biology. Included in the laboratory funding is $6 million for a Labs-to-Market initiative that would accelerate and expand technology transfer across the federal government.
NIST Industrial Technology Services would receive $161 million (12.6 percent increase) in FY15 for the following programs:
- Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) – $141 million (10.2 percent increase) to operate the national network of 60 MEP centers with additional funding to support technology adoption by smaller manufacturers. The administration also is recommending that Congress adjust the current 2:1 cost-share ratio of non-federal to federal funds to 1:1.
- Advanced Manufacturing Technology Consortia (AMTech) - $15 million (21.1 percent decrease) to provide grants to create and support industry-led consortia on high-impact advanced manufacturing topics.
NIST also would be responsible for the management of the national institutes planned under NNMI. Though key funding for the four existing institutes and the five planned institutes has come from the Departments of Energy, Defense and Agriculture, NIST would receive $5 million to coordinate operations. NIST would use the funding to engage with manufacturers, enable sharing of best practices, reduce redundant operations and strengthen cross-institute collaborations.
NIST would receive $100 million as part of the Wireless Innovation Fund, an initiative originally introduced in the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012. The fund would support research to improve public safety communications through an interoperable national broadband network using proceeds from spectrum auctions.
Economic Development Administration (EDA)
The president’s FY15 budget request includes $248.2 million (0.7 percent increase) for EDA, including $210 million (0.2 percent increase) for Economic Development Assistance Programs (EDAP). Note that the numbers below are based on the top-line figure released by the administration, as a detailed agency budget is not yet available.
| EDAP Category | FY15 Request ($ millions) |
Percent Change from FY14 Estimated |
|---|---|---|
| Public Works | 115 | -9.4 |
| Economic Adjustment Assistance | 47 | 11.9 |
| Partnership Planning | 29 | No change |
| Regional Innovation Strategies Program | 25 | 66.6 |
| Trade Adjustment Assistance | 15 | -33.3 |
| Technical Assistance | 12 | -9.1 |
| Research and Evaluation | 2 | No change |
EDA’s Regional Innovation Strategies Program would receive $25 million (66.6 percent increase over FY14 estimated funding) to promote economic development planning and projects that spur entrepreneurship and innovation at the regional level.
National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)
NTIA would receive $51 million (10.9 percent increase), including $5 million (no change) for telecommunications sciences research. The budget would provide an additional $7.5 million for a new NTIA Internet Policy Center to coordinate broadband policy with national stakeholders.