FY03 Budget Sets Commerce, SBA Funding

Congress Finished FY 2003 Budget Last Night

Congress wrapped up the Omnibus Appropriations Bill last night before recessing for the holiday weekend. The timing of the document's online release did not allow a complete review of the impact for tech-based economic development groups for today's Digest. Thanks, though, to assistance from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Association of American Universities and the Modernization Forum, SSTI does have numbers for selected elements of the Department of Commerce and the Small Business Administration.

The figures below do not reflect the 0.65 percent across-the-board cut Congress imposed to limit the size of the bill's contribution to the national deficit. The complete budget document is available at: http://thomas.loc.gov/home/approp/app03.html and http://www.house.gov/rules/108_hjres2cr_text.htm

Economic Development Administration — $320.765 million

The level is $30 million below the President's FY03 request and $15 million less than the FY02 appropriations. The cut appears to be borne entirely by the grants programs.

Under Secretary for Technology/Office of Technology Policy — $9.886 million

The appropriation is $1.65 million larger than the FY02 appropriation and $1.74 million greater than the President's FY03 request. Two earmarks reserve $1 million each to hold a Global Technology Summit and a Networked Economy Summit.

National Institute of Standards and Technology

• Advanced Technology Program — $180 million
  
  The FY03 appropriation, $72.1 million more than the President requested in FY03 and slightly below the FY02 appropriation of $184.5 million. The FY03 appropriation includes $60.7 million for new grants. The Administration has requested the program be terminated in FY04.
• Manufacturing Extension Partnership — $106.623 million
  
  An increase of $91,000 over the FY02 appropriation. The Administration recommended $12.9 million for FY03 and has recommended $12.9 million for FY04.

National Telecommunications and Information Administration

• Technology Opportunities Program — $15.5 million
  
  Level funding with FY 2002 appropriation. For FY03, the Administration recommended terminating the program.

SBA Non-credit Business Assistance Programs

• Small Business Development Centers — $89 million (earmarks include $2 million for the SBDC defense transition program and $1 million for a regulatory compliance simplification program)
• SCORE — $5 million
• Women's Business Centers — $12.5 million
• Microloan Technical Assistance — $15 million
• PRIME Technical Assistance — $5 million
• Federal-State Technology Partnership (FAST) and Rural Outreach — no funding requested. See story below.