Legislative Update -- July 7, 2022
July 7, 2022
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This week's update is courtesy of ALA and focuses on library-related items in the federal budget for fiscal year 2023.
On June 30 the House Appropriations Committee approved the FY2023 spending bill for Labor-HHS-Education and Related Agencies, which included increases for libraries. The Committee approved a $4 million increase for LSTA and $3 million for Innovative Approaches to Literacy for school libraries. The bill now heads to the House Floor for consideration, likely in July. The Senate Democrats do not have votes to move FY 2023 spending bills, likely setting up a needed Continuing Resolution that will keep the government open and will push final spending decisions to the end of the year. Below are some highlights of the LHHS spending bill.
- Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) FY2022: $268 million; House Recommendation for FY 2023: $280 million (+$12 million)
- Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) FY2022: $197.5 million; House Recommendation: $201.5 million (+$4 million)
- Innovative Approaches to Literacy FY 2022: $29 million; House Recommendation: $31 million (+$3 million)
Many additional "library eligible" programs received funding increase recommendations, or were level funded over FY 2022 funding levels. Here are a few examples:
- Title I Grants to Local Education Agencies: +$3 billion over FY 2022
- Comprehensive Literacy State Development Grants: level funding
- Effective Instruction State Grants: +$100 million
- 21st Century Community Learning Centers: +$120 million
- Title IV Student Support and Academic Enrichment: +$75 million
- Career, Technical and Adult Education State Grants: +$45 million
- Federal Work Study: +$33.9 million
- Pell Grant Discretionary Funding: Level funding
- Strengthening HBCUs: +$39.8 million
- Hispanic Serving Institutions: +$63.9 million
- Head Start: +$1.36 billion
In addition, the LHHS bill included several library related items for Congressional Directed Spending, previously known as earmarks. We have been tracking these earmarks closely across all the House Subcommittee bills. It looks like 54 library earmarks were funded for $75 million, submitted by 45 different Members of Congress. (Last year saw 19 library related projects funded for less than $14 million.) These projects are new funding and do not reduce funding from IMLS. Note: these are not final; the Appropriations process will continue, and the Senate will have their own priorities for earmarks. We won't know which projects are eventually funded until final appropriations bills are approved. We will keep you informed over the coming weeks and months as the Appropriations process continues.
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