Fiscal Year 2010 Education Funding… Still Waiting

Last Thursday, October 1^st, federal fiscal year 2010 officially began. Technically speaking, Congress and the President should have wrapped up the annual appropriations bills by that date, providing fiscal year 2010 funding for about a third of the federal government and nearly all federal education programs.

Only one of the 12 separate appropriation bills — the bill funding the operations of the legislative branch — actually made it to the President’s desk by the start of the new fiscal year. So, as is common practice, Congress passed a bill called a continuing resolution (CR) to provide federal programs a few weeks of temporary 2010 funding while it works to finalize the rest of the bills. The temporary funding lets programs operate at the 2009 funding levels until October 31^st, 2009.

The Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill, which funds federal education programs, is far from its final form at this stage. The House passed its version in the summer while the Senate has yet to indicate when it will consider its committee’s bill in the full chamber. Even after Senate passage, the two Houses will need to reconcile some minor funding differences and vote on the compromise version again before the President can sign it into law. That could be many weeks away.

Provided below is a regularly updated timeline of the 2010 education appropriations available on the Federal Education Budget Project website. Ed Money Watch will feature more 2010 education appropriations analysis in the coming weeks, including a Federal Education Budget Project issue brief once the bill is completed.

Status and Timeline: Fiscal Year 2010 Education Appropriations

April 29, 2009: The House and Senate adopt the fiscal year 2010 congressional budget resolution. The budget resolution establishes a 302(a) allocation of $1.082 trillion for all programs subject to appropriations for fiscal year 2010.

Mid June 2009: The Appropriations Committees divide the 302(a) allocation and adopt the Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittees’ 302(b) suballocations of $160.7 billion in the House and $163.1 billion in the Senate.

Mid July 2009: The House Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee and Committee pass the House version of the fiscal year 2010 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill, sending the bill to the full House for a vote.

July 24, 2009: The full House passes the fiscal year 2010 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill.

July 31, 2009: The Senate Appropriations Committee passes its version of the fiscal year 2010 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill, sending it to the full Senate for consideration.

September 30, 2009: Congress passes and the President signs into law a continuing resolution (CR) that temporarily provides federal education programs with fiscal year 2010 funding at fiscal year 2009 levels. The CR expires October 31st, 2009. It was signed into law as part of the 2010 Legislative Branch appropriations bill.

October 1, 2009: Fiscal year 2010 begins. Congress has not yet completed appropriations legislation funding education programs for fiscal year 2010. Education programs will receive 2010 funding through a continuing resolution either until October 31st, 2009, or whenever the fiscal year 2010 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill is passed by Congress and signed into law by the President.