Tracking the Funds: Agencies Have Begun Executing FY 2022 Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending
Fast Facts
As part of FY 2022 appropriations, Members of Congress could request to designate a certain amount of funding for specific projects in their communities. While agencies often have discretion over how they award funds, Congress has directed them to distribute these funds to the designated recipients. We're tracking the funds to help ensure transparency.
FY 2022 appropriations included $9.1 billion for 4,963 projects.
At the end of FY 2022, agencies had made legal commitments to pay recipients—such as signing contracts or awarding grants—for 33% of the funds ($3 billion). Agencies distributed 2% ($157.7 million) of that total.
Where are the projects with funds obligated as of the end of FY 2022?
Highlights
What GAO Found
As of the end of fiscal year 2022, agencies recorded obligations (actions that create a legal duty of the government for the payment of goods or services) toward almost half (2,343) of the fiscal year 2022 Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending projects and made outlays (disbursement of cash) toward 305 (about 6 percent) of these provisions. Of the $9.1 billion in total funds for these provisions, about a third of the funds were obligated, and almost 2 percent were outlayed.
Agency-Recorded Obligations and Outlays for Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending, End of Fiscal Year 2022
As shown in the table, agencies recorded obligations toward 99.2 percent of the provisions with one-year funding before the funds expired at the end of fiscal year 2022. Agency officials reported they were unable to record obligations toward the remaining 1 percent (13 provisions) because the recipient organizations closed, or the recipients withdrew their applications or declined funding.
Obligations and Outlays for Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending Appropriations by Period of Availability, End of Fiscal Year 2022
Dollar amounts in millions, and percents of row totals are in parentheses
|
Period of availability |
Number of provisions |
Number of provisions with fundsobligateda |
Total fundsdesignated |
Amount obligated |
Amount outlayed |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
One-Year |
1,634 |
1,621 |
1,909.4 |
1,884.1 |
91.4 |
|
|
Multi-Year |
1,864 |
208 |
4,267.8 |
475.4 |
26.4 |
|
|
No-Year |
1,465 |
514 |
2,887.3 |
641.1 |
39.9 |
|
Source: GAO analysis of information provided by agencies. | GAO-23-106318
Note: Percentages are based on total, unrounded amounts of agency-reported obligations and outlays.
aThis column indicates the number and percentage of provisions for which agencies reported they had either fully or partially obligated the designated funds.
Why GAO Did This Study
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022, and accompanying joint explanatory statement, designated $9.1 billion for 4,963 projects at the request of Members of Congress. These provisions designate a particular recipient—such as a nonprofit organization or local government—to receive an amount of funds to use for a specific project. These provisions are called “Community Project Funding” in the House of Representatives and “Congressionally Directed Spending” in the U.S. Senate.
The joint explanatory statement accompanying the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022, includes a provision for GAO to review agencies’ implementation of Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending contained in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022. This report describes the amount of funds for these specific provisions that have been recorded as obligated and outlayed as of the end of fiscal year 2022, as reported by the 18 agencies responsible for distributing and monitoring the funds.
GAO collected budget execution data—obligations and outlays—along with data quality information from each of the relevant agencies. These data reflect agencies’ recorded obligations and outlays as of the end of fiscal year 2022.
For more information, contact Allison Bawden at (202) 512-3841 or bawdena@gao.gov, or Heather Krause at (202) 512-2834 or krauseh@gao.gov.