Legislative and Government Relations: What is the Budget Process for NAL and Agricultural Information Programs?
Table of Contents
- The National Agricultural Library Budget Process
- The National Agricultural Library Budget Timeline
- Useful Links
The National Agricultural Library Budget Process
The federal government fiscal year begins October 1 and ends September 30 of the following calendar year. Each fiscal year is given the name of the calendar year in which it ends, i.e. Fiscal Year 2004 began on October 1, 2003 and will end on September 30, 2004. Government agencies are constantly preoccupied with budget matters. At any given time, the agency is managing the budget for the current fiscal year, is preparing or defending proposals for the next two fiscal years, and may be closing the books and reporting on the previous fiscal year. While Congress has had suggestions that the government might move to two year fiscal periods, the suggestions have not gained ground.
Funding for the National Agricultural Library comes from two sources, appropriated and non-appropriated funds. In requesting appropriated funds, the Library follows procedures and guidelines of the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and the Department of Agriculture. ARS is given budget targets based on Departmental budget targets established by the administration. Library budget proposals are reviewed by ARS, the Department and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) before they are submitted to Congress as part of the Departmental budget request. The proposals are divided into two parts, a program budget and a facilities budget; funds for each part are appropriated separately by Congress and cannot be transferred from one part to the other. In addition to appropriated funds, the Library has authority to accept gifts and receive revenue from sales or licensing of information products. As well, the Library may receive "soft funding", which is funding received from other government entities or non-governmental sources, in support of specific activities whose existence and continuation are partially or totally dependent on this funding.
The National Agricultural Library Budget Timeline
An indicative timeline for budget work is shown below.
Key: A is current year. A- is previous year. A+1 and A+2 are future years.
| October | November/December | February |
|---|---|---|
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| March/April | June - August | September |
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Useful Links
Especially: The Congressional Budget Process
Especially: The Congressional Budget Process
US Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture Rural Development, and Related Services
Especially: Member Contact Information
Especially: Member Contact Information