Omnibus Bill Completes FY 2014 Budget

On January 17, 2014, the president signed the fiscal year (FY) 2014 omnibus appropriations spending package (H.R. 3547), completing the budget process for FY 2014. The omnibus includes all 12 appropriations bills and sets overall discretionary spending at $1.012 trillion. The funding levels in the bill are in effect for the entire fiscal year and replace the annualized funding levels set in the previous continuing resolution (CR). Moreover, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) scored the legislation as exactly matching the defense and nondefense discretionary caps set by the Bipartisan Budget Act (H.J.Res. 59) in December 2013. 

This Budget Brief describes the funding and policy provisions in the omnibus relevant to states. Table 1 includes FY 2014 funding levels for major grant programs. Compared to FY 2013, states will see a 4.5% increase in these major discretionary programs. Mandatory programs are estimated to increase 11.5%, largely driven by projected growth in Medicaid. A few mandatory programs listed on the table are subject to FY 2014 sequestration of nonexempt mandatory programs, as explained below.