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National Agricultural Aviation Association eNewsletter
Voice of the Aerial Application Industry
May 31, 2018
Senate Appropriations Committee Passes Fiscal 2019 Bill with Aerial Research Support Language

On May 24, the Senate Appropriations Committee unanimously approved a $145.1 billion appropriations bill to support federal agriculture and nutrition programs for the 2019 fiscal year. The $145.1 billion in discretionary and mandatory funding is $6.2 billion above the President’s budget request and $710 million below the enacted level for the 2018 fiscal year.

 

The bill provides $2.73 billion to support agricultural research, $449 million more than the President’s budget request. Total funding for the Agricultural Research Service, which houses the Aerial Application Technology Research Program, is $1.301 billion, $282 million more than the President’s budget request. The bill does not allow for the termination of any research programs or the closure of laboratories.

 

NAAA again successfully pushed for language in the committee report to the bill indicating Congress’s continued support of the USDA-ARS Aerial Application Technology Program. The committee report to the bill reads, in part:

 

 

The mention of aerial application within the report supporting the legislation is no small feat, as it is one of only a few ag programs specifically mentioned. NAAA will continue to work for adequate USDA-ARS funding for the continued design of aerial application technologies, tools and techniques that mitigate drift, result in fuel savings and make aerial applications more efficacious. Favorable committee report language sends a strong message to the USDA to continue to sustain appropriate funding for aerial application research despite budget cuts. Since 2002 NAAA has been successful in lobbying the government for an additional $8,912,500 in federal funding for aerial application technology research.

 

Total discretionary funding in the legislation is $23.27 billion, which is $14 million above the fiscal year 2018 enacted level. This is the exact same amount of discretionary funding approved by the House Appropriations Committee May 16. The House Committee Report also contained language supportive of aerial application research.

 

The spending bill still needs to be passed by the entire House and Senate, then signed by President Trump. NAAA will keep the membership informed of federal agricultural spending, particularly as it pertains to research for aerial application technology conducted at USDA’s Agricultural Research Service.

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This newsletter is intended for NAAA members only. NAAA requests that should any party desire to publish, distribute or quote any part of this newsletter that they first seek the permission of the Association. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of the National Agricultural Aviation Association (NAAA), its Board of Directors, staff or membership. Items in this newsletter are not the result of paid advertising and are only meant to highlight newsworthy developments. No endorsement by NAAA is intended or implied.
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