Congress Finalizes FY24 Funding

By Mitch Coppes, Federal Government Affairs Manager, Goodwill Industries International

After months of contentious negotiations and multiple short-term extensions, Congress has finally completed its work on Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) funding. The federal government had been operating under a series of stopgap continuing resolutions, the last of which was set to expire on March 22. The $1.2 trillion appropriations bill that President Biden signed into law over the weekend is the second “minibus” funding package that has been enacted to keep the federal government running through the end of the fiscal year on September 30.

As a result of the statutory spending caps put in place in the 2023 debt-limit deal, overall funding for domestic programs and activities remains flat at FY23 levels. Some federal agencies will see funding reductions, including the U.S. Department of Labor which will receive $13.7 billion in FY24 – a decrease of $145 million below the FY23 enacted level. However, the bill largely protects workforce training and employment programs from cuts. “Working in good faith with my Republican colleagues, our legislation helps take on the fentanyl and opioid crisis, expand access to affordable child care, invest in critical mental health and affordable health care programs, and connect Americans with the education and workforce training they need to land good-paying jobs,” said Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies. Below is a summary of the final FY24 funding levels for key federal training and employment programs of importance to Goodwill and the people we serve.

• Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act state grants for adult, youth, and dislocated worker training and employment services will be level funded at the FY23 enacted level of $2.9 billion.
• Senior Community Service Employment grants to support older workers will be level funded at $405 million.
• Reentry Employment Opportunities grants that connect justice-involved adults and youth with reentry services will be funded at the FY23 enacted level of $115 million.
• Apprenticeship Programs will be level funded at $285 million.
• YouthBuild programs that provide job training and educational opportunities to youth will be level funded at $105 million.
• Strengthening Community Colleges Training grants will be funded at the FY23 enacted level of $65 million.
• Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program grants to provide pathways to employment for veterans experiencing homelessness will be level funded at $65.5 million.
• Vocational Rehabilitation State Grants will be funded at $4.2 billion in FY24, an increase of $304 million.

President Biden recently put forward his annual budget request to Congress, and lawmakers will now turn their attention to FY25 funding.