Each year, the United States Congress considers and enacts 12 annual appropriations bills, which provide the federal government with the funding it needs to operate. These bills fund numerous activities, including government operations, medical research, national defense, infrastructure, and education. The appropriations process begins with the release of the President’s Budget request. Then, the authorizing and appropriations committees hold hearings to consider the President’s request before writing their own bills.
The entire appropriations process takes several months. Appropriations bills approved by the House Appropriations Committees must be agreed to by both the House and Senate and signed into law by the President before the end of the fiscal year on September 30th; however, the process often extends beyond this date using a process called a Continuing Resolution. For example, the Fiscal Year 2024 spending bill was not finalized until March 22, 2024. In 2025, Congress did not pass a full-year government spending bill and instead used a year-long Continuing Resolution that did not include CPFs.
Requests must satisfy every requirement laid out by the House Appropriations Committee and meet the requirements of the relevant federal agency from which their funds are awarded. Project funding may not be directed to for-profit recipients. Members may request funding for state, local, or tribal governmental grantees and certain eligible non-profits, as allowed under federal law and subcommittee guidance.
Keep in mind, project funding will depend on available resources, and larger requests may have to be reduced. Projects will only receive funding for purposes authorized by Congress, as further explained in the guidance.
Each request must include demonstrated community support. You will be required to submit evidence of community support, including but not limited to:
• Letters of support from elected community leaders
• Press articles highlighting the need for the specific project
• Resolutions passed by local/county/state governments
• Projects listed on community development plans, state intended use plans, and other publicly available planning documents
In the interest of transparency, all Members are required to post all Community Project Funding requests submitted to the committee on their website. The posting must include the name of the proposed recipient, the address, the amount of the request, and an explanation of the purpose and justification for the use of taxpayer funds.
It is important to note that once Congress appropriates the funds, the recipient will still need to apply to the granting agency for the award. The application will be reviewed for compliance prior to official award. This process ensures the federal dollars are being used correctly. Federal agencies will start working with recipients shortly after a spending bill is signed into law. The timeline for outreach varies between departments and agencies and could take several months. Please take this timeline into consideration when you submit your application