FY 2025 Budget
Each year, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) submits Budget Justifications to Congress outlining funding requests and priorities.
Congressional Budget Justifications provide important information on:
- ACF’s programs, projects, and activities
- Organizational performance targets related to the HHS Strategic Plan and ACF Strategic Plan
- Resources needed to achieve ACF’s performance goals
This page discusses the budget and legislative proposals for Fiscal Year 2025 for the Disaster Human Services Program and the U.S. Repatriation Program managed by OHSEPR.
Disaster Human Services
Legislative Proposals
For fiscal years FY2024 and FY 2025 the President’s budget included a legislative proposal to establish a disaster human services emergency fund and to enhance a coordinated national disaster response for human services programs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (through ACF).
The disaster human services emergency fund will give HHS the authority to respond effectively in the wake of disasters and serve the real and urgent needs of low-literacy, low-income, isolated communities, families, and individuals affected by disasters. By creating a streamlined authority to allow human and social services programs to coordinate during a crisis, HHS can provide real-time policy and program decisions to serve communities when they need it most. The request also proposes authorities to provide comprehensive case management services to address survivors’ additional human services needs arising during the disaster. These proposals are founded in the Administration’s commitment to provide comprehensive support during emergencies.
Congress has historically provided ACF with funds for specific disasters through both the regular and supplemental appropriations process.
Fiscal Year 2025
- HHS Budget in Brief (PDF) (See page 136)
- ACF’s Congressional Justification (PDF) (See page 213)
Fiscal Year 2024
- ACF’s Congressional Justification (PDF) (See page 254)
- Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund Justification (PDF) (See page 67)
Historical Disaster Human Services Funding
Congress funds the disaster human services program at ACF through the regular annual appropriations process. Funding for disaster response and recovery occurs through supplemental appropriations bills that supplement the annual appropriations process. The following chart lists the supplemental bills that provided additional funding to ACF programs for specific disasters.
| Disaster | Public Law (P.L.) | Date Enacted to law | Bill Title | Appropriations and Money |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Hurricane Katrina Aug. 29, 2005 | P.L. 109-148 (PDF) | December 30, 2005 | Department of Defense Emergency Supplemental Appropriations to Address Hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico and Pandemic Influenza Act |
|
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita Aug. — Sept., 2005 | P.L. 110-329 (PDF) | September 30, 2008 | Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009 (Disaster Relief and Recovery Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008) |
|
| Hurricane Sandy, Oct. — Nov., 2012 | P.L. 113-2 (PDF) | January 29, 2013 | Disaster Relief Appropriations 2013 |
|
| CA. Wildfires, Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, 2017 | P.L. 115-123 (PDF) | February 9, 2018 | Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 |
|
| Hurricanes Florence and Michael, Typhoon Mangkhut, Super Typhoon Yutu, wildfires and tornadoes, 2019 | P.L. 116-20 (PDF) | June 6, 2019 | Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act, 2019 |
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| Hurricanes Fiona and Ian, 2022 | 117-328 (PDF) | December 29, 2022 | Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act |
|
Repatriation
Legislative Proposal
The U.S. Repatriation Program has an annual cap of $1 million for temporary assistance (42 U.S.C. 1313(d)). In years with a higher number of repatriates, this cap poses challenges to promptly assist U.S. citizens returning to the United States. Congress has periodically adjusted the statutory funding cap in response to emergency repatriation incidents.
To ensure OHSEPR’s ability to assist U.S. citizens, the legislative proposal permanently increases the repatriation ceiling to $10 million and indexes the cap to inflation. This will ensure OHSEPR can provide immediate assistance to repatriates without seeking a time-limited cap increase from Congress during a crisis.
Fiscal Year 2025
- HHS Budget in Brief (PDF) (see page 139)
- ACF’s Congressional Justification (PDF) (See page 231)
Historical Statutory Funding Cap Adjustments
The U.S. Repatriation Program receives mandatory funding in annual HHS appropriations acts. The statute caps or limits the amount of funding that may be used for temporary assistance at $1 million per fiscal year. The current cap was put in place in FY1990 (P.L. 101-382 (PDF)). It has been temporarily waived or raised multiple times since then, usually in response to emergency repatriation events (see the table below). In most cases, Section 1113 of the Social Security Act 42 U.S.C. 1313(d) was amended to raise or waive the cap in its entirety, not for limited purposes (i.e., extra funds were not limited to a particular event or activity, regardless of what prompted the cap adjustment).
In two cases, however, the cap was waived for assistance provided in a specific incident. For example, in FY 2010, Congress waived the cap for assistance provided to repatriate U.S. citizens from the Haiti earthquake. In FY 2015, Congress waived the cap for assistance related to the Ebola outbreak. Raising or waiving the cap does not mean additional funds will be used; it means the funds may be available if needed.
| Precipitating Event | Public Law (P.L.) | Adjustments of the Funding Cap | Affected Fiscal Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Persian Gulf Conflict | P.L. 101-508 (PDF) | Waived | 1990 - 1991 |
| Iraq Conflict | P.L. 108-11 (PDF) | Waived | 2003 |
| Lebanon Conflict | P.L. 109-250 (PDF) | Raised to $6 million | 2006 |
| Haiti Earthquake | P.L. 111-127 (PDF) | Raised to $25 million Waived for assistance provided in response to the Haiti earthquake | 2010 |
| Ebola Outbreak | P.L. 113-235 (PDF) | Waived for assistance provided in response to the Ebola outbreak | 2015 |
| Hurricanes Irma and Jose (Caribbean) | P.L. 115-57 (PDF) | Raised to $25 million | 2017-2018 |
| COVID-19 | P.L. 116-148 (PDF) | Raised to $10 million | 2020 |
| Afghanistan Withdrawal | P.L. 117-39 (PDF) | Raised to $10 million | 2021-2022 |
With two exceptions, the laws listed amended Section 1113. The exceptions (P.L. 111-212 and P.L. 113-235 (PDF)) allowed for additional spending notwithstanding the statutory cap, but only for specified purposes with specified funds. Provisions in P.L. 111-212 , P.L. 113-235 (PDF), and P.L. 115-57 (PDF) designated funds provided by those laws as an emergency requirement.
More Resources
- ACF Congressional Budget Justification Reports — ACF’s funding requests and priorities to Congress.