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Congressman Panetta Secures Important Funding for Central Coast Priorities in House-Passed Bill

June 26, 2019

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) supported passage of H.R. 3055, the Commerce-Justice-Science, Agriculture-Related Agencies, Interior-Environment, Military Construction-VA, and Transportation-HUD Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2020.

Congressman Panetta secured over $29 million in critical federal funding that could benefit the central coast of California, including:

  • NOAA: $9 million increase of funding for collocating National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) facilities and public institutions of higher education. This funding could support combining the research and outreach efforts of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS) with the preeminent Marine Science programs in the California State University system, including at California State University Monterey Bay.
  • Justice Department: $15 million increase to programs that support state and local law enforcement agencies' deployment and implementation of gun and gunshot detection and mitigation technologies. This technology is currently deployed in communities across the country, including in Salinas, California.
  • Department of Agriculture: Secured final review of U.S. Department of Agriculture programs to accelerate specialty crop automation and mechanization.
  • Department of Agriculture: $5 million increase to the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), the nation's leading competitive grants program for agricultural sciences. Congressman Panetta served as the Democratic lead with the co-chair of the Agriculture Research Caucus, Congressman Rodney Davis (R-IL).
  • Department of Transportation: Urged the FAA to prioritize efforts to combat airplane and helicopter noise. Congressman Panetta was a co-lead on this amendment, introduced by Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes-Norton (D-DC).

H.R. 3055 is the second "minibus" package for fiscal year 2020 appropriations bills. Last week, Congressman Panetta supported the passage of H.R. 2740, the Labor, Health and Human Services, Defense, State, Foreign Operations, and Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2020.

Other Highlights of H.R. 3055

  • Commerce-Justice-Science: Provides strong funding for 2020 Census; funds economic development; invests in the safety of our communities; funds anti-opioid initiatives; increases resources for gun violence prevention efforts; invests in criminal justice reform; and expands climate change research.
  • Agriculture-Related Agencies: Supports rural development and infrastructure; funds rural housing initiatives; expands broadband access; ensures food and drug safety; and funds nutrition and health programs for low-income families and other vulnerable Americans.
  • Interior-Environment: Funds the National Park System and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; robustly funds EPA's core science and environmental program work; ensures access to safe drinking water and clean air; funds tribal programs; and builds resilience to climate change.
  • Military Construction-VA: Provides funding for military construction across the country and overseas; makes critical investments in VA medical care including mental health services, opioid abuse recovery, suicide prevention; and addresses disability claims backlog.
  • Transportation-HUD: Provides much-needed funding for roads, bridges, transit, rail, ports, and aviation; strengthens communities with large investment in CDBGs and the HOME Investment Partnerships initiative; and funds new affordable housing units for seniors and people with disabilities.