President Trump signed legislation May 5 that extends funding for the federal government through the Sept. 30 end of fiscal year 2017, continuing most programs at their fiscal year 2016 funding levels.
The new law, P.L. 115-31 (H.R. 244), maintains LSC funding at $385 million and provides an increase to $481.5 million for grant programs under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) that includes a $1 million increase to $5 million for the VAWA elder abuse grants.
The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) will receive a $20 million increase over its fiscal year 2016 amount for a total of $440 million. This will allow EOIR to add 10 new immigration judge teams to process immigration reviews and address the backlog of pending cases. The legislation also includes funding for the Court Improvement Program that provides support for improving state court processes for handling foster care and adoption cases.
Congress is already working on the fiscal year 2018 appropriations bills after receiving a budget blueprint from the president in March ahead of the administration’s formal request, which is expected to reach Capitol Hill on May 23.