H.R. 5905 would authorize appropriations for the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Science and would codify existing activities under that office. CBO estimates that implementing the bill would cost $6.6 billion over the 2019-2023 period, assuming appropriation of the authorized amounts.
Enacting H.R. 5905 could affect direct spending; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures apply. The bill would direct DOE to use all available approaches and mechanisms including “alternative financing” to upgrade infrastructure at its national laboratories. CBO considers the costs of alternative financing (that is, financing provided by nonfederal entities and not provided in annual appropriations acts) as direct spending. However, in CBO’s view the legislation does not clearly expand DOE’s existing alternative financing authority. Enacting the bill would not affect revenues.
CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 5905 would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2029.
H.R. 5905 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA).
