Tracking the Funds: Specific Fiscal Year 2022 Provisions for Department of Transportation
Fast Facts
As part of FY22 appropriations, Members of Congress could request to designate a certain amount of federal funding for specific projects in their communities.
While agencies often have discretion over how they award funds, Congress has directed them to distribute these funds to specific recipients. We're tracking the funds to help ensure transparency.
The Department of Transportation's FY22 appropriations included $1.5 billion for 478 of these projects.
This report looks at when DOT plans to distribute the funds and how it plans to ensure they're spent properly.
We're also tracking these funds across government and at 17 other agencies.
Department of Transportation: Where did the FY 2022 funding go?
Highlights
What GAO Found
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 appropriated $1.5 billion to the Department of Transportation (DOT) for 478 projects at the request of Members of Congress. The act includes specific provisions that designate an amount of funds for a particular recipient to use for a specific project. These provisions are called "Congressionally Directed Spending" in the U.S. Senate and "Community Project Funding" in the House of Representatives.
GAO described, among other things, information about the intended uses for these funds, the recipients to whom they were designated, and when DOT expects recipients will have access to the funds:
The intended uses of these funds are to support improvements to transportation infrastructure. Examples of projects include upgrading sidewalks and concourse renovations for airports.
The designated recipients of these funds are mostly tribal, state, and local governments. Funding ranged from $30,000 to $100 million, with over 80 percent of projects receiving less than $5 million per project.
DOT began obligating funds in June 2022 but exactly when recipients will receive these funds will vary. DOT also expects the timing of when recipients will spend these funds to vary based on project-specific factors, such as complexity and schedule.
Why GAO Did This Study
The joint explanatory statement accompanying the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 includes a provision for GAO to review agencies' implementation of Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending.
For more information, contact Heather Krause (202) 512-2834 or krauseh@gao.gov.