§6311 Reports on Financial Balances for Atomic Energy Defense Activities

Summary

The Secretary of Energy must send the congressional defense committees a report on the money balances for each atomic energy defense program at the same time the President’s budget justification materials go to Congress. The report must use the same budget control levels that were in the latest energy and water appropriations law. It must also show balances tied to recurring DOE national security authorizations separately from balances tied to any other law. The report has two parts. Part one, as of the end of the most recently completed fiscal year, must show for each program: unobligated funds and why they are unobligated; total funds available to cost; costed and uncosted fund balances; a dollar threshold for uncosted funds and how much the uncosted balance is over or under that threshold (with an explanation if it is over); and totals for encumbered and unencumbered uncosted funds and whether the unencumbered amount is over or under the threshold (with an explanation if over). Part two, as of the end of the first quarter of the current fiscal year, must show for each program: unobligated funds, total uncosted funds, and unallotted budget authority. Definitions (short): Costed — funds were committed to a contract and the contractor has delivered goods or services. Encumbered — funds are committed and held for a specific known purpose by the contractor. Uncosted — funds are committed but goods or services have not been received. Unencumbered — funds are committed but not held for a specific known purpose. Threshold — a dollar benchmark that triggers extra congressional review. Total funds available to cost — the sum of prior-year uncosted obligations, current-year obligations, and current-year deobligations.