SP-4012 NASA HISTORICAL DATA BOOK: VOLUME III
PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS 1969-1978
 
 

Table 1-4. Simplified Steps of the NASA Budget Process *

 

1. Program Operating Plans submitted quarterly to NASA Headquarters program offices by field installation project-program offices.

2. First draft of preliminary budget prepared by NASA Headquarters.

3. First internal NASA semiannual budget review (March).

4. Preliminary budget review by Bureau of the Budget/Office of Management and Budget (BoB/OMB), which led to NASA-BoB/OMB negotiations arid BoB/OMB targets (summer).

5. Second internal NASA semiannual budget review (fall).

6. Formal submission of requests to BoB/OMB (September 30).

7. Formal submission of the President's budget to Congress; requests readied and justified for review by congressional authorization and appropriation committees (January).

8. Initial hearing before House and Senate authorization committees, including testimony by NASA officials, followed by reporting out of an authorization bill,

9. Similar review by House and Senate appropriations subcommittees.

10. Debate on floor of House and Senate, followed by passage of NASA authorization arid appropriation acts.

11. Act signed into law by President.

 

* The Congressional Budget Act of 1974 established October I as the start of the fiscal year, as of FY 1977. Prior to FY 1977, the fiscal calendar began with the month of July. The shift gave the lawmakers time to implement the expanded budget-making procedures called for by the Act. To meet budgetary obligations for the period between the end of FY 1976 and the beginning of FY 19 77, the Act called for a three-month transition quarter. The new congressional schedule did not greatly disrupt NASA's internal budget preparation schedule for FY 1977-1978.

 

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