Fiscal Year 2019 Program Funding

This page lists the FY 2019 funding amounts requested, authorized, and appropriated for each element of the nation's GPS program.

Each line item below provides external links to original source documents, including bills, report language, and agency budget justifications submitted to Congress.

This page highlights legislative provisions in the funding bills for information only. The executive branch does not endorse any pending legislation except where explicitly noted.

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Defense Appropriations

LAW

On September 28, 2018, President Trump signed the Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019 and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2019, an omnibus funding measure that provides $1.42 billion to the Air Force GPS program in FY 2019.

The President's request was over $1.4 billion. View source (9 MB PDF)

Funding Marks

• The House Committee's proposed decrease for GPS III development includes this note: "SMI insufficient justification". See table for source.
• The Senate Committee's proposed decrease for GPS III development includes this note: "Restoring acquisition accountability: Acquisition strategy undefined." See table for source.
• The Senate Committee's proposed decrease for GPS MGUE developments includes the following justification: "Improving funds management: Increment 2 development funded in Public Law 115–141." See table for source.
  

Legislative History

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Transportation Appropriations

LAW

On February, 15, 2019, President Trump signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019, an omnibus funding measure that provides $96.32 million to the Department of Transportation to operate a civil GPS augmentation system (WAAS) in FY 2019.

Funding Marks

WAAS Program Guidance

• The House report (page 25) includes the following direction to FAA: "To mitigate risk associated with the GPS–III schedule delays combined with reduction in access to original engineers over time, the committee recommends that the FAA expand WAAS DFO Segment 1 scope to begin modeling and prototyping of the new algorithms using all available original WAAS development expertise. The Committee directs the FAA to provide an update report on the status of accomplishing these directed actions within 90 days after passage of this legislation." View PDF
• The Senate report (page 34) includes nearly identical language. View PDF

GPS Vehicle Tracking

• The final version contains a provision regarding GPS vehicle tracking. Please see our Geolocation Privacy Legislation page for details. Go there

Legislative History

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Defense Authorization

LAW

On August 13, 2018, President Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019. The act includes policy and funding guidance for the GPS program. It does not expend funds from the U.S. Treasury.

Funding Marks

Control Segment

• Section 1615 of the act directs that, "Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report that identifies whether the current Global Positioning System Operational Control Segment (OCS) can be incrementally improved to achieve capabilities similar to the Next Generation Operational Control Segment (OCX) used to operate the Global Positioning System III". The provision originated as Section 1603 of the Senate bill. View at congress.gov
• The Senate bill mentioned the GPS OCX program in Section 883, titled "Implementation of Pilot Program to Use Agile or Iterative Development Methods Required Under Section 873 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018." However, the final version of the provision does not apply to GPS OCX. View at congress.gov

M-Code Receivers

• Section 1610 of the act requires the Secretary of Defense to designate a component of the Office of the Secretary of Defense to be responsible for coordinating common solutions for the Military-code modernization efforts among the military departments, Defense Agencies, and other appropriate elements of the Department of Defense by not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act. View at congress.gov

Enhancement of Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Capacity

• Section 1609 of the act requires the Secretary of the Air Force, unless waived by the Secretary of Defense on a case-by-case basis, and subject to appropriate mitigation efforts, to ensure that military Global Positioning System user equipment terminals have the capability to receive trusted signals from the Galileo satellites of the European Union and the QZSS satellites of Japan, beginning with increment 2 of the acquisition of such terminals. This section also requires the terminals to have the capability to receive non-allied positioning, navigation, and timing signals if the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Commander, U.S. Strategic Command, determines that the benefits outweigh the risks or the risks can be appropriately mitigated. This section also requires engagement with relevant U.S. allies. View at congress.gov

GPS Backup

• The House's proposed increase for GPS III procurement included this note: "GPS backup technology demonstration". See table for source.
• The House report (page 227) includes directive language regarding the GPS backup demonstration. View PDF (1.3 MB)
• Section 4514 the House bill, titled "Backup Global Positioning System," incorporated the National Timing Resilience and Security Act of 2018. The final act does not include this section. Learn more

Electronic Warfare

• Section 1053, titled "Guidance on the Electronic Warfare Mission Area and Joint Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations," directs a number of actions, including "a review of vulnerabilities with respect to electronic systems, such as the Global Positioning System, and in Department-wide abilities to conduct countermeasures in response to electronic warfare attacks". The provision originated as Section 1032 of the Senate bill. View at congress.gov

Legislative History

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