Fiscal Year 2020 Program Funding

This page lists the FY 2020 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 December 20, 2019, President Trump signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (Public Law 116-93), an omnibus funding measure that provides $1.71 billion to the Air Force GPS program in FY 2020. The President's request was $1.76 billion. View source (5.46 MB PDF)

Funding Marks

• The decrease for GPS III procurement includes this note: "Excess to need". See table for source.
• The decrease for GPS III development includes this note: "Excess to need". See table for source.
• The decrease for MGUE development includes this note: "Unjustified growth". See table for source.

Legislative History

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Transportation Appropriations

LAW

On December 20, 2019, President Trump signed the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (Public Law 116-94), an omnibus funding measure that provides $80 million to the Department of Transportation to operate a civil GPS augmentation system (WAAS) in FY 2020. The FY 2020 budget did not include DOT funding for civil requirements in the GPS program.

Funding Marks

GPS Backup

• The Senate report contains the following directive language, "The Committee remains concerned that failure to deploy a ground-based GPS backup timing system by December 2020 will threaten our national security capabilities. Consistent with the National Timing Resilience and Security Act of 2018 (Public Law 115–282), the Committee directs the Secretary to issue a report to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations within 60 days of enactment of this act on: (1) DOT actions to avoid delayed implementation; and (2) an update on anticipated deployment of this critical technology." View source (PDF)

GPS Vehicle Tracking

• The original House measure contained a provision, Section 142, regarding GPS vehicle tracking, stating "none of the funds made available by this Act may be used to mandate global positioning system (GPS) tracking in private passenger motor vehicles with14 out providing full and appropriate consideration of privacy concerns under 5 U.S.C. chapter 5, subchapter II." This provision does not appear in the final act. View source (PDF)

Legislative History

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Defense Authorization

LAW

On December 20th, 2019, President Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (Public Law 116-92). The act includes policy and funding guidance for the GPS program. It does not expend funds from the U.S. Treasury.

Funding Marks

• The House Committee's proposed decrease for GPS III development includes this note: "Unjustified Growth". See table for source.
• The final version's decrease for GPS III development includes this note: "Unjustified Growth". See table for source.

Demonstration of Backup and Complementary Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Capabilities of GPS

• Section 1603 of the final act extends both the authority to carry out a backup Global Positioning System capability demonstration and the due date of the report on such demonstration to December 31, 2020. View at congress.gov

Prototype Program for Multi-Global Navigation Satellite System Receiver Development

• Section 1607 of the final act would direct the Secretary of the Air Force to ensure that military Global Positioning System (GPS) user equipment terminals can incorporate signals from the European Union’s Galileo and Japan’s QZSS satellites, beginning with the implementation of open system architecture solutions to provide for robust positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT). The provision would enable the Secretary to waive this requirement on a case-by-case basis if certain criteria are met. The provision would also direct the Secretary to ensure that military GPS terminals can receive allied and non-allied PNT signals, provided that analysis indicates that the benefits outweigh the risks or that the risks can be appropriately mitigated. The committee encourages the Secretary, in carrying out this provision, to engage with relevant U.S. allies to ensure technical compatibility and ability to receive the signals. View at congress.gov

Coordination of Modernization Efforts Relating to Military-Code Capable GPS Receiver Cards

• Section 1602 of the final act requires the Secretary of Defense to designate an entity within the Department of Defense to have responsibility for Global Positioning System military code (M-code) receiver card acquisition planning, and take actions to integrate and streamline modernization of the M-code receiver card across the Department. The legislation adds the provision to existing statute and adds a requirement for the Secretary to clarify the role of the Council on Oversight of the Department of Defense Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Enterprise with respect to M-code modernization efforts. View at congress.gov

Status of Military Ground User Equipment Receivers

• The Senate report directs the co-chairs of the Council on Oversight of the Department of Defense Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Enterprise to submit a report, no later than February 1, 2020, to the congressional defense committees, on the number and extent of the military systems that will require the MGUE receiver replacement compatible with the GPS III enhanced M–Code, the cost of replacement for these systems, and the timing of the replacement of these receivers with MGUE cards.The committee directs the Comptroller General of the United States to review the report and provide an inventory and assessment of fielded systems that can either accept the new MGUE cards, allow reprogramming of the systems with new software to utilize GPS III M–Code, or require a full replacement with updated hardware. The evaluation must include a timeline of the expected usable lifespan of each system and a verdict as to whether the replacement has been assigned, programmed, and loaded in the procurement cycle for the affected equipment. The committee directs the Comptroller General to relay these findings in the form of a briefing to the congressional defense committees at a time mutually agreed upon by both parties. View at congress.gov

Legislative Histoy

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