FY27 Appropriations and CDS Requests

Senator Murkowski’s office has closed both the FY27 Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) and Programmatic Funding portals for this year.

 

Congressionally Directed Spending Annual Process Overview

1) Apply for Funding

The portal opens on the Senator’s website for 4-6 weeks, allowing Alaskans to submit project funding requests. Application deadline and eligibility info is on her website when the portal opens, typically in early January. 

2) Project Review

Senate subcommittee staff review submitted projects and provide Senator Murkowski’s staff with eligibility determinations. The Senator’s staff often reach out to applicants with requests for additional information during this window.

3) Submissions to Committee

Following a vetting process, Senator Murkowski will select and submit eligible Alaska projects to each appropriations subcommittee. Not all requests will meet committee-set guidelines and eligibility criteria. 

4) Community Feedback

Senator Murkowski will publicly post the projects she has submitted to each committee, and request and review public feedback on these requests.

5) Committee Consideration

The Senate Appropriations Committee determines topline funding, including how much funding each member will receive for CDS projects. Each subcommittee will then release a spending bill with a limited number of member CDS projects included. The committee will then consider, amend if necessary, and pass the spending bills.

6) Bills Become Law 

Congress must then agree on and pass the spending bills. The bills are then signed into law by the President. Although the federal fiscal year begins on October 1st, Congress often passes short-term stopgap measures, and full spending bills often pass at the end of the calendar year, or later.

7) Feds Administer Grants

After final passage of a spending bill, agencies will contact successful recipients and initiate the process to implement projects. This will include a more detailed application, as agencies must verify that projects meet grant eligibility criteria, have completed all necessary permitting, and comply with all federal funding requirements. This can take many months.