Congress has allocated $455 million to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) as part of a deal to fund a portion of the federal government through September 30, 2024. President Biden signed the measure March 9. The EEOC’s $455 million appropriation is the same amount it received in FY 2023, despite a request for a budget increase by the Biden Administration and demands for a funding cut by House Republicans.
Congress is still wrestling with the funding of several other federal agencies of interest to CWC members—including the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)—before their temporary funding ends March 22, 2024.
The spending bill’s explanatory statement contains several non-binding instructions to the EEOC. It directs the EEOC to prioritize the reduction of its charge backlog, to publish proposed guidance in the Federal Register for a 30-day public comment period if requested by at least two Commissioners, and to give the House and Senate Appropriations Committees a report on the process and timeline it will use to gather information about artificial intelligence.
Members of the Center for Workplace Compliance (CWC), our affiliated nonprofit membership association, can read more here.