Section 1 - Overview
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
SUMMARY STATEMENT
FY 2008 resources requested for the Office of the Secretary total $168 million – $118 million of discretionary resources and $50 million of mandatory resources. The mandatory request assumes that $50 million of overflight fees collected by the Federal Aviation Administration will fund the OST- managed Essential Air Service Program.
The FY 2008 request includes:
- $96.2 million in Salaries and Expenses to manage the Department’s Secretarial offices including $12.6 million for the Office of the Chief Information Officer to manage the Department’s $2.7 billion IT portfolio and funding requests to support additional security requirements.
- $9.1 million for the Department’s Office of Civil Rights to support and advance internal and external civil rights initiatives, administer Federal civil rights statutes, investigate EEO complaints, support the Disability Resource Center and the Shared Neutrals Alternative Dispute Resolution Program, and oversee and ensure compliance of environmental justice programs throughout the Department.
- $3.9 million for the Minority Business Resource Center and Minority Business Outreach activities. These programs encourage and assist small, disadvantaged, and women-owned businesses to participate in DOT and DOT-assisted contracts and grants and provide assistance in obtaining short-term working capital for these types of businesses.
- $9.1 million for the Department’s Transportation Planning, Research and Development program including activities and studies needed to support the Secretary’s responsibilities in the formulation of national transportation policies.
- An assumption that $50 million of overflight fees collected by the Federal Aviation Administration will fund the Essential Air Service program as authorized in the Federal Aviation Reauthorization Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-264).
The Office of the Secretary’s FY 2008 request includes the following funding levels to support the Department’s key strategic objectives: $3 million for Safety; $59 million for Reduced Congestion, including $50 million of mandatory funding from overflight fees; $16 million for Global Connectivity; $2 million for Environmental Stewardship; $12 million for Security, Preparedness and Emergency Response; and, $76 million for Organizational Excellence.