08.01.24

BILL SUMMARY: Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Fiscal Year 2025 Appropriations Bill

 

Bill delivers significant new investments to help families afford child care and pre-K, discover life-changing new medical treatments and cures, support students, address the opioids crisis, and more

 

Washington, D.C. – The Fiscal Year 2025 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act provides $231.34 billion in base discretionary funding.

 

“Our bill addresses the kitchen table issues I hear about every day from Wisconsinites–lowering childcare costs for families, connecting more Americans with good-paying jobs, expanding access to mental health care, and taking on the opioid and fentanyl crisis,” said Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies. “We’re also investing in groundbreaking research that will help us find cures and treatments to diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s for families across the country. As chair of this subcommittee, I am proud to give Wisconsinites a seat at the table and deliver for working families.”

 

“This bill makes major new investments to help Americans in every part of the country get a great education, make ends meet, and get the support and services they need to stay healthy and thrive,” said Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “As families struggle to afford child care and our economy suffers the consequences, this bill delivers $2.3 billion more to help families get the child care and pre-K they need to ensure their kids are safe and cared for. As patients battle Alzheimer’s disease, mental illness, cancer, and other serious conditions, this bill offers new hope with a $2 billion increase in funding to advance life-saving biomedical research. As communities work to tackle the devastating opioid and mental health crises, this bill provides significant new funding to support their efforts. It provides new resources to support our K-12 schools and help students pursue a higher education. This bipartisan bill also delivers funding to help protect workers’ rights and ensure they get the paychecks they are owed, and it will help reduce wait times for Americans simply looking to get the Social Security benefits they have earned.”

 

Key Points & Highlights – Department of Health and Human Services

 

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS): The bill provides $122.8 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Health and Human Services.

 

Child Care and Early Learning Programs: The bill provides a $2.3 billion increase for early learning programs within HHS over fiscal year 2024. It provides $10.35 billion for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG)—a $1.6 billion or 18% increase over fiscal year 2024—which will help more families across the country find and afford the child care they need. It also provides $12.97 billion for Head Start, a $700 million increase over fiscal year 2024, which will support Head Start teachers and staff as local programs face ongoing staffing challenges. Sustained annual increases to our federal investments in child care and Head Start are critical in tackling the child care crisis holding back families, businesses, and our economy. 

 

Biomedical Research: The bill provides $50.224 billion in base discretionary funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH)—an increase of $2.05 billion over fiscal year 2024. In addition, it includes $127 million in Cures Act authorized funding for a total of $50.351 billion for NIH to propel life-saving and life-changing cures and treatments across NIH’s 27 institutes and centers and the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). The bill sustains $1.5 billion for ARPA-H.

 

The bill not only prevents a further $280 million cut to Cures Act authorized activities in fiscal year 2025 but fully restores funding for the All of Us Research Program (+$184 million over fiscal year 2024), BRAIN Initiative (+$278 million over fiscal year 2024), and Cancer Moonshot (+$216 million over fiscal year 2024) back to their fiscal year 2023 levels. On top of those increases, the bill includes:

  • A $275 million increase for mental health research;
  • A $275 million increase for Alzheimer’s disease research;
  • A $100 million increase for a new data initiative at the National Library of Medicine that will advance the application of AI in biomedical research;
  • A $130 million increase for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases;
  • A $76 million increase for the Office of Research on Women’s Health;
  • A $50 million increase for cancer research (on top of the $216 million provided to restore the Cancer Moonshot program);
  • A $50 million increase for diabetes research;
  • A $25 million increase for NIGMS’ Institutional Development Award (IDeA) program;
  • A $20 million increase for AI programs within the Office of Data Science and Strategy;
  • A $20 million increase for the IMPROVE Initiative for research on maternal mortality;
  • A $10 million increase for ALS research; and
  • A $10 million increase for opioid research.

 

The bill also includes new authority for NIH to address loopholes in sexual harassment reporting and strengthen accountability by requiring institutions to complete investigations into concerns about harassment, bullying, retaliation, or hostile working conditions, even if the alleged perpetrator leaves their current position and is no longer employed by the institution. It also provides the NIH Director the authority to decline the transfer of an award to a different institution, helping to close the “pass-the-harasser” loophole.

 

Addressing Substance Use Disorders and Mental Health: The bill includes new investments to address the rising toll of opioid overdoses fueled by fentanyl, improve access to substance use disorder prevention and treatment, and improve access to mental health services.

 

The bill includes a combined increase of $215 million for substance use and mental health programs at SAMHSA and HRSA. This includes $2 billion, a $40 million increase over fiscal year 2024, for the Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services Block Grant; $1.6 billion for State Opioid Response grants, a $25 million increase; and $155 million for the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program, a $10 million increase.

 

It protects and builds on key investments in mental health programs and includes $1 billion for the Mental Health Block Grant, a $35 million increase, and a $25 million increase for the Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery (STAR) Loan Repayment Program to support training and strengthen the mental health workforce through repayment of education loans for those working in either a Mental Health Professional Shortage Area or where the overdose death rate exceeds the national average. The bill provides a $20 million increase over fiscal year 2024 for the 988 Suicide Prevention Lifeline, building on the $18 million increase secured in fiscal year 2024 and the nearly $400 million increase in fiscal year 2023; $400 million for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics, a $15 million increase; $30 million for Mental Health Crisis Response Grants, a $10 million increase; and $104 million for the National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative, a $5 million increase over fiscal year 2024.

 

The bill also provides $2.64 billion for the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), including a $275 million increase as noted above, to support research focused on developing targeted prevention of and treatment for mental illness. Additionally, it includes approximately $190 million in investments within the Department of Education to address the shortage of school-based mental health professionals and services in our nation’s K-12 schools.

 

Essential Health Care Programs: The bill improves health care access and affordability and strengthens the health care workforce by maintaining investments in core programs, including $1.86 billion for Community Health Centers, $1.4 billion for Health Professions Workforce Development, and $2.6 billion for the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program. The bill includes a $70 million increase to help better meet the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid’s (CMS) administrative needs, which includes nursing home inspections and surveys; a $21.3 million increase in rural health programs to boost recruitment of health care providers to practice in rural areas and support rural hospitals; and a $10 million increase to promote cybersecurity efforts across HHS.

 

Importantly, the bill provides a $13 million increase in funding for the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) Modernization Initiative to strengthen and reform the nation’s organ donation and transplant system. There are more than 100,000 individuals on the organ transplant waitlist, and this initiative will allow the OPTN to better serve patients and families and strengthen accountability.

 

Public Health: The bill sustains essential funding and makes new investments to address public health threats and support key public health programs across the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which includes $173 million in increases above fiscal year 2024 including: $20 million to support wastewater surveillance; $195 million for data modernization, a $20 million increase; $425 million, a $15 million increase for cancer prevention and control activities; and $365 million to support public health infrastructure and capacity, a $15 million increase over fiscal year 2024, which builds upon the 75% increase secured in fiscal year 2023. This program strengthens public health infrastructure and the public health workforce at the state and local level to improve preparedness and respond to emerging public health threats.

 

The bill includes $613 million for the Ending the HIV Epidemic Initiative, which House Republicans eliminated in their bill. This program provides high-need jurisdictions with prevention and treatment services for people at high risk for HIV transmission. This includes $220 million within the CDC’s Domestic HIV/AIDS Prevention and Research programs to develop and deploy innovative data management solutions, increase access to PrEP, and better detect and respond to HIV clusters.

 

Women’s Health: The bill sustains funding for reproductive health programs, including Title X and the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program, which House Republicans have eliminated in their bill. The bill also increases investments in maternal health across CDC, HRSA, and NIH with a $34 million increase for programs that aim to address maternal mental health, prevent pregnancy-related deaths, and support best practices to improve maternal health outcomes. The bill also provides a $76 million increase for NIH’s Office of Research on Women’s Health and creates a new Menopause Research to Action initiative within AHRQ to translate research best practices into clinical practice for women.

 

Pandemic Preparedness and Biodefense: The bill includes $3.827 billion for the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), an increase of $200 million over fiscal year 2024. This includes a $55 million increase for the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA); a $10 million increase for Bioshield; a $30 million increase for the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS); and a $70 million increase for Industrial Base Management and Supply Chain (IBMSC) activities to help ensure that critical resources in the public health supply chain—including raw materials, medical countermeasures, and ancillary supplies—are manufactured in the United States.

 

Home Heating and Cooling Assistance: The bill includes $4.125 billion for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), a $100 million increase over fiscal year 2024, to help low-income households heat and cool their homes.

 

Key Points & Highlights – Department of Education

 

Department of Education: The bill provides $80 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Education.

 

Elementary and Secondary Education: The bill strengthens investments in foundational formula grant programs for elementary and secondary education and in public schools, teachers, and students. Title I-A grants are boosted by $280 million over fiscal year 2024, to $18.687 billion, for the more than 80 percent of school districts that receive these funds. The primary IDEA Special Education State grant program is increased by $295 million, to $14.509 billion, and supports more than seven million students with disabilities who receive IDEA services.

 

The bill also provides $895 million, an increase of $5 million, for the English Language Acquisition program, which helps close the achievement gap for our country’s 5 million English learners. It invests an additional $20 million for the Impact Aid program, raising the program’s funding to $1.645 billion for more than 1,000 public school districts that receive funds, including those serving students residing on Tribal lands and military bases.

 

The bill also continues current investments across a range of programs intended to improve teaching and learning in elementary and secondary schools, maintaining significant investments included in the last two fiscal years. This includes $20 million for the Statewide Family Engagement Centers program, which strengthens the relationship between parents and their children’s schools and engages families in students’ education.

 

Career and Technical Education (CTE): The bill provides a $35 million increase over fiscal year 2024 for State Grants for CTE, as well as a $10 million increase for CTE national activities to expand and improve CTE programs.

 

Higher Education: The bill provides a $100 increase in the maximum Pell Grant award for a maximum award of $7,495 for the 2025-2026 award year. This coming school year, Pell Grants are expected to help over 7 million students at all stages of life pursue postsecondary education and further their careers. The bill sustains funding for Federal Work Study and the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant that provide additional need-based aid to students to help afford postsecondary education.

 

The bill also includes $70 million for the Teacher Quality Partnership program and $15 million for the Hawkins Centers of Excellence to help educator preparation programs address educator shortages. It also continues other investments available to recruit, develop, and retain an effective and diverse teacher and school leader workforce, including $90 million for the Supporting Effective Educator Development program.

 

The bill includes a $20 million increase over fiscal year 2024 for TRIO; a $5 million increase for GEAR UP; a $5 million increase for the Child Care Access Means Parents in School Program (CCAMPIS); a $5 million increase for the Basic Needs Program; and a $5 million increase for the Postsecondary Student Success Grant Program to help students prepare for and succeed in post-secondary education. The bill also provides increases for Title III and V programs that support HBCUs, MSIs, Tribal colleges, and other institutions.

 

The bill also includes an additional $100 million for the administration of student aid programs over fiscal year 2024. This funding will support a wide range of activities, including: implementing the FAFSA; disbursing student aid; ensuring services are available to student loan borrowers; implementing more affordable repayment plans; and fixing longstanding issues in student loan forgiveness programs.

 

Key Points & Highlights – Department of Labor

 

Department of Labor: The bill includes $13.8 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Labor.

 

Workforce Development: The bill includes $2.9 billion for Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) formula grants, protecting essential investments made in recent years. It provides $290 million for Registered Apprenticeships and $110 million for YouthBuild, and sustains funding for other programs, such as Reentry Employment Opportunities. Continuing funding for these key workforce development programs will help leverage investments made in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the CHIPS and Science Act to continue to grow the economy, provide workers the skills they need to secure good-paying jobs of the future and help American businesses compete globally.

 

Worker Protection: The bill advances key investments in Department of Labor worker protection agencies charged with enforcing requirements for employers to pay workers what they earn and provide safe and healthy workplaces. This includes $206 million, an increase of $15 million, for the Employee Benefits Security Administration, which is responsible for, among other things, ensuring private sector employment-based group health plans comply with mental health and substance use disorder parity requirements. The bill also provides the Wage and Hour Division $267.5 million, an increase of $7.5 million, to support the Division’s work to recover wages workers are owed and to combat exploitative child labor. It also provides $118 million, an increase of $2 million over fiscal year 2024, for the Bureau of International Labor Affairs to enforce labor provisions of free trade agreements and trade preference programs and combat international child labor and forced labor.  

 

Key Points & Highlights – Related Agencies

 

Social Security Administration (SSA): The bill includes $14.7 billion for SSA’s administrative expenses—an increase of $509 million over fiscal year 2024. These resources will help SSA address service delivery challenges and improve services for Americans across the country—from filing for benefits to getting a replacement Social Security card to calling with questions about benefits. Millions of Americans rely on Social Security, have earned benefits through a lifetime of work, and deserve access to timely services. Addressing backlogs in key workloads and wait times will require sustained increases to allow SSA to increase and maintain staffing and make needed IT improvements—and the new investments this bill delivers are a critical down payment to improve service delivery at SSA.

 

AmeriCorps: The bill includes a $35 million increase for AmeriCorps State and National grants. This will support AmeriCorps members serving in communities across the country and working to address pressing challenges, including responding to natural disasters, assisting in schools, supporting our veterans, promoting economic opportunity, and conserving and protecting the environment.

 

Corporation for Public Broadcasting: The bill maintains current funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to support more than 1,500 locally-owned TV and radio stations nationwide. This includes a critical investment of $60 million for digital interconnection and $535 million as a two-year advance appropriation, of which roughly 70% is provided directly to local public TV and radio stations.  

 

Institute of Museum and Library Services: The bill continues to invest $295 million in the nation’s libraries and museums through programs of the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

 

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