AUCD Legislative News InBrief -Appropriations Report

July 7, 2008

Fiscal Year 2009 Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations

The House Subcommittee and the Senate Sub- and Full Committees have now taken action on the Fiscal Year 2009 Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Spending bill that funds AUCD network programs and many other disability programs monitored by AUCD.  A scheduled mark-up of the bill before the House Appropriations Committee was abruptly adjourned on June 26 when Republicans tried to force the committee instead to take up the funding bill for the Department of the Interior with plans to offer a series of amendments which they intended to use to lower fuel prices.  The committee chair, Rep. David Obey (R-WI), has threatened to halt the entire appropriations process, leaving the money bills in limbo for the time being. Hopefully, the House Committee will take up the bill soon after the July 4 recess.  Below is a table comparing the House and Senate bill funding levels to date.

 

DD Programs

The Senate provides $2 million additional funding over FY 08 for the University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) program to $38.9.  The House bill, unfortunately, provides no increase for the UCEDDs.  The President's budget proposal provides no increases for any DD Act program.  The Developmental Disabilities Councils receive an approximately $2 million increase in both bills: $74.1 in the House and $74.5 in the House.  The Protection & Advocacy Systems receive a $1 million increase over the previous fiscal year to $40 million.  The Projects of National Significance receives level funding in both bills at $14.2.  Of this amount, it is expected that approximately half or $7 million would be dedicated to the Title II Family Support program.  The Senate report accompanying the bill contains a new provision that to "encourage" the secretary of HHS to "make funds available to establish a National Autism Family Resource and Information Center, which will provide families and other caregivers of individuals with autism spectrum disorders access to information about evidence-based interventions, services and protocols that can assist individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities."  It is unclear from which appropriations line item the funding would come for the Center.

 

LEND programs

Both the House and Senate bills provide an additional $2 million increase for the LEND programs over the FY 08 level.  Both bills provide the fully authorized amount of $42 million to fund activities in HRSA authorized under the Combating Autism Act.  The appropriations report states that "within the funding provided [to HRSA]for autism and other related developmental disorders, an increase of not less than $2 million is provide to continue and expand research on evidence-based practices for interventions for individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities, for developmental of guidelines for those intervention, and for information dissemination.  In addition, an increase of no less than $2 million is provided to continue and expand the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities program." 

 

CDC

The Centers for Disease Control Birth Defects and DD Center is boosted by $6 million in both bills to $133.9 million.  The Senate report states that "within the funds provided for autism surveillance and research programs, the Committee has included sufficient funding to restore the non-CADDRE Phase I Autism Development Disabilities Monitoring Centers."  A total of $20.4 million is provided for autism activities: $17.9 million for epidemiology & surveillance; and $2.4 million for the CDC Autism Awareness Campaign.

 

 

 

FY 2009 Labor, HHS, ED Appropriations Bills Compared (in millions)

	FY 2008	FY 2009 President	House Sub-committee	Senate Committee
DEP. OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and Families
University Centers for Excellence in DD	36.9	36.9	36.9	38.9
DD Councils	72.5	72.5	74.2	74.5
Protection & Advocacy Systems	39.0	39.0	40.0	40.0
Family Support	7.2	7.2	7.2	7.2
Projects of National Significance	7.0	7.0	7.0	7.0
Health Resources and Services Administration
Maternal & Child Health Block Grant	666.0	666.0	675.0	664.3
Combating Autism Act - Autism and Related DD	36.4	36.4	42.0	42.0
Grants to States to Remove Barriers to Voting	12.2	12.2	12.2	12.2
Protection & Advocacy for Voting Access	5.3	5.3	5.3	5.3
Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act	95.0	106.0	109.9	107.8
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Center on Birth Defects & DD	127.3	126.7	133.7	133.9
Combating Autism Act - CDC	16.2	16.1		20.4
National Institutes of Health	28,942.0	29,376.0	30,379.5	30,254.5
Natl. Institute of Child Health and Hum. Dev.	1,254.7	1,255.7	1,299.1	1,290.9
Combating Autism Act Research	114.5	129.0	?	?
National Children's Study	113.0	0	192.3	192.3
Lifespan Respite Care Act	0	0	5.0	0.0
Social Services Block Grant	1,700.0	1,200.0	1,700.0	1,700.0
Nat'l Family Caregiver Support Program	153.0	153.0	153.4	155.0
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
Part B State and Local Grants	10,947.5	11,284.5	11,551.5	11,424.5
Preschool Grants	374.1	374.1	374.1	374.1
Part C Early Intervention	435.7	435.7	435.7	443.2
Part D National Programs
State Personnel Development	22.6	48.0	22.6	48.0
Technical Assistance and Dissemination	48.9	48.9	48.0	49.1
Personnel Preparation	88.2	88.0	88.2	93.2
Parent Information Centers	26.5	26.5	26.5	27.5
Technology and Media	39.3	30.9	36.9	40.3
Transition Initiative	0	2.0	0.0	0
Research in Special Education (IES)	70.6	70.6	70.6	70.6
Rehabilitation Services Administration
Voc. Rehabilitation State Grant	2,874.0	2,874.0	2,974.6	2,974.6
Supported Employment State Grant	29.2	0	29.2	29.2
State Assistive Technology Programs and TA	29.9	25.0	24.6	29.9
Protection & Advocacy for Assistive Tech.	4.3	0		4.3
NIDRR	105.7	105.7	106.7	107.7
Higher Education Act
Demonstration Projects-Disability (Higher Ed.)	6.8	0	6.8	6.8
DOL Office of Disability Employment Policy	27.0	12.0	20.9	26.7

 

NIH

The House and Senate both provide a little over $1 billion increase for the National Institutes of Health (NIH).  The Senate report language provides scathing rebuke of the President's budget, which would provide level-funding for NIH.  The reports states: "The Committee has sounded the alarm for more Federal bio-medical research funding for several years.... Regrettably, the administration's budget ignores these warning signs and proposes to freeze NIH... Under this plant, the success rate for research project grants would fall to 18 percent, the lowest level on record.... The Bush budget also proposes eliminating all funding for the National Children's Study..."  The House and Senate both provide sufficient funds, $192 million, an increase of $81.4 million, to continue the multi-year Children's Study.

 

The Eunice Kennedy Shriver NICHD also receives an increase in both bills: a $44.3 million increase in the House and $36.1 million in the Senate. Both also contain report language supported by AUCD recognizing the outstanding contributions of the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Centers (IDDRC) and urging the NICHD to restore recent funding reductions to these Centers, and "to provide additional resources to the IDDRCS so that they can lead our effort to develop effective prevention and intervention strategies for children and adults with developmental disabilities."

 

It is difficult to determine how much of the Combating Autism Act money is allocated to NIH research.  NIH predicts that at least $128 million is dedicated to autism research from the Act.

 

Caregiver Support and Respite

A little breath was given to the life of the Lifespan Respite Care Act program.  This Act was signed into law in 2006 but has not yet been funded.  The House bill would provide $5 million while the Senate bill provides no funding.

 

Conversely, the Senate provides a $2 million increase to $155 million for the National Caregiver Support Program, while the House bill provides no increase.

 

Child Abuse Prevention

The House bill provides level funding for the CAPTA basic state grants at $27 million, and level-funding for the Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention grants at $42 million.  Funds for CAPTA discretionary grants would increase from $37 million to $42 million in FY09.

 

Similar to the House bill, the Senate bill provides level-funding for CAPTA basic state grants and prevention grants, while raising the funds for discretionary grants to $39.5 million. 

 

Education

The House bill provides $11.5 billion for the IDEA Part B State Grant Program and the Senate bill provides $11.4 billion -$600 million and $470 million increases respectively.  The House level funds most other programs under IDEA, while the Senate level funds or provides slight increases.  Preschool grants are level funded.  The Senate provides an increase of $7.5 million for Part C Early Intervention. 

 

Under Part D, the House level funds State Personnel Development Grants at $22.6 million, while the Senate follows the Administration's request to increase funding to $48.0 million.  The additional $25.4 million is needed to ensure the continuation of awards to 41 states plus 5 new awards.  The Senate also provides a $5.0 million increase for Personnel Preparation grants.

 

Under the Rehabilitation Services Administration, the House and Senate level funded Supported Employment State Grants, despite this program being zeroed out once again in the President's Budget.  The Senate level funds the Assistive Technology programs at $29.9 million, while the House cuts these programs by $5.3 million.                 

 

Under the Higher Education Act, AUCD is pleased to report that the House and Senate bills provide continued funding for the current Demonstration Projects for Students with Disabilities at $6.8 million, despite this program being zeroed out once again in the President's Budget.

 

Research in Special Education (IES) is level funded at $70.6 million while the House and Senate provide a very modest increase to NIDRR, $1 million and $2 million increase respectively.  

 

Labor

The House provides $20.9 million for the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) and the Senate provides $26.7 million.  Both figures are below the current funding level of $27.0 million -a $6.1 million cut in the House.  The Administration has attempted to slash funding for ODEP for several years and only requested $12.0 million.      

 

Future Action and Congressional Schedule

There has been no further action scheduled for on these bills in either the House or the Senate. It is still unclear whether the House and Senate leaders will take the time to consider these bills before the full House and Senate before adjourning for the year since the President has threatened to veto any bill that does not adhere to his overall spending level.  In that case, a continuing resolution will be enacted to continue funding levels for programs, most likely at the FY 08 levels, until the bill can be enacted.  AUCD will continue to monitor this situation and do everything possible to advocate for the highest possible funding levels in both bills and to urge the Congress and Administration to move this bill to enactment before the Congress adjourns this fall.

 

The Senate will pick up working on the same bills they were dealing with when they left for the July 4 recess. On Monday, the Senate will vote on a housing bill, and on Tuesday, the Senate will vote on amendments to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.  By the end of the week, the Senate may try again to pass legislation that would prevent a Medicare physicians pay cut. The Senate voted on the measure before the recess, but fell one vote short of moving on the House-passed version, which contained many positive provisions for individuals with disabilities (see June 30 In Brief).  The House returns to session Tuesday and has a limited schedule this week.  The only major measures that might reach the floor are the FY09 Military Construction/Veterans Affairs appropriations bill and a measure to subpoena White House e-mails.