AUCD Legislative News In Brief

July 27, 2009

On Friday, July 24, the House of Representatives approved (on a vote of 264-153) the spending bill (H.R. 3293) for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and Education. The Appropriations Committee had approved the bill on July 17. The Senate L-HHS-ED Subcommittee is expected to begin marking up its version of the funding bill on Tuesday, July 28. Following is a summary of how the House bill impacts AUCD network and other disability programs. A table comparing the House bill with fiscal year 2009 funding and the president's budget for key disability programs is also below.

Health and Human Services

DD Act programs
The bill provides an additional $1 million for the University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) network to $38.9 million. The President had not recommended an increase for the UCEDDs. The Protection and Advocacy Systems (P&A) would also receive a $1 million increase over FY 2009 up to $41 million. The House bill provides level funding for the Developmental Disabilities Councils at $74.3 million. Projects of National Significance is increased slightly by $500,000 to $14.6 million. The Committee report does not state the justification for the small increase for PNS. However, the report does state that "within this amount, the Committee recommends $3 million for the establishment of a national autism resource and information center, to help families and other caregivers of individuals with autism spectrum disorders access information about evidence-based interventions, services, and protocols. This award shall be made on a competitive basis." AUCD supports the concept of this information center, but is concerned about the impact funding such a center might have on the family support program that has also been funded through PNS dollars since the 2000 reauthorization of the DD Act. Furthermore, there is no report language specifically directing funds to the Family Support Program under PNS.

HRSA/MCH
The House bill provides $48 million overall for activities authorized in the Combating Autism Act, which is $6 million above the fiscal year 2009 funding level and the same as the budget request. Within the total, the Appropriations Committee report specifically states that it provides $28.2 million "for the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) program to enhance the capacity of existing LEND programs and expand the number of sites and professionals trained to diagnose, treat, and provide interventions to individuals with autism spectrum disorders. This increase of $2,200,000 will help these programs initiate or expand their work in the area of interdisciplinary leadership training to meet the needs of children with autism spectrum disorders and related neurodevelopmental disabilities."

The Maternal and Child Health Block Grant is provided $665 million, $2.9 million more than in fiscal year 2009. The bill also provides $530 million, $1.6 million above the President's request and $137 million above 2009, to support the training of students across the health professions and nursing fields to deal with the workforce shortage.

National Institutes of Health (NIH)
The House bill provides $31.3 billion, $500 million above the President's request and $942 million above fiscal year 2009 for NIH.

The House provides $1.34 billion for the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) within NIH, about $46 million over fiscal year 2009 and $19 million more than the president's budget request. The report language further states its strong support for the IDDRCs:

"The Committee recognizes the important contributions of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Centers (IDDRC) toward understanding why child development goes awry, discovering ways to prevent developmental disabilities, and discovering treatments and interventions to improve the lives of people with developmental disabilities and their families. The Committee is particularly pleased with IDDRC contributions in the areas of autism, fragile X syndrome, Down syndrome and other genetic and environmentally induced disorders. The Committee urges NICHD to strengthen its support of the IDDRCs so that they can conduct basic and translational research to develop effective prevention, treatment and intervention strategies for children and adults with developmental disabilities."

The report language accompanying the House bill also states that the Appropriations Committee continues the National Children's Study (NCS) with an appropriation of $194.4 million. The report further states that the Committee is aware that the NCS is now projected to exceed its original budget by a substantial margin. The Committee believes NIH is prudent in taking the step to ‘pause' the research before initiating the full study in order to test in advance the feasibility, acceptability, and cost of each element. However, the Committee remains firmly committed to the NCS, believing it will provide important answers about the influence of the environment on children's health and development.

Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
The House bill provides $6.7 billion, $38 million above the president's request and $67 million above 2009, for the discretionary public health programs administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Committee provides $140.8 million for the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, which is $2.8 million more than the fiscal year 2009 funding level and $1.1 million less than the president's budget request. This program collects, analyzes, and makes available data on the incidence and causes of birth defects and developmental disabilities. The bill also provides a $32 million increase for Health Promotion activities; however the emphasis of these additional funds is on chronic disease prevention.

Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA)
The bill allocates $26.5 million of the CAPTA State Grants, which is the same as fiscal year 2009. The bill also provides level-funding, $41.6 million, for the Title II Community Based Prevention Grants that provide family supports and other primary prevention activities. The bill cuts funding for the Child Abuse Discretionary Activities by $1.2 million to $40.5 million; and within the total provided for discretionary activities, the bill dedicates $15 million for the new Home Visitation initiative. These funds support competitive grants to States to encourage investment of existing funding streams into proven-effective home visitation models. The President's budget request to Congress would freeze funds for CAPTA. Members of the National Child Abuse Coalition, including AUCD, have been urging Congress to increase CAPTA funds in 2010 to the fully authorized level of $200 million.

Family Support
The Lifespan Respite Care Act authorized in 2006 is would be funded for the first time at $2.5 million in the House bill. The program is authorized at $53 million in FY 2009 and $71 million in FY 2010. The National Family Caregiver Support Program under the Older Americans Act is level funded at $154 million. The Family Support program authorized under the DD Act is not provided any funding in the bill. This program has been funded through Projects of National Significance at about $7 million annually. The House bill does not provide any report language directing money to the program. (See also DD Act above).

Education

Special Education
The House bill provides $11.5 billion, the same as the President's request, for Part B State Grants under IDEA for special education. The report accompanying the bill states that this funding builds on $11.3 billion in the Recovery Act to support a record 25 percent Federal contribution toward special education in each of fiscal years 2009 and 2010. Part B Preschool Grants (ages 3-5) would get $374 million, which is the same as the fiscal year 2009 funding level and the president's budget request. The Recovery Act provided an additional $400 million for Preschool Grants to States in fiscal years 2009 and 2010. The House recommends $439 million for Grants for Infants and Families (Part C), which is the same as the fiscal year 2009 funding level and the budget request. The report reminds us that the Recovery Act provided an additional $500 million for Grants for Infants and Families in fiscal years 2009 and 2010.
IDEA National programs are all level funded in the House bill.

Research under Institute for Education Sciences (IES)
The House bill includes $70.6 million for Research in Special Education, which is the same as the fiscal year 2009 funding level; and $11.5 million for Special Education Studies and Evaluations, which is $2 million above the fiscal year 2009 funding level.

Higher Education Act
The House bill provides $10.7 million for Demonstration Projects to Ensure Quality Higher Education for Students with Disabilities. This represents a $4 million increase over fiscal year 2009. The report states that within the total, the Appropriations Committee intends that $6.75 million be used to support continuation awards for Demonstration Projects to Support Postsecondary Faculty, Staff and Administrators in Educating Students with Disabilities under Subpart 1 of Part D of title VII of the Higher Education Act. The remaining $4 million shall be used to support new awards for Transition Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities Into Higher Education under Subpart 2 of Part D of Title VII of the Higher Education Act. AUCD is pleased that this new program for which it strongly advocated will get this first time funding; however, it is disappointing that none of the other new Higher Education Act programs receive funding in the House bill.

Vocational Rehabilitation
The House bill provides $3.1 billion for Vocational Rehabilitation State Grants, which is $110 million above the fiscal year 2009 funding level, and the same as the president's budget. This amount represents that cost-of-living adjustment authorized under the law. The Recovery Act provided an additional $540 million under the Rehab Act for Independent Living Centers to assist people with disabilities to find work in the community. The Supported Employment State Grants are, once again, level funded at $29 million.

The bill includes $3.5 billion for Rehabilitation Services and Disability Research. This amount is $116 million above the fiscal year 2009 funding level. For the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, the bill provides $110.7 million, which is $3 million above the fiscal year 2009 funding level and the same as the budget request. The Committee report language also "encourages the Administration to establish an Interagency Committee on Disability Research to develop a comprehensive
government-wide strategic plan for disability and rehabilitation research, including capacity building and knowledge translation."

For Assistive Technology, the bill provides $30.9 million which is the same as the fiscal year 2009 funding level and the budget request. Of the funds provided, $25.6 million is for the State grant program,
$4.3 million is for the protection and advocacy program, and $1 million is for national activities.

National Service
The House bill includes $1.059 billion in fiscal year 2010 for the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), which helps to provide funds for the National Service Inclusion Project. While this figure is a $169 million increase to implement the new Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, the allocation falls short of the President's requested level by $90 million. New programs authorized under the Serve America Act include: new national service corps under the AmeriCorps program focused on education, healthy futures, clean energy, veterans, and economic opportunities; a Summer of Service program within Learn and Serve; and a Social Innovation Fund to identify and scale-up high impact, results-oriented non-profit initiatives.

The House bill provides $331.5 million for AmeriCorps State and National Grants, which is $60.3 million above the fiscal year 2009 funding level and $41 million less than the president's budget request. The Recovery Act provided an additional $89 million. Funds for the AmeriCorps State and National program support grants to public and non-profit organizations that recruit, train, and place AmeriCorps members in service programs to meet critical community needs in education, public safety, health, and the environment. According to the bill report language, the bill also provides $5 million for a newly authorized national service Disability Grants program. Last year, $4 million was provided for a similar program under the Innovation, Assistance, and Other Activities line item. These grants will be made available to the entire community of national service grantees to support increased service and volunteer opportunities for Americans with disabilities.

As stated above, the Senate begins consideration of its L-HHS-ED bill this week with the plan of finishing its work before the Congress adjourns for the month-long August recess. AUCD will continue to monitor the progress of the annual appropriations bills and urge Congress to support the highest possible funding levels for programs that support people with disabilities in the community as they move forward.

Below are links to the full text of the House bill and corresponding report:
House Bill (H.R. 3293) text: http://appropriations.house.gov/pdf/LHHS-BillText-Reported-7-17-09.pdf. Committee report (H. Rpt. 11-220): http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_reports&docid=f:hr220.111.pdf.

 

	FY 2009	FY 2010 President	FY 2010 House	+/- Pres. vs. House	+/- House vs. FY 2010
Department of Health and Human Services
Administration for Children and Families
University Centers for Excellence in DD	37.9	37.9	38.9	+1.0	+1.0
DD Councils	74.3	74.3	74.3	0.0	0.0
Protection and Advocacy Systems	40.0	40.0	41.0	+1.0	+1.0
Projects of National Significance	14.1	14.1	14.6	+0.5	+0.5
Health Resources and Services Administration
Maternal & Child Health Block Grant	662.1	662.1	665.0	+2.9	+2.9
Combatting Autism Act-Autism and Other DD	42.0	48.0	48.0	0.0	+6.0
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Center on Birth Defects & DD	138.0	142.0	140.0	-1.1	+2.9
National Institutes of Health
Natl. Institute of Child Health and Human Development	1,295.8	1,313.6	1,341.1	+27.4	+46.2
Lifespan Respite Care Act	2.5	2.5	2.5	0.0	+2.5
Natl. Family Caregiver Support Program	154.2	154.2	154.2	0.0	0.0
Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment	109.8	107.4	108.6	-2.4	-1.2
Department of Education
Individuals with Disabilites Education Act
Part B State and Local Grants	10,947.5	11,505.2	11,505.2	0.0	0.0
Preschool Grants	374.1	374.1	374.1	0.0	0.0
Part C Early Intervention	439.4	439.4	439.4	0.0	0.0
Part D National Programs
State Personnel Development	48.0	48.0	48.0	0.0	0.0
Technical Assistance and Dissemination	48.5	48.5	48.5	0.0	0.0
Personnel Preperation	90.7	90.7	90.7	0.0	0.0
Parent Information Centers	27.0	27.0	27.0	0.0	0.0
Technology and Media	38.6	38.6	38.6	0.0	0.0
Research in Special Education (IES)	70.6	70.6	70.6	0.0	0.0
Rehabilitation Services and Disability Research
Voc. Rehabilitation State Grant	2,974.6	3,084.6	3,084.6	0.0	+110.0
Supported Employment State Grant	29.2	29.2	29.2	0.0	0.0
NIDRR	107.7	110.7	110.7	0.0	+3.0
State Assistive Technology Programs	30.9	30.9	30.9	0.0	0.0
Higher Education Act
Demonstration Projects-Disability (Higher Ed.)	6.8	6.8	10.8	+4.0	+4.0
Americorp	271.2	372.5	331.5	0.0	+5.0
Disability Placement Funds	N/A	5.0	5.0	+5.0	+5.0