AUCD | Disability Policy News

April 10, 2026 | Vol. MMXXVI | Issue 156

In this edition:

President’s Budget
Congress
New Legislation
AUCD Materials
Words to Know

President's Budget

The President’s Budget for Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) was released last Friday. It proposes boosting defense spending to $1.5 trillion, an increase of over 40 percent. The budget reduces spending on non-defense programs by 10 percent with a reduction of $73 billion from federal programs outside the military. Many of these cuts are aimed at environmental programs across federal agencies.

The funding levels for AUCD programs and disability programs generally are very similar to last year’s PB. The following section details the amount of money the White House proposes to appropriate for each program, the amount of money that Congress ended up appropriating for those programs (FY26 enacted), and the source for this information (Congressional Justification, Budget in Brief).

University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDDs)

Administration for Children, Families, and Communities Congressional Justification (CJ)

FY27 PB Request: Funding eliminated
From the budget: “The FY 2027 request for Aging and Disability Services Programs funds most programs at the FY 2026 President's Budget level. Funding for the Paralysis Resource Center, the Limb Loss Resource Center, Voting Access for People with Disabilities, University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, and Projects of National Significance is eliminated, but the Budget provides additional funding to the Independent Living program for states to have the flexibility to continue providing the services supported by these programs. The Chronic Disease Self-Management Program is historically funded exclusively by the Prevention and Public Health Fund, which is eliminated in the FY 2027 President’s Budget.”
FY26 Enacted: $43.119 million

Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) Programs

Administration for a Healthy America (AHA) CJ

FY27 PB Request: $36 million
- FY26 Enacted: $38.9 million
Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities (where LENDs are housed) FY27 PB Request: $38,245,000
- FY26 Enacted: $57.3 million
Decrease of $19,099,000 (achieved by maintaining LEND but eliminating other programs under this line item)

Eunice K. Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

National Institutes of Health in the HHS Budget in Brief