Senate Releases Report for FY2010 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education Spending Bill

On August 4, the Senate Appropriations Committee released its report accompanying the FY2010 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies spending bill (H.R. 3293). The Senate Appropriations Committee approved the measure on July 30 (see The Source, 7/31/09).

The bill would provide $730.095 billion in mandatory and discretionary funding in FY2010, $74.466 million less than FY2009 (including funds provided in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act [P.L. 111-5] and the FY2009 supplemental spending bill [P.L. 111-32]) and $1.548 billion above the president’s request.

The committee report details a number of programs of interest to women and their families:

Afghanistan: As requested by the administration, the committee provides level funding of $5.789 million for activities in Afghanistan. The funds “will be used in partnership with the Department of Defense for medical training activities at the Rabia Balkhi Women’s Hospital in Kabul, and for support of maternal and child health throughout Afghanistan” (p. 162). 

Microbicides: The report states, “Encouraging results from a recent NIH Microbicide Trials Network safety and effectiveness study of the microbicide candidate PRO2000 showed that the product was 30 percent more effective than any other arm of the study in preventing HIV. While data from this study are not definitive and results from additional trials are needed to confirm these findings, they support the concept that a microbicide could prevent HIV infection. The committee urges the NIH to work with USAID, CDC, and other appropriate agencies to develop processes for coordinated investment and prioritization for microbicide development, approval, and access” (p. 98). Additional language on microbicide development can be found on page 67.

Reproductive Health/Family Planning: The committee “includes $104.455 million for an initiative to reduce teen pregnancy and improve adolescent reproductive health…The committee is alarmed that America’s teen birth rate, already high compared to other developed nations, increased in 2006 and 2007 following large declines from 1991 to 2005. Teen childbearing costs taxpayers at least $9 billion annually due to increased health care, child welfare, and public assistance costs. According to a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, other negative health outcomes for adolescents, such as the rates of AIDS and syphilis cases, may also be increasing. For these reasons, the committee believes that a new initiative focusing on improving the reproductive health and well being of young people is urgently needed” (p. 160). Included in the amount for the new initiative, $75 million would be directed to programs “that have been proven in rigorous evaluations to impact teen pregnancy or the behaviors associated with teen pregnancy prevention”; $25 million would be used to evaluate existing programs. The program would be administered by the newly-created Office of Adolescent Health (see Young Women, below).  

The report states, “Postpartum depression [PPD] is one of the most common and frequently undiagnosed conditions associated with childbirth. While postpartum depression is a widespread problem, there is not sufficient research on the causes and possible treatments for women suffering from this disorder. The committee encourages HRSA to prioritize the issue of PPD by raising awareness, expanding research, and establishing grants for the operation and coordination of cost-effective services to afflicted women and their families” (p. 46).  

Additional language can be found on family planning (p. 56), infertility (p. 67), diabetes in pregnancy (p. 71), human papillomavirus (HPV) (p. 88), contraception in obese women (p. 100), complications in first pregnancy (p. 100), doulas (birth attendants) (p. 47), embryo adoption (p. 162), infant mortality (p. 76), and vulvodynia (p. 115).

Stroke: The committee “urges increased research into new therapies for stroke in women, as well as ways to enhance vascular health of all Americans, including observational research on differences in the way men and women present with stroke symptoms; research addressing how stroke influences the likelihood and severity of cognitive impairment in women; a clinical trial of carotid endarterectomy and angioplasty/stenting in women; studies of differences in how men and women respond to antiplatelet agents for recurrent stroke prevention; basic science research to address unique brain cell death and repair mechanisms in females; and clinical and basic research on hormone physiology and its impact on women’s vascular health” (p. 115).

Violence Against Women: The committee “encourages the CDC to increase research on the psychological sequelae of violence against women and expand research on special populations and their risk for violence, including adolescents, older women, ethnic and racial minorities, women with disabilities, immigrant women, and other affected populations” (p. 81).

Young Women and Girls: The committee includes $2 million “to establish and support the Office of Adolescent Health [OAH], as authorized under section 1708 of the Public Health Service Act. The office did not receive funding in FY2009. The office shall be responsible for coordinating activities of the department [of Health and Human Services] with respect to adolescent health, including coordinating program design and support, trend monitoring and analysis, research projects, and the training of health care professionals” (p. 158).

The committee “recognizes that throughout U.S. culture, female children, adolescents, and adults are frequently depicted and treated in a sexualized manner that objectifies them. Research links sexualization with three of the most common mental health problems of female children, adolescents, and adults: eating disorders, depression or depressed mood, and low self-esteem. The committee encourages the department [of Health and Human Services] to fund media literacy and youth empowerment programs to prevent and counter the effects of the sexualization of female children, adolescents, and adults” (p. 159).