On June 10, the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies approved, by voice vote, the FY2015 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill (as-yet-unnumbered).
According to the committee summary, this legislation would provide $156.773 billion in discretionary funds, equal to the FY2014 level.
The total includes a combined increase of $348.327 million for early childhood care and education. Specifically, the bill would allocate $2.458 billion for the Child Care and Development Block Grant, a $100 million increase from FY2014 and $41 million above President Obama’s request. Head Start would receive $8.742 billion, an increase of $145 million from FY2014 and $126 million below the president’s request.
The legislation also would allocate $30.459 billion to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), an increase of $605.668 million and $256 million over the administration’s request. Additionally, Community Health Centers (CHCs) would receive $1.491 billion. Combined with mandatory funding under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (P.L. 111-148), CHCs would receive $5.091 billion in FY2015, an increase of $60 million over FY2014 and $580 million over President Obama’s request.
The AIDS drug assistance program would receive $905.313 million, an increase of $5 million over FY2014.
The legislation would allocate $2.624 billion for Workforce Investment Act Grants to provide job training to low-skilled adults, dislocated workers, and low-income youth, an increase of $36 million over FY2014.
Additionally, the measure would create a $5 million State Paid Leave Fund to provide planning and implementation grants to states that wish to establish paid leave for workers who take time off for reasons related to the Family and Medical Leave Act (P.L. 103-3).
The bill includes $14.434 billion for Title I grants to local education agencies, an increase of $50 million from FY2014 and $49 million above the president’s request.
Additional information will become available once the committee releases its report.
