On February 13, Congress approved an omnibus appropriations package that was attached to a continuing resolution (H. J. Res. 2). When the 107th Congress adjourned, only two of the 13 appropriations bills had been enacted—defense (P.L. 107-248) and military construction (P.L. 107-249). The final bill, signed into law on February 21, provides $397.3 billion in FY2003 discretionary spending for the 11 remaining appropriations bills. Last week’s Source included a brief summary of FY2003 funding levels. The following is a more detailed summary of funding levels and report language specific to programs affecting women and their families.
FY2003 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations
The final bill provides $17.5 billion in discretionary funding for agricultural programs in FY2003, $124 million more than the President’s request. Congress allocated $16 billion in discretionary funding in FY2002.
Child Nutrition: The bill provides $10.6 billion for child nutrition programs, $4 million more than the President’s request and $493 million more than the FY2002 level. The conference report includes a provision to expand the number of low-income children in child care centers who receive meals through the Child and Adult Care Feeding Program.
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC): The WIC program receives $4.7 billion in FY2003, $55 million less than the President’s request. In FY2002, Congress allocated $4.35 billion for WIC programs. A reserve fund of $125 million also is provided in the event that WIC costs or participation in the program exceeds the funding levels.
Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Women’s Health (FDA-OWH): The final bill includes $3 million for the FDA-OWH. The conference report notes that the FDA “has responded to the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) by recommending updated labeling for the entire class of hormone replacement therapy products.” The report also includes language encouraging the FDA to partner with medical professional and women’s health groups to “conduct a public awareness outreach about the use of hormone therapy, including treatment of menopausal symptoms, which was not addressed in the WHI study.”
FY2003 Departments of Commerce, Justice, State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act
The final bill provides $44.8 billion to fund the Commerce, Justice, and State Departments in FY2003, $755 million more than the President’s request. In FY2002, Congress allocated $41.6 billion for these departments.
Department of Justice (DoJ)
DNA Backlog: The final bill provides $41 million to help reduce the DNA sample backlog, including the testing of rape kits.
Juvenile Justice Programs: Juvenile justice programs receive $275 million in FY2003, $18 million more than the President’s request and $30 million less than FY2002. Of this amount, $11 million is provided for the Victims of Child Abuse Act.
Local Law Enforcement Block Grants: Local law enforcement block grants are level-funded at $400 million in FY2003. Of this amount, $80 million is provided for the Boys and Girls Club.
Missing Children Program: The final bill provides $32.9 million for the Missing Children Program. Of this amount, $2.5 million is provided for “training and technical assistance to develop an effective, coordinated AMBER Alert Program,” the communications network used to locate and rescue abducted children.
Trafficking: Justice Department grants to victims of trafficking receive $10 million, the same level appropriated in FY2002. The conference report also includes language directing the DoJ to provide a report detailing the department’s litigation and law enforcement efforts to combat sex trafficking.
Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Programs: VAWA programs administered by the DoJ are level-funded at $390.2 million. VAWA funding is to be distributed as follows:
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Additionally, conference report language accompanying the bill states that the Office of Justice Programs was “required to submit a report detailing a plan to address violence against women with particular emphasis on Alaska, which ranks first for domestic violence and child abuse.” The Department must provide monthly updates on the progress of this report until its completion.
Department of State
The State Department receives $7.9 billion in FY2003. Congress approved $7.6 billion in FY2002.
Trafficking: In an effort to combat international sex trafficking, the conferees call for the establishment of a Senior Policy Operating Group to be chaired by the Director of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking. The final bill also includes an increase of $500,000 to $2.5 million for the State Department to fund an international conference on combating international sex trafficking.
Other Agencies
The Women’s Business Centers, operated by the Small Business Administration, receive a $500,000 increase to $12.5 million in FY2003. Additionally, the National Women’s Business Council is level-funded at $750,000.
The Legal Services Corporation receives $338 million in FY2003, $10 million less than last year. Additionally, the bill appropriates $308 million for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, $2 million less than FY2002.
FY2003 Department of Defense Appropriations Act (P.L. 107-248)
The final bill provides $355.1 billion for the Department of Defense (DoD) in FY2003, a $21 billion increase over FY2002 and $1.6 billion less than the President’s request.
Several women’s health research programs are funded under the bill. The final measure level-funds peer-reviewed breast cancer and ovarian cancer research at the DoD at $150 million and $10 million, respectively. The measure also provides an additional $12.8 million for the DoD’s Comprehensive Breast Care Project and $6 million for Peer-Reviewed Breast Cancer Imaging Research.
Additionally, the final bill provides $50 million for other DoD peer-reviewed medical research, including bone-related diseases. Last year, Congress allocated $2.8 million for osteoporosis research. A number of other projects are funded under the peer-reviewed medical research program, including studies on interstitial cystitis. The final bill also allocates $7 million for global HIV/AIDS prevention programs and $6.3 million for HIV/AIDS research programs. Last year, Congress allocated $14 million for HIV/AIDS prevention activities. In addition, the measure provides $58 million for international humanitarian assistance.
The final measure also contains a new provision that provides $5 million for the operation of domestic violence fatality review teams. Another provision provides $3 million for impact aid for children with disabilities.
FY2003 District of Columbia Appropriations Act
The final measure provides $512 million in FY2003 for the District of Columbia, $144 million more than the President’s request. Congress provided $517 million in FY2002.
Additionally, the final measure maintains current law with respect to the prohibition on the use of local and federal funds for abortion coverage for low-income women on Medicaid, implementation of a voter referendum approving the medical use of marijuana, and implementation of needle exchange programs. Exceptions for abortion coverage are made in the cases of rape, incest, or life endangerment.
In addition, the final bill maintains current law allowing the use of local funds to implement a D.C. law that permits municipal employees to purchase health insurance benefits for their domestic partners, regardless of gender or marital status.
The final bill also includes a provision allowing the District of Columbia to enact contraceptive coverage legislation; however, the bill states that “it is the intent of Congress that any legislation enacted on such an issue should include a ‘conscience clause’ which provides exceptions for religious beliefs and moral convictions.”
FY2003 Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act
The final measure provides $16.3 billion in discretionary spending, roughly the same amount provided in FY2002 and $170 million less than the President’s request.
Afghanistan: The final measure appropriates $295 million in humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan. Of this amount, $50 million is provided for child survival and health programs and $41 million is provided for general development assistance.
Child Survival and Health Programs Fund: The Child Survival and Health Programs Fund receives $1.8 billion in FY2003, $403 million more than the FY2002 level.
The conferees also recommend $30 million for displaced children, orphans, and blind children.
Development Assistance: Development assistance receives $1.4 billion in FY2003, $211 million more than the FY2002 level. Additionally, the conferees recommend a minimum of $250 million for children’s basic education, with an emphasis on education for girls because “in recent years, there has been widespread recognition of the importance of investments in educating girls and the unique obstacles to educating girls in developing societies.”
Global HIV/AIDS: Global HIV/AIDS prevention and control programs receive $800 million. Of this amount, $250 million is provided for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis and $100 million is provided for the Mother-to-Child HIV Prevention program. Congress allocated $475 billion for global HIV/AIDS programs in FY2002.
Additionally, report language urges that priority be given to microbicides research, mother-to child HIV transmission prevention, support for affected orphans, and tuberculosis prevention.
International Family Planning: In FY2003, international family planning programs receive $465 million. The President requested $368.5 million for these programs in FY2003, and last year, Congress allocated $446 million. The measure retains the Mexico City policy, which prohibits nongovernmental organizations that use their own funds to perform abortions abroad or to lobby foreign governments on abortion policy from receiving U.S. funds.
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA): The final bill provides $34 million for UNFPA, the same amount allocated in FY2002. The measure maintains current law allowing the President to withhold funds from any country or organization if the President certifies that the funds would be used for the performance of coerced abortions and involuntary sterilization. As a result of that provision, FY2002 funds were withheld.
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID): In FY2003, USAID receives $572 million for operating costs, the same amount requested by the President and $23 million more than FY2002.
Report language urges USAID to increase collaboration efforts between the Bureau for Policy and Program Coordination and the Office of Women in Development (WID) to “provide agency-wide leadership to integrate concerns of women in development strategies.”
FY2003 Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act
The final bill provides $133.4 billion in discretionary spending for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education in FY2003. Congress allocated $127.6 billion in discretionary funding for these departments in FY2002.
Also, the final measure retains prohibitions on the use of federal funds for abortion coverage for women on Medicare or Medicaid except in cases of rape, incest, or life endangerment.
Department of Labor
The Department of Labor receives $14.6 billion in FY2003, $455 million more than the FY2002 level and $484 million more than the President’s request.
Dislocated Workers Program: The dislocated workers program, which provides grants for retraining laid-off workers, receives $1.1 billion in FY2003. This allocation is $51 million more than the President’s request. In FY2002, Congress allocated $1.5 billion.
Employment and Training Assistance: The final measure provides $900 million for employment and training assistance to disadvantaged and low-income adults, including welfare recipients. This allocation is the same as the President’s request and $50 million below FY2002.
Welfare-to-Work: The Welfare-to-Work program receives $4.7 million in FY2003, the same amount requested by the President. In FY2002, Congress allocated $5.9 million.
Women In Apprenticeships and Nontraditional Occupations: The Women in Apprenticeships and Nontraditional Occupations Act is level-funded at $1 million, the same amount requested by the President.
Women’s Bureau: The final bill provides $9.7 million for the Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau. The President requested $8.4 million in FY2003 and in FY2002, Congress allocated $10.16 million.
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
The final bill provides $319.1 billion for HHS in FY2003, $1.2 billion more than the President’s request. In FY2002, the department received $479 billion.
Administration on Aging (AoA): The measure provides $1.4 billion for the AoA, $35 million more than the President’s request and $29 million more than the FY2002 level.
National Family Caregiver Support: The National Family Caregiver Support Program receives $150 million. The President requested $141 million, the same amount appropriated in FY2002.
Administration for Children and Families Adoption: The final measure provides $27.4 million for adoption opportunities, an increase of $20 million over the FY2002 level. In addition, the final measure also level funds adoption incentives at $43 million and the Adoption Awareness program at $12.9 million. In FY2003, the President requested $56 million for programs to support and encourage adoptions.
Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG): The CCDBG receives $2.1 billion in discretionary funds to provide low-income families with assistance for child care. This funding level is the same amount requested by the President and $18,000 more than FY2002.
Child Support Enforcement: The final measure provides $4 billion for the Child Support Enforcement program, the same amount requested by the President. In FY2002, Congress allocated $3.9 billion.
Child and Family Service Programs The Head Start program receives $6.7 billion in FY2003, the same amount requested by the President. In FY2002, Congress allocated $6.5 billion.
The final measure does not include the $10 million that the President requested for the Maternity Group Homes program. Rather, action on this program has been deferred until language authorizing this program is enacted.
Child abuse state grants are level-funded at $22 million in FY2003, the same amount requested by the President. Additionally, $34 million is provided for child abuse and neglect prevention and treatment activities. The President requested $26 million, the same amount allocated last year.
Child welfare services are level-funded at $292 million, the same amount requested by the President.
Community Services: The final bill provides $739 million for Community Services programs, the same amount appropriated in FY2002 and $99 million more than the President requested. Of this amount, $650 million is level-funded for the Community Services Block Grant, $80 million more than the President’s request.
Foster Care, Adoption Assistance, and Independent Living: The Foster Care, Adoption Assistance, and Independent Living programs receive $6.6 million in FY2003, the same amount requested by the President. This funding level is $13 million less than the FY2002 level.
International Trafficking: Under the Refugee and Entrant Assistant account, a program to aid victims of trafficking is level-funded at $10 million.
Mentoring Children of Prisoners: The new Mentoring Children of Prisoners program receives $10 million in FY2003. This program is geared toward helping children when their parents are imprisoned and fostering a family environment when the parent is released. The President requested $25 million in FY2003.
Promoting Safe and Stable Families: The Promoting Safe and Stable Families program is level-funded at $305 million, the same amount requested by the President. The bill provides $100 million in discretionary funding for the program. The President requested $200 million and Congress allocated $70 million in FY2002.
Social Services Block Grant(SSBG): The final measure level funds the SSBG at $1.7 billion, the same amount requested by the President. The SSBG provides funds to help states administer social services and allow states discretion in allocating funds to suit their special needs. Programs frequently supported by SSBG funds include child care, child welfare, home-based services, employment services, and special services for the disabled.
Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Programs: The final bill funds several VAWA programs. The National Domestic Violence Hotline receives $2.6 million. Last year, Congress allocated $2.16 million for the hotline. In addition, battered women’s shelters receive a $2.7 million increase to $127 million.
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ): AHRQ receives $303 million in FY2003. The President requested $250 million for AHRQ, and last year, Congress allocated $298.7 million.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
The final measure provides $4.3 billion for the CDC, $67.5 million less than the FY2002 level and $322 million more than the President’s request.
Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities Center: The Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities Center receives $99 million, a $9 million increase over the President’s request. Of the amount allocated in FY2003, $500,000 is provided for activities related to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and $842,000 is provided to expand the newborn infant screening program. In FY2002, Congress allocated $89.9 million.
Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion: Chronic disease prevention and health promotion receives $795 million. Of this amount, $54 million is provided for safe motherhood/infant health. In FY2002, chronic disease prevention and health promotion received $747 million.
HIV/AIDS/STDs/TB: The final measure provides $1.2 billion for HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases, and tuberculosis prevention at the CDC, an increase of $34.4 million over last year and $19 million more than the President’s request.
WISEWOMAN: The final bill includes an increase to $12.5 million for the WISEWOMAN program, operated through the CDC’s National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program. In FY2002, Congress appropriated $11.7 million to fund WISEWOMAN programs in 12 states.
Health Resources and Services Administration
Abstinence Education: Total funding for abstinence-only education programs is $120.3 million. Of this amount, $55 million is provided through the Maternal and Child Health Block Grant, $3.3 million is earmarked within the Health Resources and Services Administration, and $12 million is provided under the Adolescent Family Life Act. Additionally, mandatory abstinence-only education programs, as established under the 1996 welfare reform law, receive $50 million. The President requested $135 million, and in FY2002, Congress allocated $100.16 million.
Community Health Centers: Community health centers receive $1.5 billion, $57 million more than the President’s request and $171 million more than the FY2002 level.
Family Planning: Title X, the nation’s family planning program, receives $275 million, $10 million more than the President’s request and the FY2002 level.
Healthy Start: The healthy start infant mortality initiative receives $99 million in FY2003, a $37,000 increase over last year. The final measure also level funds universal newborn hearing screening and early intervention activities at $10 million.
Maternal and Child Health Block Grant: The Maternal and Child Health Block Grant is funded at $735 million, a $4 million increase over last year. Of this amount, $4 million is provided for a sickle cell newborn screening program.
Ryan White: The Ryan White CARE Act receives a $96 million increase to $2.0 billion in FY2003. The President requested $1.9 billion.
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
In FY2003, the NIH receives $27.2 billion, $3.8 billion more than the FY2002 level and $10 million less than the President’s request.
National Eye Institute: Report language directs the National Eye Institute to report on advances in research on ocular albinism, a blinding disease that is passed from a mother’s defective gene to her male child.
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD): The conferees also urge the NICHD to support research using approved stem cell lines “that investigate adult and embryonic stem cells in vitro and in nonhuman primates.”
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI): The conference report includes language urging the NHLBI to conduct further treatment trials to find an effective treatment for Lymphangioleiomyomatosis, a progressive and often fatal lung disease that can affect young women.
The Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services
Minority HIV/AIDS: The final bill provides $50 million for the minority HIV/AIDS Initiative to address the prevention and treatment needs of minority communities heavily impacted by HIV/AIDS. This allocation is the same amount requested by the President and appropriated in FY2002. Additionally, the conference report contains language that requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide a report detailing how each of the HHS agencies and offices receiving funding under this initiative have distributed the funding.
Public Health Service’s Office on Minority Health (PHS-OMH): The PHS-OMH receives $56.6 million. The President requested $47 million, and in FY2002, the PHS-OMH received $49.5 million.
Public Health Service’s Office on Women’s Health (PHS-OWH): The PHS-OWH receives $29 million in FY2003, the same amount requested by the President. In FY2002, Congress allocated $27 million.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): SAMHSA receives $3.2 billion in FY2003, $98 million more than the FY2002 level.
Mental Health Performance Partnership: The Mental Health Performance Partnership is funded at $440 million, $7 million more than the President’s request and the FY2002 allocation.
Substance Abuse Performance Partnership: The Substance Abuse Performance Partnership receives $1.7 billion in FY2003. The President requested $1.8 billion, and in FY2002, $1.7 billion was appropriated.
Department of Education
The Department of Education receives $56 billion in FY2003. The President requested $53 billion and in FY2002, Congress allocated $52.4 billion.
Adult Education: The measure provides $591 million for adult education, the same amount requested by the President and appropriated in FY2002.
21st Century Community Learning Centers: The measure provides $1 billion in FY2003, the same amount requested by the President and appropriated in FY2002.
Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CAMPUS): The CAMPUS program is reduced from $25 million to $16.3 million. The President requested $15 million.
Loan Forgiveness for Child Care: The final bill level funds loan forgiveness for child care providers at $1 million. Under the program, individuals who have earned a degree in early childhood education and who work for two years as a child care provider in a low-income community may have a portion of their student loans forgiven.
No Child Left Behind: Grants to local educational agencies under the No Child Left Behind Act (P.L. 107-110) receive $11.8 billion in FY2003, $400 million more than the President’s request and $1.4 billion more than the FY2002 allocation.
Office for Civil Rights: The final bill provides $86.3 million for the Office for Civil Rights to enforce laws that prohibit the discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, and age in all programs and institutions funded by the Department of Education. This funding level is $6.3 million more than the FY2002 appropriation and the same amount requested by the President.
Pell Grants: The maximum Pell Grant award is increased to $4,050, a $50 increase over last year’s maximum award.
Reading First and Early Reading First: The final bill increases the funding level for the Reading First State Grants from $900 million to $1 billion in FY2003, the same amount requested by the President. The Early Reading First program is level-funded at $75 million.
Special Education: Special education state grants receive $10.1 billion in FY2003, $400 million more than the President’s request and $1.4 billion more than FY2002. Of this amount, $390 million is provided for preschool grants and $437 million in grants for infants and families.
Teacher Quality: The final bill provides $3 billion for State Grants for Improving Teacher Quality. The President requested $2.85 billion and last year, Congress allocated $2.9 billion.
Vocational Education: The final bill provides $1.3 billion for vocational education, $21 million more than FY2002 and $35 million more than the President’s request. This funding level includes $1.2 billion for basic state grants.
Women’s Educational Equity Act (WEEA): WEEA is level-funded at $3 million. The President’s budget did not include funding for WEEA in FY2003.
FY2003 Military Construction Appropriations Act (P.L. 107-249)
The final bill provides $10.5 billion for military construction programs in FY2003.
Additionally, the final measure provides $4.23 billion for military family housing, with $1.33 billion for the construction of new family housing units and improvements to existing units and $2.9 billion for the operation and maintenance of existing units. In FY2002, Congress allocated $4.1 billion for military family housing.
Child development centers receive $18 million in FY2003. Congress provided $43 million for child development centers in FY2002.
FY2003 Transportation and Related Agencies Appropriations Act
In FY2003, $22.5 billion is provided for the Transportation and Related Agencies appropriations bill. Congress allocated $18.9 billion in FY2002.
Job Access and Reverse Commute Program: The final bill provides $150 million for the Job Access and Reverse Commute Program, which helps individuals moving from welfare to work with transportation costs. This is the same amount requested by the President. Last year, Congress allocated $125 million.
Minority Business Resource Center (MBRC): The MBRC program is level-funded at $900,000 to assist small, disadvantaged, and women-owned transportation-related businesses. The President requested the same amount.
Minority Business Outreach: The minority business outreach is level-funded at $3 million, the same amount requested by the President.
Occupant Protection Incentive Grants:Occupant Protection Incentive Grants programs receive $20 million in FY2003, $5 milllion over FY2002 and the same as the President’s request. These programs encourage states to implement and strengthen programs designed to promote the proper use of child safety seats.
FY2003 Treasury and General Government Appropriations
In FY2003, the final measure provides $18.3 billion in discretionary spending for the Treasury, Postal Service, and General Government appropriations bill, $382 million less than the President’s request. Congress allocated $18.55 billion in FY2002.
Report language recommends that the U.S. Customs Service continue to coordinate efforts to promote public awareness for the child pornography tipline with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and with the U.S. Postal Service.
Report language also recommends that the Customs Service spend an additional $4 million to enforce the laws that ban forced and indentured child labor.
The final bill maintains current law requiring health plans participating in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) to cover prescription contraceptives if they cover other prescription drugs. Physicians and others who provide contraceptives are exempted from the requirement if they object based on religious beliefs. Religiously affiliated health plans also are exempt.
Additionally, the final measure prohibits abortion coverage under FEHBP, except when the life of the mother is endangered or in the case of rape or incest. The final measure also renews a provision that allows women to breastfeed their children in federal buildings or on federal property, as well as a provision that requires agencies to administer a policy to ensure that all workplaces are free from discrimination and sexual harassment.
FY2003 Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act
The final bill includes $90.4 billion in discretionary spending in FY2003. Congress allocated $95.41 billion in FY2002.
Homeless Assistance: In FY2003, the final measure provides $1.2 billion for homeless programs, including funding to renew Shelter Plus Care contracts, which provide supportive housing for homeless people with disabilities and their families. Congress allocated $1.1 billion for homeless assistance grants in FY2002.
Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS (HOPWA): The bill provides $292 million for the Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS program, a $14 million increase over last year.
