On June 25, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved, 16-14, the FY2016 Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), Education, and Related Agencies spending bill (S. 1695). The Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee cleared the legislation on June 23.
According to the committee summary, the legislation would provide $153.2 billion in base discretionary funding, $3.6 billion below FY2015 and $14.5 billion below President Obama’s request.
The legislation includes a total of $70.4 billion for HHS. This amount represents a decrease of $646 million below the FY2015 level.
Within the amount allocated for HHS is $5.2 billion for community health centers, which represents an increase of $199.4 million over FY2015. The National Institutes of Health would receive $32 billion, $2 billion more than it did in FY2015. In addition, funding is provided for cancer screenings, including breast and ovarian cancer, at $250.3 million. A further $160 million would be provided for the Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant.
The measure also would allocate $8.698 billion towards Head Start. This amount is $100 million over FY2015. Child Care and Development Block Grants would receive $2.585 billion in FY2016, an increase of $150 million over FY2015.
The Department of Education would receive $65.5 billion, $1.7 billion below FY2015. Funding for special education, which includes special education grants for infants and families, would be set at $12.415 billion. Title I grants to local education agencies would receive $14.56 billion, an increase of $150 million over FY2015.
The Department of Labor would be funded at $11.4 billion, $575 million below FY2015.
More information will be provided once the committee releases its report.
