Labor-HHS Appropriation FY 2009
Current Status
President Obama signed the "Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009"
[H.R.
1105, P.L. 111-8] on March 11, 2009. The House of Representatives
passed the bill on February 25 by a 245-178 vote; the Senate approved
it by voice vote on March 10 after voting, 62-35, to shut off debate.
The $410 billion omnibus package provides funding for the nine FY
2009 appropriations bills that were not finished by the 110th Congress.
The programs under these nine bills had been funded through a continuing
resolution [P.L.
110-329] that expired on March 6. Congress was forced to pass
a second continuing resolution [P.L.
111-6] through March 11 when the Senate could not finish the
bill by the original deadline. The Labor, HHS, Education and Related
Agencies portion of the omnibus (Division F) includes $151.8 billion
in funding for FY 2009, an increase of $6.7 billion (4.6 percent)
over the FY 2008 comparable funding level.
National Institutes of Health: The FY 2009 omnibus bill
includes $30.317 billion for NIH, an increase of $937.5 million
(3.2 percent) over the FY 2008 comparable. The explanatory statement
notes the bill "provides funding for a 2 percent increase in
the average cost of new and competing as well as non-competing grants."
The extramural salary cap is retained at Executive Level I, which
is $196,700 for 2009. The explanatory statement also states, "NIH
is encouraged to take steps to accelerate implementation of its
conflict of interest policy for contract staff."
Health Professions: The FY 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act
provides $222 million for Title VII. This represents a $48 million,
14.3 percent increase over FY 2008. This total includes $20.6 million
for Centers of Excellence ($8 million, 61.3 percent increase) and
$19.1 million for the Health Careers Opportunity Programs ($9 million,
94.7 percent increase). Also, it includes $48.5 million for Primary
Care Medicine and Dentistry ($0.5 million, 0.9 percent increase),
$32.5 million for Area Health Education Centers ($4 million, 15.5
percent increase), $13.9 million for Allied Health ($5 million,
57.8 percent increase), and $9 million for Public Health ($0.7 million,
8.8 percent increase).
The bill increases funding for all Title VIII nursing education
programs by $15 million (9.6 percent) for a total of $171 million.
National Health Service Corps: The FY 2009 Omnibus Appropriations
bill provides $135 million for the National Health Service Corps,
an increase of $11.5 million (9.3 percent) over FY 2008. The bill
includes $95 million for NHSC Recruitment, which provides funding
for the NHSC Scholarship and Loan Repayment Program awards, an $11
million (13.1 percent) increase over FY 2008. The bill level funds
the NHSC Field allocation at $39.7 million.
National Research Service Awards (NRSA): The omnibus preserves
for FY 2009 the NIH's authority to transfer 1 percent of its budget
for National Research Service Awards (NRSA) to the Health Resources
and Services Administration (HRSA) and the Agency for Healthcare
Research and Quality (AHRQ). The language inadvertently had been
deleted from NIH authorizing legislation in 2006, but was restored
for FY 2008 in the enacted omnibus appropriations bill.
Children's Hospitals Graduate Medical Education: The omnibus
provides $310 million for the Children's Hospitals Graduate Medical
Education program, an increase of $8.4 million (2.8 percent) over
FY 2008.
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality: For FY 2009,
the omnibus provides $372 million in program level funding for AHRQ,
an increase of $37.5 million (11.2 percent) over FY 2008. The funding
level includes $50 million designated for clinical effectiveness
research, a $20 million (66.7 percent) increase.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: The omnibus
includes $6.670 billion for CDC, providing a $239 million (3.7 percent)
boost. The bill maintains funding for public health research at
the FY 2008 level of $31 million.
Bioterrorism and Emergency Preparedness: The omnibus provides
$788.2 million within the Public Health and Social Services Emergency
Fund (PHSSEF) for the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness
and Response (ASPR), the coordinating hub for HHS bioterrorism and
preparedness activities. The funding level represents a $155.5 million
(24.6 percent) increase. The bulk of the increase is directed to
advanced research and development, with $275 million designated
for that purpose (a $173.5 million or 171 percent increase over
FY 2008). The bill also increases funding for Project BioShield
to $22.1 million, providing $0.8 million (3.8 percent) more than
FY 2008. Also within the ASPR total, the bill cuts funding for Hospital
Preparedness grants to $387.6 million (a $31.9 million or 7.6 percent)
cut. The bill increases funding designated for Emergency Systems
for Advanced Registration of Volunteer Health Professionals (ESAR-VHP)
to $6.0 million, a $2.1 million (54.2 percent) increase.
National Institute of Disability and Rehabilitation Research:
The FY 2009 Omnibus Appropriations bill includes $108 million for
the National Institute of Disability and Rehabilitation Research
(NIDRR), a $2 million (1.9 percent) increase over FY 2008 appropriated
level
Education: The FY 2009 Omnibus Appropriations bill includes
$67 million for Perkins Loan cancellations, $2.8 million (4.4 percent)
above the FY 2008 level. The bill level funds the Federal Work Study
program at $980.5 million. Under the "Higher Education Opportunity
Act" [P.L.
110-315], up to 25 percent of federal work study funds can be
transferred to the Perkins Loan program.
Contacts
Dave Moore, Senior Director
AAMC Government Relations
dbmoore@aamc.org
(202) 828-0525
Matthew Shick, Senior Legislative Analyst
AAMC Government Relations
mshick@aamc.org
(202) 862-6116
Tannaz Rasouli, Senior Legislative Analyst
AAMC Government Relations
trasouli@aamc.org
(202) 828-0525
Abigail Schopick, Legislative Analyst
AAMC Government Relations
aschopick@aamc.org
(202) 828-0525
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