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The following is highlights of HR 3010 after it passed the House-Senate Conference to iron out differences. The data is provided by the Appropriations Committee.

HIGHLIGHTS OF CHANGES TO THE LABOR HHS CONFERENCE REPORT   December 13th, 2005 - -

The conference report includes the following changes from the original version which was defeated on the House floor on November 17, 2005. 

Rural Health Programs

The conference report includes an additional $90 million for rural health programs.  This is offset by a reduction of $120 million in pandemic preparedness funds from the Public Health and Social Security Emergency Fund.  $64 million remains in the bill for these purposes.  These additional funds are expected to be addressed whenever Congress considers the Administration request for emergency funds for avian flu preparedness. 

• Office of Rural Health Research and Policy—The Conference Report restores $9 million in funding for this important office within Health and Human Services which ensures that Rural America has a coordinated voice on national rural health issues.  This funding was not included in the original conference report and would provide the same amount as last year’s level and the budget request.   
• Rural Health Outreach Grants—The Conference Report adds $28.5 million for Rural Health Outreach Grants, restoring funding to last year’s level.  The program received $10.8 million in the original conference report level and the President’s budget request. 
• Area Health Education Centers—The Conference Report restores funding for Area Health Education Centers to $29 million, the same as last year’s level.  The program received only $2 million in the original version of the conference report and nothing in the President’s budget request. 
• Medical Training—Training in Primary Care and Dentistry will receive $13 million above the original conference report for a total of $41 million.  The President’s budget requested no funds for this program.  Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students are increased by $12 million over the original conference report for a total $47 million, the same as last year’s level and $37 million above the President’s budget request.  The Faculty Loan Repayment program is restored to last year’s level, $600,000 over the original version and $1.3 million above the budget request. 

Erectile Dysfunction Funding Prohibition

The bill drops a provision prohibiting funds in the bill to be used to provide prescription drug coverage for erectile dysfunction.  This results in a $90 million decrease in funds which is partially offset by reducing Medicare Modernization Act implementation funds by $60 million and a $30 million reduction in pandemic preparedness resources.  More than $800 million is provided to implement the new Medicare prescription drug benefit.  No funds were provided in the previous year as these costs were covered by mandatory spending. 

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE FISCAL YEAR 2006 LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, EDUCATION AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS CONFERENCE REPORT   November 16th, 2005 - -

Bill Funding:

FY05 Comparable:    $142.678 billion ($354 billion)

FY06 Budget Request:    $141.590 billion

FY06 Conference Report:  $142.514 billion ($459.5 billion mandatory spending)

Discretionary spending in the bill will be below last year’s level, by comparison mandatory spending carried in the bill will increase by $106 billion or 30% from last year’s level. 

Protecting Priority Education Programs

• The Department of Education is funded at $56.5 billion, $299 million above the request and $59 million below last year’s level.   This funding level caps a history of significant growth in federal education spending.  Since Republicans took control of the Congress, funding for the Department of Education has more than doubled.  More recently, over the last five years total education spending has increased by nearly 50%.  Earlier this year, states collectively returned $66 million in unspent education funds back to the Federal Treasury.  Currently there is nearly $6 billion in un-obligated education funds in the federal pipeline available for states to spend. 
• Maximum Pell Grant awards are maintained at $4050.  Total funding is $13.2 billion, $812 million above FY05.  Consistent with the budget resolution, $4.3 billion is provided to retire the shortfall that has accumulated in the program over the last several years because of higher than expected student participation in the program. 
• Special Education Grants are funded at $10.7 billion, $100 million above FY05, and more than three times the amount provided in 1995.
• Title I grants to states total funding is $12.8 billion, an increase of $100 million over FY2005.  This funding increase builds on the nearly double digit increases the program has enjoyed over the last several years.  These funds provide aid to states and school districts to help educationally disadvantaged children achieve the same high state academic performance standards as all other students.
• Reading Programs -- Reading programs are level funded at $ 1 billion, the same as the President’s request.  This funding level will enable states to eliminate the reading deficit through scientific research-based reading programs. 
• Improving Teacher Quality - The bills provides $2.92 billion, the same as last year’s level and the budget request, for professional development programs to provide states and school districts with tools to improve teacher quality.   In addition, $100 million is provide for a new pilot program to develop and implement innovative ways to provide financial incentives for teachers and principals who raise student achievement and close the achievement in some of our Nation’s highest-need schools;
• Math and Science Partnerships are increased by $5 million over last year for a total of $184 million to enhance the number of teachers trained in the fields of math and science.
• Education Block Grant is funded at $100 million, $98 million below last year’s level.
• State Assessments - The bill includes $412 million, the same as the President request and last year’s level, to cover the cost of developing annual state assessments of students' reading and math skills.  States will be responsible for selecting and designing their own assessments. 
• Impact Aid is funded at the requested level of $1.24 billion, $3 million below last year’s level.
• Head Start is level funded at $6.9 billion.
• TRIO funding is restored to last year’s level of $837 million, rejecting the $467 million cut proposed in the President’s budget.  The bill also restores GEAR UP funding to last year’s level of $306 million.  The budget request had proposed to terminate the popular program.

Medical Research and Health Programs

• Centers for Disease Control funding is $6.2 billion, $1.4 billion above last year and $1.8 billion above the budget request.
• Community Health Centers are increased $66 million over last year to a level of $1.8 billion.
• National Institutes of Health -- continues our commitment to curing disease by increasing funding for medical research at NIH by $253 million, bringing total funding to $28.6 billion, approximately the President’s request.  The bill provides $100 million for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria within available funds.  
• Makes significant investments in combating both annual and potential pandemics, influenza, abroad and at home, including:
  • $530 million for the Strategic National Stockpile (+$63 million);
  • $266 million for vaccine purchase grants (+$35 million);
  • $103 million for emerging infectious disease control (+$4 million);
  • $  37 million for Global Disease Detection (+$15 million).
• Ryan White AIDS program is increased by $10 million over FY05 with total funding of $2.1 billion, the same as the budget request.
• Counter-terrorism and Bioterrorism programs--Expands funding to enhance the preparedness of Federal, State and local public health officials to respond to both terrorist and other public health emergencies.  Funding is increased by $188 million, total funding is $2.4 billion.
• Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) state formula grants are funded at $2 billion, an increase of $115 million over last year and $200 million above the President’s budget request.  The bill also provides $183 million in a contingency fund to deal with fluctuating heating oil prices and severe weather conditions.  In addition, $1 billion in additional funding is provided in the House version of the budget reconciliation bill. 
• Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Implementation—The bill provides nearly $900 million for Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Social Security Administration to implement the Medicare prescription drug benefit.  No funding was provided in the last year’s bill as the administrative expenses were covered as mandatory spending. 
• Faith and Community-based programs--Expands access for small community- and faith-based service providers as well as expanding street outreach to prevent youth gang involvement by providing a $10 million increase for the Compassion Capital Fund for a total of $65 million.
• Abstinence Education- Provides $115 million for community-based abstinence education program, an increase of $11 million over FY05.  
• Social Security - Provides a 5% increase of $469 million to the Social Security Administration for MMA implementation and to improve service delivery of Social Security benefits and accelerate disability claims processing times.  Total appropriations for FY06 are $9.2 billion.

Other Items

• The bill terminates 21 programs for a savings of $1.2 billion.  Also, the bill does not create 8 new programs proposed by the Administration for a savings of $1.8 billion. 
• The bill prohibits funds for prescription coverage for erectile dysfunction. 
• Maintains current law on all abortion restrictions.
• Drops additional funds for Avian flu programs.