Policy Corner: June 29, 2018

Senate and House Advance FY 2019 Appropriations Bills

Both the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate are moving spending bills in their respective bodies in order to fund federal government starting Oct. 1. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) announced June 28 that the Committee has approved all twelve fiscal year 2019 appropriations bills funding federal government before the July 4th recess. This includes the fiscal year 2019 budgets for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), Education, and Defense, which were approved by the Committee Thursday. The next step will be for the full Senate to approve the bills.

The Labor-HHS-Education spending bill includes funding for traumatic brain injury (TBI) programs. The Committee included $11,321,000 for the Administration for Community Living’s (ACL) TBI state grant and protection & advocacy grant programs combined. This is the same amount as the current year, which is $2 million above the fiscal year 2019 Administration’s budget request and the fiscal year 2017 appropriations. The Committee also recommended $109M for ACL’s National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR), which represents a $4 million increase over the current year. The Committee did not recommend transferring the program to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as proposed by the Administration. The report also specifies that $4 million is to be used to fund competitive assistive technology research grants that help individuals with disabilities, with a particular emphasis on seniors, maintain or improve independence.

Neither did the Committee support the Administration’s proposal to consolidate the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) into the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and, instead continues to fund the agency as an independent operating division within HHS. The Senate Committee recommends a $2 billion increase to NIH, representing a 30 percent increase since fiscal year 2016. NIH received a $29 million increase for a total of $429.4 million for the BRAIN Initiative to map the human brain. The committee also recommends $500 million to NIH for research on opioid addiction, development of opioids alternatives, pain management, and addiction treatment.

The Senate bill proposes level funding for all Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Injury Center programs, including the TBI program at $6.7 million. The committee included language that it supports the establishment of a national surveillance system to accurately determine the incidence of sports-related concussions, although it did not include funding to do so.

The bill does not provide new funding for the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In addition, several oversight provisions are included in the agreement. The bill language requires the Administration to publish ACA-related spending by category since its inception and to publish information on the number of employees, contractors, and activities involved in implementing, administering, or enforcing provisions of the ACA.

The House Labor-HHS-Ed-Appropriations Subcommittee posted its report June 26. Similar to the Senate Appropriations Committee, the House Subcommittee recommends level funding for the ACL TBI Program, $11,321,000 and for NIDILRR. Similar to the Senate, the House Subcommittee does not recommend moving NIDILRR to NIH. Overall, the CDC’s Injury Center is level-funded. As in the final FY18 final omnibus appropriations bill, the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) is funded at $23.5 million and the Subcommittee recommends a $2 million increase for the Injury Control Research Centers (ICRCs), from $9 million to $11 million. The President’s budget did not recommend funding for the ICRCs.

Senate Passes Farm Bill

The Senate passed its farm bill Thursday by a vote of 86-11, setting the stage for a conference with the House, which passed its version last week. The biggest difference between the two bills relates to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), referred to as the food stamp program. The Senate did not include work requirements for the program as the House did. The Senate bill includes no major changes to the SNAP program, but does contain minor tweaks, such as extending job training pilot programs created by the last farm bill and establishing a new pilot related to income verification.

BIAA Signs on in Support of the Disability Employment Incentive Act

The Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) has signed a letter in support of the Disability Employment Incentive Act of 2018 (DEIA), proposed by Sen. Bob Casey, Jr. (D-Pa.). The DEIA is designed to encourage employers to hire and retain employees with disabilities. It enhances three existing tax credits to support employers who hire individuals with disabilities and make workplaces more accessible to those employees: the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, Disability Access Expenditures Tax Credit, and the Architectural and Transportation Barrier Tax Credit.

Senator and Disability Groups Sponsor Briefing on Integrated Settings

Sen. Bob Casey, Jr. (D-PA), along with TASH, will hold a Congressional Briefing, “What is the Most Integrated Setting,” July 19, in keeping with June 22, 1999, anniversary of the Olmstead Decision, which was based on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), signed into law on July 26, 1990. The briefing will be held in the Capitol Visitor Center, Room #SVC 209-09. Register for the briefing here.

Congress Recesses for July Fourth Holiday

The House and Senate have recessed for the July Fourth holiday and will return the following week. As always, this is a good time to take advantage of meeting your senators and representatives while they are in their home districts. You may find them at Independence Day events, such as fairs and picnics. Click here to download materials to use in educating your members.

BIAA gratefully acknowledges the Centre for Neuro Skills and Avanir Pharmaceuticals for their support for legislative action.