Policy Corner: July 1, 2022
Categories: Policy Corner Archives
House Appropriations Committee Recommends Increased Funding for TBI Programs
This week, the House Appropriations Committee released its recommendations for increased funding for traumatic brain injury (TBI) programs in the fiscal year (FY) 2023 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (LHHS-Ed) appropriations bill. Specifically, the Committee is recommending $4 million for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Concussion Surveillance System and $1,297,000 additional funding for the Administration for Community Living (ACL) Federal TBI State Partnership Program for a total of $13,118,000. The Committee is also recommending $117,470,000 for the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) program, which is $1 million above the fiscal year 2022 (current year) enacted level.
In addition to the recommended funding for the National Concussion Surveillance System, bringing the total Injury Center’s funding for the TBI program to $11.25 million, the Committee recommended funding for these injury and violence prevention programs:
- $37.7 million for Domestic Violence and Sexual Violence, an increase of $3 million;
- $9.5 million for Domestic Violence Community Projects, an increase of $4 million;
- $4.05 million for Elderly Falls, an increase of $2 million;
- $12.5 million for Injury Control Research Centers, an increase of $3.5 million; and
- $515.6 million for Opioid Overdose Prevention & Surveillance, an increase of $25.1 million.
House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee’s Hearing Includes Trauma Care Legislation
On Wednesday, June 29, the House Energy & Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on public health legislation that included H.R. 8163 to improve trauma care. On June 21, Rep. Tom O’Halleran (D-Ariz) introduced the “Trauma Systems and Emergency Care Act” to provide resources and funding to improve rural and underserved trauma centers and emergency services. The legislation:
- Reauthorizes and improves critical trauma readiness programs;
- Improves coordination between emergency medical services and trauma care centers during the time of a public health or other emergency;
- Funds a grant program to support emergency medical services and trauma care at rural trauma care centers; and
- Assists rural trauma centers to develop innovative uses of technology, training and education, and patient transportation.
H.R. 8163 is the House companion bill to S. 3566, introduced by Sens. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kans.). S. 3566 was included in the Senate’s PREVENT Pandemics Act.
The June 29th hearing, “Investing in Public Health: Legislation to Support Patients, Workers, and Research,” included testimony on 11 public health bills. Also heard by the Subcommittee was ‘‘Rural Telehealth Access Task Force Act,’’ H.R. 8169, introduced by Rep. Greg Pence (R-Ind.), and H.R. 8151, ‘‘Building a Sustainable Workforce for Healthy Communities Act,’’ introduced by Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.). H.R. 8169 addresses barriers to the adoption of telehealth technology and access to broadband internet access service in rural areas.
The purpose H.R. 8151 is to support community health workers and community health. H.R. 8151 authorizes funding for grants to promote healthy behaviors and outcomes for populations in medically underserved communities through the use of community health workers, including by addressing ongoing and longer-term community health needs, and by building the capacity of the community health worker workforce. In addition, H.R. 8151 calls for addressing social determinants of health and eliminating health disparities, by promoting awareness of services and resources to increase access to health care, child services, technology, housing services, educational services, nutrition services, employment services, and other services.
House Passes the ARPA-H Act
On June 22, the House of Representatives passed the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) Act, H.R. 5585. The bill authorizes the creation of ARPA-H, the new biomedical research agency, a priority of President Biden. The legislation allocates $500 million to fund the research program from 2023 to 2027, and creates an independent health agency focused on accelerating transformative breakthroughs to find cures and treat the deadliest diseases, such as pancreatic cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, ALS, and glioblastoma. It is modeled after the innovative Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which developed technology, such as the internet, GPS navigation, and mRNA vaccines. H.R. 5585 is sponsored by House Health Subcommittee Chairwoman Anna G. Eshoo (D-Calif.).
Congress Recesses for July 4th
The House of Representatives and the Senate are to recess today for the fourth of July recess. Members are expected to return to Washington, D.C. July 8. While they are in their home districts is often a good time to talk to members, whether you are able to visit them in their in-district offices or at a fourth of July parade and other events. Please feel free to take advantage of policy materials posted on the BIAA website.