Policy Corner: July 28, 2023
Categories: Policy Corner Archives
Senate Appropriations Committee Approves Funding Bill for Labor-HHS-Education
Yesterday, the Senate Appropriations Committee voted 26-2 to approve legislation that would provide $224.4 billion for fiscal year 2024 for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), and Education, which is 7% below this fiscal year. Following the work of the Committee, Senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Chair, and Susan Collins (R-Maine), Vice Chair, issued a statement that it has concluded its work to successfully mark up all twelve appropriations bills for the first time in five years.
Most details about the Labor-HHS-Education bill are not yet available. The Senate Committee recommended level funding for the Administration for Community Living’s (ACL) TBI programs ($13.1 million), which funds the State grant and Protection & Advocacy (P&A) programs, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) TBI program ($8.25 million), as has the House Appropriations Committee. However, the House Appropriations Committee proposes to cut all funding for CDC’s youth violence prevention and gun violence prevention research.
The Senate Committee’s bill summary highlights include $47.8 billion or $943 million more for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including more than $125 million more for mental health research. The Committee also recommended a $175 million increase for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) State grant program that funds special education.
The Disability & Rehabilitation Research Coalition (DRRC), of which the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) is a member of the Steering Committee, sent a letter earlier this week to Senators Murray and Collins expressing serious concerns with the House of Representative’s proposed FY 2024 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (L-HHS) appropriations bill, which proposed $14 billion in cuts and eliminations of HHS programs. DRRC urges full funding for research and disability programs. The House is proposing to cut or eliminate:
- Reduced funding for the Administration for Community Living (ACL) by $6.4 million;
- $3.8 billion in cuts for NIH;
- $1 billion in cuts for Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H);
- Reduced funding for CDC by $1.6 billion with nearly half of the National Center for Chronic disease Prevention and Health Promotion budget to be cut ($1.43 billion to $797.5 million);
- Reduced funding to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) by $700 million; and
- Eliminating the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
While Senate appropriators agreed to write their bills based on the spending levels set in last debt limit suspension law, the House proposing additional cuts in federal funding. The House adjourned yesterday for the 6-week August recess after passing only one of its first fiscal year 2024 spending bills, which was for veterans’ benefits and military construction projects. When the House returns, the lawmakers will only have 12 working days to pass bills to fund federal government beginning October 1, unless other accommodations are made. It has been reported that House leadership is preliminarily planning to prioritize the Agriculture, Defense, Energy-Water and State-Foreign Operations appropriations bills when the chamber returns, while the House Appropriations Committee plan to finish the markups for the Labor-HHS-Education and Commerce-Justice-Science bills.
Senator Introduces New ABLE Legislation to Expand Access
On July 26, Senator Bob Casey (D-Pa.) introduced new legislation to expand access to the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) program. The proposed ABLE MATCH (Making ABLE a Tool to Combat Hardship) Act removes some of the financial barriers for low-income Americans with disabilities when enrolling in the ABLE programs. The ABLE program allows people with disabilities to save more than the $2,000 asset limit without jeopardizing federal programs. It was created in 2014 for individuals whose disability occurred prior to age 26 and was expanded last year to expand the age to 46.
However, currently many people with lower incomes are discouraged from opening ABLE accounts because they do not have sufficient funds. The ABLE MATCH Act helps people with lower incomes participate in the ABLE program by creating a federal dollar-for-dollar match for new and existing ABLE accounts held by individuals that make $28,000 annually or less. The match then tapers off for each dollar a person earns over $28,000. This figure is also indexed to inflation and adjusted for heads of household and married couples. The ABLE MATCH Act will reward low-income people with disabilities for saving money for their disability expenses and health needs. This addition to ABLE program will help boost enrollment and improve the financial health of people with disabilities with lower incomes.
Senators Send Letter to CMS on Nursing Home Inspection Delays
Yesterday, Senator Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Aging; Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee; and Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding concerns that state staffing shortages have led to nursing home inspection delays across the country with 28 percent of the Nation’s 15,000 nursing homes having not received a comprehensive annual inspection for 16 months. The senators urged CMS to take immediate steps to strengthen the nursing home oversight system.
This letter is a follow up to an investigation that was conducted at Senator Casey’s request and the release of the report, “Uninspected and Neglected,” that found 32 state survey agencies have vacancy rates of 20 percent or higher that has contributed to these delays. The senators asked for the agency’s plan to rectify this situation.
Administration Celebrates the 33rd Anniversary of the ADA
In honor of the 33rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26th, President Biden issued a proclamation noting the achievements that has taken place over the years and his commitment to improve opportunities and accessibility for individuals with disabilities. Vice President Kamala Harris hosted a roundtable with disability rights leaders to discuss transportation accessibility. The group discussed how transformative the ADA has been and what steps need to be taken, specifically in the transportation space, to achieve equity for people with disabilities.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is proposing first-ever rules to ensure that websites and mobile apps are accessible to people with disabilities in keeping with Title II of the ADA and will soon be publishing the proposed rules for public input in the Federal Register. The regulations are designed to improve accessibility of web and mobile applications run by state and local governments and other public entities. DOJ timed the announcement to coincide with the anniversary of the ADA.
Congress Adjourns for August Recess
After this week, both the House of Representatives and the Senate are on recess for six weeks. The Senate is expected to return on Sept. 5, while the House is not expected to return until Sept. 12. The current fiscal year ends Sept. 30, leaving lawmakers not much time to pass appropriation bills and reauthorizing many programs that are set to expire at the end of the fiscal year when they return. As members are in their home districts, your representative and senators may participate in state and county fairs, parades, and other local community activities. This is always a good time to let them know your concerns regarding brain injury. Feel free to access materials on the BIAA website which may help in advocating for your interests.