Summary of FY24 House Appropriations Bill

July 13, 2023

On July 13, the House Labor Health and Human Services and Education (LHHS) appropriations subcommittee released its version of the FY24 LHHS appropriation bill and will mark up the legislation on July 14. The proposed funding levels included within the bill are subject to change as both chambers of Congress are expected to engage in negotiations before the expiration of the current fiscal year on September 30, 2023.

It is important to note that the subcommittee has not released the report text, therefore ASTHO cannot complete a detailed analysis. The summary below was provided by the committee. 

Outlook: This bill is considered to be the low water mark for funding, compared to what the Senate is expected to propose. The Senate has yet to formally begin its work on the FY24 appropriations bills, but we expect that to occur in the coming weeks. As a reminder, any appropriations legislation must be approved on a bipartisan basis. The funding levels included in this bill are NOT final but rather are an indication of the priorities for the majority in the House.

Given what is expected to be a contentious funding season, the likelihood of Congress approving a continuing resolution with a 1% across-the-board cut is extremely high and a government shutdown in October cannot be ruled out. The ASTHO government affairs team will continue to advocate on behalf of state and territorial public health departments, encouraging Congress to increase funding for state and territorial public health.

The subcommittee draft text and summary are available for review.

Excerpts from Subcommittee Funding Summary

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): The bill includes a total of $7.6 billion for CDC, a cut of $1.6 billion below the enacted level. 

• The bill eliminates funding for Firearm Injury and Mortality Prevention Research, a cut of $12.5 million below the enacted level.
• The bill eliminates funding for Tobacco Prevention and Control, a cut of $247 million below the enacted level.
• The bill eliminates funding for the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative, a cut of $220 million below the enacted level.
• The bill includes $100 million for Public Health Infrastructure and Capacity, a cut of $250 million below the enacted level.
• The bill includes $75 million for Public Health Data Modernization, a cut of $100 million below the enacted level.
• The bill includes $371 million for Global Health, a cut of $322 million below the enacted level.
• The bill eliminates funding for the Climate and Health program, a cut of $10 million below the enacted level.
• The bill eliminates funding for the Center for Forecasting and Analytics, a cut of $50 million below the enacted level.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): The bill funds SAMHSA at $7.1 billion, a cut of $234 million below the enacted level.  

Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA): The bill includes $7.3 billion for HRSA, a cut of more than $700 million below the enacted level. (The comparison does not include Community Project Funding included in the FY 2023 enacted bill.) 

• The bill eliminates funding for Title X Family Planning, a cut of $286 million below the enacted level.
• The bill includes $781 million for the Maternal and Child Health Block Grant, a cut of $35 million below the enacted level.
• The bill eliminates funding for Healthy Start, a cut of $145 million below the enacted level.
• The bill eliminates funding for the Ending HIV Epidemic Initiative, a cut of $220 million below the enacted level. The bill eliminates funding for multiple programs to support diversity in the healthcare workforce, including:
  • Health Careers Opportunity Program ($16 million)
  • Centers of Excellence ($28 million)
  • Nursing Workforce Diversity ($24 million)

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ): The bill eliminates funding for AHRQ, a cut of $374 million below the enacted level.

Office of the Secretary—General Departmental Management (GDM): The bill includes $344 million for GDM, a cut of $258 million below the enacted level.

• The bill eliminates funding for the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program, a cut of $108 million below the enacted level.
• The bill includes $26 million for the Office of Minority Health, a cut of $49 million below the enacted level.
• The bill includes $28 million for the Minority HIV/AIDS Initiative, a cut of $24 million below the enacted level.
• The bill includes $20 million for the Office on Women’s Health, a cut of $49 million below the enacted level.