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TG's Legislative Report
November 30, 2004
House-Senate Conference Committee Approves FY 2005 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Conference Report as Part of FY05 Omnibus Appropriations Conference Report
The following is from a press release published by the Senate Appropriations Committee majority staff concerning the FY05 Omnibus Appropriations bill (HR 4818), which included funding for the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education programs for the current fiscal year.
The bill has not been sent to the president for his signature because the House did not vote to pass the bill before the Thanksgiving recess. The bill will be passed when the Congress reconvenes on December 6th.
Figures listed below are subject to a .8 percent across-the-board reduction.
A House-Senate Conference Committee has approved the fiscal year 2005 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Conference Report. Text of the conference report and the accompanying statement of managers will soon be available on thomas.loc.gov.
Highlights of the bill are below:
Total: $143.307 billion
Labor Programs
Dislocated Workers — The conference report provides $1.479 billion, an increase of $25 million over the FY04 enacted level, and $96.3 million over the Administration's request. States use these funds for rapid response assistance to help workers affected by mass layoffs and plant closures.
Community College Initiative — The conference report provides $250 million for a new community college initiative. Funds used for this initiative should strengthen partnerships between workforce investment boards, community colleges, and employers, to train workers for high growth, high demand industries.
Job Training — The conference report contains $5.362 billion for this nation's job training programs, an increase of $216 million over the FY04 enacted level. The bill includes: $898 million for adult job training, $76.9 million for the migrant and seasonal farm worker program, $994 million for youth training, and $70 million for ex-offender programs.
Job Corps — The conference report increases Job Corps by $18.6 million for a total of $1.560 billion.
Child Labor — The conference report includes $94 million for the International Labor Affairs Bureau, to continue international child labor protection activities.
Worker Protection Programs — The conference report includes $281.5 million for mine safety, $468.1 million for OSHA, and $251.9 million for the National Labor Relations Board, $404.3 million for employment standards, and $132.3 million for employee benefits security, for a total increase of $53.2 million over last year.
HHS Programs
Community Health Centers — The conference report provides $1.748 billion, which is $131 million over last year. These centers provide critical health care services to underserved and uninsured people throughout America.
Pediatric Graduate Medical Education — $303 million, the same as the President's request.
Health Professions — The conference report includes $454 million for Health Professions programs, which restores many of these programs which were eliminated in the President's budget and is $18 million over last year.
National Institutes of Health — The conference report includes $28.6 billion, an increase of $800 million over the FY04 appropriation and $80 million over the President's budget request.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — The conference report includes an increase of $336 million over the budget request, for a total of $4.8 billion.
Pandemic Flu — The conference report includes $100 million in funding to ensure that an adequate supply of vaccine would be available in the event of a severe flu outbreak.
Global AIDS — The conference report includes $633 million for global HIV/AIDS activities. Within this total, $100 million is included for the Global Fund for HIV/AIDS/TB, which is the same as the budget request and $49 million below last year. In addition, $125 million is included in CDC for global HIV/AIDS/TB activities.
Family Planning — $288 million, an increase of $10 million over the budget request and $10 million over FY04.
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) — The conference report includes $2.2 billion for LIHEAP, $311.2 million more than last year and $200 million more than the budget request. Of the funds provided $300 million was included for an emergency fund.
Ryan White AIDS Programs — $2.080 billion for the Ryan White AIDS programs, $35 million more than last year's budget.
Family Caregivers — The conference report includes $157 million for family caregivers, an increase of $4.3 million above last year.
Head Start — $6.899 billion for Head Start, an increase of $124 million over last year.
Abstinence Education Programs — $131 million, an increase of $30.3 million over the FY04 appropriation.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services — The conference report provides $3.4 billion, an increase of $67.7 million over last year. SAMHSA is responsible for supporting mental health programs and alcohol and other drug abuse prevention and treatment services throughout the country.
Education Programs
No Child Left Behind — $25.5 billion to help implement the No Child Left Behind Act, an increase of $7.2 billion, or 41.2 percent, since the Act was passed by the Congress in December 2001.
Title I Grants to Local Educations Agencies (LEAs) — $12.842 billion, an increase of $500 million, or 4 percent, over the FY04 bill. At the level included in the conference report, Title I grant funds are up 46.6 percent since the Act was passed in 2001.
Reading Programs — $1.2 billion for programs that are designed to ensure all children are reading by the end of 3rd grade, and for a new $25 million program to help teenagers struggling to read. Total funding is $62 million over last year.
Teacher Quality State Grants — $2.940 billion, an increase of $10 million over last year. This program supports state and local efforts to ensure that "highly qualified" teachers are available to help all children succeed academically.
Rural Education — $172 million, an increase of $4.2 million for additional assistance for rural school districts.
Special Education Grants to States — $10.7 billion, an increase of $607 million, or 6 percent, over the FY04 level. Since FY96, increasing appropriations have raised the Federal contribution from 7.3 percent to 18.7 percent in FY04. The FY05 conference report represents a Federal contribution of just over 19 percent.
Pell Grants — $12.5 billion, an increase of $458 million, or 3.8 percent, over FY04 to support the Pell Grants program. Funding supports a maximum grant of $4,050, the same as last year.
SEOG — $785 million, an increase of 1.9 percent over FY04.
Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnerships — $66.2 million, no increase over FY04.
College Work-Study — $998.24 million, a decrease of 1.2 percent from FY04.
Perkins Loan Program — 0 funding, a decrease of $96 million.
TRIO Programs — At $843.3 million, TRIO, has been increased by $10.7 million over last year.
GEAR UP — The conference report provides $309 million, an increase of $10.7 million over FY04.
Strengthening Institutions of Higher Learning-The conference report includes $511.9 million for strengthening institutions of higher education, an increase of $26.8 million over last year.
Additional information can be accessed at www.appropriations.senate.gov/releases/labor-h-chart-final.pdf.
TG Congressional and Legislative Relations
(512) 219-4503
P.O. Box 83100
Round Rock, TX 78683-3100
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