Issue: Labor HHS Education Appropriations

Impact:

Some of the grant programs included in the Health and Human Services (HHS) appropriations can be used to support state courts efforts.

Position:

State courts advocate full funding for those programs that will assist in dealing with the effects of federal initiatives on state courts.

Summary:

 The appropriations bills for HHS include funding to for the child support enforcement program, child welfare services, and programs related to substance abuse and mental health services.

Status:

 FY 2008 funding for the Labor-HHS-Education programs was included in the catch-all omnibus appropriations bill signed by the President on 12/26/07. Appropriations for most child and family services programs were pegged at the 2007 funding levels, but the across-the-board cut of 1.747% resulted in funding below FY 07 spending. For example, the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) programs were cut by a total of $1.746 million. Funds for the Promoting Safe and Stable Families (PSSF) program were cut by $25.789 million. With the mandatory funds held at $345 million, the cut to the PSSF discretionary funds left the FY08 total at $408.311 million compared with $434.1 million in FY07. The Basic CIP program is a $10 million dollar set aside within the PSSF mandatory funds. The Basic CIP program also receives 3.3% of any PSSF discretionary funds.

The Senate Appropriations Committee approved the Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill (S 3230) for fiscal year 2008 on 6/26/08 by a vote of 26-3. In general, funding levels remain at the FY 2007 level (S. Rpt. 110-410). It is unclear when and if S 3230 will be scheduled for Senate floor debate.
On 6/19/08, the House Appropriations Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee approved its version of the FY 2008 by a voice vote. Like the Senate bill, funding levels remain generally at the FY 2007 level. The House Appropriations Committee began a mark-up of the Subcommittee’s recommendation on 7/26/08, but the mark-up was suspended after a partisan dispute related to when the Interior Appropriations bill would be scheduled for a vote. Angered by what he called a “political stunt”, House Appropriations Chairman David R. Obey (D-WI) halted the appropriations process for individual bills and moved to a continuing resolution (HR 2638). This continuing resolution expires on 3/6/09. The President signed HR 2638 on 9/30/08 making it Public Law 110-329.