House committee passes HHS appropriations bill for FY 2025 

The House Appropriations Committee July 10 voted 31-25 to approve legislation that would provide $185.8 billion in funding for the departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education in fiscal year 2025, an 11% cut below the prior fiscal year. 

According to a committee report, the bill would provide $107 billion for HHS, 7% less than the FY 2024 enacted level. Specific funding levels above/below FY 2024 include:

• $48.6 billion for the National Institutes of Health, level funding from FY 2024.  
• $185 million for the Hospital Preparedness Program, a $120 million cut.   
• $7.4 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a cut of $1.8 billion including level funding for public health workforce initiatives.
•  $7.6 billion for the Health Resources and Services Administration, a cut of $1.5 billion including a cut of $18 million for nursing workforce development. 
• $609 million for the Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant, $5 million more than the previous fiscal year. 

The Children’s Hospitals Graduate Medical Education program would receive $395 million in funding ($5 million increase) and rural health would receive $401 million ($36 million increase) including increases for rural hospitals.

The bill would also prohibit any funding from being used to implement or enforce the final rule issued by the Administration relating to minimum staffing levels for long-term care facilities.

The full House may consider the bill in August.