On August 23, the Senate passed (by 85-7) an $856.9 billion appropriations bill (H.R. 6157) to fund the Department of Defense and the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (“Labor-HHS”) for FY 2019, which begins on October 1, 2018. The bill would increase spending for opioid-related activities by $3.51 billion and increase funding for the National Institutes of Health by $5 billion. A number of amendments were adopted, including amendments to provide funds to improve obstetric care for women in rural areas; establish a National Neurological Conditions Surveillance System; address neonatal abstinence syndrome; train mental health professionals to provide school-based mental health services; and prevent child abuse. The House has not yet taken up its Labor-HHS appropriations bill, and is not expected to do so before the beginning of the fiscal year. Therefore, it is likely that funding (at current levels) will be provided for these departments and others in a “continuing resolution” that lasts through November or December.
Encourage confidence to act