Update on the Labor, HHS, and
Education Appropriations Bills (S.2810/H.R. 5006)
September 21, 2004
On September 9, the House of Representatives passed H.R.
5006, its version of the FY05 Labor, HHS, and Education Appropriations
bill. The Senate Appropriations Committee passed its version
of the bill (S.2810) on September 15. A date for consideration
of S.2810 by the full Senate has not been scheduled at this
time. There is very good chance that the Labor, HHS, and Education
Appropriations bill will be considered as part of an omnibus
bill, which would include several appropriations bills rolled
into one, and then voted on after the election. However, Congress
might instead decide to wait until after the 109 th Congress
convenes in January to consider it, or they might choose to
pass a continuing resolution that would keep FY04 funding levels
in effect for all of FY05.
The following social work related language is included
in the House Committee Report (H.Rept. 108-636) that accompanies
H.R. 5006—
Child Welfare Services and Training
The Committee provides $7,470,000 for child welfare training.
This is $59,000 more than the fiscal year 2004 level and the
same as the budget request. The Committee recognizes the need
for trained, skilled and qualified child welfare service workers.
This program provides grants to institutions of higher education
to develop and improve education and training programs and
resources for child welfare service providers as well as students
seeking degrees in social work.
The following social work related language is included
in the Senate Committee Report (S.Rept. 108-345) that accompanies
S.2810—
Health Resources and Services Administration
As emphasized in past years, the Committee strongly supports
the establishment of Centers of Excellence for Indigenous Health
and Healing at schools that serve native peoples including
American Indians, Alaska Natives and Pacific Islanders. The
incorporation of traditional medicine and healing practices
into the training of medical, nursing, social work, psychology,
pharmacy and public health students will not only advance these
disciplines but also enhance the health care services delivered
to these populations. The Committee encourages HRSA to support
these concepts in their awarding of grants wherever native
and indigenous people reside.
Health Administration Programs
The Committee provides $1,079,000 for the Health Administration
Programs. The fiscal year 2004 comparable level was $1,079,000
and the administration did not request any funds for this program
in fiscal year 2005. These programs provide grants to public
or nonprofit private educational entities, including schools
of social work, but not schools of public health, to expand
and improve graduate programs in health administration, hospital
administration, and health policy analysis and planning; and
assists educational institutions to prepare students for employment
with public or nonprofit private agencies.
NIH-Alzheimer's Disease
The Committee is pleased that NINR has stepped up its research
both on Alzheimer's patients and those who care for them. For
example, a nursing research study is now underway comparing
four interventions designed for families coping with the effects
of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders. Two home-based
and two community-based interventions are being assessed according
to the physical and psychological well-being of the caregiver
and the cognitive/behavioral functioning and well-being of
the person receiving the care. Future findings promise valuable
information for nursing, social work, and other health disciplines
about each intervention's usefulness for particular situations.
NIH-Social Work
The Committee commends the NIH Office of Behavioral and Social
Science Research for its leadership in working together with
NIH Institutes and centers, especially NCI, NIAAA, NIA NIDA,
NIMH, NICHD, and social work organizations and academics to
implement recommendations from the NIH Plan for Social Work
Research, including expanded technical assistance and outreach
and a summer 2004 training institute, and encourages continued
implementation activities including working with appropriate
social work practice , education, and research groups to host
a trans-NIH conference on social work research.
Elementary and Secondary School Counseling
The Committee recommends $36,000,000 to establish or expand
counseling programs in elementary schools. The comparable fiscal
year 2004 funding level is $33,799,000 and the President's
budget proposes to eliminate funding for this program. As authorized
by the No Child Left Behind Act, all amounts appropriated up
to $40,000,000 are used only for elementary school counseling
programs.
The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLBA) requires the Secretary
to produce a report on school counseling programs “not later
than 2 years after assistance is made available to local educational
agencies.” The Committee is disappointed that this deadline
has not been met, and it urges the Secretary to fulfill this
requirement as soon as possible. As described in the NCLBA,
the report should evaluate the counseling programs that receive
funds and contain information from LEAs regarding the ratios
of students to school counselors, school social workers, and
school psychologists. The Committee also encourages the Department
to include questions in the Schools and Staffing Survey that
would allow the collection and publication of accurate and
timely data about the ratios of students to each of the following:
school counselors, school social workers, and school psychologists.
Gallaudet University
The Committee recommendation includes funding to enable Gallaudet
University to continue to offer competitive pay increase for
faculty and staff, strengthen the training of social workers
and other clinical service providers in order to increase the
educational achievement of deaf and hard of hearing students
in the school setting, provide for expanded training and information
dissemination programs and support other program improvements.
Funds also are available, at the discretion of the university,
for the Endowment Grant program.
For additional information, please contact Ann Bradford,
senior government relations associate, at abradford@naswdc.org or
202-336-8237. |
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