Conferees Approve FY 2006 Labor, HHS, Education Spending Bill

Bill Highlights:
FY 2005 Funding Level: $143.463 billion

FY 2006 President's Request: $141.919 billion

FY 2006 Senate Approved: $145.693 billion

FY 2006 Conference Agreement: $142.514 billion



Labor Programs



Dislocated Workers - The Conference report recommends $1.476 billion,
the same amount as the FY 2005 enacted level, and $132.5 million over
the Administration's request. States may use these funds for rapid
response assistance to help workers affected by mass layoffs and plant
closures.



Community College Initiative - The Conference report includes $125
million for the community college initiative, which is equal to the
House-passed bill.



Job Training - The Conference report contains $5.115 billion for this
nation's job training programs. The bill includes: $865.7 million for
adult job training, $80.6 million for the migrant and seasonal farm
worker program, $950 million for youth training, and $69.4 million for
ex-offender programs.



Job Corps - The Conference report increases Job Corps by $21.1 million
for a total of $1.573 billion.



Child Labor - The Conference report includes $73.2 million for the
International Labor Affairs Bureau.



Worker Protection Programs - The bill includes $280.5 million for mine
safety, $477.2 million for OSHA, and $252.3 million for the National
Labor Relations Board, $415.2 million for employment standards, and
$134.9 million for employee benefits security, for a total increase of
$35 million over last year.



HHS Programs



Community Health Centers -- $1.8 billion, which is $66 million over last
year. These centers provide critical health care services to
underserved and uninsured people throughout America.



Pediatric Graduate Medical Education -- $300 million, an increase of
$100 million over the President's request.



Health Professions - The bill includes $248.6 million for Health
Professions programs, an increase of $88 million over the President's
request.



National Institutes of Health - The Conference report includes $28.617
billion, an increase of $253 million over the FY 2005 appropriation and
$107.7 million over the President's budget request.



Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Buildings and Facilities -
The Conference report includes $130 million over the budget request, for
a total of $160 million.



Pandemic Flu - The bill includes $120 million, an increase of $20.8
million over last year, to ensure that an adequate supply of vaccine
would be available in the event of a sever flu outbreak.



Global AIDS - The bill includes $100 million for the Global Fund for
HIV/AIDS/TB. In addition, $123 million is included in CDC for global
HIV/AIDS/TB activities.



Family Planning - $286 million, the same amount as the President's
budget.



Low Income Home Energy Assistance Programs (LIHEAP) - The Conference
report includes $2.183 billion for LIHEAP, $183 million more than the
budget request.



Ryan White AIDS Programs - $2.083 billion for the Ryan White AIDS
programs, $10 million more than last year's budget.



Family Caregivers - The Conference report includes $164 million for
family caregivers, an increase of $2 million above last year.



Head Start - $6.854 billion for Head Start.



Community Services Block Grant - The Conference report restores the
$636.8 million for the Community Services Block Grant. This program was
proposed for elimination in the President's budget.



Abstinence Education Programs - $114.5 million, an increase of $10.8
million over the FY 2005 appropriation.



Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services - The bill provides $3.359
billion, an increase of $23.1 million more than the budget request.
SAMHSA is responsible for supporting mental health programs and alcohol
and other drug abuse prevention and treatment services throughout the
country.



Health Information Technology - The bill provides $61.7 million, an
increase of $40.4 million over the FY 2005 level.



Embryo Adoption - The bill provides $2 million for an embryo adoption
awareness campaign, an increase of $1 million over the FY2005 level.



Education Programs



Title I Grants to Local Educations Agencies (LEAs) - $12.840 billion, an
increase of $100 million over the FY 2005 bill, for the key federal
program supporting the No Child Left Behind Act. At this proposed
level, funding will have increased by 46.6% since the Act was passed.



Reading Programs - $1.146 billion for programs that are designed to
ensure all children are reading by the end of 3rd grade, and a $30
million program to help improve the literacy skills of teenagers
struggling to read. Total funding for reading programs is $5.2 million
more than last year.



Teacher Quality State Grants - $2.916 billion to supports state and
local efforts to ensure that "highly qualified" teachers are available
to help all children succeed academically.



Teacher Incentive Fund -- $100 million for a new initiative to develop
and implement innovative performance-based compensation systems for
teachers and principals who raise student academic achievement.



English Language Acquisition - $675.8 million to help improve academic
achievement of limited English proficient students and to develop the
capacity of school districts to enable such students to learn English.



Advanced Placement - $32.5 million, an increase of $2.7 million over FY
2005 to expose low-income students to more challenging curriculum.



Math and Science Partnerships -- $184 million, an increase of $5.4
million, to improve math and science achievement of students.



Rural Education - $170.6 million for additional assistance for rural
school districts, the same as the FY'05 level.



Foreign Language Assistance -- $22 million, an increase of $4.1 million
over the FY05 funding level, to help schools initiate or expand foreign
language instruction.



Ready to Learn -- $24.5 million, an increase of $1.2 million, to improve
literacy and school readiness of children through programming and
community-based local outreach.



Special Education Grants to States - $10.690 billion, an increase of
$100 million over the FY 2005 level.



Pell Grants - $13.177 billion, an increase of $812 million over FY 2005,
to support the Pell Grants program. Funding supports a maximum grant of
$4,050, the same as last year. Pell grants provide need-based grant aid
to help more than 5 million low- and middle-income undergraduate
students and their families pay the costs of postsecondary education and
vocational training. The Conference report also includes an additional
$4.3 billion to pay off the estimated shortfall in the program.



TRIO -TRIO funding has been maintained at the FY 2005 level of $836.5
million.



The Senate bill also restores funding to some of the education programs
eliminated in the President's budget, including:



Perkins Career and Technical Education - $1.309 billion to support local
career and technical education programs.



GEAR UP - The bill provides $306.5 million to support low-income
elementary and secondary students as they prepare for and pursue a
postsecondary education.



National Writing Project - The bill provides $21.8 million, an increase
of $1.4 million over last year.



Arts in Education - The bill provides $35.6 million, the same amount as
last year.



Civic Education - The bill provides $29.4 million, the same amount as
last year.



Related Agencies:



Corporation for Public Broadcasting - $400 million for public
broadcasting in FY 2008, in addition to $30 million included for the
conversion of public broadcasting to the digital format. Also included
is $35 million for the replacement project of the interconnection
system.



Social Security Administration (SSA) - $9.199 billion, an increase of
$474.5 million over the fiscal year 2005 level for administrative
expenses.



Additionally, the bill provides no Member-specific projects and does not
include emergency funding for avian flu.