On Wednesday of this week, the House Labor, HHS, Education Appropriations Subcommittee marked up the FY 2007 appropriations bill for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and Education. The full committee will take up the bill next week on Monday, June 12, and to the House Floor on Wednesday, June 21.

Total funding for discretionary programs in the bill is $141.9 billion. That is an increase of $842 million over the amount for FY 2006 and $4.14 billion over the President’s budget request. For the Department of Health and Human Services, the bill provides $63.7 billion for discretionary programs, a reduction of $278.3 million from 2006 and an increase of $1.92 billion over the President’s request.

The bill provides $7.16 billion for the Health Resources and Services Administration. That is an increase of $526 million over 2006 and $778.8 million over the budget request. The largest increases over last year are $205.7 million for community health centers and $284.9 million for health care-related facilities. This latter amount is to fund earmarked projects.

Ryan White HIV/AIDS programs are funded at $2.1 billion an increase of $70 million above the 2006 level and a decrease of $25 million from the budget request.

The bill includes $313.26 million for health professions programs, an increase of $18.38 million over last year.

Unfortunately, the line item that funds Public Health Training Centers, preventive medicine and dental programs was not funded, as proposed by the President. Last year’s level was $7.92 million. This effectively eliminates the Public Health Training Centers in FY 2007.

For the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the bill includes total funding of $6.17 billion. That is an increase of $74.38 million over the President’s budget, but it is a reduction of $192.75 million from the 2006 level.

The bill includes $1.841 billion for infectious diseases activities, including $706.3 million for HIV/AIDS and $614.6 million for immunization.

The immunization number is an increase over last year of $94.7 million. For health promotion, the amount is $964.5 million, an increase of $1 million over 2006 and $35.26 million over the budget request.

Included in health promotion is $846.74 million for chronic disease prevention which includes the following amounts: $53 million (+$8.5 million over 2006) for heart disease and stroke; $69 million ($5.8 million over 2006) for diabetes; $29.7 million (same as 2006) for prevention research centers; $307.5 million for cancer prevention and control ($377,000 below 2006); and $41.5 million for nutrition, physical activity and obesity.

For the Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant, the bill provides $100 million, an increase of $1 million over last year; the President’s budget had proposed to eliminate the program.

The bill provides $139.4 million for environmental health, which is $10.5 million below last year and $1.656 million less than the budget request. NIOSH is funded at $251 million, which is $4.3 million below last year and $806,000 over the budget request.

Global health activities are provided $312 million, which is $1.25 million below the 2006 level and $69.1 million below the President’s request. The reduction from the request is the result of not including $69.3 million for pandemic influenza. Funding for this has been provided in supplemental bills for FY 2006 instead.

The bill provides $1.6 billion for terrorism preparedness and response; an increase of $27.7 million over last year and a decrease of $52.2 million below the budget request. Included in the terrorism line item is $30.7 million for the Centers for Public Health Preparedness, the same as 2006.

The bill includes appropriations of $28.25 billion for the National Institutes of Health. That is $99.3 million below the FY 2006 level and $100 million below the President’s request. After making certain adjustments for global HIV/AIDS transfers and evaluation set-a-side funding, the actual program level for NIH is essentially equal to 2006 and the President’s budget request. Deviations from the budget request occur only in the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the National Center for Research Resources. A reduction of $100 million from the request was made for the transfer to the global AIDS fund. In addition, a reduction in NIAID of $25 million was made for construction of extramural facilities; these funds were provided instead to the National Center for Research Resources to be used for a broader competition.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality is funded at $318.7 million, the same as last year and the President’s request.