On Tuesday, September 26, Congress released a stopgap funding bill with just three days left in the current fiscal year. The legislation, known as a Continuing Resolution (CR), would avert a government shutdown and fund the federal government at current levels through December 16, 2022. Critical to maternal and child health, the bill also includes an extension of the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting programs (MIECHV) through that date. The legislation still needs to be passed in both chambers of Congress and signed by President Biden ahead of the Friday night deadline.
While we are encouraged by the latest Congressional action to keep the government funded, AMCHP continues to urge Congress to fund the Title V Maternal & Child Health Services Block Grant (Title V) at the highest possible level in the Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23), with a robust increase to the state formula fund. Title V is the backbone of our nation’s public health infrastructure for women, infants, and children with and without special health care needs. We continue to impress upon Congress the challenges of temporary funding through a CR, and the importance of full-year funding to best serve maternal and child health populations now and into the future.
The proposed CR provides lawmakers with more time to negotiate the final FY23 appropriations levels while keeping the government open. Given the polarized political landscape, it is unclear whether Congress will complete a final FY23 spending package by the new deadline or extend the CR into the new calendar year.
We also continue to work with our partners in the National Home Visiting Coalition and on Capitol Hill to pass a full, five-year reauthorization of MIECHV, including a significant funding increase to reach more families and better support the home visiting workforce; a doubling of the tribal set-aside; and continued tele-visit flexibilities. We are encouraged by the passage of the Jackie Walorski Maternal and Child Home Visiting Reauthorization Act (H.R.8876) out of the House Ways & Means Committee on Sept. 21 and are hopeful that the bill will move to ensure the program’s authorization will not expire.
Stay up-to-date on the FY23 appropriations process and other maternal and child health policy updates by subscribing to AMCHP Legislative Alerts and Member Briefs.
To learn more about the proposed stopgap funding bill:
To learn more about the maternal and child health provisions in the FY23 appropriations process:
- House FY23 L-HHS Bill:
- Bill text;
- Bill summary; and
- Report language (see pages 54-61 for maternal and child health).
- Senate FY23 L-HHS Bill:
- Bill text;
- Bill summary; and
- Explanatory summary (see pages 59-63 for maternal and child health).
- President’s FY23 Budget Proposal:
- FY23 Budget in Brief;
- FY23 Appendix for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and
- FY23 HRSA Congressional Justification.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to our Government Affairs Team with questions: Amy Haddad (ahaddad@amchp.org) and Lauren Blachowiak (lblachowiak@amchp.org).
