On Wednesday, July 10, the U.S. House Appropriations Committee passed the fiscal year 2025 (FY25) Department of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (L-HHS) bill, including a slight decrease to the Title V Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant (Title V Block Grant). The proposed funding levels in the bill indicate the House majority’s priorities and are subject to change as both chambers of Congress negotiate funding levels before the current fiscal year expires on September 30, 2024.

The bill proposes $802.852 million for the Title V Block Grant in FY25, which would be a $10.848 million decrease compared to the final fiscal year 2024 (FY24) funding level of $813.7 million and significantly lower than the $831.714 million in the President’s FY25 Budget Proposal. Compared to the FY24 funding level, the House L-HHS bill proposes a $5 million increase to the state formula fund of the Block Grant and a $15.848 million decrease to the Special Projects of Regional and National Significance (SPRANS). AMCHP continues to analyze which programs would be affected by the proposed cuts in SPRANS.

While we recognize the fiscal constraints and polarization of the current political environment, we implore lawmakers to find a solution to increase funding for the Title V Block Grant in recognition of the critical role the Block Grant plays in the health and well-being of our nation’s women, children, and families. AMCHP continues to urge Congress to fund the Title V Block Grant at $1 billion in FY25. Sustained and increased investments in the Title V Block Grant and other federal maternal and child health programs are essential to address the nation’s maternal mortality crisis and to serve the nation’s MCH populations best now and in the future.

The House L-HHS bill proposes the following funding levels for other critical MCH programs:

Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA): The bill includes $1,018,582,000 for Maternal and Child Health programs, a decrease of $151.848 million from FY24. 

• Title X Family Planning: The bill proposes to eliminate funding for Title X Family Planning 
• Healthy Start: The bill proposes to eliminate funding for Healthy Start 
• Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies: $14 million, an increase of $2 million from FY24 
• Autism and Other Developmental Disorders: $57.344 million, an increase of $1 million from FY24 
• Heritable Disorders: $21.383 million, an increase of $500,000 from FY24 to support broader implementation, education, and awareness of newborn screening and follow-up for Severe Combined Immune Deficiency and other newborn screening disorders 
• Emergency Medical Services for Children: $24.834 million, an increase of $500,000 from FY24 
• Infant-Toddler Court Teams: $20 million, an increase of $2 million from FY24 for research-based Infant-Toddler Court Teams to change child welfare practices to improve the well-being of infants, toddlers, and their families 
• State Maternal Health Innovation Grants: $55 million, level funding with FY24 
• Maternal Mental Health Hotline: $7.5 million, an increase of $500,000 from FY24

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):  

• The bill includes level funding for the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Surveillance for Emerging Threats to Mothers and Babies Network (SET-NET), and Safe Motherhood and Infant Health, which includes funding for Perinatal Quality Collaboratives and Maternal Mortality Review Committees.  

Office of the Secretary:

• Office on Women’s Health: $34.14 million, a decrease of $10 million below FY24

Despite some programs receiving modest bumps in funding, AMCHP is disappointed in this bill’s decreased funding levels for critical MCH programs and the inclusion of policy riders that threaten access to the full spectrum of reproductive healthcare, including abortion. However, the House L-HHS bill marks the beginning of the Congressional funding debate for FY25, and we look forward to continuing working with the Senate on increased funding levels for critical MCH and public health programs. Appropriations bills require bicameral and bipartisan approval, and the Senate has begun working on their FY25 appropriations bills this week. 

AMCHP’s Government Affairs Team will continue to advocate for robust MCH funding and provide additional updates on the FY25 appropriations process. We encourage you to review the following resources for more information about Title V and MCH in the FY25 appropriations process: 

House FY25 L-HHS Bill: 

• Bill text (see p. 57 for Title V Block Grant); 
• Bill majority summary;
• Bill minority summary; and
• Report language (see p. 42 for Title V Block Grant).

President’s FY25 Budget Proposal: 

• FY25 Budget Fact Sheet; 
• FY25 Appendix for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (see p. 5 for Title V Block Grant); and
• FY25 HRSA Congressional Justification (see p. 182 for Title V Block Grant). 

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to our Government Affairs Team with questions: Sherie Lou Santos (ssantos@amchp.org) and Amani Echols (aechols@amchp.org).