Background: As we reported last night and summarized again earlier today, yesterday Senate appropriators advanced their Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and related agencies (LHHS) funding proposal on a bipartisan basis in a 26-3 vote. This proposal departs from the proposal in the President’s Budget Request and does not reflect the proposed agency restructuring and reductions. 

New Information below from the National Council:  Overall, the Senate proposal includes $116.6 billion, a $446 million increase for the Department of Health and Human Services. This proposal includes $7.4 billion for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Funding for key mental health and substance use programs in the proposal includes:

• Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics: $385.5 million (+ $0.5M for integrated care technical assistance)
• Mental Health Awareness Training: $27.963 million (level funding)
• Project AWARE: $140 million (level funding)
• Primary and Behavioral Health Care Integration: $55.877 for grants and $2.991 for technical assistance (level funding)
• 988: $534 million (+ $15 million)
• State Opioid Response Grants: $1.595 billion (+$20 million)
• Substance Use Prevention, Treatment and Recovery Services Block Grant: $2.028 billion (+ $20 million)
• Community Mental Health Services Block Grant: $1.007 billion (level funding)

The funding bill will now head to the Senate floor for further action. The House will also need to introduce its LHHS funding proposal. Congressional leaders have not yet started bipartisan negotiations, and with the House out on a August recess, there is little time to finalize a spending deal ahead of Oct. 1 when the next fiscal year starts. This makes a Continuing Resolution, i.e., a stopgap funding measure, increasingly likely to continue funding and avoid a government shutdown. 

Details of the proposal can be found in the bill text, report language and summary.