The House Appropriations Committee has released the draft FY 2016 funding bill for the departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education.

The draft bill which is unlikely to change provides $31.2 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH)—$1.1 billion above the FY 2015 level and $100 million above the President’s budget request.

The bill provides $64.4 billion for the Department of Education (ED)—$2.8 billion below the FY 2015 level and $6.4 billion below the President’s budget request. Along with the decreases, many ED programs have been funded at the same FY 2015 level.

In summary, increased funding is targeted to NIH programs, IDEA special education grants to states, and Head Start as follows:

• Increased funding for the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) by $19 million over FY 2015 for a total of $1.306 billion for FY 2016

• Increased funding for the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) by $49.3 million over FY 2015 for a total of $1.489 billion for FY 2016

• Increased funding for IDEA special education grants to states by $500 million over FY 2015, increasing the federal share of special education funding to states from 16% to 17%

• Increased funding for the Head Start program providing a $192 million increase over FY 2015 for a total of $8.79 billion

• Increased funding for the Early Head Start program providing a $150 million increase over FY 2015 for a total of $650 million

Some decreases in funding for the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) and related programs are as follows:

• Research, Development and Dissemination is cut by $86.7 million leaving it with $93.1 million proposed for FY 2016.

• National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER) is cut by $18 million, leaving it with nearly $36 million proposed for FY 2016.

• Investing in Innovation Fund (i3) program has been given no funding.

Faculty are encouraged to seek funding from NIH and other relevant areas where funding has been increased such as the following:

• Head Start and Early Head Start
• Autism Research in Minority Children
• NICHD Autism Research
• Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) Program
• NIH Young Investigators
• Mental and Behavioral Health Education and Training Program
• Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR)
• National Child Traumatic Stress Network
• School Impact Grants
• National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Adolescent Behavioral and Cognitive Development (ABCD)

Head Start and Early Head Start – The Committee supports efforts to strengthen and expand Head Start and Early Head Start and is pleased to see the continuous focus on quality improvement through the increasing number of teachers with bachelor’s degrees, a reformed monitoring system, and the implementation of re-competition to the Head Start program. Given the challenges expressed by providers in the field, and the collective desire to expand access to high-quality programs immediately, the Committee notes its concern that grants may be restricted to one model design of partnerships. This practice may limit the pool of competitive applicants by discouraging diverse locally-designed models, who aim to expand the availability of high-quality infant and toddler care. The grants, whether for expansion, conversion, or partnerships, should be awarded based on how effectively the model design fits the needs of the community in question, versus adherence to a partnership model that may be inappropriate to that locality.

Autism Research in Minority Children – The Committee is concerned about recent studies showing that on average, a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is delayed by almost two years for African American and Hispanic children as compared to their Caucasian counterparts. Furthermore, minority children are much more likely to be misdiagnosed with conduct-related or adjustment disorders. The Committee directs the Secretary of HHS in carrying out the programs of the Combating Autism Reauthorization Act to expand its efforts to address the disparities faced by African American and Hispanic children.

NICHD Autism Research – The Committee commends NICHD for leading the effort to map the molecular, physiological, biological, and genetic connections between fragile X (FX), the fragile X protein, and autism. The Committee encourages NIH to explore ways to utilize FX and autism research in tandem to accelerate the pace of research toward identification of the commonality between the two conditions and the development of disease modifying treatments that will reduce health burdens.

Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) Program – The Committee recognizes the importance of enhancing the capacity of existing autism and other developmental disabilities programs and expanding the number of sites and professionals trained to diagnose, treat, and provide interventions to individuals with ASD. Within the total for Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, the Committee provides $30 million for the LEND program to allow the existing programs to maintain their current capacity and expand the number of sites and professionals trained to diagnose, treat, and provide interventions to individuals with autism spectrum disorders and related developmental disabilities. The increased funding should be used to initiate LEND programs in states that do not currently have an established program, yet have a high incidence rate of ASD, to ensure children with ASD and related developmental disabilities across the country have access to the valuable resources that LEND programs provide.

NIH Young Investigators – The Committee directs NIH to report on actions it has taken to lower the median age at which investigators receive their first R01 awards within 120 days of enactment. In addition, the NIH shall submit an accompanying plan outlining concrete steps to lower the median age at which individuals receive their first R01 award. The Committee urges NIH to convene a working group of stakeholders from academia, young researchers, industry leaders, and government officials to move forward on this goal.

Mental and Behavioral Health Education and Training Program – The Committee recommends $35 million for the Mental and Behavioral Health Education and Training Grant Program. Eligible entities for this program shall include accredited programs that train master’s level social workers, psychologists, counselors, marriage and family therapists, psychology doctoral interns, as well as behavioral health paraprofessionals.

Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) – The Committee is aware that CBPR is an applied collaborative approach that enables community residents to more actively participate in the full spectrum of research. The Committee requests NIMHD to provide an update in the fiscal year 2017 budget request on any CBPR activities its supports and the most appropriate role for CBPR within the NIMH portfolio.

National Child Traumatic Stress Network – The Committee appreciates the ongoing support of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) for the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. A recent report, Childhood Adversity Narratives, makes clear that childhood trauma is an all-encompassing and costly national public health problem contributing directly to serious mental and medical conditions. The Committee encourages SAMSHA to more broadly disseminate information regarding evidence-based interventions for the prevention and treatment of childhood trauma so more children can benefit from proven practices.

School Impact Grants – The Committee continues to support School Impact Grants to enable vulnerable children to integrate in their new schools and communities. These services are critical to help children overcome primary and secondary trauma and behavioral and emotional obstacles to learning so they can rebuild their lives.

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Adolescent Behavioral and Cognitive Development (ABCD) – The Committee applauds the Collaborative Research on Addictions at NIH initiative and the launch of the ABCD study. Unique in its scope and duration, the study will recruit 10,000 youth before they begin using alcohol, marijuana, nicotine and other drugs, and follow them over 10 years into early adulthood to assess how substance use affects the trajectory of the developing brain. The Committee commends the study design which will use advanced brain imaging as well as psychological and behavioral research tools to evaluate brain structure and function and track substance use, academic achievement, IQ, cognitive skills, and mental health over time.

For more information, please view the following links:

Press Release

Appropriations Committee Releases the Fiscal Year 2016 Labor, Health and Human Services Funding Bill

http://appropriations.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=394272

Complete Draft of the Bill

http://appropriations.house.gov/uploadedfiles/bills-114hr-sc-ap-fy2016-laborhhs-subcommitteedraft.pdf

Accompanying Report in Explanation of the Bill

http://appropriations.house.gov/uploadedfiles/hrpt-114-hr-fy2016-laborhhsed.pdf

The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) offers a new guide for using state longitudinal data systems (SLDS) for applied research. The guide highlights the opportunities and constraints researchers may encounter in using SLDS and offers approaches to addressing some common problems. Checklists are provided to assist potential users through seven steps in considering and using SLDS data.

Download A Guide to Using State Longitudinal Data for Applied Research from the IES website.