On Tuesday, June 10, 2014, the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (LHHS) Appropriations Subcommittee passed the fiscal year (FY) 2015 funding bill out of committee along party lines. Typically, the Subcommittee’s passage of the LHHS funding bill is followed shortly thereafter by the full Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on the bill. While the full committee hearing had been expected to take place on June 12, 2014, the hearing was indefinitely postponed. The rationale behind the postponed hearing is unknown, though rumors indicate controversial amendments related to Affordable Care Act funding may have been a cause.

The text of the Senate LHHS Subcommittee bill has not been made public, but is known to include level funding for the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative (TPPI) at $101 million and a $1.7 million decrease in TPPI evaluation funds. The funding level for the Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH) remains unknown, but the center in which DASH resides at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) received flat funding to its current level. Unfortunately, the $3 million requested in Public Health Services Act (PHSA) evaluation transfer authority to evaluate school-based HIV prevention programs within DASH was not authorized.

Additionally, in keeping with both the President’s FY 2015 budget request and past budgets under the leadership of Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA), the Senate LHHS Subcommittee funding bill would end discretionary funding for abstinence-only-until-marriage (AOUM) programs such as those funded through the Competitive Abstinence Education (CAE) grant program.

Having to operate within a funding level for the total LHHS bill that is essentially level to FY 2014 total funding, the Senate FY 2015 LHHS Subcommittee funding bill falls well-short of the needed investments to improve the sexual health and well-being of young people, particularly in light of the recent release of 2013 student-reported sexual health behaviors. SIECUS is disappointed at the lack of funding levels comparable to the President’s FY 2015 budget request, let alone the federal Sex Ed Coalition’s funding requests for increased investment. A table of these requests and recent funding levels is provided below.

Further updates and information will be provided as or if the LHHS bill advances in the Senate. There is currently no anticipated FY 2015 LHHS funding activity in the House. For more information or questions, please contact Jesse Boyer at jboyer@siecus.orgor 202-265-2405 x331.

Federal Funding Table(in millions)

 *In FY2012, CDC received authorization to establish a Working Capital Fund (WCF) in FY 2014. The WCF provides administrative and business services support to CDC programs. The FY 2011 funding level does not include additional WCF funding; DASH amounts specified for FY 2012 – FY 2015 include the WCF.