My Profile e-Learning Center my.ASTHO Contact Us
  1. Home
  2. Policy & Advocacy
  3. Federal Government Affairs
  4. Legislative Alerts
  5. 2025
  6. Summary of FY26 Senate Appropriations Bill

Summary of FY26 Senate Appropriations Bill

August 01, 2025

On July 31, by a bipartisan vote of 26-3, the Senate Labor Health and Human Services and Education (LHHS) Appropriations Committee released its version of the FY26 LHHS appropriations bill. The proposed funding levels included in the bill are subject to change as both chambers of Congress are expected to engage in negotiations before the expiration of the current fiscal year on September 30.

The committee released the legislative text and report language of the bill. ASTHO's Government Affairs team will conduct a detailed analysis in the coming days as these documents get updated. We expect the Senate LHHS bill to represent a high watermark for funding.

It is important to note that this bill rejects the Administration's FY26 budget proposal to restructure, eliminate, or consolidate many public health programs. The Senate legislation helps "support state and local health departments by sustaining critical programs across the CDC, including funding for chronic diseases, the Office of Smoking and Health, injury prevention programs (including firearm injury and mortality research), global health programs, and immunization and infectious disease prevention programs."

It also includes a new section: "Section 238 requires the Secretary to submit a detailed plan and justification to the Committees on Appropriations prior to initiating a reorganization or transfer of functions carried out by CDC. Additionally, the Committee notes the number of political appointees at CDC has increased significantly and further notes the importance of maintaining staff with the technical expertise to support the agency’s mission to protect the health, safety, and security of the American people."

There is also language on the Payment Management System (PMS). Specifically, “the Committee notes with concern reports of payment delays and disruptions from the PMS, which can cause significant challenges and inefficiencies for states and local organizations administering Federal programs. Within 30 days of enactment of this act, the Committee directs HHS to brief the Committees on the status of the PMS and any technical improvements that HHS has made to improve payees ability to use the PMS to access funds in a timely manner. The Committee further directs HHS to immediately notify the Committees of any PMS outages or technical problems exceeding 48 hours, and any payment delays or disruptions in the PMS distribution of funds exceeding 14 days for individual payees, including any delays resulting from Executive Order 14158 or Executive Order 14222."

Outlook

The House is currently in recess, and there are active discussions in the Senate around when Senators will recess for the month of August. Both the House and the Senate are expected to resume negotiations on FY26 funding after the House LHHS bill is marked up by the subcommittee on September 4, followed by a full committee markup on September 9.

ASTHO’s Government Affairs team will continue to advocate for state and territorial public health departments, encouraging Congress to sustain funding for state and territorial health priorities.

The full committee summary is available for review.

Top Line Public Health Funding Summary

The bill includes a total of $9.1 billion for CDC, an approximate $70 million decrease below the FY24 enacted level. Specifically:

  • $350 million, or level funding for public health infrastructure and capacity.
  • $160 million, a decrease of $15 million, for data modernization.
  • $735 million, or level funding, for public health emergency preparedness cooperative agreement.
  • $160 million, or level funding, for the Preventive Health and Health Services block grant.
  • $309 million, an increase of $4 million, for Health Care Readiness and Recovery (formerly the Hospital Preparedness Program).

Excerpts from the Committee Summary 

Health and Human Services Preparedness

The bill provides $3.6 billion for the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response. This includes:

  • $1 billion for the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority.
  • $825 million for Project BioShield.
  • $79 million for the National Disaster Medical System.

Rural Health

  • $373.9 million for the Health Resources and Services Administration’s rural health programs.
  • $5 million for CDC’s Office of Rural Health.

Combatting the Opioid Epidemic

The bill includes:

  • $1.6 billion for State Opioid Response Grants.
  • $1.9 billion for the Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services Block Grant.
  • $145 million for the Rural Communities Opioid Response program to support efforts to combat the opioid epidemic and other substance use disorders.

Funding provided in the bill will also support strengthening the workforce, especially in rural communities, and expanding research for critical needs, such as funding alternative pain medications.

Mental Health

The bill includes more than $5.5 billion for mental health research, treatment, and prevention. This includes:

  • $534.6 million for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s suicide prevention Lifeline, 9-8-8.
  • $385.5 million for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics.
  • $2.2 billion for the National Institute of Mental Health.
  • $1 billion for the Mental Health Block Grant.
  • $180 million for school-based mental health grants at the Department of Education.