Getting off to a healthystart

National Healthy Start Association Newsletter

Fall 2007

View from the Hill

Appropriations Update

Both the U.S. House and Senate have passed their respective versions of the funding bill for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which includes the Healthy Start program. The House version of the bill includes $120 million for Healthy Start, a substantial 18% increase over last year’s level. However, the Senate version of this funding bill contains “level funding” for Healthy Start, meaning it is funded at the same level as last year: $101 million. The House and Senate will have a “conference committee” in order to iron out the differences between the two versions of the bill and determine the final funding level. It is the National Healthy Start Association’s goal that the final version of the bill contain an amount as close to the House’s $120 million as possible.

In addition to the dollar amount, the appropriations bills also contain “report language” that provides the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) with guidance on how to operate the Healthy Start program. The Senate bill contains report language stating, “…the Committee urges HRSA to give preference to current and former grantees with expiring or recently expired project periods.” This language is very important as it ensures that funding will not be pulled away from an existing project to start a new project in another area.

The National Healthy Start Association will continue to follow the appropriations process and work with Congressional supporters to ensure that Healthy Start receives the support and funding it deserves.

Authorization Update

Bills have been introduced in both the House and Senate to reauthorize Healthy Start. In the Senate, the Healthy Start bill number is S. 1760 and was introduced by Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Senator Richard Burr (R-NC). In the House, the bill number is HR 3267 and was introduced by Congressman Ed Towns (D-NY) and Congressman Fred Upton (R-MI).

Now that the bills have been introduced, the National Healthy Start Association will begin seeking other Representatives and Senators to cosponsor the legislation. The more cosponsors on a bill, the better chance that the bill will make it through Congress and eventually be signed into law. If you have not yet done so, please ask your two Senators to cosponsor S. 1760 and your House Member(s) to cosponsor HR 3267. Your help is needed to round up cosponsors if we want to succeed in getting these bills signed into law. The National Healthy Start Association’s government relations consultant, Jon Terry, is happy to help you with contacting your relevant Hill offices and making the request. If you have any questions or would like additional information, feel free to contact Jon at jonterry@triangle2.org.

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