A Voice from the Eastern Door
A Voice from the Eastern Door
The House Appropriations Full Committee passed an Interior bill that includes $8.56 billion for IHS and $99.99 million for Urban Indian Health.
On July 9, 2024, the House Appropriations Full Committee passed the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 appropriations bill for Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, which was previously approved by the House Subcommittee on June 28, 2024. The bill authorizes $8.56 billion for the Indian Health Service (HIS) – an increase of $1.6 billion from FY24 and $361.64 million above the President’s request. The bill also provides $99.99 million for Urban Indian Health, which is $9.5 million above the FY24 enacted amount and $5 million above the President’s budget request. The Committee report included language that affirmed the trust responsibility for all Native people including those who reside in urban areas.
Other key provisions include that advance appropriations for IHS were maintained for FY26 and received an increase to $5.98 billion from $5.19 billion in FY25. include: $8 million for generators at IHS/Tribal Health Programs/Urban Indian Organizations (UIOs), $7 million, a $4 million increase, for the Produce Prescription Pilot Program for Tribes and UIOs to increase access to produce and other traditional foods, as well as $44.43 million, a $10 million increase, for Tribal Epidemiology Centers (TECs).
NCUIH recently worked closely with Representatives Gallego and Grijalva on leading a Congressional letter signed by 52 House members to the House Committee on Appropriations for FY 2025. The letter has bipartisan support and calls for support for Urban Indian Health based on the TBFWG’s recommendation and to maintain advance appropriations for IHS until such time that authorizers move IHS to mandatory spending. NCUIH also joined the National Indian Health Board, National Congress of American Indians, and 25 other organizations on a letter urging Congressional Appropriations leaders to transition Contract Support Cost and 105(l) leases to mandatory appropriations.
The House is scheduled to vote on the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies spending bill the week of July 22. The legislation is not expected to become law in its current form. House leadership will need to work with Senate Leadership to negotiate a final bill text for passage in both chambers. The Senate Appropriations Committee is tentatively scheduled to mark up the Senate Interior bill the week of July 22.
FY24 funding is set to end on September 30, 2024. If Congress cannot come to a funding agreement by that deadline, they will need to pass a Continuing Resolution to keep the funding levels at the FY24 level until they can reach an agreement. Should political disagreements lead to a government shutdown, UIOs and parts of IHS will be protected by Advance Appropriations.
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