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Category: Appropriations

Appropriations Process Kicks Into Gear

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With six more bills scheduled for at least subcommittee action this week, the annual appropriations process for FY2022 has kicked into gear. This week’s activities follow those that took place the last week of June.  This means that all 12 spending bills will have moved through at least the subcommittee process by the end of this week.

The following pieces of legislation are scheduled for subcommittee action this week:

On Tuesday, the full Appropriations Committee is scheduled to take up the Defense and Homeland Security bills.  The committee is currently scheduled to mark up the E&W and THUD bills on Friday.

The following bills have already cleared the full committee:

The Legislative Branch and Financial Services bills are still awaiting full committee action.

We will provide details as they become available.

Bipartisan ARPA-H Legislation Introduced

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US Representatives DeGette (D-CO) and Upton (R-MI) released yesterday bipartisan legislation which would create the new Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health outlined in President Biden’s FY22 budget request. Titled the Cures 2.0 Act, the legislation would provide more than $6.5 billion for US research efforts on health issues such as cancer and Alzheimer’s, as well as improve Medicare coverage, patient access to health information, caregiver training, and diversity in clinical trials.

Draft text is available here.

 

NSF Reauthorization Introduced in House

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The House Science, Space, and Technology has introduced legislation to reauthorize the NSF. The legislation is sponsored by committee Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) and Ranking Member Frank Lucas (R-OK) along with Subcommittee on Research and Technology Chairwoman Haley Stevens (D-MI) and Ranking Member Michael Waltz (R-FL). It was introduced as the National Science Foundation for the Future Act. The bipartisan legislation increases overall agency funding by $2 billion, addresses key challenges for data access and accountability, security concerns, and creates a new Directorate for Science and Engineering Solutions.

A summary is available here.

American Rescue Plan Act Summary

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Yesterday President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 into law.  The total package is expansive and includes numerous provisions such as funding for vaccines, testing and tracing, school reopening, SNAP, housing programs, substance abuse services, and expanding the child tax credit among other relief measures. It also includes stimulus checks, supplemental unemployment insurance and support for businesses. The legislation totals about $1.9 trillion.

Some relevant provisions for higher ed include:

  • $600 million to National Science Foundation (NSF) to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.
  • $500 million for emergency grants for rural healthcare.
  • $150 million to National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.
  • $135 million to the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).
  • $100 million to the Institute of Education Sciences (IES).
  • Nearly $40 billion to the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund.
  • Extends the expiration of the payroll tax credit through September 30, 2021 and allows public universities to claim the credit.
  • Extends the employee retention tax credit through December 31, 2021.
  • Establishes a new fiscal recovery fund for state and local governments, with $195.3 billion dedicated for states and Washington, DC and $20 billion for tribal governments.
  • Creates a Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund administered by the Department of Treasury to carry out capital projects enabling work, education, and health monitoring in response to the pandemic.
  • $50 billion to replenish the FEMA disaster fund to assist state and local governments with National Guard deployment, vaccination, PPE, and disinfecting public spaces.
  • Makes student loan forgiveness tax-free through 2025.

Bill text is available and you can read more about specific provisions here.

 

UW Publishes 2021 Federal Agenda

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The University of Washington has published our 2021 Federal Agenda outlining our top priorities for the coming year. Our agenda reflects a commitment to service, excellence, and innovation, taking into account the unique challenges of the past year.

We are proud of our longstanding partnership with the federal government and look forward to further collaboration in 2021.