House committee releases FY 2026 appropriations bill

The House Appropriations Committee released the fiscal year 2026 appropriations bill for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and related agencies. The bill provides a total discretionary allocation of $184.5 billion. It provides the Health and Human Services Department with $108 billion, which is $7 billion or 6% below the FY 2025 enacted level. The bill provides support for rural health, primary care, workforce, behavioral health and other programs. It also allocates $100 million to support the administration’s Make America Healthy Again initiative. It includes $197.693 million for the National Institute of Nursing Research, which is level funding to FY 2024 levels and aligns with the Nursing Community Coalition’s request. AONL is one of 64 members belonging to the NCC. (AHA News article, 9/2/25)