Senate Appropriations Committee Advances FY 2026 LHHS Bill

On July 31, the Senate Appropriations Committee conducted a full committee markup of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) appropriations bill, approving it by a bipartisan 26–3 vote.

The markup was presided over by Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (R‑ME), with Vice Chair Patty Murray (D‑WA) delivering opening remarks emphasizing bipartisan compromise to support public health, education, defense, and social services.

The draft FY 2026 LHHS allocation includes modest increases for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), mental health, child and maternal health, rural health, and workforce training programs. Notably:

• NIH funding was increased by approximately $400 million, rejecting the Trump administration’s proposed 40 percent cut;
• Funding for Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) was only for the CDC data collection at 18.81 million (same amount as last year) and;
• Funding for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) program management arm is maintained at around $3.7 billion.

Following passage in committee, the FY 2026 LHHS appropriations bill will move to the full Senate for floor consideration, where it may be bundled with the other funding bills or included in a comprehensive government funding package. The House has not held a committee markup or released their version of the LHHS Appropriations bill. The Academy will work diligently with our champions in the House and Senate to fully fund both CDC EHDI data collection programs and HRSA EHDI grant programs.