On June 30, the House Appropriations Committee approved the fiscal year 2023 (FY23) Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS) appropriations bill by a vote of 32-24. The $242.1 billion spending bill is an increase of $28.5 billion (13 percent) above the fiscal year 2022 (FY22) enacted funding level. The legislation includes $10.5 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an increase of $2 billion (24 percent) above the FY22 enacted funding level and $231 million below the President’s FY23 budget request.

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The bill contains a substantial funding boost for the CDC’s Section 317 Immunization Program. The legislation appropriates just under $826 million to the program, an increase of about $175 million (27 percent) over the FY22 enacted funding level. In addition to the robust funding increase, the bill report includes the following language relevant to the 317 program:

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• Cost Estimates.—The Committee urges that the report on estimated funding needs of the Section 317 Immunization Program be updated and submitted not later than February 1, 2023. The updated report should include an estimate of optimum State and local operations funding, as well as a discussion of the role of the 317 Program, as coverage for vaccination under public and private resources continues to evolve. It should also include specific information on the estimated cost to fully address evidence-based public health strategies that could be funded through CDC to improve coverage for human papillomavirus (HPV) and influenza. (pg. 71)

• Immunization Program.—The Committee includes an increase of $175,000,000 to enhance immunization efforts, including increasing awardee base awards with a focus on expanding and sustaining critical immunization program infrastructure. (pg. 71)

• Immunization Rates.—The Committee is concerned about the marked decline in routine vaccines as a result of the pandemic. The Committee encourages CDC to continue surveillance and laboratory efforts, and to promote HPV vaccination in support of the Administration’s Cancer Moonshot Initiative. In addition, the Committee requests information in the fiscal year 2024 Congressional Budget Justification on how the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) can support both routine and emergency reviews in real time to ensure timely access to immunizations. Furthermore, the Committee recognizes that office-based physicians are trusted sources of health care information and delivery, and encourages CDC to consider their role in vaccination efforts. (pg. 71)

• Improving Immunization Information System Infrastructure and Data.—The Committee encourages CDC to work toward all Immunization Information Systems (IIS) adopting and adhering to national standards to support the capture of data for all vaccinations administered across the life course, and have secure bi-directional information sharing capabilities both inter- and intra-State and with other IIS, health information exchanges, health data systems and entities, including data repositories to achieve interoperability levels needed to capture vaccine administration data. (pg. 71)

• Influenza Planning and Response.—The Committee includes an increase of $40,000,000 to enhance CDC’s influenza activities, including expanding vaccine effectiveness monitoring and evaluation, and increasing influenza vaccine acceptance by removing barriers to vaccination and promoting vaccination coverage. (pg. 71)

• Influenza Vaccine.—The Committee encourages CDC to consider including vaccines produced through recombinant DNA technology in addition to traditionally-produced vaccines in future solicitations to facilitate the competitive process for all vaccine manufacturers. (pg. 71)

 

Other notable investments in the nation’s immunization capacity and infrastructure include:

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• $750 million, an increase of $550 million above the FY22 enacted level, for public health infrastructure and capacity nationwide.

• $250 million, an increase of $150 million above the FY22 enacted level, to modernize public health data surveillance and analytics at CDC and State and local health departments.

• $106 million, an increase of $45 million above the FY22 enacted level, in public health workforce initiatives.

• $100 million, an increase of $92 million above the FY22 enacted level, for social determinants of health.

• level funding for the Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant Program at $160 million.

• $943 million for the Prevention and Public Health Fund.

 

The text of the FY23 House Labor-HHS bill can be found here, and the bill report can be found here.