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HHS Bill flat funds HCV.........prioritizes screening, minorities
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but says:"support hepatitis screening activities.....prioritize screening programs in medically underserved and minority communities.....Viral Hepatitis Prevention Coordinator [VHPC] program.....notes the disproportionate impact of viral hepatitis among minority populations and the co-infection rate among individuals with HIV/AIDS. The Committee urges SAMHSA to work with minority AIDS grantees to incorporate hepatitis screening into programmatic activities.....Committee encourages the Division of Viral Hepatitis to expand efforts within current resources in jurisdictions not currently funded.....development of new practice knowledge on substance abuse prevention"
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DEPARTMENTS OF LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES,
AND EDUCATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATION
BILL, 2017
The Committee on Appropriations reports the bill (S. 3040) making appropriations for Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2017
https://www.congress.gov/114/crpt/srpt274/CRPT-114srpt274.pdf
Viral Hepatitis Prevention Coordinators. -The Committee recognizes the importance of the Viral Hepatitis Prevention Coordinator [VHPC] program as the only source of Federal expertise on hepatitis prevention for States. The Committee encourages the Division of Viral Hepatitis to expand efforts within current resources in jurisdictions not currently funded, including U.S. territories, to build the Federal response for all impacted areas by providing technical assistance to VHPCs for the provision of core prevention services such as screening, testing, linking to care, education, and surveillance.
Viral Hepatitis Screening.-The Committee continues to support hepatitis screening activities and encourages CDC to prioritize screening programs in medically underserved and minority communities. Point-of-care testing allows for utilization of effective and innovative screening technology in a variety of health care settings.
Liver Disease. -The Committee continues to be concerned by the morbidity and mortality of Hepatitis C-related liver disease and the development of cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer in chronically infected persons with viral hepatitis. The Committee urges NIDDK to enhance multi-Institute collaborations on liver research to understand these diseases. The Committee encourages NIDDK and NIAID to collaborate research efforts in this area.
HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C. -The Committee continues to be concerned about the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the African American community, and is aware of the concurrent high rates of co-infection with Hepatitis C as outlined by the HHS 2015 Forum on Hepatitis C in African American Communities. The Committee urges OMH to work aggressively to address opportunities to reduce the burden of HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C by exploring partnerships for screening and implementing community engagement programs.
Viral Hepatitis Screening.-The Committee applauds SAMHSA for encouraging grantees to screen for viral hepatitis, including the
use of innovative strategies like rapid testing and urges SAMHSA to continue these efforts. The Committee notes the disproportionate impact of viral hepatitis among minority populations and the co-infection rate among individuals with HIV/AIDS. The Committee urges SAMHSA to work with minority AIDS grantees to incorporate hepatitis screening into programmatic activities.
Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant
The Committee recommends $1,858,079,000 for the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant [SAPT] block grant.
The recommendation includes $79,200,000 in transfers available under section 241 of the PHS Act. The block grant provides funds to States to support alcohol and drug abuse prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation services. Funds are allocated to States according to a formula.
SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION
Appropriations, 2016 ................................... $211,219,000
Budget estimate, 2017 ........................................ 211,148,000
Committee recommendation .................................. 225,219,000
The Committee recommends $225,219,000 for the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention [CSAP], the sole Federal organization with responsibility for improving accessibility and quality of substance abuse prevention services. The Committee notes that youth drug use continues to be a major issue and that perceptions of harm are significantly waning.
Therefore, the Committee directs that all of the money appropriated explicitly for Substance Abuse Prevention purposes both in CSAP’s PRNS lines as well as the funding from the 20 percent prevention set-aside in the SAPT Block Grant be used only for bona fide substance abuse prevention activities and not for any other purpose.
Programs of Regional and National Significance
The Committee provides $225,219,000 for PRNS within CSAP. Through these programs, CSAP supports: development of new practice knowledge on substance abuse prevention; identification of proven effective models; dissemination of science-based intervention information; State and community capacity building for implementation of proven, effective substance abuse prevention programs; and programs addressing new needs in the prevention system.
Within the total provided for PRNS, the Committee recommendation includes funding for the following activities:
Combating Opioid Abuse.-The Committee provides $26,000,000 for grants to prevent opioid overdose related deaths. Part of the initiative to Combat Opioid Abuse, this program will help States equip and train first responders and other community partners with the use of devices that rapidly reverse the effects of opioids.
Of this amount, the Committee provides $8,000,000 to prevent opioid overdose-related deaths in rural areas. People in rural communities are especially vulnerable and more likely to overdose on prescription pain killers than people in urban areas, according to the CDC. The Committee encourages SAMHSA to work with HRSA in the administration of these resources to rural areas. The Committee
directs SAMHSA to ensure applicants outline how proposed activities in the grant would work with treatment and recovery communities in addition to first responders. Furthermore, the Committee provides $10,000,000 for the Strategic Prevention Frame work Rx program to increase awareness of opioid abuse and misuse in communities.
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