Public Policy News – February 2020
CSWE ADVOCACY AND OUTREACH
CSWE Endorses EWA Comments on Raise Family Advisory Council
WHITE HOUSE AND FEDERAL AGENCY NEWS
President's Budget Request Proposes Significant Cuts
HHS Announces Trans-Agency Efforts to Improve Maternal Health in America
ED Continues Regulatory Efforts
HRSA Announces Rural Communities Opioid Response Implementation Grants
MEMBER RESOURCES
Voting Education Toolkit
CSWE ADVOCACY AND OUTREACH
CSWE Endorses EWA Comments on Raise Family Advisory Council
CSWE endorsed the Eldercare Workforce Alliance’s (EWA’s) recommendations to enhance support for family caregivers and support for programs of importance to CSWE members, including reauthorization of and increases in funding for the Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program and the Geriatrics Academic Career Awards. EWA drafted the letter in response to a request for information on the Raise Family Caregiving Council issued by the Administration for Community Living.
WHITE HOUSE AND FEDERAL AGENCY NEWS
President's Budget Request Proposes Significant Cuts
On February 10 President Trump released his fourth budget proposal to Congress. The fiscal year (FY) 2021 budget request reflects the political priorities of the Trump Administration and kicks off the congressional appropriations process. Congress is expected to continue the trend of rejecting most of the proposed budget cuts. As in previous years, the budget request proposes drastic reductions to many of the nondefense federal agencies of interest to the research, education, and health-care communities. CSWE will monitor the appropriations process and advocate for accessibility, affordability, and quality in higher education.
The following are highlights from the president's budget request:
- Numerous programs are proposed for elimination at the U.S. Department of Education, such as the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need, and the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.
- The budget request proposes funding NIH at $38.7 billion, a cut of $3 billion (7.2%) compared to the FY 2020 enacted level.
- The budget request would allocate $50 million to support the development of medication-assisted and other types of treatment to reduce the use of methamphetamine and other stimulants.
- The proposal would eliminate most funding for Title VII health professions programs and Title VIII nursing workforce development programs at the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
- Although the budget request would support funding for the Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training program and the Graduate Psychology Education program at HRSA, it would eliminate programs that support training across health professions, including geriatrics, oral health, and nursing, as well as programs that provide scholarship opportunities for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds.
HHS Announces Trans-Agency Efforts to Improve Maternal Health in America
The National Center for Health and Statistics recently released Maternal Mortality Reports for 2018, which shows the maternal mortality rate is 17.4 per 100,000 live births in the United States, varying largely among certain racial groups. The Trump Administration’s fiscal year (FY) 2021 budget proposal provides $116 million for the Improving Maternal Health in America initiative across the agencies below:
- At the National Institute for Research on Safety and Quality, currently known as the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the budget proposes $7 million to improve service data and advance data evaluation.
- At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the budget proposes $24 million to expand Maternal Mortality Review Committees in all 50 states to ensure cases of pregnancy-related death are examined.
- At the Health Resources and Services Administration, the budget proposes $80 million to improve quality of maternal health-care services, expand access to care, and reduce disparities in care.
- At the Indian Health Service, the budget proposes $5 million to help improve health outcomes by standardizing care, increasing cultural awareness, and improving care for pregnant women.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) also recently released a request for information inviting comments and suggestions for a proposed research initiative to decrease maternal mortality. NIH proposes a two-pronged research approach using community-based participatory research efforts to evaluate and implement effective maternal mortality interventions and tools and using research opportunities to address risk factors and identify biomarkers of poor outcomes for women during pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum. NIH will use these responses to tailor the proposed research plan. The NIH will hold a Pregnancy and Maternal Conditions That Increase Risk of Morbidity and Mortality Workshop on May 19, 2020.
ED Continues Regulatory Efforts
The U.S. Department of Education’s (ED’s) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) will launch the Outreach, Prevention, Education and Non-discrimination (OPEN) Center to focus on compliance with federal civil rights laws. In a January 21 press release announcing the Center, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kenneth Marcus noted, "instead of waiting for violations to occur before responding, OCR will get in front of the problem, partnering with educators and other institutions to better protect students."
ED also announced a proposed rule regarding the eligibility of faith-based entities to participate in ED grant programs and compliance with the First Amendment for all institutions of higher education. The proposed rule is in part a follow-up to two executive orders issued by President Trump. One established the White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative and the other, "Improving Free Inquiry, Transparency, and Accountability at Colleges and Universities," seeks to ensure compliance with the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution as a material condition for receiving research and education grants. The proposed rule states, "The Department will determine that a public institution has not complied with the First Amendment only if there is a final, non-default judgment by a State or Federal court that the public institution or an employee of the public institution, acting in his or her official capacity, violated the First Amendment." ED's efforts regarding free speech and religious liberty are not likely to significantly affect institutions but may indicate an increased attention to these issues from the ED.
HRSA Announces Rural Communities Opioid Response Implementation Grants
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) released a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP)-Implementation, a multiyear initiative aimed at reducing the morbidity and mortality of substance use disorder in high-risk rural communities. HRSA expects to award about 89 grants to rural communities. According to the NOFO, the funding opportunity “will advance RCORP’s overall goal by strengthening and expanding substance use disorder/opioid use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery services to enhance rural residents’ ability to access treatment and move towards recovery.” Eligible applicants include domestic nonprofit or for-profit entities. The closing date for applications is April 24, 2020.
MEMBER RESOURCES
Voting Education Toolkit
The National Social Work Voter Mobilization Campaign has gathered resources, tools, and training materials in a new Field Education Voter Mobilization Toolkit. The Council on Social Work Education is a part of the larger Voting is Social Work Initiative, which emphasizes that nonpartisan voter engagement is legal, ethical, professional, and central to social work values and mission.