CSWE Advocacy Update - January 20, 2026

Senate Appropriations Committee Passes Fiscal Year 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Act

On Tuesday, January 20, the Senate Appropriations Committee released the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, as part of a broader mini-bus package. For issues pertaining to social work and social work education, the bill would:

• Fund $7.5 billion to the Substance and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), including:
  • $1.6 billion for the State Opioid Response Grants
  • $1.9 billion for the Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services Block Grant; and
  • $19.5 million to the Minority Fellowship Program (MFP)
• Maintain the maximum Pell award at $7,395 for the 2026-2027 school year and provide $1.2 billion for Federal Work Study and $910 million for Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants.
• In the Joint Explanatory Statement, the Senate directs the Department of Education (ED) to provide biweekly briefings to Congress on the implementation of interagency agreements (IAAs) that transfer ED’s functions to various agencies, including functions within the Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE) to the Department of Labor (DOL).

The bill still will still need to pass the Senate and additionally the House, which will then go to President Trump to sign the bill into law. A summary of what is included in the bill as it pertains to health, workforce, and education can be found here. CSWE will continue to monitor the status of this appropriations package and any developments as the bill reaches the Senate and House floor for final votes.