Yesterday, in the first of many steps for an appropriations bill to become law, the Senate Labor, Health & Human Services, Education Appropriations Subcommittee approved its Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 funding bill by a party line vote of 10 to 7. The full Senate Appropriations Committee is scheduled to vote on the bill this Thursday.

The bill includes:

• a $100 million increase from FY 2012 funding levels for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) part B grants to states. 
• a $100 million increase from FY 2012 funding levels for Title I grants to help low-income students.
• $600 million in total funding for Race to the Top, a $51 million increase, with a significant portion of the funds used for Early Learning Challenge Grants.
• $80 million, a $20 million increase, for Promise Neighborhoods, which supports cradle-to-career services.
• a $70 million increase for Head Start as compared to FY 2012 funding levels.

Every Republican member of the subcommittee objected to the bill, opposing funding the Affordable Care Act, which was included in the Department of Health & Human Services budget.

Chairman Harkin (IA), and Senators Inouye (HI), Kohl (WI), Murray (WA), Landrieu (LA), Durbin (IL), Reed (RI), Pryor (AR), Mikulski (MD) and Sherrod Brown (OH) voted for the bill.

Ranking Member Shelby (AL), and Senators Cochran (MS), Hutchinson (TX), Alexander (TN), R. Johnson (WI), Graham and Moran opposed the bill. Senator Kirk (IL) did not vote.

The House Labor, Health & Human Services, Education Appropriations Subcommittee is expected to mark up its FY 2013 bill on Wednesday, June 20.

NAESP continues to closely monitor several priorities in the legislation, and will provide updates as the appropriations process moves forward in the Senate and House.

-Emily Rohlffs