Overview of Education Appropriations

Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee Allocations

The Senate and the House each have an Appropriations Committee and a Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Subcommittee.  The committee must distribute funds from their assigned subcommittee number, sometimes referred to as the 302(b) allocation, to a broad group of programs falling under the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and Education.  This can mean that education programs lose out to health or labor programs depending on the priorities in a given year. In a perfect year, each of the 12 appropriations subcommittees decides on program allocations and sends a bill to the floor for debate and a vote, 12 bills and 12 votes in each chamber.