Fiscal Year 2021 Appropriations

House Appropriations Subcommittees met this week for Fiscal Year 2021 (FY 21) bill markups. The House Labor, Health, and Human Services (LHHS) subcommittee is expected to allocate a $2 million funding increase to CDC Division of STD Prevention for STD programming. The full LHHS committee is scheduled to meet Monday, July 13 at 1:00 pm ET. Report language with more details will be released next week.

COVID Stimulus IV

Senate Republicans are drafting a fourth COVID-19 stimulus package totaling about $1 trillion. This differs from the $3 trillion stimulus bill previously passed in the House. Senate Republicans and Democrats disagree on what should be in the package. Republicans want liability protections for businesses open during the pandemic, while Democrats want $1 trillion in aid for local and state governments, additional unemployment benefits, and another round of individual stimulus checks. There is also disagreement on how much aid should go to schools reopening. With bipartisan talks yet to begin, NCSD will provide updates as the package moves forward.

Public Health Emergency

Vice President Pence and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Azar strongly indicated to governors that the Trump administration will extend the coronavirus public health emergency before it expires on July 25. The emergency was first issued in January, shortly after the coronavirus emerged in China and it was renewed again in late April. Public health emergencies must be renewed by HHS every 90 days.