The U.S. House of Representatives voted this week to approve a fiscal year 2009 omnibus spending package for the Department of Health and Human Services and other federal agencies currently operating under a continuing resolution that expires March 6.
The appropriations package (H.R. 1105) provides $66.3 billion in discretionary funding for HHS programs, a 3 percent increase from the current level.
The HHS funding includes $171 million for Title VIII nursing workforce development programs, a 9.6 percent increase; $75 million for state health access grants; $50 million for comparative effectiveness research; $43.5 million for the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology; and $39.2 million for rural flexibility grants.
The Senate could take up the compromise package next week.