Legislative and Policy Updates

Your source for up-to-date, accurate policy information on public health and human service programs
APHSA Policy Initiative Statements and Proposals
Recommendations for Congress


Current Hill Activity

August Recess Legislative update

APHSA Letter to Congressional Leaders on Additional SNAP Funding Cuts

APHSA’s Support for Extenders Bill
APHSA has issued a letter to Congress summarizing its strong support for the so-called extenders bill, H.R. 4213. The bill passed the House on May 28 and is now awaiting action in the Senate. The current Senate version would extend the enhanced FMAP payments enacted in the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, benefiting state Medicaid and child welfare programs, and would extend the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Emergency Contingency Fund. The letter is posted here.

Anticipated Activity on the Hill

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Reauthorization
The National Association of State TANF Administrators' (NASTA) TANF reauthorization recommendations were released on January 19, 2010, and are posted here.

Child Support Enforcement and Healthy Fatherhood Initiatives

Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Reauthorization


Current Administrative Activity

Medicaid and Health Care Reform

The National Association of State Medicaid Directors, an APHSA affiliate, has developed a detailed side-by-side chart of the health care reform legislation’s provisions. The chart is posted on the NASMD web site at www.nasmd.org/home/doc/SummaryPatProtAct.pdf.

NASMD has also provided a general overview of the major elements of health care reform legislation and an implementation timeline, posted at www.aphsa.org/Home/Doc/hr_issues_state_govt.pdf.

President Obama's Fiscal Year 2011 Budget Proposal

On February 1, 2010, President Obama released the Administration’s FY 2011 budget proposal. APHSA’s detailed summary of the budget is posted here.

OMB Federal/State Partnerships

APHSA has submitted a comment letter on the Office of Management and Budget’s proposed federal-state partnership funding, available at www.aphsa.org/Home/Doc/Letter_OMB_fed-state_partnership.pdf.

Additional details on the partnership are posted on OMB’s site at www.whitehouse.gov/open/partner4solutions.