The Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies will accept project requests in the following accounts:

• Labor - Employment and Training Administration—Training and Employment Services
• HHS - Health Resources and Services Administration—Program Management
• HHS - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration—Health Surveillance and Program Support
• HHS - Administration for Children and Families—Children and Families Services Programs
• HHS - Administration for Community Living—Aging and Disability Services Programs
• Education - Innovation and Improvement
• Education - Higher Education

Full guidance from the Subcommittee is available here. 

The Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee previously received requests for community project funding to construct or renovate buildings. Health facilities are the only types of construction projects eligible for community project funding in the Labor-HHS-Education bill.

Department of Labor - Employment and Training Administration

Click here to download the project request form for the Labor - Employment and Training Administration account

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act demonstration program is the only Labor Department program that supports community project funding. Community project funding is designated under Training and Employment Services.

These projects must meet all statutorily mandated requirements, except that they are exempt from the requirement to compete. In addition, all projects must:

1. Include direct services to individuals to enhance employment opportunities;
2. Demonstrate evidence of a linkage with the State or local workforce investment system; and
3. Include an evaluation component.

Equipment purchases may be included within community project funding only as an incidental part of the entire project. A similar standard applies to curriculum development, which should be incidental to the project’s emphasis on direct services to individuals.

Community project funding cannot be used for construction or renovation of facilities.

Note: House project amounts in this account were funded between $100,000 and $2,000,000 in FY 2022. The Committee may consider slightly higher project amounts for FY 2023. Any caps will be determined by the Chair after reviewing the full universe of requests.

HHS - Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) —Program Management

Click here to download the project request form for the HHS - HRSA account

Health Facilities Construction and Equipment—grants to help with the cost of construction, renovation, or capital equipment for facilities for provision of health, mental health, or substance abuse services, training of health professionals, or medical research. Examples of eligible facilities include hospitals; health centers and clinics; skilled nursing facilities; mental health centers; facilities for schools of medicine, nursing or other health professions; and medical research laboratories. 

In addition to construction and renovation, grants can be used to acquire capital equipment, such as lab equipment or x-ray machines. Equipment-only grants—that is, grants not involving construction—are permissible (and commonly done). Generally, any equipment having a useful life of more than one year and a unit cost of at least $5,000 will be eligible as capital equipment. In addition, equipment with lower costs may also be eligible, provided that it is treated as an item of capital expense under the recipient institution’s pre-existing, written accounting policies. Equipment expenses for health information systems and electronic medical records systems are permitted expenditures. The costs of expendable supplies such as pharmaceuticals, lab chemicals, or office paper are not eligible.

HRSA Health Facilities grants cannot be used to acquire land or purchase existing buildings, or to pay salaries or other operating costs. They cannot be used to pay for work previously completed. Grants can be used for architectural and engineering costs associated with an eligible construction project, but cannot be used for general feasibility studies.

Note: House project amounts in this account were funded between $100,000 and $2,000,000 (or up to $4,000,000 for projects jointly submitted by multiple Members) in FY 2022. Note that the Committee may consider slightly higher project amounts for FY 2023. Any caps will be determined by the Chair after reviewing the full universe of requests.

HHS - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

Click here to download the project request form for the HHS - SAMHSA account

Community project funding through SAMHSA provides resources for substance use and/or mental health services — including prevention, harm reduction, treatment, or recovery support services. Community project funding within SAMHSA should be submitted through the Health Surveillance and Program Support account. 

Generally, SAMHSA projects cover:

• Evidence-based substance use disorder and/or mental health treatment services. • Evidence-based harm reduction activities.
• Crisis services, including 24-hour mobile crisis teams.
• Suicide prevention activities including awareness training, screening, referral to treatment, as well as postvention activities.
• Recovery support services, which includes case management, outreach, peer recovery mentors, peer support specialists, childcare, training, transportation, and housing, as well as helping individuals to navigate these various services.
• Screening and assessment of individuals, including the presence of co-occurring mental and substance use disorders and referral to treatment.
• Referral and access to treatment services.
• Educational materials on substance misuse, HIV prevention, hepatitis prevention, and mental health promotion.
• Practitioners or community members training on evidence-based behavioral health practices.
• FDA-approved medications for the treatment of opioid use disorders in combination with comprehensive psychosocial services, including counseling, behavioral therapies, recovery support services, and other clinically appropriate services.
• Projects that support the hiring of behavioral health providers.
• Limited indirect costs that are directly related to the projects. 

Note: This is not an exhaustive list of the types of programs and services that SAMHSA funds. A listing of SAMHSA NOFO’s can be found at: https://www.samhsa.gov/grants/grantannouncements-2022.

SAMHSA project funds cannot be used for:

• Inpatient treatment or hospital-based detoxification services.
• Direct payments to individuals to enter treatment or continue to participate in prevention or treatment services.
• Meals and food.
• Research projects (e.g., scientific, academic, clinical trials, studies, development of research technology).
• Construction (other than a limited amount of renovation necessary to carry out a funded project)

More information on allowable or unallowable costs can be found on the HHS Webpage at: https://www.hhs.gov/grants/grants/index.html. 

Note: House project amounts in this account were funded between $100,000 and $2,000,000 in FY 2022. The Committee may consider slightly higher project amounts for FY 2023. Any caps will be determined by the Chair after reviewing the full universe of requests.

HHS - Administration for Children and Families (ACF)—Children and Families Services Programs

Click here to download the project request form for the HHS - ACF account

Community project funding within ACF should be submitted through the Children and Families Services Programs account and must fall under one of the following categories:

• Child Abuse Prevention — Community project funding may be used for projects to improve the prevention, assessment, identification, and treatment of child abuse and neglect through research, model service improvement, information dissemination, and technical assistance. Projects must serve or target children and families who are at risk or who have experienced child abuse and neglect.
• Social Services Research and Demonstration — Community project funding may be used for projects to promote the ability of families to thrive through financial self-sufficiency in order to prevent and reduce poverty and to promote the healthy development and greater well-being of children and families. Projects can serve a diverse population including: low-income individuals, children, youth, families, individuals with developmental disabilities, and Native Americans. 

ACF community project funding cannot be used for construction or renovation of facilities.

Note: The House LHHS bill did not include projects in this account in FY 2022. The Committee expects to consider project amounts in this account between $100,000 and $2,000,000 for FY 2023. Any caps will be determined by the Chair after reviewing the full universe of requests.

HHS - Administration for Administration for Community Living (ACL)—Aging and Disability Services Programs

Click here to download the project request form for the HHS - ACL account

Community project funding within ACL should be submitted through the Aging and Disability Services Programs account.

Community project funding may be used for projects to improve or create new opportunities for older adults, individuals of all ages with disabilities, and their eligible family caregivers, to live independently and participate fully in their communities.

Generally, community project funding should focus on improving access to, or the quality of, education, health services, training, support services, and independent living services for older adults, individuals with disabilities, and eligible family caregivers. ACL community project funding cannot be used for construction or renovation of facilities. 

Note: The House LHHS bill did not include projects in this account in FY 2022. The Committee expects to consider project amounts in this account between $100,000 and $2,000,000 for FY 2023. Any caps will be determined by the Chair after reviewing the full universe of requests.

Department of Education—Innovation and Improvement

Click here to download the project request form for the Education - Innovation & Improvement account

The Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee previously received requests for community project funding to construct or renovate buildings. Health facilities are the only types of construction projects eligible for community project funding in the Labor-HHS-Education bill.

To ensure adequate flexibility in carrying out projects, descriptions should not refer to specific years or school years given the potential for delays in the obligation and implementation of awards.

Elementary and Secondary Education - Innovation and Improvement. 

Community project funding for elementary and secondary education should be submitted through the Innovation and Improvement account. Elementary and secondary education community project funding includes instructional services, afterschool centers, curricula development, teacher training, acquisition of books and computers, arts education, social and emotional learning activities, full-service community schools, and early childhood education. In general, the focus of elementary and secondary education community project funding should be providing early childhood or K-12 educational services.

Community project funding to provide and improve special education services at the elementary and secondary levels are also eligible under elementary and secondary education. Community project funding may include early intervention services for infants and toddlers, transition services, and postsecondary education services.

Eligible grantees are state education agencies, school districts, colleges and universities, and other public and private nonprofit entities. Generally, community project funding intended for individual schools is provided to the applicable school district and not directly to the individual school. Community project funding cannot be used for construction or renovation of school buildings, except in the case of minor remodeling required as part of technology upgrades. Daycare and childcare projects that do not include educational services are also not eligible.

Limitations on Education-Related Community Project Funding

• Except where specifically authorized, community project funding cannot be used for construction (or the acquisition of property) or renovation of buildings. 
• Grantees may not restrict participants based on race, ethnicity, or gender. Any project that appears to target services toward a particular race, ethnicity, or gender must have a description that makes clear that it will be operated in a race/ethnicity-neutral and gender-neutral manner. 

Note: House project amounts in this account were funded between $100,000 and $2,000,000 in FY 2022. The Committee may consider slightly higher project amounts for FY 2023. Any caps will be determined by the Chair after reviewing the full universe of requests.

Department of Education—Higher Education

Click here to download the project request form for the Education - Higher Education account

The Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee previously received requests for community project funding to construct or renovate buildings. Health facilities are the only types of construction projects eligible for community project funding the Labor-HHS-Education bill.

To ensure adequate flexibility in carrying out projects, descriptions should not refer to specific years or school years given the potential for delays in the obligation and implementation of awards.

Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE).

Community project funding can be designated under this heading for a wide variety of higher education projects. Generally, community project funding should focus on improving access to, or the quality of, postsecondary education. Community project funding cannot be used for construction or renovation of academic buildings, except in the case of minor remodeling required as part of technology upgrades. 

Examples of the types of projects that can be funded under FIPSE include projects to hire and train faculty, establish and improve degree programs, improve teacher preparation programs, develop and improve curricula, upgrade technology and telecommunications, acquire science laboratory equipment, provide student support, implement university partnerships with school districts, and establish research and training centers.

Grantees are usually colleges and universities, but may include other public and private nonprofit organizations.

Note: House project amounts in this account were funded between $100,000 and $2,000,000 in FY 2022. The Committee may consider slightly higher project amounts for FY 2023. Any caps will be determined by the Chair after reviewing the full universe of requests. 

Limitations on Education-Related Community Project Funding

• Except where specifically authorized, community project funding cannot be used for construction (or the acquisition of property) or renovation of buildings. 
• Grantees may not restrict participants based on race, ethnicity, or gender. Any project that appears to target services toward a particular race, ethnicity, or gender must have a description that makes clear that it will be operated in a race/ethnicity-neutral and gender-neutral manner.