President’s FY 2015 Budget Continues Investment in Adolescent Sexual Health Promotion Programs
On March 4, 2014, President Obama released a budget demonstrating the administration’s support for federal adolescent sexual health and education programs. The president’s budget requests increased funding for the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative (TPPI), funding for the programmatic portion of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH), and calls for additional dedicated evaluation funding for DASH. In addition, the budget specifically calls for a five-year reauthorization of the Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) at the continued funding level of $75 million per year. SIECUS appreciates the administration’s efforts to secure additional resources for TPPI, DASH evaluation, and the continuation of PREP.
For the first time since fiscal year (FY) 2010, the president’s budget is free of funding for abstinence-only-until-marriage (AOUM) programs through the elimination of funding for the Competitive Abstinence Education (CAE) grant program and not seeking the reauthorization of the Title V AOUM program.
Additional FY 2015 funding information is provided below. Further details, specifically the program funding level for DASH, are expected to be released next Tuesday, March 11th.
The president’s FY 2015 budget includes:
PREP: Five-year reauthorization, FY 2015 – FY 2019, at $75 million per year.
TPPI: $105 million ($4 million increase over FY 2014 final).
TPPI Evaluation: $6.8 million for Public Health Services Act (PHSA) evaluation funding allocation ($1.7 million decrease from FY 2014 final).
DASH: Program funding level unknown until March 11th, however, the budget allocates $3 million of PHSA evaluation funds for the evaluation of HIV school health activities.
CAE: Elimination of discretionary funding for the program.
Title V AOUM Program: No future funding allocation beyond current authorization set to expire September 30, 2014.
While largely symbolic in that Congress determines the budget and appropriations of federal funding, the President’s Budget provides a critical touchstone as deliberations over FY 2015 appropriations progress in Congress. SIECUS applauds the administration’s commitment to improving the sexual health and well-being of young people and looks forward to working with Congress to continue these investments.
For questions or more information, please contact Jesseca Boyer at [email protected] or 202-265-2405.
