FY 2022 Funding

Congress Resolves FY 2022 Funding

By PVA National Staff

 

President Biden has signed a $1.5 trillion omnibus spending bill that provides a substantial increase in VA funding for fiscal year (FY) 2022. The bill provides VA with $112.6 billion in discretionary spending and $157 billion in mandatory spending. Also, it provides advanced appropriations for FY 2023, including $111.3 billion for veterans medical care and $161 billion for veterans benefits. Specific provisions in the bill provide:

  • $97.5 billion for VA medical care including:
  • $13.2 billion for mental health;
  • $2.2 billion for veteran homelessness prevention;
  • $1.4 billion for the caregivers program;
  • $840 million for women’s health; and
  • $327 million for rural health.
  • $5.5 billion for information technology systems;
  • $3.5 billion for Veterans Benefits Administration operating expenses and claims processors;
  • $2.2 billion for VA infrastructure;
  • $882 million for medical and prosthetics research, including in areas such as toxic exposures, traumatic brain injury, and precision oncology;
  • $239 million for VA’s Office of Inspector General to conduct ongoing oversight and investigations of waste, fraud, and abuse; and
  • $125 million for the Veteran Employment Through Technology Education Courses (VET TEC) pilot program, which provides tuition and housing assistance to veterans in high-tech, high demand career training.

In addition, the language of H.R. 5575, the VA Nurse and Physician Assistant RAISE Act was included in the omnibus package. This bill increases the pay cap on salaries for nurses, advanced practice registered nurses, and physician assistants employed by VA which will help the department attract and retain top health care talent to ensure veterans receive timely, high-quality care. Passage of this legislation was one of PVA’s top priorities for 2022, and it is an important element of a 10-part human infrastructure plan VA released last month.

A detailed summary of the FY 2022 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill is available here.

 

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