Van Hollen, Cardin Announce Key Committee Passage of Over $25 Million for Maryland Health Care, Education, and Workforce Training Projects

Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Senator Ben Cardin, Chair of the Senate Finance Health Care Subcommittee (both D-Md.), announced the inclusion of $25,572,000 in key Senate Committee legislation providing direct federal funding for community-led projects throughout Maryland. These community projects, funded at the Senators’ request, are within the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies’ (LHHS) proposed funding legislation for fiscal year 2025. The projects seek to expand access to health care, education, and job opportunities across Maryland, with a focus on underserved communities. This subcommittee legislation, released as part of the annual Congressional Appropriations process and approved August 1 in a bipartisan vote by the full Senate Appropriations Committee, will proceed to consideration before the full Senate. Funding is not finalized until the Appropriations bills are passed by the full Senate, reconciled with the House of Representatives, and signed by the President.

“When we invest federal dollars in our communities, we’re able provide greater opportunity to Maryland students, families, job-seekers, and more. These funds will empower our partners across the state to better serve Marylanders – providing everything from youth after-school programs and educational opportunities to job training to medical and behavioral health care. Within this bill, we’ve also boosted investment in Maryland-based institutions that serve millions of Americans like the Social Security Administration, National Institutes of Health, and our HBCUs, which in turn continue to drive jobs and opportunity in our state. We’ll keep working to deliver these investments to build an even stronger Maryland for all,” said Senator Van Hollen.

“Communities thrive when they have access to great health care, education and economic opportunities. This bill will invest federal funds to address critical needs across our state, including early childhood education, substance use disorder treatment, apprenticeship and workforce development opportunities, and so much more. This federal funding represents Team Maryland’s ongoing commitment to investing in community-led programs that bring greater resources to every corner of the state and improve the quality of life for all Marylanders,” said Senator Cardin.

These projects were included in the Senate Appropriations LHHS FY2025 funding legislation.

Project Name: Academic Success for Transfer Students
Applicant: Salisbury University
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to provide supportive services and counseling to students transferring from community colleges to pursue their 4-year degree at Salisbury University in order to better facilitate the students’ transition.
Project Location: Wicomico County
Amount Included: $65,000

Project Name: Anne Arundel County Food Bank Refrigerated Vehicle
Applicant: Anne Arundel County Food Bank
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to strengthen food and nutrition security in the community by facilitating food donation pick-ups, safe and efficient transport, and expanded service capacity across the county for low-income families.
Project Location: Anne Arundel County
Amount Included: $173,000

Project Name: Apprentice Maryland Expansion
Applicant: The Patuxent Partnership
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to expand the Apprentice Maryland Program in Charles, Calvert and St. Mary's Counties and meet the demand for a robust STEM/skilled trades pipeline at local sites, including the Naval Surface Warfare Center. 
Project Location: Calvert County, Charles County, St. Mary's County
Amount Included: $575,000

Project Name: BACH Adult Apprenticeship Program
Applicant: Baltimore Alliance for Careers in Healthcare
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to launch an adult apprenticeship program for adults with a high school diploma or GED that are in underserved Baltimore communities and interested in health care. Participants will receive job training at partner hospitals, health facilities, and long-term care institutions.
Project Location: Baltimore City, Baltimore County
Amount Included: $579,000

Project Name: Ballet After Dark Comprehensive Fellowship for Girls & Youth
Applicant: Ballet After Dark, Inc.
Project Purpose: Funds will be used for a comprehensive program for girls and young women focused on wellness, health education, mentorship, and leadership training.
Project Location: Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Howard County
Amount Included: $1,071,000

Project Name: Baltimore City College Persistence Program for Single Moms with Young Children
Applicant: Jeremiah Program
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to expand student support for single mothers pursuing a college degree or advanced post-secondary education while raising young children.
Project Location: Baltimore City, Baltimore County
Amount Included: $139,000

Project Name: Baltimore Urban Leadership Foundation - Serving the East Baltimore Community
Applicant: Baltimore Urban Leadership Foundation, Inc.
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to expand access to wraparound services, including direct employment placement and application assistance, wellness programming, counseling, and other youth-focused programs to address violence, trauma, and academic performance.
Project Location: Baltimore City
Amount Included: $50,000

Project Name: Bellevue Passage STEAM Labs
Applicant: Mid-Shore Community Foundation - Bellevue Passage Museum
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to develop labs to increase access to high-quality, year-round STEAM education with hands-on learning opportunities and exposure to diverse careers. 
Project Location: Talbot County
Amount Included: $90,000

Project Name: Building Bridges
Applicant: 2nd Lt. Richard W. Collins III Foundation
Project Purpose: Funds will be used for collaborative programming between West Point and Bowie State University ROTC cadets, students, and faculty to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion with education opportunities including cooperative research, coursework, internships, and more.
Project Location: Baltimore City, Prince George's County
Amount Included: $50,000

Project Name: Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation STEM Center Statewide Initiative
Applicant: Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to equip 27 centers in schools across six counties in Maryland to expand the STEM skills of students and prepare them for careers in these fields.
Project Location: Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, Calvert County, Queen Anne's County, St. Mary's County, Washington County
Amount Included: $1,000,000

Project Name: CASA Technical Institute - Green Workforce & Vocational Training
Applicant: CASA, Inc.
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to establish the CASA Technical Institute, offering vocational training to prepare underserved workers for jobs in the growing clean energy economy.
Project Location: Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Howard County, Montgomery County, Prince George's County
Amount Included: $1,000,000

Project Name: CCYSB Building Expansion Project
Applicant: Carroll County Youth Service Bureau
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to expand mental and behavioral health and substance use disorder services provided at the Carroll County Youth Service Bureau to meet the community’s growing needs.
Project Location: Carroll County
Amount Included: $1,000,000

Project Name: Character Development and Social/Emotional Learning Programs for Baltimore Students
Applicant: Genesee Valley Outdoor Learning Center
Project Purpose: Funds will be used for an educational program that will serve 800 students in Baltimore with social-emotional learning through outdoor experiences.
Project Location: Baltimore County
Amount Included: $40,000

Project Name: Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound School: Serving Baltimore City Youth
Applicant: Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound School
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to provide experiential outdoor learning opportunities for high-need youth across six Baltimore City schools.
Project Location: Baltimore City
Amount Included: $250,000

Project Name: The Children's Inn at the National Institutes of Health: Expanding Capacity to Serve Young Patients, Supporting NIH Pediatric Research
Applicant: The Children's Inn at NIH
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to construct a community kitchen as well as a dining and lounge area in a new residential wing for young patients from underserved communities who are participating in clinical research studies on rare diseases at the NIH Clinical Center.
Project Location: Montgomery County
Amount Included: $1,155,000

Project Name: Community Mobile Health Clinic
Applicant: Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, Inc.
Project Purpose: Funds will support the expansion of the Community Mobile Health Clinic to provide high-quality primary care and case management services to individuals and families in West and Southwest Baltimore City.
Project Location: Baltimore City
Amount Included: $212,000

Project Name: Cradle to Career Pipeline
Applicant: Ministers Conference Empowerment Center CDC, Inc.
Project Purpose: The requested funds will support the implementation of tech centers instituted by the Ministers' Conference Empowerment Center CDC, Inc. in communities across Baltimore City.
Project Location: Baltimore City
Amount Included: $600,000

Project Name: Culinary Program Training and Support
Applicant: End Hunger in Calvert County
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to expand the Culinary Program in Southern Maryland with work-based learning opportunities, job placement, coaching, and support services for students and individuals with disabilities.
Project Location: Calvert County
Amount Included: $275,000

Project Name: D.C. Regional Early Learning Center
Applicant: D.C. Regional Early Learning Center
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to equip the D.C. Regional Early Learning Center with improved technology and classroom resources, including smart boards, software, and associated teacher training.
Project Location: Prince George's County
Amount Included: $100,000

Project Name: Douglass Scholars Summer Institute for College Application Assistance
Applicant: University of Maryland
Project Purpose: Funds will be used for a two-week program designed to provide Prince George’s County and Baltimore City high school students the support they need to apply to and be successful in college and gain early career counseling.

Project Location: Prince George's County
Amount Included: $225,000

Project Name: Empowering Families to Thrive & Promoting the Healthy Development and Wellbeing of At-Risk Children, Youth, Homeless, Low-Income Families and Seniors
Applicant: EP International Ministries, Inc.
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to better address food insecurity by increasing mobile access to healthy meals and services for at-risk youth, low-income families, and seniors living alone in Baltimore City and Baltimore County.
Project Location: Baltimore City, Baltimore County
Amount Included: $97,000

Project Name: Engaging Baltimore City Students in Conservation
Applicant: The National Aquarium
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to support formal and informal education programs for K-12 students in Baltimore City that promote conservation and expand students’ understanding of the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Project Location: Baltimore City, Baltimore County
Amount Included: $215,000

Project Name: Enhancing CDL Training at Cecil College
Applicant: Cecil College
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to purchase a commercial truck driving simulator for the truck driver training program, which will provide a realistic, risk-free environment to hone commercial driving skills and navigate weather and traffic conditions while training for an in-demand career.
Project Location: Cecil County
Amount Included: $109,000

Project Name: Expand Art and Design College Accelerator Program in Baltimore City
Applicant: Maryland Institute College of Art
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to expand MICA's Arts and Design College Accelerator Program that helps build college pathways for Baltimore City students through targeted, integrated, and comprehensive art and design education.
Project Location: Baltimore City
Amount Included: $400,000

Project Name: Expanding Access to Mental Health and Victim Support Services
Applicant: For All Seasons, Inc.
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to expand access to comprehensive behavioral and mental health care and victim support services, particularly for low-income, rural, and underserved Maryland communities.
Project Location: Caroline County, Dorchester County, Kent County, Queen Anne's County, Talbot County
Amount Included: $1,000,000

Project Name: Expanding Literacy Equity Among Youth
Applicant: Reading Partners
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to expand the Reading Partners literacy tutoring program to help more students in underserved areas of Baltimore City and Baltimore County enhance their reading proficiency.
Project Location: Baltimore City and Baltimore County
Amount Included: $800,000

Project Name: Expansion of the Youth Climate Institute (YCI)
Applicant: Howard County Conservancy
Project Purpose: Funds will be used for a climate leadership program for high school students seeking to expand its reach in Maryland. This extracurricular, chapter based program certifies and empowers youth to become effective environmental stewards, pursue related jobs, and combat the climate crisis.
Project Location: Statewide
Amount Included: $50,000

Project Name: Family Connects Maryland
Applicant: The Family Tree
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to expand the reach of The Family Connects Maryland Home Visiting Program, which provides educational and support services to new parents and their newborns, including screenings, comprehensive assessments of the family's needs, and referral services.
Project Location: Baltimore City
Amount Included: $300,000

Project Name: Global Refuge - Economic Empowerment
Applicant: Global Refuge
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to expand this economic empowerment program in Maryland offering career counseling, support services, and workforce integration for refugees and immigrants. The funds will help newcomers obtain skills and credentials that will benefit the local workforce.
Project Location: Statewide
Amount Included: $300,000

Project Name: Harford Community College Regional Workforce Center
Applicant: Harford Community College
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to acquire equipment and technology for Harford Community College's Regional Workforce Center. This Center will provide training for in-demand industries in Northeast Maryland like automotive servicing, advanced manufacturing, data science, construction, and welding, among others.
Project Location: Cecil County, Harford County
Amount Included: $329,000

Project Name: Health Care Communities of Practice, Talent Pipelines
Applicant: Health Tech Alley
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to accelerate apprenticeship programs in Southern Maryland and on the Eastern Shore to address workforce shortages in the health care sector.
Project Location: Statewide
Amount Included: $300,000

Project Name: Historic Trades Apprenticeship Expansion
Applicant: Preservation Maryland
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to expand training opportunities in historic restoration trades with a new Registered Apprenticeship Program designed to improve the efficacy and long-term sustainability of new apprenticeships.
Project Location: Statewide
Amount Included: $970,000

Project Name: HIV Patient Support
Applicant: Three Lower Counties Community Services, Inc. D/b/a Chesapeake Health Care
Project Purpose: Funds will be used for the renovation of a Salisbury medical facility that will treat the vast majority of HIV patients in Wicomico, Somerset, and Worcester Counties, including patients with high risk factors.
Project Location: Wicomico County, Worcester County
Amount Included: $90,000

Project Name: Hon's Honey Workforce Development
Applicant: Drink at the Well, Inc.
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to employ and train at-risk individuals and provide wraparound services, including child care, case management, and counseling to ensure the success of these recovering women.
Project Location: Baltimore City
Amount Included: $190,000

Project Name: Hyattsville Enhancing Aging and Wellness Initiative
Applicant: City of Hyattsville
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to strengthen older residents' resiliency, social inclusion, and independence by providing a range of class series on caregiver support, creative art, multigenerational mural and quilting, and digital literacy.
Project Location: Prince George's County
Amount Included: $106,000

Project Name: Increasing College Access and Affordability for Low-Income Students in Maryland via School Support
Applicant: Collegiate Directions, Inc.
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to hire and train staff, expand services to five additional high schools, and help low-income students and their families navigate complex college admissions and financial aid to further close the opportunity gap.
Project Location: Montgomery County
Amount Included: $65,000

Project Name: Indian Head School Based Health Center
Applicant: Charles County Department of Health
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to support the school-based health center in increasing access to urgent and preventive care services including well child visits, immunizations, nutrition, and physical activity counseling during school hours.
Project Location: Charles County
Amount Included: $36,000

Project Name: JEWELS Community Therapy Clinic
Applicant: Jewels School, Inc.
Project Purpose: Funds will be used for an accessible pediatric therapy clinic for children with special needs and their families in the Baltimore community.
Project Location: Baltimore County
Amount Included: $350,000

Project Name: Job Readiness for Adults with Autism and Wellness for Underserved Populations
Applicant: Madison House Autism Foundation
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to expand successful job training programs for adults with autism or intellectual/developmental disabilities, and expand wellness programs for the under-resourced community by partnering with organizations that serve vulnerable populations.
Project Location: Montgomery County
Amount Included: $650,000

Project Name: Joshua Homes CDC Harambee House
Applicant: Joshua Homes Community Development Corporation
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to establish Harambee House, aiding West Baltimore's underserved with housing counseling and financial coaching to bridge the racial wealth gap for community empowerment.
Project Location: Baltimore City
Amount Included: $513,000

Project Name: Leaders of Tomorrow Youth Center Mentoring & Art Therapy Program
Applicant: Leaders of Tomorrow Youth Center
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to provide after-school therapeutic mentoring and art therapy services for 200 students in Prince George's County.
Project Location: Prince George's County
Amount Included: $50,000

Project Name: Life Skills Learning Center
Applicant: The Arc of Southern Maryland
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to build out the Arc of Southern Maryland's Life Skills Learning Center to better serve people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the community. The Center will include a tech lab, a teaching kitchen, and commercial laundry facility.
Project Location: Calvert County
Amount Included: $239,000

Project Name: Lifeline Equine Therapy Services Program Expansion
Applicant: Lifeline Horse Rescue and Rehabilitation, Inc., Lifeline Equine Therapy Services (LETS)
Project Purpose: Funds will be used for the expansion of LETS to provide trauma-informed mental health services for veterans, service members, and their families to aid in the prevention of veteran suicide.
Project Location: Statewide
Amount Included: $88,000

Project Name: Living Classrooms Mobile Ascend Through Music Program
Applicant: Living Classrooms Foundation
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to support operations and purchase equipment for the mobile music lab bus serving under-resourced Baltimore City youth in Baltimore City.
Project Location: Baltimore City
Amount Included: $575,000

Project Name: Maryland Water and Wastewater Training Program Partnership
Applicant: College of Southern Maryland
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to create an employment pipeline in the drinking water and wastewater utility sector through training and hands-on experience at treatment plants across Maryland, addressing projected future workforce needs in the industry.
Project Location: Statewide
Amount Included: $732,000

Project Name: Melwood Youth Enrichment Services (YES) Program
Applicant: Melwood Horticultural Training Center, Inc.
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to provide experiential career exploration opportunities to students from underserved communities and to double the number of students served in the after-school program.
Project Location: Prince George's County
Amount Included: $250,000

Project Name: Meritus Health Hancock Health Care Services
Applicant: Meritus Healthcare Foundation
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to expand medical services in one of the most rural and underserved parts of Maryland where residents face issues with access to care. [153]
Project Location: Allegany County, Washington County
Amount Included: $215,000

Project Name: Mt. Vernon Center Medical Build Out
Applicant: Chase Brexton Health Services, Inc.
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to expand Chase Brexton's capacity to provide comprehensive primary care services, particularly for underserved communities in Baltimore City.
Project Location: Baltimore City
Amount Included: $944,000

Project Name: Music Education and Enrichment Program for Baltimore Youth
Applicant: Life Through Music
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to purchase instruments, music stands, and music theory and method books to expand access to music education.
Project Location: Baltimore City, Baltimore County
Amount Included: $50,000

Project Name: New Ambulance Chassis for Smithsburg EMS Station 79
Applicant: Smithsburg Emergency Medical Services, Inc.
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to purchase a new ambulance chassis and refurbish an existing ambulance to help support the critical work of Smithsburg EMS Station 79, serving more than five thousand households across 70 miles of rural Western Maryland.
Project Location: Frederick County, Washington County
Amount Included: $250,000

Project Name: Pathways to Economic Prosperity for All in Montgomery County
Applicant: CollegeTracks
Project Purpose: Funds will support CollegeTracks' programming in support of postsecondary admissions advising and degree completion for first-generation and low-income students in Montgomery County.
Project Location: Montgomery County
Amount Included: $300,000

Project Name: Piscataway Indigenous Culturally Responsive Environmental Education Program
Applicant: Accokeek Foundation, Inc.
Project Purpose: Funds will used to provide an environmental literacy curriculum that includes Piscataway culture and history for students and classroom support for educators in Charles County and Prince George's County Public Schools.
Project Location: Prince George's County
Amount Included: $425,000

Project Name: PIVOT Women's Reentry & Workforce Development Program
Applicant: PIVOT, Inc.
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to close the investment gap in workforce and reentry services for hundreds of formerly incarcerated women to increase employment opportunities and reduce recidivism.
Project Location: Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, Baltimore County
Amount Included: $350,000

Project Name: Pre-apprenticeship Pathways Model
Applicant: Prince George's Community College
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to develop learning labs and auto repair bays to offer customized workforce training and pre-apprentice pathways for low-income, unemployed, and underemployed residents in trades such as construction, utilities, sustainable energy, and automotive.
Project Location: Prince George's County
Amount Included: $619,000

Project Name: Prince George's County Pediatric Mobile Medical Unit
Applicant: Children's National Medical Center
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to expand the Children's National Mobile Medical Program to provide comprehensive primary care services for children and adolescents in Prince George's County.
Project Location: Prince George's County
Amount Included: $600,000

Project Name: Project Restart SUD Treatment Expansion
Applicant: Not My Child, Inc.
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to expand services in educational and vocational training for individuals in recovery from substance use disorders.
Project Location: Queen Anne’s County
Amount Included: $200,000

Project Name: Seismic Quake Lab
Applicant: SciTech2U, Inc.
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to purchase equipment for and support the operation of Maryland's first quake lab to provide K-12 students with opportunities to learn about seismology, geology, and structural engineering.
Project Location: Montgomery County, Prince George's County
Amount Included: $159,000

Project Name: SquashWise Center: A Youth and Community Center
Applicant: Baltimore SquashWise, Inc.
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to support school and community squash programs through field trips and physical education clinics, events, and tournaments at the Center to increase opportunities for physical activity for Baltimore City residents.
Project Location: Baltimore City
Amount Included: $200,000

Project Name: St. Mary's College of Maryland Community Lab Space
Applicant: St. Mary's College of Maryland
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to acquire and equip an on-site computer lab and meeting space for students and community members.
Project Location: St. Mary's County
Amount Included: $114,000

Project Name: St. Michaels Community Center - Enriching Lives
Applicant: St. Michael’s Community Center
Project Purpose: Funds will be used for the Culinary and Hospitality Workforce Development Program, which provides culinary and professional skills training, hands-on experience, and wraparound services to prepare participants for careers in hospitality.
Project Location: Talbot County
Amount Included: $104,000

Project Name: Statewide Pre-K Enrollment System
Applicant: Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE)
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to create a statewide, centralized, and user-friendly Pre-K enrollment system so families can enroll their child in the program that best meets their child's needs. This will reduce the administrative burden for local education agencies and early care and education providers. 
Project Location: Statewide
Amount Included: $500,000

Project Name: Supporting First Generation Student Success at Goucher College
Applicant: Goucher College
Project Purpose: Funds will be used for the expansion of Goucher College's LAUNCH program, which provides wraparound support services for first-generation and low-income students to ensure their timely completion of degrees and ability to join the local workforce.
Project Location: Baltimore County
Amount Included: $200,000

Project Name: The Trust Center for Academic & Social Leadership
Applicant: Annapolis and Anne Arundel County Scholarship Trust
Project Purpose: Funds will be used for educational programming for at-risk students in the Annapolis Gardens’ community, furthering their academic and personal growth with the goal of increasing their school retention and graduation rates.
Project Location: Anne Arundel County
Amount Included: $200,000

Project Name: Tuerk House at Exeter Street Baltimore East Side Expansion
Applicant: Tuerk House, Inc.
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to expand a comprehensive behavioral health facility in East Baltimore that will increase access to substance use disorder treatment and recovery services.
Project Location: Baltimore City
Amount Included: $500,000

Project Name: Vehicles for Change Training Programs
Applicant: Vehicles for Change, Inc.
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to expand automotive training centers in Salisbury and Hyattsville, MD, by outfitting the facilities with tools and equipment, providing workforce development with a focus on returning citizens, and providing refurbished vehicles to low-income families. 
Project Location: Statewide
Amount Included: $667,000

Project Name: Voices of Hope Men's Recovery House
Applicant: Voices of Hope, Inc.
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to renovate and repair one of the Voices of Hope recovery houses, which provides rehabilitation services for individuals on the path to recovery from substance abuse.
Project Location: Cecil County
Amount Included: $107,000

Project Name: Western Maryland Mobile STEM Laboratory Program
Applicant: Learning Undefeated, Inc.
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to bring Learning Undefeated's mobile STEM lab and STEM pathway programming to schools across Western Maryland, preparing more than 15,000 students for STEM careers.
Project Location: Allegany County, Carroll County, Frederick County, Garrett County, Washington County
Amount Included: $500,000

Project Name: Wide Angle Youth Media Creative Pre-Apprenticeship Pilot
Applicant: Wide Angle Youth Media
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to launch a pre-apprenticeship program for media and production careers, providing students with hands-on work experience to develop foundational and technical skills and prepare them for future apprenticeships and employment.
Project Location: Baltimore City, Baltimore County
Amount Included: $649,000

Project Name: Worcester County Dental Center Equipment and Service Expansion
Applicant: Worcester County Health Department
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to improve and expand access to quality oral health care, particularly for underserved children and young adults under the age of 21.
Project Location: Worcester County
Amount Included: $52,000

Project Name: Wor-Wic Community College Culinary Arts Laboratory Upgrade
Applicant: Wor-Wic Community College
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to purchase new equipment for the culinary arts program at Wor-Wic Community College in support of the Eastern Shore's growing hospitality industry.
Project Location: Somerset County, Wicomico County, Worcester County
Amount Included: $214,000

Additional priorities secured by the Senators in the FY25 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies funding bill include:

Social Security Administration (SSA), headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland

The bill includes $14.7 billion for SSA’s administrative expenses, an increase of $509 million over FY24. These resources will help SSA address service delivery challenges and improve services for Americans across the country – from filing for benefits to getting a replacement Social Security card to calling with questions about benefits. Millions of Americans rely on Social Security, have earned benefits through a lifetime of work, and deserve access to timely services. Addressing backlogs in key workloads and wait times will require sustained increases to allow SSA to increase and maintain staffing and make needed IT improvements – and the new investments this bill delivers are a critical down payment to improve service delivery at SSA.

Department of Health and Human Services

The bill provides $122.8 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Health and Human Services.

Child Care and Early Learning Programs: The bill provides a $2.3 billion increase for early learning programs within HHS over FY24. It also provides:

• $10.4 billion for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) – a $1.6 billion or 18 percent increase over FY24 – which will help more families across the country find and afford the child care they need.
• $13 billion for Head Start, a $700 million increase over FY24, which will support Head Start teachers and staff as local programs face ongoing staffing challenges.
• Sustained annual increases to our federal investments in child care and Head Start are critical in tackling the child care crisis holding back families, businesses, and our economy. 

Biomedical Research: The bill provides $50.2 billion in base discretionary funding for the Bethesda, Maryland-based National Institutes of Health (NIH) – an increase of $2.1 billion over FY24. In addition, it includes $127 million in Cures Act authorized funding for a total of $50.4 billion for NIH to propel life-saving and life-changing cures and treatments across NIH’s 27 institutes and centers and the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). The bill sustains $1.5 billion for ARPA-H.

The bill provides targeted increases in areas of promise for scientific advancement and urgency, including a $275 million increase for mental health research focused on developing targeted prevention of and treatment for mental illness; a $275 million increase for Alzheimer’s disease research; a $266 million increase for cancer research; a $50 million increase for diabetes research; and a $20 million increase for the IMPROVE Initiative to combat the alarming rates of maternal mortality.

The bill also includes $50 million for the continued implementation of the Childhood Cancer Survivorship, Treatment, Access, and Research (STAR) Act and encourages the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to continue prioritization of additional research and development of cocaine overdose treatments.

Home Heating and Cooling Assistance: The bill includes $4.125 billion for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), a $100 million increase over FY24, to help low-income households heat and cool their homes.

Addressing Substance Use Disorders and Mental Health: The bill includes new investments to address the rising toll of opioid overdoses fueled by fentanyl, improve access to substance use disorder prevention and treatment, and improve access to mental health services.

The bill includes a combined increase of $215 million for substance use and mental health programs at SAMHSA and HRSA. This includes:

• $2 billion, a $40 million increase over FY24, for the Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services Block Grant
• $1.6 billion for State Opioid Response grants, a $25 million increase over FY24 and
• $155 million for the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program, a $10 million increase over FY24.

It protects and builds on key investments in mental health programs and includes:

• $1 billion for the Mental Health Block Grant, a $35 million increase over FY24
• A $25 million increase for the Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery (STAR) Loan Repayment Program to support training and strengthen the mental health workforce through repayment of education loans for those working in either a Mental Health Professional Shortage Area or where the overdose death rate exceeds the national average
• A $20 million increase over FY24 for the 988 Suicide Prevention Lifeline, building on the $18 million increase secured in FY24
• $400 million for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics, a $15 million increase over FY24
• $30 million for Mental Health Crisis Response Grants, a $10 million increase over FY24

Essential Health Care Programs: The bill improves health care access and affordability and strengthens the health care workforce by maintaining investments in core programs, including:

• $1.86 billion for Community Health Centers
• $1.4 billion for Health Professions Workforce Development, including $18 million to support Public Health and Preventive Medicine
• $2.6 billion for the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program
• A $70 million increase to help better meet the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid’s (CMS) administrative needs, which includes nursing home inspections and surveys
• A $21.3 million increase in rural health programs to boost recruitment of health care providers to practice in rural areas and support rural hospitals
• A $10 million increase to promote cybersecurity efforts across HHS.

Public Health: The bill sustains essential funding and makes new investments to address public health threats and support key public health programs across the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which includes:

• $246.5 million to support efforts to reduce tobacco use
• $776.3 million for injury prevention and control, including $12.5 million for firearm injury and mortality prevention research and $8.5 million to support traumatic brain injury and concussion surveillance
• $195 million for data modernization, a $20 million increase over FY24
• $425 million, a $15 million increase over FY24, for cancer prevention and control activities
• $365 million to support public health infrastructure and capacity, a $15 million increase over FY24

The bill includes $613 million for the Ending the HIV Epidemic Initiative, which House Republicans eliminated in their bill. This program provides high-need jurisdictions with prevention and treatment services for people at high risk for HIV transmission. This includes $220 million within the CDC’s Domestic HIV/AIDS Prevention and Research programs to develop and deploy innovative data management solutions, increase access to PrEP, and better detect and respond to HIV clusters.

Women’s Health: The bill sustains funding for reproductive health programs, including Title X and the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program, which House Republicans have eliminated in their bill. The bill also increases investments in maternal health across CDC, HRSA, and NIH with a $34 million increase for programs that aim to address maternal mental health, prevent pregnancy-related deaths, and support best practices to improve maternal health outcomes. Additionally, the bill provides a $76 million increase for NIH’s Office of Research on Women’s Health and creates a new Menopause Research to Action initiative within AHRQ to translate research best practices into clinical practice for women.

Pandemic Preparedness and Biodefense: The bill includes $3.827 billion for the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), an increase of $200 million FY24. This includes:

• A $55 million increase for the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA)
• A $10 million increase for Bioshield
• A $30 million increase for the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS)
• A $70 million increase for Industrial Base Management and Supply Chain (IBMSC) activities to help ensure that critical resources in the public health supply chain –including raw materials, medical countermeasures, and ancillary supplies – are manufactured in the United States.

Department of Education

The bill provides $80 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Education.

Elementary and Secondary Education: The bill strengthens investments in foundational formula grant programs for elementary and secondary education and in public schools, teachers, and students.

• Title I-A grants are boosted by $280 million over FY24, to $18.687 billion, for the more than 80 percent of school districts that receive these funds, and the primary IDEA Special Education State grant program is increased by $295 million, to $14.509 billion. Senator Van Hollen continues to champion full funding for these programs through the Keep Our Promise to America’s Children and Teachers (PACT) Act and the IDEA Full Funding Act.
• Funding is protected at $150 million for the Full-Service Community Schools program. Senator Van Hollen co-leads the Full-Service Community School Expansion Act, which seeks to assist schools and districts with planning, implementing, and expanding the community school model. There are more than 450 community schools serving students across 22 of Maryland’s school districts.

The bill also continues current investments across a range of programs intended to improve teaching and learning in elementary and secondary schools, maintaining significant investments included in the last two fiscal years. This includes $20 million for the Statewide Family Engagement Centers program, which strengthens the relationship between parents and their children’s schools and engages families in students’ education.

Additionally, it includes approximately $190 million to address the shortage of school-based mental health professionals and services in our nation’s K-12 schools.

Career and Technical Education (CTE): The bill provides a $35 million increase over FY24 for State Grants for CTE, as well as a $10 million increase for CTE national activities to expand and improve CTE programs.

Higher Education: The bill provides a $100 increase in the maximum Pell Grant award for a maximum award of $7,495 for the 2025-2026 award year. This coming school year, Pell Grants are expected to help over 7 million students at all stages of life pursue postsecondary education and further their careers. The bill sustains funding for Federal Work Study and the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant that provide additional need-based aid to students to help afford postsecondary education.

The bill also supports funding for Maryland’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-Serving Institutions. 

• Strengthening HBCUs: $406.875 million, a $5.9 million increase over FY24
• Strengthening HBCU Masters Program: $20.3 million, a $295,000 increase over FY24
• Strengthening Historically Black Graduate Institutions: $102.8 million, a $1.5 million increase over FY24
• Strengthening Predominantly Black Institutions: $22.7 million, a $300,000 increase over FY24
• Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions: $232.3 million, a $4 million increase over FY24
• HBCU, TCU, and MSI Research and Development Infrastructure Grants: $51 million, a $1 million increase over FY24

The bill also includes an additional $100 million for the administration of student aid programs over FY24. This funding will support a wide range of activities, including: implementing the FAFSA; disbursing student aid; ensuring services are available to student loan borrowers; implementing more affordable repayment plans; and fixing longstanding issues in student loan forgiveness programs.

Department of Labor

Department of Labor: The bill includes $13.8 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Labor.

Workforce Development: The bill includes $2.9 billion for Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) formula grants, protecting essential investments made in recent years. It provides $290 million for Registered Apprenticeships and $110 million for YouthBuild, and sustains funding for other programs, such as Reentry Employment Opportunities. Continuing funding for these key workforce development programs will help leverage investments made in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the CHIPS and Science Act to continue to grow the economy, provide workers the skills they need to secure good-paying jobs of the future and help American businesses compete globally.

Worker Protection: The bill advances key investments in Department of Labor worker protection agencies charged with enforcing requirements for employers to pay workers what they earn and provide safe and healthy workplaces. This includes:

• $206 million, an increase of $15 million over FY24, for the Employee Benefits Security Administration, which is responsible for, among other things, ensuring private sector employment-based group health plans comply with mental health and substance use disorder parity requirements.
• $267.5 million for the Wage and Hour Division, an increase of $7.5 million over FY24, to support the Division’s work to recover wages workers are owed and to combat exploitative child labor.
• $118 million, an increase of $2 million over FY24, for the Bureau of International Labor Affairs to enforce labor provisions of free trade agreements and trade preference programs and combat international child labor and forced labor.