DOJ Budget approved by House / Senate Conference Committee does not include appropriation for mental health courts

The conference report of the U.S. Congress on the 2004 Consolidated Appropriations Bill (HR 2673) for numerous cabinet agencies including the Department of Justice does not include funding for the mental health court grant program.

The conference report reflects the agreement reached by conference members appointed by the Senate and the House to resolve differences between appropriations bills that each chamber approved for various cabinet agencies. The House approved the conference report on December 8, but it has been widely reported that the report will stall in the Senate. Still, Hill-watchers say it is very unlikely that at this late stage in the appropriations process that funding will materialize in the legislation for mental health courts.

Congress provided $5 million in FY2002 and $4 million in FY2003 for the mental health court grant program, which is administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance of the Office of Justice Programs.

The conference report does include, in funding for the Department of Health and Human Services, $7 million for the jail diversion program of the Center for Mental Health Services (a division of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration). For more information on conference report inclusions relevant to mental illness, see the NAMI overview of 2004 appropriations.

For more information on conference committee reports and the Senate, go to http://thomas.loc.gov/home/enactment/confcomm.html.