“Being on the Conference Committee gave me a key seat at the table to help protect Montana's interests," said Rehberg, a member of the House Labor, Health and Human Services Subcommittee.  “The changes coming out of a Conference Committee can sometimes be drastic.  But thankfully we were able to write a final bill that kept Montana's projects funded.”     

            The 2008 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill includes funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Health Care Access, No Child Left Behind, the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), and many other essential programs Montanans rely on. 

“This bill impacts every community in Montana,” said Rehberg.  “The ability to provide a good education and quality healthcare for our families is a critical part of securing a better quality of life.”

Highlights of the 2008 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Conference Report:

·        Includes $200,000 for the Billings Clinic Rural Information System.  The funds will be used to develop an electronic patient medical record than can be shared between multiple facilities.

·        Includes $300,000 for St. Patrick’s Hospital and Health Sciences Center for the Montana Cardiology Telemedicine Network.  The Montana Cardiology Telemedicine Network provides rural telemedicine resources and patient-based cardiology to the western Montana region. 

·        Includes $400,000 for St. Vincent Hospital’s Center for Healthy Aging Geriatric Fellowship Program.  The program will populate eastern Montana with critical geriatric specialists to assist in caring for a rapidly aging population.

·        Includes $500,000 for Benefis Pediatric Center.  Funds will be used for the construction of a new Pediatric Suite which will include 14 patient rooms, a nursing station, and a pediatric treatment room. 

·        Includes $300,000 for Equipment for the Sidney Health Center.  Funds will be used to purchase and install a computer-based radiology system to upgrade from the old "film" system currently used.

·        Includes $300,000 for Madison County Nursing Homes.  Funds will be used for a variety of improvements to the Madison Valley Manor in Ennis and the Tobacco Root Mountain Care Center in Sheridan.

·        Includes a more than $224 million increase in funding for Community Health Centers. There are eleven community health centers in Montana and nearly half the Montanans served by the centers lack health insurance and more than 20 percent are covered by Medicare or Medicaid. 

·        Includes a more than $250 million increase in funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).  LIHEAP is a grant program under which the federal government gives states and tribes annual grants to operate home energy assistance programs for low-income households.  More than 18,000 Montana households receive LIHEAP assistance.

·        Includes a more than $34 million increase in funding for Impact Aid.  Impact Aid is a program designed to ensure military children, children residing on Indian lands, and children residing on federally-owned low rent housing facilities receive a quality education by helping school districts, which have lost tax revenue as a result of the federal presence in their district.  Since 2001, Impact Aid funding for Montana has increased 18.4% and 72 Montana school districts currently receive Impact Aid funds.

·        Includes a more than $500 million increase in funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).  Nearly 18,557 Montana students are served by IDEA.

·        Increases the maximum award from $4,310 to $4,435 for Pell Grants.  The Federal Pell Grant program is the single largest source of grant aid for postsecondary education attendance funded by the federal government.   More than16,564 students in the Montana University system receive Pell Grants.