Congress Appropriates Funding for Key Substance Use and Justice Agencies and Programs in FY2026

On January 20, 2026, the Senate released a “minibus” legislation appropriation package that included four spending bills, including the fiscal year (FY) 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor HHS). The Labor HHS bill provides key funding for substance use and mental health agencies and programs across the country. The Senate proposal reflects continued bipartisan support for community-based prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts, with modest increases to select programs.

The bill does not include proposals from the FY2026 President’s Budget Request (PBR), which called for major changes in the structure and organization of many federal grant programs and agencies focusing on substance use disorder research, prevention, treatment, and recovery services.

Key Provisions

National Institutes of Health

The FY26 Labor HHS appropriation bill includes $48.716 billion for the National Institutes of Health, an $415 million increase from FY25 levels. The bill also includes funding for the following NIH agencies:

• $1.662 billion for the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).

• $595 million for the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).

• $2.189 billion for the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 

The bill allocates $7.438 billion for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), an increase of $65 million from FY2025. The bill includes funding for the following SAMHSA programs:

• $534.61 million for the SAMHSA 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

• $21.42 million for Assisted Outpatient Treatment.

• $80 for SAMHSA Criminal Justice Activities.

  • $75 million for Drug Courts.

• $10.7 million of Opioid Treatment Programs.

• $1.012 billion for the Community Mental Health Services Block Grant.

• $2.013 billion for Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Block Grant. 

• $26.84 million for Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment.

• $59 million for CARA – First Responder Training – Overdose Reversal.

• $1.5 million CARA – Improving Access to Overdose Treatment.

Health Resources and Services Administration 

The bill allocates $9.22 billion for the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an increase of $65 million from FY2025. The bill includes funding for HRSA programs, including$ 145 million for the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

The bill proposes $9.202 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a decrease of $20 million from FY2025. 

View the bill minibus text here.

Key substance use and behavioral health appropriations are shown in the table below (in the millions).

Key substance use and behavioral health appropriations are shown in the table below (in the millions).

Programs	FY24 Final	FY25 Final	FY26 Appropriation Marks
			President’s Budget Request	Initial Senate Labor/HHS Mark	House Labor HHS/Mark	Minibus Proposal
National Institutes of Health Total	$48.301b	$48.3b	$27.915b	$47.062b	$47.845b	$48.716b
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)*	$1.662b	$1.662b	$0	$1.662b	$1.662b	$1.662b
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)*	$595m	$595m	$0	$595m	$595m	$595m
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)*	$2.187b	$2.187b	$0	$2.193b	$2.187b	$2.189b
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Total	$8.9b	$8.9b	$6b	$8.839b	$7.405b	$9.22b
Rural Communities Opioid Response Program	$145m	$145m	$145m	$145m	$145m	$145m
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Total	$7.374b	$7.374b	$5.7b	$7.428b	$7.075b	$7.439b
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline	$519.6m	$519.6m	$519.6m	$534m	$519.6m	$534.61m
SAMHSA Criminal Justice Activities	$94 m	$94 m	$0	$80 m	$75 m	$80m
Drug Courts	$75m	$74m	$75m	$74m	$75m	$75m
Assisted Outpatient Treatment	$21.42m	$21.42m	$21m	$21.42m	$26.42m	$21.42m
Opioid Treatment Programs	$10.7m	$10.7m	$11m	$10.7m	$10.7m	$10.7m
Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment	$33.8m	$33.8m	$0	$26.84m	$0	$26.84m
CARA – First Responder Training (Overdose Reversal Program)	$57m	$57m	$0	$59m	$58m	$59m
CARA – Improving Access to Overdose Treatment	$1.5m	$1.5m	$0	$1.5m	$1.5m	$1.5m
State Opioid Response**	$1.575b	$1.575b	**see notes	$1.595b	$1.575b	$1.595b
Behavioral Health Innovation Block Grant*	--	–	$4.125b	--	--	--
Community Mental Health Services Block Grant**	$1.007b	$1.007b	**see notes	$1.007b	$1.017b	$1.012b
Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Block Grant**	$2.008b	$2.008b	**see notes	$2.028b	$2.013b	$2.013b
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Total	$9.222b	$9.222b	$4.32b	$9.152b	$7.48b	$9.202b

*The FY2026 President’s Budget Request (PBR) suggested consolidating NIH’s 27 institutes and centers into eight. Under the reorganization proposed in the budget, the NIDA, the NIAAA, and the NIMH would have been consolidated into the National Institute of Behavioral Health. 

**The PBR proposed the new Behavioral Health Innovation Block Grant, which would have combined the funding for the Community Mental Health Services Block Grant, Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Support Services Block Grant, and State Opioid Response.