AMTA Government Relations Update 7-19-25

Good News!

We recently learned that recreational and creative arts therapy employment openings within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs have been added to the official list of positions exempt from the federal hiring freeze. You may recall that AMTA reported on this issue in early March and created a call-to-action to advocate for continued access to these important therapeutic services for veterans. Thanks to efforts with the American Therapeutic Recreation Association and the American Art Therapy Association, our collaborative advocacy resulted in a positive outcome!

Budget Resolution Legislation:

On July 4th, 2025, President Trump signed into law H.R. 1 – One Big Beautiful Bill Act. A summary of the final bill is available here. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office provides detailed information about how this legislation impacts the U.S. budget and American citizens over the next 10 years. Thank you to everyone who participated in calls-to-action and communicated with members of Congress over the past several months. The final vote in the Senate was 51-50 with Vice President Vance breaking the tie, and the final vote in the House was 218-214. AMTA is currently monitoring the implementation of this act and participating in national coalition advocacy focused on supporting consumers directly affected by the enacted service cuts. Attention will be shifting to communicating with state legislators and agencies as they determine how to continue important Medicaid services for their residents.  

What is Next?

The Congressional appropriations process for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 is now underway. This is when all Senate and House Appropriation Subcommittees, as well as individual members of Congress, submit requests for federal funding priorities for the coming fiscal year, which begins October 1, 2025, and runs through September 30, 2026.  

The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (a nonpartisan, nonprofit association) provides an Appropriation 101 that breaks down the steps involved in this annual budget process.  

An appropriations status table is available through Congress.gov.  It offers links to progress on funding legislation and reports within the 12 House and 12 Senate Appropriation subcommittees.  

Older Americans Act:

July 14th marked the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Older Americans Act (OAA) by President Johnson. In June, the Senate introduced the OAA Reauthorization Act of 2025. It is sponsored by Sen. Cassidy (R-LA), Sen. Sanders (I-VT), Sen. Scott (R-FL), Sen. Gillibrand (D-NY), Sen. Collins (R-ME), Sen. Kaine (D-VA), Sen. Mullin (R-OK), Sen. Markey (D-MA), Sen. Murkowski (R-AK), and Sen. Lujan (D-NM). The bill proposes extension of reauthorization through FY30 along with an 18% increase in funding over four years. Music therapy has been specifically listed in this federal statute since 1992.  It is included as a “disease prevention and health promotion service” as well as a “supportive service” that can be funded through state grants to: (1) an institution of higher education; (2) a local educational agency; or (3) a community-based organization.   

How You Can Help:

Please call your U.S. Senators and ask them to support S. 2120, the bipartisan Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2025. Programs and supports supported by OAA funding are vital to the health of America’s older adults and their caregivers.   

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