On December 15, 2000, the U.S. Congress passed the fiscal year 2001 appropriations bill for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and related agencies. The bill, which was signed into law by President Clinton on December 22, 2000, gives AHRQ $269,943,000 in FY 2001. This amount is approximately $70 million above the FY 2000 level and represents a 35 percent increase. It is the highest percentage increase among the Public Health Service agencies.
The Congress directed AHRQ to spend $50 million to conduct and support research to enhance patient safety. The increase includes $10 million to support research in worker health, especially to examine the relationship between the health care workplace and its impact on medical errors and the quality of care provided to patients. AHRQ also will make approximately $15 million available for investigator-initiated grants and continue activities in support of the National Quality Report, as well as research on disparities, training and early career development, and other extramural research initiatives.