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Does Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research Program still receive government money?

Checked on November 16, 2025
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Executive summary

Available reporting and federal documents show Congress moved to reauthorize the Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research Program in late 2024 and early 2025, with bills titled “Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act 2.0” (which would authorize about $190 million through 2033) and subsequent action that passed the program as a stand‑alone measure after brief exclusion from a stopgap funding bill [1] [2] [3]. NIH materials and funding pages continue to list Kids First as an active Common Fund program and funding opportunity [4] [5] [6].

1. What the legislation says and how much money was authorized

Congressional texts and analyses for “Research Act 2.0” explicitly reauthorize the Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research Program and propose specific appropriations. The Congressional Budget Office summarized that the bill would authorize approximately $190 million through 2033 and estimated costs over multi‑year spans [1]. House and Senate bill texts and committee reports describe extending the program and amending relevant statutory sections to continue funding and oversight at NIH [7] [8].

2. The messy path through end‑of‑year funding politics

The reauthorization was briefly entangled in a larger year‑end funding fight. Reporting and fact checks show language reauthorizing Kids First was included in an early short‑term stopgap package but significant trimming of that package led to removal of some provisions; the Kids First reauthorization was later advanced as a separate bill that the Senate passed [3] [2]. Local reporting and congressional statements noted that lawmakers celebrated inclusion or passage of the 2.0 bill amid those negotiations [9] [10].

3. What NIH and program pages say about ongoing program activity

NIH Common Fund pages and program opportunity notices continue to present Kids First as an active program: program overview pages describe the original Act’s 10‑year, $12.6 million‑per‑year authorization and outline the Kids First Data Resource and sequencing initiatives, and NIH grant opportunity pages list current funding solicitations tied to Kids First data resources [11] [4] [6] [5]. That institutional material indicates the program is being administered by the NIH Common Fund [4] [6].

4. Where reporters and fact‑checkers diverge on the timeline and claims

Some reporting tied the program’s temporary removal from a stopgap bill to political pressure and public commentary, and later coverage emphasized that Congress ultimately reauthorized funding—some accounts mention a $12.6 million annual baseline or $190 million total authorization, while fact‑checking outlets describe the shift from being in a large CR package to being passed separately [3] [1] [10]. Different sources emphasize either the cut‑and‑restore story (political forces shaped placement) or the bipartisan cooperation that led to unanimous support for reauthorization [3] [9].

5. What this means practically for government funding flows

Authorization bills and CBO cost estimates set ceilings and expectations for appropriations; they do not by themselves guarantee cash is in the Treasury. The CBO analysis states S.1624 would authorize amounts totaling roughly $190 million through 2033, “assuming appropriation of the authorized amounts,” which is the typical distinction between authorization and actual appropriations [1]. NIH program solicitations and Common Fund award notices show the agency is operating and funding Kids First activities as a Common Fund program [4] [6] [5].

6. Limitations, unanswered questions, and what sources do not say

Available sources do not provide a line‑by‑line accounting of fiscal year appropriations after the 2024–25 funding skirmish; they do not show a single consolidated federal ledger here proving every scheduled dollar was appropriated each year through 2033 (not found in current reporting). Nor do the provided materials include detailed execution reports showing each annual appropriation payment; the CBO and legislative texts indicate authorization levels and NIH pages reflect ongoing program activities [1] [4].

7. Bottom line for the question “does Kids First still receive government money?”

Congressional action in late 2024–early 2025 reauthorized the Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research Program (with legislative text and CBO figures describing roughly $190 million of authorization through 2033), and NIH Common Fund pages and active funding opportunities indicate the program continues under NIH administration and supporting grants and data activities [7] [1] [4] [5]. For a confirmatory, year‑by‑year appropriation and disbursement ledger, current sources do not provide a complete fiscal execution table—those details would be found in annual appropriation statutes and NIH budget execution documents not included among the provided materials (not found in current reporting).

Want to dive deeper?
What is the current federal funding status of the Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research Program?
Which government agencies fund the Kids First program and how much did they allocate in the most recent fiscal year?
Has Congress reauthorized or changed funding for the Kids First program since 2020?
How are Kids First research grants distributed and which pediatric conditions receive the most support?
Are there recent budget proposals or appropriations bills that would increase, cut, or eliminate funding for Kids First in 2026?