H.R. 5371: Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026

Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act, 2026

This act ends the government shutdown that began on October 1, 2025, by providing FY2026 continuing appropriations for most federal agencies through January 30, 2026, and providing appropriations through the end of FY2026 for agriculture, military construction and veterans affairs, and legislative branch programs. It also extends various expiring programs and authorities.

(Sec. 3) This section provides that references to this Act included in any division of this act refer only to the provisions of that division unless the act expressly provides otherwise.

(Sec. 4) This section provides that the explanatory statement regarding this act that was printed in the Congressional Record has the same effect with respect to the allocation of funds and implementation of Divisions B through D of this act as a joint explanatory statement of a conference committee.

(Sec. 5) This section specifies that the sums in this act are appropriated for FY2026.

DIVISION A--CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2026

Continuing Appropriations Act, 2026

This division provides continuing FY2026 appropriations to most federal agencies through the earlier of January 30, 2026, or the enactment of the applicable appropriations act.

It is known as a continuing resolution (CR) and ends the government shutdown that began on October 1, 2025, because the FY2026 appropriations bills had not been enacted.

The CR funds most programs and activities at the FY2025 levels with several exceptions that provide funding flexibility and additional appropriations for various programs.

(Sec. 101) This section generally provides FY2026 appropriations to most federal agencies for continuing projects or activities at the levels and under the conditions included in the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2025. It also specifies several exceptions.

(Sec. 102) This section prohibits the Department of Defense (DOD) from funding new or accelerated production of certain projects and other activities and certain multiyear procurements prior to the enactment of the regular annual appropriations act.

(Sec. 103) This section specifies that funds provided by Section 101 of this division shall be available to the extent and in the manner that would be provided in the pertinent appropriations act.

(Sec. 104) This section generally prohibits appropriations provided by Section 101 of this division from being used to initiate or resume any project or activity that was not funded during FY2025.

(Sec. 105) This section specifies that appropriations provided by the CR are to be used to conduct FY2026 activities and programs during the period of the CR.

(Sec. 106) This section continues the appropriations provided by this division through the earlier of January 30, 2026, or the enactment of the applicable appropriations act.

(Sec. 107) This section requires expenditures for activities funded in this division to be charged to the full-year appropriations bill and relevant account when the applicable appropriations bill becomes law.

(Sec. 108) This section waives the normal time limitations for submission and approval of apportionments of accounts funded in annual appropriations acts.

(Sec. 109) This section limits disbursements for programs that would otherwise have high initial rates of operation or would complete distribution of funding at the beginning of the fiscal year if those actions would impinge on final congressional funding prerogatives.

(Sec. 110) This section requires this division to be implemented so that only the most limited funding action permitted by this division is taken in order to provide for continuation of projects and activities.

(Sec. 111) This section continues funding for certain appropriated entitlements and other mandatory payments with budget authority provided in an FY2025 appropriations act at the rate necessary to maintain program levels under current law. It also provides authority to obligate funds for mandatory payments that are due up to 30 days following the expiration of the CR.

(Sec. 112) This section permits funding made available by this division for civilian personnel compensation and benefits in each department and agency to be apportioned at the rate necessary to avoid furloughs. It also requires all necessary actions to reduce or defer non-personnel-related administrative expenses to be taken prior to using this authority.

(Sec. 113) This section permits funds appropriated by this division to be obligated and expended notwithstanding specified statutory provisions restricting appropriations for foreign assistance, the Department of State, international broadcasting, and intelligence activities in the absence of prior authorizations.

(Sec. 114) This section extends designations of emergency spending and disaster relief funds to funds provided by this division that previously carried those designations.

(Sec. 115) This section sets forth requirements for the treatment of rescissions when federal agencies implement the funding levels provided by the CR.

(Sec. 116) This section specifies that the funds provided by this division are available to provide back pay to federal employees who were furloughed or excepted employees during the government shutdown.

(Sec. 117) This section ratifies and approves certain obligations that were incurred during the government shutdown, including obligations that were for the purposes of maintaining the essential level of activity to protect life and property and bringing about orderly termination of government functions.

(Sec. 118) This section establishes requirements for reimbursing states or other federal grantees that used state or nonfederal funds to continue carrying out a federal program or furloughed employees during a government shutdown in FY2026.

Specifically, this section

• requires the furloughed employees to be compensated at their standard rate of compensation for the period in which there was a lapse in appropriations;
• requires the state or other grantee to be reimbursed for expenses that would have been paid by the federal government during the period if appropriations had been available, including the cost of compensating such furloughed employees and interest; and
• allows the state or other grantee to use funds that are available under the federal program for the reimbursements.

(Sec. 119) This section specifies that the time covered by Divisions A through D of this act is considered to have begun on October 1, 2025.

(Sec. 120) This section prohibits federal funds from being used to initiate, carry out, implement, or otherwise notice a reduction in force (RIF) to reduce the number of employees within any department, agency, or office of the federal government through January 30, 2026.  It also specifies exceptions and nullifies RIFs that were implemented by federal agencies between October 1, 2025, and the date of enactment for this division.

(Sec. 121) This section extends the authority for the Forest Service to use the Agriculture Conservation Experienced Services (ACES) program through January 30, 2026. The program allows the Forest Service to acquire skilled personnel (age 55 and older) from nonprofit partners to provide temporary technical and administrative services for conservation-related programs that are executed on or directly impacting National Forest System land.

(Sec. 122) This section allows the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) to apportion funding at the rate necessary to maintain program operations. It also provides additional appropriations to the USMS for carrying out protective operations.

(Sec. 123) This section extends the authorization for the U.S. Parole Commission through January 30, 2026.

(Sec. 124) This section extends the availability of previously appropriated National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) funds to support closeout activities of the Space Shuttle program.

(Sec. 125) This section extends until January 30, 2026, the special assessment on nonindigent persons or entities convicted of certain offenses involving sexual abuse or human trafficking. The assessment funds programs for human trafficking survivors.

(Sec. 126) This section permanently extends the requirement to pay certain quarterly bankruptcy fees to the U.S. Trustee Systems Fund for certain Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases that are open or reopened.

(Sec. 127) This section allows the Navy to use certain funds to make advance payments to the Maritime Administration’s (MARAD’s) Ready Reserve Force program for programs, projects, activities, and expenses related to the National Defense Reserve Fleet through January 30, 2026.  (Under current law, the payments from the Navy are required to be reimbursements.)

(Sec. 128) This section permits funds provided to the Air Force for Research, Development, Test and Evaluation to be apportioned at the rate necessary for the E-7 Wedgetail aircraft program. The funds may not exceed a specified amount and may only be used for the purpose of continued rapid prototyping activities to maintain program schedule and transition to production for the E-7 Wedgetail aircraft program.

(Sec. 129) This section requires specified unobligated Air Force Procurement funds for the E-7 Wedgetail aircraft program to be transferred to the Air Force’s Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation account and used only for the purpose of continued rapid prototyping activities to maintain program schedule and transition to production for the E-7 Wedgetail aircraft program.

(Sec. 130) This section extends certain authorities under the Defense Production Act of 1950 through the duration of the CR.

(Sec. 131) This section allows funds provided to the Navy for Shipbuilding and Conversion to be apportioned at the rate necessary to complete several specified prior year shipbuilding programs.

(Sec. 132) This section authorizes DOD to reimburse the government of Palau for land acquisition costs for defense sites in Palau.

(Sec. 133) This section increases the statutory funding limit for program management and oversight activities for the Bureau of Reclamation’s Calfed Bay-Delta Program through January 30, 2026. The activities under the program include levee protection, water quality, ecosystem restoration, water use efficiency, and water-supply-related studies and projects.

(Sec. 134) This section permits funds provided for the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Weapons Activities account to be apportioned at the rate necessary to maintain current operations for the safe and secure transport of nuclear weapons. It also requires the Office of Management and Budget and the Department of Energy to notify the congressional appropriations committees after each use of this authority.

(Sec. 135) This section increases a limit on trust fund transfers to make additional funding available for the Office of Personnel Management to administer the Postal Service Health Benefits Program.

(Sec. 136) This section authorizes the District of Columbia to spend local funds at the rates set forth in the Fiscal Year 2026 Local Budget Act of 2025 for programs and activities that were funded in FY2024.

(Sec. 137) This section increases the limit on Department of the Treasury funding that may be used for official reception and representation expenses.

(Sec. 138) This section permits funds provided for the Small Business Administration’s (SBA’s) Business Loans Program Account to be apportioned at the rate necessary to accommodate increased demand for commitments for business loans authorized under several SBA loan programs.

(Sec. 139) This section provides additional funding for the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence.

(Sec. 140) This section extends limits on pay increases for the Vice President and certain senior political appointees.

(Sec. 141) This section extends authorities related to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s (CFTC’s) whistleblower program through January 30, 2026.

(Sec. 142) This section specifies that the funding provided by this division for the CFTC is provided under the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act rather than the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.

(Sec. 143) This section provides additional appropriations for the protection of Supreme Court Justices, including for the purchase and hire of passenger motor vehicles.

(Sec. 144) This section provides additional funding to the Judiciary—Courts of Appeals, District Courts, and other Judicial Services Defender Services account. It also permits the funds to be apportioned at the rate necessary to make payments for defender services, including to panel attorneys and related service providers.  

(Sec. 145) This section extends through January 30, 2026, the authority of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Justice to take certain actions to mitigate a credible threat to certain facilities or assets from an unmanned aircraft system (UAS). These include certain facilities that are located in the United States and identified as high-risk and a potential target for unlawful UAS activity.

(Sec. 146) This section extends the authority for the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA’s) Reimbursable Screening Services Program through January 30, 2026. The program is a pilot program that allows TSA to be reimbursed for establishing and providing screening services outside an airport terminal’s existing primary screening area for passengers. 

(Sec. 147) This section allows the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to apportion funding for the Disaster Relief Fund at the rate necessary to carry out response and recovery activities under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act.

(Sec. 148) This section extends the authority for DHS’s National Cybersecurity Protection System and related reporting requirements through January 30, 2026. The system authorizes multiple activities by DHS to help defend federal agencies from cyberthreats.

(Sec. 149) This extends the authorization for the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act through January 30, 2026. The act authorizes sharing of appropriate cybersecurity information between federal and nonfederal entities, defensive cybersecurity activities, liability protections, and oversight

(Sec. 150) This section extends the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program through January 30, 2026. The program provides funding to address cybersecurity risks and threats to information systems owned or operated by, or on behalf of, state, local, or tribal governments.

(Sec. 151) This section temporarily waives certain pay limitations that apply to wildland firefighters and other wildland fire personnel.

(Sec. 152) This section permits funds provided to the Department of the Interior and the Forest Service for Wildland Fire Management to be apportioned at the rate necessary for wildfire suppression activities.

(Sec. 153) This section provides additional funding to the Indian Health Service for the costs of staffing and operating facilities that were opened, renovated, or expanded in FY2025 and FY2026.

(Sec. 154) This section makes specified Environmental Protection Agency funds for State and Tribal Assistance Grants available for technical assistance and grants under the Safe Drinking Water Act in areas where the President declared an emergency in August 2022 pursuant to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act.

(Sec. 155) This section provides funding to the Department of Health and Human Services for grants for Head Start programs in Micronesia and the Marshall Islands.

(Sec. 156) This section provides appropriations for payments to the widows or heirs of several recently deceased Members of Congress.

(Sec. 157) This section provides additional funding to the U.S. Capitol Police’s Mutual Aid Reimbursements account for reimbursements for mutual aid and related training. (The mutual aid program funds large-scale event preparation and reimburses state and local law enforcement for protecting Members of Congress who are off of the Capitol grounds.)

(Sec. 158) This section extends the authority for the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) through January 30, 2026. The DFC is a federal agency that uses financial tools to promote private investment in less-developed countries. Its purpose is to mobilize private capital to advance U.S. development and foreign policy interests.

(Sec. 159) This section extends the term of a member of the board of the Millennium Challenge Corporation.

(Sec. 160) This section authorizes the U.S. governor of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to subscribe to a capital increase at the bank. It also authorizes appropriations for this purpose.

(Sec. 161) This section permits the Department of Housing and Urban Development to use certain unobligated funds that were provided in prior years for Tenant-Based Rental Assistance to support additional allocations to prevent the termination of rental assistance for families as a result of insufficient funding in the calendar year 2025 funding cycle.

(Sec. 162) This section permits the Department of Transportation to apportion funds at the rate necessary to maintain Essential Air Service (EAS) program operations. The EAS program was established to ensure that small communities that were served by certificated air carriers before the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 would continue to receive scheduled passenger service.

(Sec. 163) This section extends the authority for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee through January 30, 2026.

For more information on this division, see CRS Report R48765, Overview of Continuing Appropriations for FY2026 (Division A of P.L. 119-37).

DIVISION B--AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, AND RELATED AGENCY APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2026

Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agency Appropriations Act, 2026

This division provides FY2026 appropriations for the Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Food and Drug Administration, and related agencies. 

The division includes both discretionary and mandatory funding. The mandatory funding levels are generally set by authorizing legislation, such as the farm bill, and are frequently limited in the agriculture appropriations bill.

TITLE I--AGRICULTURAL PROGRAMS

This title provides appropriations for the following agricultural programs and services

• the Office of the Secretary;
• Executive Operations;
• the Office of the Chief Information Officer;
• the Office of the Chief Financial Officer;
• the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights;
• the Office of Civil Rights;
• Agriculture Buildings and Facilities;
• Hazardous Materials Management;
• the Office of Safety, Security, and Protection;
• the Office of Inspector General;
• the Office of the General Counsel;
• the Office of Ethics;
• the Office of the Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics;
• the Economic Research Service;
• the National Agricultural Statistics Service;
• the Agricultural Research Service;
• the National Institute of Food and Agriculture;
• the Office of the Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs;
• the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service;
• the Agricultural Marketing Service;
• the Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety; and
• the Food Safety and Inspection Service.

TITLE II--FARM PRODUCTION AND CONSERVATION PROGRAMS

This title provides appropriations for farm production and conservation programs, including

• the Office of the Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation,
• the Farm Production and Conservation Business Center,
• the Farm Service Agency,
• the Risk Management Agency, and
• the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

The title also provides appropriations for (1) the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation Fund, and (2) the Commodity Credit Corporation Fund.

TITLE III--RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS

This title provides appropriations for rural development programs, including

• the Office of the Under Secretary for Rural Development,
• Rural Development Salaries and Expenses,
• the Rural Housing Service,
• the Rural Business--Cooperative Service, and
• the Rural Utilities Service.

TITLE IV--DOMESTIC FOOD PROGRAMS

This title provides appropriations for the Office of the Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services.

The title also provides appropriations to the Food and Nutrition Service for

• Child Nutrition Programs;
• the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC);
• the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP);
• the Commodity Assistance Program; and
• Nutrition Programs Administration.

TITLE V--FOREIGN ASSISTANCE AND RELATED PROGRAMS

The title provides appropriations to the Office of the Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs.

It also provides appropriations to the Foreign Agricultural Service for

• Food for Peace Title II Grants,
• the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program, and
• the Commodity Credit Corporation Export (Loans) Credit Guarantee Program Account.

TITLE VI--RELATED AGENCY AND FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION

This title provides appropriations to (1) the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and (2) the Farm Credit Administration.

TITLE VII--GENERAL PROVISIONS

(Sec. 701) This section permits USDA to use funds provided by this division to purchase passenger motor vehicles and specifies requirements and restrictions for the purchases.

(Sec. 702) This section permits USDA to transfer unobligated funds to the Working Capital Fund for the acquisition of certain property or equipment, and systems related to the delivery of financial, administrative, and information technology services. It also specifies requirements and restrictions for the transfers and the use of funds in the Working Capital Fund.

(Sec. 703) This section prohibits appropriations provided by this division from remaining available for obligation beyond the current fiscal year unless the division expressly provides otherwise.

(Sec. 704) This section limits negotiated indirect costs on cooperative agreements or similar arrangements between USDA and nonprofit institutions to 10% of the total direct cost of the agreement when the purpose of the agreement is to carry out programs of mutual interest between the two parties.

(Sec. 705) This section permits appropriations for direct and guaranteed loans to remain available until expended to disburse obligations made in the current fiscal year for (1) the Rural Development Loan Fund program account, (2) the Rural Electrification and Telecommunication Loans program account, and (3) the Rural Housing Insurance Fund program account.

(Sec. 706) This section prohibits USDA from using funds provided by this division to acquire new information technology systems or significant upgrades without approval of the Chief Information Officer (CIO) and the Executive Information Technology Investment Review Board. It also (1) prohibits funds provided by this division from being transferred to the Office of the Chief Information Officer without prior approval of Congress, and (2) prohibits funds from being used for specified information technology projects without the approval of the CIO.

(Sec. 707) This section permits specified funds provided under the Federal Crop Insurance Act for the Agricultural Management Assistance Program in the current fiscal year to remain available until expended to disburse obligations made in the current fiscal year.

(Sec. 708) This section makes a former Rural Utility Service borrower who has repaid or prepaid a loan under the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 or any not-for-profit utility qualified to receive a loan under the act eligible for rural economic development and job creation assistance in the same manner as a borrower.

(Sec. 709) This section permits specified unobligated balances of appropriations provided by this division for salaries and expenses of the Farm Service Agency to remain available through FY2027 for information technology expenses.

(Sec. 710) This section prohibits funds provided by this division from being used for first-class travel by employees of agencies funded by this division in contravention of specified regulations.

(Sec. 711) This section provides that (1) Commodity Credit Corporation funds authorized or required to be used for specified programs included in the Agricultural Act of 2014 or a successor to the act shall be available for salaries and administrative expenses associated with the programs without regard to allotment and transfer limits, and (2) the use of the funds for this purpose shall not be considered to be a fund transfer or allotment for purposes of applying the limits.

(Sec. 712) This section limits funds available for USDA advisory committees, panels, commissions, and task forces, except for panels used to comply with negotiated rulemakings or to evaluate competitively awarded grants.

(Sec. 713) This section prohibits funds provided by this division from being used for a computer network unless pornography is blocked, with the exception of funds necessary for a law enforcement agency or any other entity carrying out criminal investigations, prosecution, or adjudication activities.

(Sec. 714) This section limits the amount of Section 32 funds that may be used for certain domestic food assistance programs, including

• Child Nutrition Programs Entitlement Commodities,
• State Option Contracts,
• Removal of Defective Commodities, and
• Administration of Section 32 Commodity Purchases.

(Section 32 is a program created to assist producers of agricultural commodities not supported by other mandatory farm support programs. It is funded by a permanent appropriation of a portion of the previous year's customs receipts less certain mandatory transfers to child nutrition and other programs.)

This section also prohibits the use of Section 32 funds to reestablish farmers' purchasing power by making payments in connection with the normal production of any agricultural commodity for domestic consumption. It includes an exception for a limited amount of carryover funds.

(Sec. 715) This section prohibits funds from being used to prepare proposals for the President's budget that are for programs funded in this division and assume savings from certain user fee proposals without identifying additional spending reductions that should occur if the proposals are not enacted.

(Sec. 716) This section sets forth procedures, requirements, and restrictions for reprogramming and transferring funds provided by this division.

(Sec. 717) This section permits USDA to assess a one-time fee for any guaranteed business and industry loan and limits the fee to 3% of the guaranteed principal portion of the loan.

(Sec. 718) This section prohibits funds from being used to provide reports, questions, or responses to questions that are a result of information requested for the appropriations hearing process to anyone who is not employed by USDA, the Department of Health and Human Service, or the Farm Credit Administration.

(Sec. 719) This section prohibits any executive branch agency from using funds provided by this division to produce a prepackaged news story for U.S. broadcast or distribution unless the story includes a clear notification indicating that it was prepared or funded by the agency.

(Sec. 720) This section prohibits USDA employees from being detailed or assigned to any other USDA agency or office for more than 60 days in a fiscal year unless the individual's employing agency is reimbursed by the receiving agency for the salary and expenses of the employee during the period of assignment.

(Sec. 721) This section directs the agencies funded by this division to submit spending plans to Congress.

(Sec. 722) This section prohibits funds provided by this division from being used for regulations to allow or require information intended for a prescribing health care professional, in the case of a drug or biological product, to be distributed to the professional electronically (in lieu of in paper form) until a federal law is enacted to allow or require electronic distribution.

(Sec. 723) This section prohibits USDA from including incarcerated prison populations to determine eligibility or the level of program assistance for Rural Housing Service programs.

(Sec. 724) This section permits USDA to increase the program level by up to 25% for certain loans and loan guarantees that do not require budget authority and have program levels established by this division. USDA must notify Congress before implementing an increase under this section.

(Sec. 725) This section provides that certain credit card refunds or rebates transferred to the Working Capital Fund (1) shall not be available for obligation without congressional approval; and (2) shall only be available for specified purposes, including acquiring property or equipment necessary for the delivery of financial, administrative, and information technology services of primary benefit to USDA agencies.

(Sec. 726) This section prohibits funds provided by this division from be used for the variety requirements of the final USDA rule titled Enhancing Retailer Standards in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) until USDA amends the definition of variety to increase the number of items that qualify as acceptable varieties in each staple food category so that the total number of such items in each staple food category exceeds the number of such items in each staple food category included in the final rule.

Until the amendments are promulgated, USDA must apply the requirements regarding acceptable varieties and breadth of stock to SNAP retailers that were in effect on the day before the enactment of the Agricultural Act of 2014.

(Sec. 727) This section sets forth the authorities that apply to USDA to carry out the Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program. (Under the program USDA's Rural Housing Service guarantees loans made by approved private lenders to eligible low- and moderate-income households to purchase homes to be used as principal residences.)

(Sec. 728) This section prohibits funds provided by this division from being used for regulations that establish certain new user fees.

(Sec. 729) This section allows the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to charge establishments for the cost of inspection services provided outside of an establishment's approved inspection shifts and for inspection services provided on federal holidays. The section also specifies the amounts charged (1) shall be considered overtime pay or holiday pay, and (2) may be used by FSIS without further appropriations to fund all costs associated with inspections.

(Sec. 730) USDA must conduct audits in a manner that evaluates the following factors in the country or region being audited

• veterinary control and oversight,
• disease history and vaccination practices,
• livestock demographics and traceability,
• epidemiological separation from potential sources of infection,
• surveillance practices,
• diagnostic laboratory capabilities, and
• emergency preparedness and response.

This section also requires USDA to (1) make the final reports of the audits publicly available, and (2) apply these requirements in a manner that is consistent with U.S. obligations under international trade agreements.

(Sec. 731) This section prohibits funds provided for the rural water, waste water, waste disposal, and solid waste management programs authorized by the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act from being used for the construction, alteration, maintenance, or repair of a public water or wastewater system unless all of the iron and steel products used in the project are produced in the United States. The section also (1) specifies exceptions and waiver procedures, and (2) allows USDA to retain specified funds for management and oversight of the requirements of this section.

(Sec. 732) This section prohibits funds provided by this division from being used to influence congressional action on any legislation or appropriations matters pending before Congress, other than to communicate with Members of Congress as permitted under current law.

(Sec. 733) This section requires at least 10% of the funds provided by this division for direct loans and grants under specified programs to be allocated for assistance in persistent poverty counties. A persistent poverty county is a county that has had at least 20% of its population living in poverty over the past 30 years, as measured by the 1990 and 2000 decennial censuses, and 2007-2011 American Community Survey 5-year average, or any U.S. territory or possession.

(Sec. 734) This section prohibits the FDA from acknowledging applications for an exemption for investigational use of a drug or biological product in research in which a human embryo is intentionally created or modified to include a heritable genetic modification. Such a submission must be deemed to have not been received, and the exemption may not go into effect.

(Sec. 735) This section prohibits funds from being used to enforce the FDA rule titled Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption and the FDA’s proposed rule titled Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding Produce for Human Consumption Related to Agricultural Water with respect to the regulation of entities that grow, harvest, pack, or hold wine grapes, hops, pulse crops, or almonds.

(Sec. 736) This section prohibits funds provided by this division from being used during the 2025-2026 or 2026-2027 school years to restrict or limit the substitution of any vegetable subgroup for fruits under the School Breakfast Program

(Sec. 737) This section prohibits funds provided by this division from being used (1) in contravention of specified laws that permit certain activities regarding hemp, including the transportation or shipment of hemp or hemp products in interstate commerce if certain requirements are met; or (2) to prohibit the transportation, processing, sale, or use of industrial hemp, or seeds of such plant, that is grown or cultivated in accordance with the laws, within or outside the state in which it is grown or cultivated.

(Sec. 738) This section permits USDA to waive the matching funds requirement for the Specialty Crop Research Initiative.

(Sec. 739) This section adds the Secretary of Agriculture to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) for covered transactions that involve agricultural land, agricultural biotechnology, or the agriculture industry (e.g., agricultural transportation, storage, and processing). (CFIUS has the authority to review covered transactions, which include mergers, acquisitions, and takeovers that could result in foreign control of a U.S. business; certain investments in businesses involved in critical technologies, critical infrastructure, or sensitive personal data; and certain real estate transactions.)

(Sec. 740) This section provides appropriations for a pilot program for USDA to award grants to nonprofit organizations and public housing authorities to provide technical assistance to Rural Housing Service (RHS) multi-family housing borrowers to facilitate the acquisition of RHS multi-family housing properties in areas where there is a risk of loss of affordable housing. The grants must be used to assist acquisitions by nonprofit housing organizations and public housing authorities that commit to keeping the properties in the RHS multi-family housing program for a period of time determined by USDA. The funds may also be used for technical assistance for non-profit organizations, public housing authorities, and private owners for the decoupling of rental assistance.

(Sec. 741) This section specifies that funds made available under Title II of the Food for Peace Act may only be used to provide assistance to recipient nations if adequate monitoring and controls are in place to ensure that emergency food aid is received by the intended beneficiaries in areas affected by food shortages and not diverted for unauthorized or inappropriate purposes.

(Sec. 742) This section prohibits funds provided by this division from being used to procure raw or processed poultry products or seafood from China for the National School Lunch Program, the Child and Adult Food Care Program, the Summer Food Service Program, or the School Breakfast Program.

(Sec. 743) This section provides that, for the 2026-2027 school year, only school food authorities with a negative balance in the nonprofit school food service account as of June 30, 2025, are required to establish a price for paid lunches using the formula specified under current law (known as Paid Lunch Equity requirements).

(Sec. 744) This section permits specified funds to be made available for grants for biotechnology risk assessment research.

(Sec. 745) This section prohibits USDA funds from being used to move any staff office or any agency from the mission area in which it was located on August 1, 2018, to any other mission area or office within USDA unless specific legislation affirming the move is enacted.

(Sec. 746) This section permits the Natural Resources Conservation Service to use funds provided for the Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations Program, the Watershed Rehabilitation Program, and the Emergency Watershed Protection Program to provide technical services for the programs using the Agriculture Conservation Experienced Services Program.

(Sec. 747) The section modifies the eligibility requirements for the ReConnect Program to allow USDA to consider providing assistance in communities that are Areas Rural in Character. Under current law, the program provides loans, grants, and loan-grant combinations to facilitate broadband deployment in rural areas that currently do not have sufficient access to broadband.

(Sec. 748) This section provides appropriations to remain available until expended for implementing non-renewable agreements for wetlands preservation on eligible lands, including flooded agricultural lands, under the Water Bank Act.

(Sec. 749) This section allows a bank for cooperatives (e.g., CoBank) to make and participate in loans and commitments and provide technical and other financial assistance to cooperatives and any other public or private entity (except for the federal government) for the purpose of installing, maintaining, expanding, improving, or operating facilities in a rural area for the processing or disposal of waste from any source, provision of telecommunication services, and producing electricity from any source for use or sale by the borrower.

For the purposes of this section, a rural area means all territory of a state that is not within the outer boundary of any city or town having a population of more than 20,000 based on the latest decennial census.

(Sec. 750) This section directs USDA to set aside specified additional funds for Rural Economic Area Partnership (REAP) Zones.

(Sec. 751) This section provides additional funding for a pilot program to award grants to eligible entities (e.g., Indian tribes, tribal organizations, or tribal educational agencies) to operate and implement the National School Lunch Program, the Child and Adult Food Care Program, the Summer Food Service Program, or the School Breakfast Program in either a Bureau of Indian Affairs-funded school, a school on or near an Indian reservation, or an early child care and education facility.

(Sec. 752) This section prohibits the FDA from using funds provided by this division to issue or promote any new guidelines or regulations applicable to food manufacturers of low risk ready-to-eat (RTE) foods for Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) until the FDA considers the available new science in developing a specified Compliance Policy Guide regarding Lm in low-risk foods.

(Sec. 753) This section provides appropriations for expenses associated with cotton classing activities, including equipment and facility upgrades.

(Sec. 754) This section provides appropriations for the Office of Tribal Relations to cover costs incurred for slaughtering, processing, and voluntary meat inspection fees for bison owned by tribal governments, tribal entities (including tribal organizations and corporations), and tribal members that slaughter and process bison at establishments that receive USDA voluntary inspections or state inspections.

(Sec. 755) This section exempts premium pay that is for services performed by Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service employees in response to animal disease or plant health emergency outbreak and is funded through reimbursement from certain pay limitations.

(Sec. 756) This section prohibits funds from being used to inspect horses for slaughter purposes.

(Sec. 757) This section provides appropriations for the Wetland Mitigation Banking Program, which provides grants to support the establishment of wetland mitigation banks. (Under a wetland mitigation banking program, a wetland is created, enhanced, or restored, and a credit for those efforts is sold to others as compensation for the loss of impacted wetlands at other locations). USDA must prioritize the wetland compliance needs of areas with significant numbers of individual wetlands, wetland acres, and conservation compliance requests.

(Sec. 758) This section provides appropriations for the Emergency and Transitional Pet Shelter and Housing Assistance Grant Program, which provides funding for shelter, transitional housing, and other assistance for domestic violence survivors with pets.

(Sec. 759) This section requires USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services to consider the findings and recommendations of a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine report on alcohol consumption in the development of the 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The departments must also ensure that the alcohol consumption recommendations in the guidelines are based on the preponderance of scientific and medical knowledge.

(Sec. 760) This section makes additional funding available for Rural Business Development Grants.

(Sec. 761) This section requires the acceptable market name of any engineered animal approved prior to the effective date of the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard (February 19, 2019) to include the words genetically engineered prior to the existing acceptable market name.

(Sec. 762) This section provides appropriations to continue the Institute for Rural Partnerships. The institute must continue to dedicate resources to researching the causes and conditions of challenges facing rural areas, and develop community partnerships to address such challenges.

(Sec. 763) This section provides appropriations for a working group established by USDA, in coordination with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to study and report to Congress on specified issues related to ocean farming practices.

(Sec. 764) This section permits USDA agencies and offices to use funds provided by this division to reimburse the Office of the General Counsel (OGC) for providing services to the agencies or offices under time-limited agreements.

(Sec. 765) This section amends the Multifamily Mortgage Foreclosure Act of 1981 to include USDA’s loan programs for farm labor housing and rural multifamily rental housing within the definition of multifamily mortgage. This makes these programs subject to various foreclosure authorities and procedures included in that act.

(Sec. 766) This section modifies a provision in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 to expand the scope of certain administrative expenses that may be funded using specified funds that were provided for activities under the Community Facilities programs.

(Sec. 767) This section rescinds specified unobligated funds that were provided to the Natural Resources Conservation Service for Conservation Operations.

(Sec. 768) This section rescinds specified unobligated funds that were provided to the National Institute of Food and Agriculture for Research and Education Activities.

(Sec. 769) This section rescinds specified unobligated funds that were provided to USDA’s Distance Learning, Telemedicine, and Broadband Program account for the cost of continuing a broadband loan and grant pilot program.

(Sec. 770) This section rescinds specified unobligated funds that were provided for the Working Capital Fund.

(Sec. 771) This section prohibits USDA funds from being used to close or consolidate the resources or locations of any existing Agricultural Research Service laboratories and facilities unless the congressional appropriations committees are notified in advance and approve the closure or consolidation.  

(Sec. 772) This section requires the FDA to use specified funds for (1) enforcement activities related to e-cigarettes, vapes, and other electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS); and (2) to continue the activities of the federal multi-agency task force to further work to bring all available criminal and civil tools to bear against the illegal manufacture, importation, distribution, and sale of e-cigarettes, vapes, and other ENDS products from China and other foreign countries.

This section also requires the FDA to

• update the FDA document titled Enforcement Priorities for Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) and Other Deemed Products on the Market Without Premarket Authorization to expand FDA’s prioritized enforcement to flavored disposable ENDS products in addition to cartridge-based products and to define the term disposable ENDS product;
• submit semiannual reports to the congressional appropriations committees on the progress that the Center for Tobacco Products is making in removing all illegal ENDS products from the market; and
• submit a report to the congressional appropriations committees detailing the FDA’s activities to educate retailers about determining which products are legal for sale.

Finally, this section amends provisions of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act regarding exports and imports to add “or tobacco product” to several references to “drug or device.”

(Sec. 773) This section specifies that the collection and expenditure of certain FDA user fees must comply with each provision contained in current user fee authorizations, appropriations acts, and commitment letters regarding reauthorization of current user fee authorizations.

The section also requires the FDA to submit quarterly reports to the congressional appropriations committees that include obligation and outlay estimates and full-time equivalent (FTE) personnel staffing estimates for FY2026 for each FDA program that uses both general fund appropriations and funds derived from user fees.

(Sec. 774) This section extends the authorities for the livestock mandatory price reporting program through FY2026.

(Sec. 775) This section prohibits the FDA from using funds provided by this division to develop, issue, promote or advance any final guidelines or new regulations applicable to food manufacturers for long-term, population-wide sodium reduction actions until an assessment is completed on the impact of the short-term sodium reduction targets.

(Sec. 776) This section provides appropriations for USDA to conduct a new pilot program to support on-the-ground local Energy Circuit Riders who provide professional support to rural communities for the purpose of undertaking projects that save energy and reduce emissions.

Under the program, USDA may provide financial assistance for states, tribes, cooperative extension services, institutions of higher education, cooperatives and cooperative organizations, regional planning commissions, or other public entities to offer assistance with energy planning, energy audits, applicable federal funding opportunities, tax incentives, project financing, grant writing, community-based capacity building, or applicable state, local, and utility-based incentives, including coordinating with relevant state energy offices.

(Sec. 777) This section directs the FDA to (1) engage with industry stakeholders to update the acceptable market name for specified species of fish (e.g., Sebastes alutus and Sebastes borealisn), and (2) provide industry stakeholders with new marketing name proposals and update its Fish and Fishery Products Hazards and Controls Guidance and any other relevant guidance to reflect the new market name once a new marketing name is agreed to expeditiously.

(Sec. 778) This section provides that, for the purposes of applying the Federal Food Drug, and Cosmetic Act, (1) Hawaii grown or produced coffee must contain at least 51% of coffee grown in Kona, Kau, Maui, Oahu, Kauai, or other areas of the state of Hawaii; and (2) based on the region in which the coffee is grown or produced, the common or usual names must be Kona Coffee, Kau Coffee, Maui Coffee, Oahu Coffee, Kauai Coffee, or Hawaii Coffee.

(Sec. 779) This section prohibits funds from being used to close Natural Resources Conservation Service or Rural Development mission area field offices or to permanently relocate any field-based employees of those agencies if the relocation would result in an office with two or fewer employees unless the congressional appropriations committees are notified in advance and approve the closure or relocation.

(Sec. 780) This section prohibits funds provided by this division from being used to administer or enforce the rule titled Requirements for Additional Traceability Records for Certain Foods published on November 21, 2022, or any other rule promulgated in accordance with provisions of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act regarding enhancing tracking and tracing of food and recordkeeping prior to July 20, 2028.

This section also directs the FDA to engage with regulated entities regarding the rule’s lot-level tracking requirements, provide certain recommendation to stakeholders and industry that identify flexibilities for satisfying the requirements, and assist industry with other specified implementation issues and potential technical difficulties prior to full implementation of the rule.

(Sec. 781) This section modifies the statutory definition of hemp products that are considered to be lawful.

The 2018 farm bill excluded hemp from the Controlled Substances Act definition of marijuana and defined hemp. As a result, hemp and hemp-derived products at or below the 0.3% delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, the psychoactive component of marijuana) concentration threshold are no longer regulated as Schedule I controlled substances and registration with the Drug Enforcement Administration is no longer required to cultivate or handle hemp and hemp-derived products. However, hemp remains subject to USDA and FDA regulation.

This section makes several changes to the statutory definition of hemp. For example, the section

• changes the limit to a total THC concentration of not more than 0.3% on a dry weight basis rather than only delta-9 THC,
• explicitly includes industrial hemp,
• excludes seeds from a cannabis plant that exceed a total THC concentration of 0.3%,
• excludes various types of hemp-derived cannabinoid products, and
• establishes several related definitions.

Under the bill, a hemp-derived cannabinoid product is any intermediate or final product derived from hemp (other than industrial hemp) that (1) contains cannabinoids in any form; and (2) is intended for human or animal use through any means of application or administration, such as inhalation, ingestion, or topical application. Cannabinoids refer to unique chemical compounds that are found in hemp and marijuana (e.g., THC) and are known to exhibit a range of psychological and physiological effects.

This section also requires the FDA to (1) publish lists of naturally occurring cannabinoids, THC class cannabinoids, and all known cannabinoids that have similar effects as THC class cannabinoids; and (2) provide additional information and specificity about the term container.

For more information on this section, see CRS Report IN12620, Change to Federal Definition of Hemp and Implications for Federal Enforcement.

(Sec. 782) This section provides additional appropriations for the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program to award grants to processors of invasive, wild-caught catfish.

(Sec. 783) This section specifies that, beginning on the effective date of an FDA final rule regarding food labeling requirements and nutritional claims for the term healthy, manufacturers may also continue to comply with the previous FDA requirements for the implied nutrient content claim healthy until the compliance date FDA provides in the final rule. Any food product manufactured and labeled as healthy during the compliance period shall also not be subject to state requirements that are related to labeling making an implied nutrient content claim that a food is healthy and are not identical to either the prior FDA requirements or the updated requirements in the final rule.

(Sec. 784) This section rescinds specified unobligated balances that are available in the Department of the Treasury’s Treasury Forfeiture Fund.

(Sec. 785) This section requires the FDA to submit a report to Congress on the cost and any implications associated with efforts to issue a proposed rule and implement FDA guidance and enforcement for setting standards for pet and animal food labeling and ingredient regulation.

(Sec. 786) This section allows specified unobligated funds that were provided to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services to be used for (1) plans, construction, repair, preventive maintenance, environmental support, improvement, extension, alteration, and purchase of fixed equipment or facilities; and (2) acquisition of land.

(Sec. 787) This section specifies the maximum monthly allowances of fluid milk for various food packages under the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

(Sec. 788) This section requires USDA to conduct a study and report to Congress on the feasibility of applying Buy American requirements to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), including the impact applying such a requirement would have on the agricultural economy of the United States.

(Sec. 789) This section requires USDA to submit a report to the congressional appropriations committees on the status of all projects specified in the table titled Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending in the explanatory statements accompanying prior year Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Acts.

(Sec. 790) This section requires USDA to notify the congressional appropriations committees at least three business days in advance of terminating any grant, cooperative agreement, or contract award totaling more than $1 million.

DIVISION C--LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2026

Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2026

This division provides FY2026 appropriations for Congress and the agencies that serve Congress.

TITLE I--LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

This title provides appropriations to the Senate for

• Expense Allowances;
• Salaries for Officers and Employees;
• the Office of the Legislative Counsel of the Senate;
• the Office of Senate Legal Counsel;
• Expense Allowances of the Secretary of the Senate, Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper of the Senate, and Secretaries for the Majority and Minority of the Senate; and
• Contingent Expenses of the Senate.

(Sec. 101) This section requires amounts remaining in the Senators' Official Personnel and Office Expense Account to be used for deficit or debt reduction.

(Sec. 102) This section allows the Senate Democratic Conference to delegate certain duties and authorities regarding appropriations to a member of the leadership of the conference.  

This title provides appropriations to the House of Representatives for

• Salaries and Expenses,
• House Leadership Offices,
• Members' Representational Allowances,
• the Allowances for the Compensation of Interns,
• Committee Employees,
• Salaries for Officers and Employees,
• Allowances and Expenses, and
• the House of Representatives Modernization Initiatives Account.

(Sec. 110) This section requires amounts remaining in Members' Representational Allowances (MRAs) after all payments are made for FY2026 to be used for deficit or debt reduction.

(Sec. 111) This section prohibits funds provided by this division from being used to make payments from any MRA to lease a vehicle, excluding mobile district offices, in an aggregate amount that exceeds $1,000 for the vehicle in any month.

(Sec. 112) This section requires any federal entity that provides cybersecurity assistance to the House of Representatives to take all necessary steps to ensure the constitutional integrity of the separate branches of the government at all stages of providing the assistance, including applying minimization procedures to limit the spread or sharing of privileged House and Member information.

(Sec. 113) This section amends the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to repeal a provision that prohibits a House MRA from being used to acquire a light duty motor vehicle or medium duty passenger vehicle that is not a low greenhouse gas emitting vehicle, including such an acquisition under a long-term lease.

(Sec. 114) This section requires the House to make payments from funds provided for salaries and expenses of the office of the Chief Administrative Officer to the House Childcare Center for telecommunication expenses and the salaries of assistant directors.

(Sec. 115) This section prohibits funds provided by this division from being used to purchase certain information technology equipment if the manufacturer, bidder, or offeror (or any subsidiary or parent entity of the manufacturer, bidder, or offeror) of the equipment is an entity or parent company of an entity listed on

• the Chinese Military Company List of the Department of Defense;
• the Non-SDN Chinese Military Industrial Complex Companies List of the Department of the Treasury;
• the Denied Persons List, Entity List, or Military End User List of the Department of Commerce if the entity is an agency or instrumentality of China, an entity headquartered in China, or is directly or indirectly owned or controlled by such an agency or entity; or
• the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List of the Department of Homeland Security.

(Sec. 116) This section exempts the practice of medicine and dentistry from fiduciary relationship restrictions that apply to Members of the House.

(Sec. 117) This section permits the Sergeant at Arms of the House of Representatives to use funds made available for providing security for the residences of Members of the House to make essential security improvements if the improvements are included in a category established and updated as necessary by the Sergeant at Arms and approved and regulated by the House Administration Committee.

The title provides appropriations for Joint Items, including

• the Joint Economic Committee,
• the Joint Committee on Taxation,
• the Office of the Attending Physician, and
• the Office of Congressional Accessibility Services.

The title provides appropriations for

• the U.S. Capitol Police,
• the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights, and
• the Congressional Budget Office.

(Sec. 118) This section requires employees of the Capitol Police to obtain the approval of the Capitol Police Board prior to receiving training outside of the United States.

(Sec. 119) This section allows specified Capitol Police funds to be transferred to the Police Mutual Aid Reimbursements account for reimbursements for mutual aid and related training. (The mutual aid program funds large-scale event preparation and reimburses state and local law enforcement for protecting Members of Congress who are off of the Capitol grounds.)

The title provides appropriations to the Architect of the Capitol (AOC) for

• Capital Construction and Operations;
• the Capitol Building;
• the Capitol Grounds;
• the Senate Office Buildings;
• the House Office Buildings;
• the Capitol Power Plant;
• the Library Buildings and Grounds;
• the Capitol Police Buildings, Grounds and Security;
• the Botanic Garden; and
• the Capitol Visitor Center.

(Sec. 120) This section prohibits funds provided by this division for the AOC from being used to make incentive or award payments to contractors for work that is behind schedule or over budget, unless the deviations (1) are due to unforeseeable events or government-driven scope changes, or (2) are insignificant within the overall scope of the project or program.

(Sec. 121) This section allows the AOC to enter into cooperative agreements with entities to support the Capitol Grounds and Arboretum and to engage in plant material exchanges between the Capitol Grounds and Arboretum and other entities (e.g., government agencies, botanic gardens, and arboretums). This authority is subject to the approval of the congressional appropriations committees.

(Sec. 122) This section extends the availability of certain FY2023 funds that were provided to the AOC to make the funds available for the liquidation of valid obligations incurred in FY2021-FY2023.

The title provides appropriations to the Library of Congress (LOC) for

• Salaries and Expenses,
• the Copyright Office,
• the Congressional Research Service, and
• the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled.

(Sec. 123) This section limits the FY2026 obligational authority of the LOC for reimbursable and revolving fund activities funded from sources other than appropriations acts for the legislative branch.

The title provides appropriations to the Government Publishing Office for

• Congressional Publishing,
• Public Information Programs of the Superintendent of Documents, and
• the Government Publishing Office Business Operations Revolving Fund.

The title provides appropriations to

• the Government Accountability Office,
• the Congressional Office for International Leadership Fund, and
• the John C. Stennis Center for Public Service Training and Development.

TITLE II--GENERAL PROVISIONS

(Sec. 201) This section prohibits funds provided by this division from being used for the maintenance or care of private vehicles, except for emergency assistance and cleaning, as provided under regulations for the House and Senate parking facilities.

(Sec. 202) This section prohibits funds provided by this division from remaining available for obligation beyond FY2026 unless the authority is expressly provided in this division.

(Sec. 203) This section provides that (1) rates of compensation or designations of offices or positions included in this division that are either not established by the Legislative Pay Act of 1929 or are contrary to that act are considered permanent law, and (2) provisions in this division for official congressional expenses and clerk hire for Senators and Members of the House of Representatives are permanent law.

(Sec. 204) This section limits contracts for certain consulting services to those where expenditures are a matter of public record and available for public inspection, except where otherwise provided under existing law or under an executive order issued under existing law.

(Sec. 205) This section permits legislative branch entities participating in the Legislative Branch Financial Managers Council to use funds provided for administrative expenses to pay a share of the cost of the council if the total cost shared among all participating legislative branch entities does not exceed $2,000.

(Sec. 206) This section prohibits funds provided by this division from being transferred to any department, agency, or instrumentality of the U.S. government unless the transfer is pursuant to authority provided by an appropriations act.

(Sec. 207) This section prohibits the AOC from using funds provided by this division to eliminate or restrict guided Capitol tours led by congressional employees and interns other than through regulations authorized by the Capitol Visitor Center Act of 2008, subject to an exception permitting tours to be suspended for security or related reasons.

(Sec. 208) This section prohibits funds provided by this division from being used to acquire telecommunications or video surveillance equipment produced by (1) Huawei Technologies Company, ZTE Corporation, Hytera Communications Corporation, Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Company, or Dahua Technology Company (or any subsidiary or affiliate of these entities); or (2) any entity that the Department of Defense reasonably believes to be an entity owned or controlled by, or otherwise connected to, the government of a foreign adversary (i.e., North Korea, China, Russia, and Iran).

(Sec. 209) This section prohibits funds provided by this division from being used for a computer network unless pornography is blocked, with the exception of funds necessary for a law enforcement agency or any other entity carrying out criminal investigations, prosecution, or adjudication activities or other official government activities.

(Sec. 210) This section prohibits a cost-of-living adjustment for Members of Congress during FY2026.

(Sec. 211) This section extends the rights and protections of the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act (PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act) to congressional employees and other legislative branch staff. Under the act, a covered employee must be provided with break time and private space for expressing breast milk during work hours.

(Sec. 212) This section provides additional appropriations to various Senate accounts for expenses for security-related programs and activities.

(Sec. 213) This section establishes notification requirements regarding the disclosure of Senate data and allows Senators to bring a civil action against the federal government if the requirements are violated.

Specifically, the section requires an internet service provider or the Senate Sergeant at Arms (SAA) to provide written notice to a Senate office upon receipt of any legal process seeking disclosure of covered Senate data (e.g., any electronic mail or other electronic or data communication, including metadata).

It also prohibits (1) the seeking, maintaining, or obtaining of a nondisclosure order or judicial sealing order to prevent a notification that is required by this bill; or (2) covered Senate data from being acquired, subpoenaed, searched, accessed, or disclosed pursuant to a search, seizure, or demand for information if the notification requirements have not been met.

If these requirements are violated by an officer, employee, or agent of the federal government, the affected Senator may sue the federal government for the greater of $500,000 per violation or the actual damages, plus attorney's fees and litigation costs.

The authority applies to a qualifying instance occurring on or after January 1, 2022. 

DIVISION D--MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, VETERANS AFFAIRS, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2026

Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026

This division provides FY2026 appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and related agencies.

TITLE I--DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

This title provides appropriations to the Department of Defense (DOD) for Military Construction for

• the Army;
• the Navy and Marine Corps;
• the Air Force;
• Defense-Wide agencies and activities (other than military departments);
• the Army and Air National Guard; and
• the Army, Navy, and Air Force Reserves.

The title also provides appropriations to DOD for the (1) North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Security Investment Program, and (2) the DOD Base Closure Account.

The title provides appropriations to DOD for Construction and Operation and Maintenance of Family Housing for

• the Army,
• the Navy and Marine Corps,
• the Air Force, and
• Defense-Wide agencies and activities (other than military departments).

The title provides appropriations to DOD for (1) the Family Housing Improvement Fund, and (2) the Military Unaccompanied Housing Improvement Fund.

(Sec. 101) This section prohibits funds provided by this title from being used for payments exceeding $25,000 under a cost-plus-a-fixed-fee contract for construction in the United States without a specific DOD approval in writing. The section includes an exception for work that is to be performed in Alaska.

(Sec. 102) This section permits construction funds provided by this title to be used for hiring passenger motor vehicles.

(Sec. 103) This section permits construction funds provided by this title to be used for advances to the Federal Highway Administration for the construction of access roads DOD has certified as important to national defense.

(Sec. 104) This section prohibits funds provided by this title from being used to begin construction of new bases in the United States without a specific appropriation.

(Sec. 105) This section prohibits funds provided by this title from being used to purchase land or land easements in excess of 100% of the value as determined by the Army Corps of Engineers or the Naval Facilities Engineering Command. The section includes exceptions for (1) determinations of value by a federal court, (2) purchases negotiated by the Department of Justice, (3) values less than $25,000, and (4) purchases that are otherwise determined by DOD to be in the public interest.

(Sec. 106) This section prohibits funds provided by this title from being used to acquire land, provide for site preparation, or install utilities for family housing, except housing for which appropriations have been provided.

(Sec. 107) This section prohibits funds provided by this title for minor construction from being used to transfer or relocate any activity from one base or installation to another without notifying the congressional appropriations committees in advance.

(Sec. 108) This section prohibits funds provided by this title from being used to procure steel for construction unless American producers, fabricators, and manufacturers have been allowed to compete for the procurement.

(Sec. 109) This section prohibits funds provided to DOD for military construction or family housing during the current fiscal year from being used to pay real property taxes in any foreign nation.

(Sec. 110) This section prohibits funds provided by this title from being used to initiate a new installation overseas without notifying the congressional appropriations committees in advance.

(Sec. 111) This section prohibits funds provided by this title from being used for architect and engineer contracts estimated to exceed $500,000 for projects in Japan, NATO member countries, or countries bordering the Arabian Gulf unless the contracts are awarded to U.S. firms or U.S. firms in joint ventures with host nation firms.

(Sec. 112) This section prohibits funds provided by this title for military construction in U.S. territories and possessions in the Pacific and on Kwajalein Atoll, or in countries bordering the Arabian Gulf, from being used to award a contract estimated to exceed $1 million to a foreign contractor. The section also includes exceptions.

(Sec. 113) This section requires DOD to notify Congress in advance of the plans and scope of any proposed military exercise involving U.S. personnel if the construction costs are anticipated to exceed $100,000.

(Sec. 114) This section permits funds appropriated to DOD for construction in prior years to be used for construction projects authorized during the current session of Congress.

(Sec. 115) This section permits expired or lapsed funds to be used to pay for supervision, inspection, overhead, engineering, and design costs for military construction or family housing projects being completed with lapsed or expired funds.

(Sec. 116) This section permits funds provided for the construction of military projects to be available for five years if the funds for the project (1) are obligated from funds available for military construction, and (2) do not exceed the amount appropriated or permitted by law for the project.

(Sec. 117) This section permits the following transfers if the congressional appropriations committees are notified and specified conditions are met:

• to the DOD Family Housing Improvement Fund from appropriations for construction in Family Housing accounts, and
• to the DOD Military Unaccompanied Housing Improvement Fund from appropriations for construction of military unaccompanied housing in Military Construction accounts.

The section also specifies that the transferred funds shall be available for DOD loans or loan guarantees pertaining to alternative means of acquiring and improving military family housing, military unaccompanied housing, and supporting facilities.

(Sec. 118) This section permits the transfer of funds from the DOD Base Closure Account to the fund established to pay expenses associated with the Homeowners Assistance Program under the Demonstration Cities and Metropolitan Development Act of 1966.

(Sec. 119) This section specifies that funds for operation and maintenance of family housing in this title shall be the only source of funds for repair and maintenance of all family housing units, including general or flag officer quarters. It also sets forth limitations and requirements for expenditures for maintenance and repair of general or flag officer quarters.

(Sec. 120) This section appropriates funds contained in the Ford Island Improvement Account and permits the funds to remain available until expended or transferred.

(Sec. 121) This section permits the transfer of unobligated balances of expired military construction and family housing funds into the Foreign Currency Fluctuations--Construction--Defense account.

(Sec. 122) This section permits funds provided to an account in this title to be transferred among projects and activities within the account, subject to specified DOD reprogramming guidelines for military and family housing construction.

(Sec. 123) This section prohibits funds provided by this title from being used for the planning, design, and construction of projects at Arlington National Cemetery.

(Sec. 124) This section provides specified additional funds to remain available through FY2030 for unfunded military construction priorities.

(Sec. 125) This section requires specified military construction appropriations that are appropriated pursuant to authorizations in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 to be immediately available and allotted to contract for the full scope of authorized projects.

(Sec. 126) This section permits specified funds to be obligated before October 1, 2027, for FY2017, FY2018, FY2019, and FY2020 military construction projects for which the project authorizations have not lapsed or for which authorizations were extended for FY2026 by a National Defense Authorization Act.

(Sec. 127) This section defines congressional defense committees to include the House and Senate Armed Services Committees and Appropriations Subcommittees on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs.

(Sec. 128) This section provides additional military construction appropriations to the Army, Navy and Marine Corps, and the Air Force for the design of child development centers.

(Sec. 129) This section provides additional military construction appropriations to the Army, Navy and Marine Corps, and the Air Force for the design of barracks.

(Sec. 130) This section provides additional military construction appropriations for the Army, Navy and Marine Corps, and the Air Force for unspecified minor construction for demolition.

(Sec. 131) This section prohibits funds provided by this division from being used to carry out the closure or realignment of the U.S. Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

(Sec. 132) This section permits the Army to use unobligated military construction funds for certain access road projects at Arlington National Cemetery.

TITLE II--DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

This title provides appropriations to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The VA budget includes both discretionary spending and mandatory spending (i.e., appropriated entitlements).

The title provides appropriations to the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) for

• Compensation and Pensions,
• Readjustment Benefits,
• Veterans Insurance and Indemnities,
• the Veterans Housing Benefit Program Fund,
• the Vocational Rehabilitation Loans Program Account,
• the Native American Veteran Housing Loan Program Account, and
• General Operating Expenses.

The title provides appropriations to the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) for

• Medical Services,
• Medical Community Care,
• Medical Support and Compliance,
• Medical Facilities, and
• Medical and Prosthetic Research.

The title provides appropriations to the National Cemetery Administration.

The title provides appropriations to the VA for Departmental Administration, including

• General Administration,
• the Board of Veterans Appeals,
• Information Technology Systems,
• the Veterans Electronic Health Record,
• the Office of Inspector General,
• Construction--Major Projects,
• Construction--Minor Projects,
• Grants for Construction of State Extended Care Facilities, and
• Grants for Construction of Veterans Cemeteries.

The title also provides appropriations to the VA for the Cost of War Toxic Exposures Fund.

(Sec. 201) This section specifies transfer authorities and requirements for the VBA.

(Sec. 202) This section specifies transfer authorities and requirements for the VHA.

(Sec. 203) This section permits appropriations provided by this title for salaries and expenses to be used for employment of temporary or intermittent experts and consultants, hire of passenger vehicles, lease of a facility or land or both, and uniforms.

(Sec. 204) This section prohibits appropriations in this title other than Construction--Major Projects and Construction--Minor Projects funds from being used for the purchase of any site for or toward the construction of any new hospital or home.

(Sec. 205) This section requires the VA to be reimbursed for medical services it provides to any person not defined as a beneficiary under specified laws.

(Sec. 206) This section permits appropriations provided by this title for Compensation and Pensions, Readjustment Benefits, and Veterans Insurance and Indemnities to be used for payment of prior year accrued obligations required to be recorded by law against the corresponding prior year accounts within the last quarter of FY2025.

(Sec. 207) This section permits appropriations provided by this title to be used to pay specified prior year obligations. Obligations from trust fund accounts may only be paid from the Compensation and Pensions account.

(Sec. 208) This section requires the VA to use surplus earnings from the National Service Life Insurance Fund, the Veterans' Special Life Insurance Fund, and the United States Government Life Insurance Fund to reimburse the General Operating Expenses--Veterans Benefits Administration and Information Technology Systems accounts for the costs to administer the insurance programs.

(Sec. 209) This section permits amounts deducted from enhanced-use lease proceeds to reimburse an account for expenses incurred by that account during a prior fiscal year for providing enhanced-use lease services to remain available until expended.

(Sec. 210) This section permits funds provided by this title or funds for salaries and other administrative expenses to be used to reimburse the following offices for services provided, subject to specified limits:

• the Office of Resolution Management,
• the Office of Employment Discrimination Complaint Adjudication, and
• the Alternative Dispute Resolution function within the Office of Human Resources and Administration.

The payments may be made in advance for services to be furnished based on estimated costs.

(Sec. 211) This section requires the VA to collect third-party reimbursement information prior to providing hospital care, nursing home care, or medical services for certain non-service-connected disabilities. It also permits the VA to recover reasonable charges for care from anyone who has not provided the required disclosures.

(Sec. 212) This section permits enhanced-use leasing revenues to be deposited into the Construction--Major Projects and Construction--Minor Projects accounts to be used for construction, alterations, and improvements of VA medical facilities.

(Sec. 213) This section permits funds provided for Medical Services to be used for (1) furnishing recreational facilities, supplies, and equipment; and (2) funeral and burial expenses for beneficiaries receiving care from the VA.

(Sec. 214) This section permits funds deposited in the Medical Care Collections Fund to be transferred to the Medical Services and Medical Community Care accounts and remain available until expended for the purposes of those accounts.

(Sec. 215) This section permits the VA to enter into agreements with Federally Qualified Health Centers in Alaska and Indian tribes and tribal organizations which are party to the Alaska Native Health Compact with the Indian Health Service to provide health care, including behavioral health and dental care, to veterans in rural Alaska. It defines rural Alaska as those lands which are not within the boundaries of the municipality of Anchorage or the Fairbanks North Star Borough.

(Sec. 216) This section permits funds deposited into the Department of Veterans Affairs Capital Asset Fund to be transferred to the Construction--Major Projects and Construction--Minor Projects accounts to remain available until expended for the purposes of those accounts.

(Sec. 217) This section requires the VA to report quarterly to Congress on the financial status of the VA.

(Sec. 218) This section permits specified FY2026 VA funds to be transferred to or from the Information Technology Systems account if the transfer is approved by the congressional appropriations committees.

(Sec. 219) This section permits specified FY2026 VA funds provided for medical accounts, Construction--Minor Projects, and Information Technology Systems to be transferred to the Joint Department of Defense-Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility Demonstration Fund and used for the operation of combined federal medical facilities.

(Sec. 220) This section permits specified FY2027 VA funding provided for medical accounts to be transferred to the Joint Department of Defense-Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility Demonstration Fund and used for the operation of combined federal medical facilities.

(Sec. 221) This section permits transfers from the Medical Care Collections Fund to the Joint Department of Defense-Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility Demonstration Fund and for the operation of combined federal medical facilities.

(Sec. 222) This section requires specified funds from medical accounts to be transferred to the DOD-VA Health Care Sharing Incentive Fund to remain available until expended.

(Sec. 223) This section prohibits VA funds from being used to replace the current system that the Veterans Integrated Service Networks use to select and contract for diabetes monitoring supplies and equipment.

(Sec. 224) This section directs the VA to notify the congressional appropriations committees of all bid savings in major construction projects that total at least $5 million or 5% of the programmed amount of the project, whichever is less.

(Sec. 225) This section prohibits funds provided for the Construction--Major Projects account from being used to increase the scope of a project above the original budget request without congressional approval.

(Sec. 226) This section requires the VA to submit to the congressional appropriations committees quarterly reports containing performance measures and data from each VBA regional office.

(Sec. 227) This section directs the VA to notify the congressional appropriations committees before organizational changes that result in the transfer of 25 or more full-time equivalent staff from one organizational unit to another.

(Sec. 228) This section requires the VA to report to the congressional appropriations committees quarterly regarding any single national outreach and awareness marketing campaign with obligations that exceed $1 million.

(Sec. 229) This section permits the VA to transfer funds to the Medical Services account if the transfer is necessary to address the needs of the VHA and meets specified requirements.

(Sec. 230) This section permits FY2026 funds provided for the Board of Veterans Appeals and General Operating Expenses--Veterans Benefits Administration to be transferred between those accounts if the congressional appropriations committees approve the transfer.

(Sec. 231) This section prohibits the VA from reprogramming more than a cumulative $7 million in funds among major construction projects or programs without the approval of the congressional appropriations committees.

(Sec. 232) This section requires the VA to ensure that the toll-free suicide hotline authorized under current law (1) provides individuals who contact the hotline with immediate assistance from a trained professional, and (2) adheres to all requirements of the American Association of Suicidology.

It also prohibits funds provided by this division from being used to enforce or otherwise carry out any executive action that prohibits the VA from appointing an individual to occupy a vacant civil service position, or establishing a new civil service position, with respect to the hotline.

Finally, the section requires the VA to study the effectiveness of the hotline based on an analysis of national suicide data and data collected from the hotline.

(Sec. 233) This section requires the VA to use the breast cancer screening guidelines issued on May 10, 2017, by the VHA National Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention.

(Sec. 234) This section permits VA Medical Services funds to be used to provide (1) fertility counseling and treatment using assisted reproductive technology to a covered veteran or the spouse of a covered veteran, or (2) adoption reimbursement to a covered veteran. A covered veteran is a veteran who has a service-connected disability that results in the inability of the veteran to procreate without the use of fertility treatment.

(Sec. 235) This section prohibits the VA from using funds in a manner that is inconsistent with specified provisions under current law that restrict certain activities and studies related to the conversion of activities of an executive agency to contractor performance.

(Sec. 236) This section specifies that certain restrictions and requirements that apply to the use of funds to convert an activity of an executive agency to contractor performance do not apply to the conversion of an activity or function of the VHA, VBA, or National Cemetery Administration to contractor performance by a business concern that is at least 51% owned by one or more Indian Tribes or one or more Native Hawaiian Organizations.

(Sec. 237) This section requires the VA to discontinue collecting and using Social Security numbers to authenticate individuals in all information systems of VA not later than September 30, 2026.

The section includes exceptions that allow the VA to collect and use Social Security numbers if the use is necessary to

• obtain or provide information from an information system that is not under the jurisdiction of the VA;
• comply with a law, regulation, or court order;
• perform anti-fraud activities; or
• identify a specific individual where no adequate substitute is available.

(Sec. 238) This section applies to FY2026 and FY2027 VA Medical Services funds a requirement for the VA to treat a marriage and family therapist that meets specified educational and licensing requirements as qualified to serve as a VA therapist.

(Sec. 239) This section prohibits the VA from transferring funds from the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund to any other VA account.

(Sec. 240) This section permits FY2026 and FY2027 Medical Services funds to be used to carry out and expand the pilot program for providing child care assistance to veterans receiving health care.

(Sec. 241) This section prohibits the VA from using funds provided by this title to enter into an agreement related to resolving a dispute or claim with an individual that would restrict the individual from speaking to Members of Congress or their staff on any topic not otherwise prohibited from disclosure by federal law or required by executive order to be kept secret in the interest of national defense or the conduct of foreign affairs.

(Sec. 242) This section applies to FY2026 and FY2027 VA funds a requirement for certain details to be included in the budget justification documents submitted to Congress for the Construction--Major Projects account.

(Sec. 243) This section requires departments and agencies funded by this division to provide an Inspector General (IG) funded by this division with timely access to records, documents, or other materials available to the department or agency over which the IG has responsibility. It also requires each IG to comply with specified statutory limitations on disclosure of the information provided.

(Sec. 244) This section prohibits funds provided by this division from being used in a manner that would increase wait times for veterans seeking care at VA medical facilities.

(Sec. 245) This section prohibits VHA funds provided by this division from being used in FY2026 to convert any program which received specific purpose funds in FY2025 to a general purpose funded program unless the congressional appropriations committees are notified in advance and approve the proposal.

(Sec. 246) This section applies to FY2026 and FY2027 VA funds a provision that specifies documentation that DOD may accept to verify that a coastwise merchant seaman performed active duty service under honorable conditions.

(Sec. 247) This section establishes restrictions and requirements regarding the use of VA funds for conducting certain research that uses any canine, feline, or non-human primate. Specifically, the section prohibits such research that does not meet specified requirements, establishes reporting requirements regarding the research and violations of certain laws and policies related to animal research, requires the VA to submit to voluntary Department of Agriculture inspections of research facilities, and requires the VA to implement a plan to eliminate the research by September 20, 2026.

(Sec. 248) This section permits the VA to use funds provided by this title to ensure that the ratio of veterans to full-time employment equivalents within any rehabilitation program does not exceed 125 veterans to one full-time employment equivalent. It also requires the VA to report to Congress on rehabilitation programs, including (1) an assessment of the veteran-to-staff ratio for each program, and (2) recommendations to reduce the veteran-to-staff ratio for each program.

(Sec. 249) This section permits FY2026 and FY2027 funds provided for the Medical Community Care Account to be used for expenses that would otherwise be paid from the Veterans Choice Fund.

(Sec. 250) This section allows obligations and expenditures applicable to the Medical Services account in FY2017-FY2019 for aid to state homes to remain in the Medical Community Care account for such fiscal years.

(Sec. 251) This section makes specified funds from the medical accounts available for

• gender-specific care and programmatic efforts to deliver care for women veterans,
• suicide prevention outreach programs,
• the Caregivers Program,
• the National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder,
• the Neurology Centers of Excellence,
• rural health care,
• veterans’ homelessness programs,
• telehealth for veterans,
• opioid prevention and treatment programs, and
• the Intimate Partner Violence Assistance Program.

(Sec. 252) This section allocates specified funds from the Recurring Expenses Transformational Fund for constructing, altering, extending, and improving VHA medical facilities.

(Sec. 253) This section requires specified FY2026 funds that were provided for the VHA’s Medical Services account to be transferred to the VHA’s Medical Facilities account.

(Sec. 254) This section requires the VA to submit an expenditure plan for the funds provided for the Cost of Water Toxic Exposures Fund by this division and any available unobligated balances from prior appropriations. The VA must also submit quarterly reports regarding the status of the funds.

(Sec. 255) This section permits certain contributions from other federal agencies to VA nonprofit corporations for research under an order placed with the VA to remain available for the liquidation of valid obligations incurred by the corporation during the period of performance of the order if the VA determines that the amounts need to remain available.

(Sec. 256) This section prohibits funds from being used to close certain VA medical facilities, conduct an environmental assessment, or diminish services at certain existing VA medical facilities as part of a planned realignment of VA services until the VA submits a report to the congressional appropriations committees with specified details regarding the planned realignment of services.

(Sec. 257) This section permits unobligated balances from the VA construction accounts to be used to support construction projects under the Communities Helping Invest through Property and Improvements Needed for Veterans Act of 2016, which authorized the VA to accept donations of real property and facilities from certain nonfederal entities.

(Sec. 258) This section prohibits VA funds provided by this division from being used to purchase certain information technology equipment if the manufacturer, bidder, or offeror (or any subsidiary or parent entity of the manufacturer, bidder, or offeror) of the equipment is an entity or parent company of an entity listed on

• the Chinese Military Company List of the Department of Defense;
• the Non-SDN Chinese Military Industrial Complex Companies List of the Department of the Treasury;
• the Denied Persons List, Entity List, or Military End User List of the Department of Commerce if the entity is an agency or instrumentality of China, an entity headquartered in China, or is directly or indirectly owned or controlled by such an agency or entity; or
• the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List of the Department of Homeland Security

(Sec. 259) This section prohibits funds provided by this division from being used for the final rule that was issued by the VA, published on February 16, 2023, and titled Change in Rates VA Pays for Special Modes of Transportation.

(Sec. 260) This section prohibits funds provided by this division from being used to pay award or incentive fees for contractors whose performance is below satisfactory, behind schedule, over budget, or has failed to meet the basic requirements of a contract unless specified requirements are met.

(Sec. 261) This section directs the VA to maintain staffing levels to facilitate the VA’s goals, including that benefit claims are adjudicated according to the 125-day goal, and that healthcare appointments and services are provided in the time frames required by statute and regulation.

(Sec. 262) This section requires the VA to provide quarterly briefings to the congressional appropriations committees on the status of implementing provisions in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 related to veterans in the Freely Associated States (FAS) in a way that is consistent with congressional intent, including engagement with FAS governments, a projected timeline for veterans in the FAS to receive hospital care and medical services, and an estimate of the cost of implementation.

(Sec. 263) This section prohibits funds provided by this title from being use to cancel a contract with a value that exceeds $10 million until the VA submits to the congressional appropriations committees an advance notification and written explanation of contingency plans to replace the relevant service being cancelled, including any necessary change in the VA’s staffing levels.

(Sec. 264) This section prohibits funds provided by this division from being used to reduce the staffing, hours of operation, or services of the Veterans Crisis Line or any other suicide prevention program of the VA.

TITLE III--RELATED AGENCIES

This title provides appropriations for related agencies, including

• the American Battle Monuments Commission;
• the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims;
• Cemeterial Expenses of the Army, including Arlington National Cemetery and Soldiers' and Airmen's Home National Cemetery; and
• the Armed Forces Retirement Home.

(Sec. 301) This section permits funds from concessions at Army National Military Cemeteries to be used to support activities at the cemeteries.

TITLE IV--GENERAL PROVISIONS

(Sec. 401) This section prohibits the obligation of funds in this division beyond the current fiscal year unless the obligation is expressly permitted in this division.

(Sec. 402) This section prohibits funds provided by this division from being used for programs, projects, or activities that are not in compliance with federal laws related to risk assessment, the protection of private property rights, or unfunded mandates.

(Sec. 403) This section encourages all departments and agencies funded in this division to expand their use of e-commerce technologies and procedures in the conduct of their business practices and public service activities.

(Sec. 404) This section specifies the congressional committees that must receive all reports and notifications required by this division.

(Sec. 405) This section prohibits funds provided by this division from being transferred to any part of the U.S. government without authority provided by an appropriations act.

(Sec. 406) This section prohibits funds provided by this division from being used for a project or program named for an individual serving as a Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner of the House of Representatives.

(Sec. 407) This section requires agencies to post reports submitted to Congress on the public website of the agency. Exceptions are included for national security and confidential or proprietary information.

(Sec. 408) This section prohibits the use of funds provided by this division for a computer network unless pornography is blocked, with the exception of funds necessary for any law enforcement agency or other entity carrying out criminal investigations, prosecution, or adjudication activities.

(Sec. 409) This section prohibits the use of funds provided by this division for first-class travel by an employee of the executive branch in contravention of specified federal regulations.

(Sec. 410) This section prohibits the use of funds provided by this division for any contract where the contractor has not complied with E-Verify requirements for verification of eligibility for employment.

(Sec. 411) This section prohibits the use of funds provided by this division to construct facilities on military installations that do not meet resiliency standards.

(Sec. 412) This section prohibits the use of funds provided by this division for the renovation, expansion, or construction of any facility in the United States to house certain individuals detained at the U.S. Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for the purposes of detention or imprisonment in the custody or under the control of DOD. An exception is included for modifications to the facility at Guantanamo Bay.

(Sec. 413) This section prohibits the VA from using funds provided by this division to report certain veterans who are deemed mentally incapacitated, mentally incompetent, or to be experiencing an extended loss of consciousness to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) without a judicial determination that the person is a danger to himself, herself, or others. (The NICS conducts background checks on potential buyers or owners of firearms.)

(Sec. 414) This section prohibits funds provided by this division from being used to influence congressional action on any legislation or appropriations matters pending before Congress, other than to communicate with Members of Congress as permitted under current law.

(Sec. 415) This section requires the VA to ensure that the policies and requirements described in the transmittal sheet of the VHA that was published on August 8, 2019, and titled Smoke-Free Policy for Employees at VA Health Care Facilities (VHA Directive 1085.01) remain in effect.

(Sec. 416) This section requires departments and agencies that receive funding in an appropriations act for FY2026 to submit monthly reports to the congressional appropriations committees regarding funds that are allotted and available for obligation.

DIVISION E--EXTENSION OF AGRICULTURAL PROGRAMS

(Sec. 5001) This section reauthorizes the United States Grain Standards Act, which authorizes the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish official marketing standards for grains.

Specifically, this section extends the authority of the Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS) through January 30, 2026, to (1) collect fees for required federal supervision of official inspections and weighing services provided by designated official agencies and state agencies, and (2) maintain the Grain Inspection Advisory Committee.

The bill also extends through FY2026 (1) the cap on FGIS's administrative and supervisory costs, and (2) authorization for FGIS grain standards development and maintenance activities.

(Sec. 5002) This section extends programs authorized by the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (commonly known as the 2018 farm bill) until the later of (1) September 30, 2026; (2) the date specified in the provision of the 2018 farm bill; or (3) the date in effect for programs authorized by the American Relief Act, 2025.

This section extends and amends Department of Agriculture (USDA) commodity programs, including by

• allowing Dairy Forward Pricing Program contracts to be extended through September 30, 2029 (previously September 30, 2028);
• extending the suspension of permanent price support authorities for the 2026 crop year for covered commodities, cotton, and sugar and through December 31, 2026, for milk; and
• extending the suspension of provisions related to corn and wheat marketing quotas for wheat planted for harvest in calendar year 2026.

This section extends the Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust through FY2026 to allow for eligible commodities to remain in the trust until September 30, 2026. The program makes funds available to provide emergency food assistance to developing countries.

This section extends through FY2026 a provision that prohibits USDA from declaring the Grazinglands Research Laboratory in El Reno, Oklahoma, to be excess or surplus federal property, or otherwise conveying or transferring the property.

This section extends through the 2026 crop year the Feedstock Flexibility Program (FFP) for Bioenergy Producers, which allows the Commodity Credit Corporation to purchase surplus sugar from processors for resale to ethanol producers for ethanol fuel. Further, this section extends through September 1, 2026, requirements for USDA to provide notice to eligible entities and bioenergy producers of the quantity of eligible commodities that must be made available for purchase and sale for the crop year.

This section also includes a number of exceptions to the extension of the 2018 farm bill.

Specifically, this section does not extend certain commodities-related mandatory funding that was provided for the Farm Service Agency to implement USDA commodity programs.

This section maintains the current FY2026 mandatory funding for the Grassroots Source Water Protection Program, a joint project with the Farm Service Agency and the National Rural Water Association (a nonprofit water and wastewater utility membership organization), which is designed to help prevent pollution of surface and ground water that is used as the primary source of drinking water by rural residents.

This section also does not extend

• certain mandatory funding under the Conservation Reserve Program for FY2025 and FY2026 for forest management incentive payments (e.g., payments for thinning and other practices to improve the condition of resources, promote forest management, or enhance wildlife habitat) and to facilitate the transfer of land subject to contracts under the program to beginning, veteran, or socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers;
• certain limitations on payments under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and the Conservation Stewardship Program; and
• certain mandatory funding that was provided for the Rural Economic Development Loan & Grant Program, which provides funding for rural projects through local utility organizations.

This section maintains certain research-related mandatory funding that was previously provided for FY2026 for scholarships for students at 1890 Institutions through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) program that provides grants to 1890 Institutions (i.e., historically Black colleges and universities that belong to the U.S. land-grant university system) for awarding scholarships to students who intend to pursue a career in the food and agricultural sciences.

It does not extend certain mandatory funding that was previously provided for the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, a nonprofit corporation established to advance the research mission of USDA by supporting research activities focused on key problems of national and international significance.

This section specifies that the extension of farm bill programs does not extend certain energy-related mandatory funding that was previously provided for

• the biobased markets program (i.e., BioPreferred Program) which promotes biobased products through mandatory purchasing requirements for federal agencies and their contractors and through a voluntary labeling initiative for biobased products; and
• the Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and Biobased Product Manufacturing Assistance Program, which provides loan guarantees to assist in the development of new and emerging technologies for the development of advanced biofuels, renewable chemicals, and biobased product manufacturing.

This section maintains certain FY2026 horticulture-related mandatory funding that was previously provided for USDA for modernization and improvement of international trade technology systems and data collection for imports of organically produced agricultural products. However, this section does not extend horticulture-related mandatory funding that was previously provided for the multiple crop and pesticide use survey of farmers conducted by the USDA Office of Pest Management Policy.

This section maintains certain mandatory funding that was previously provided for FY2026 for the Sheep Production and Marketing Grant Program, which seeks to strengthen and enhance the production and marketing of sheep and sheep products in the United States.

This section also extends various reporting requirements authorized by the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018.

Finally, this section must be applied and administered as if it had been enacted on September 30, 2025.

DIVISION F--HEALTH EXTENDERS

TITLE I--PUBLIC HEALTH EXTENDERS

(Sec. 6101) This section extends through January 30, 2026, funding for the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Program, the Community Health Center Fund, and the National Health Service Corps.

The Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Program supports education and training of medical students in primary care residency programs in community-based ambulatory patient care centers. The Community Health Center Fund supports (1) grants for outpatient health care facilities that serve medically underserved populations; and (2) the National Health Service Corps, which provides scholarships and student loan repayment awards to health care providers who agree to work in areas with health care provider shortages.

(Sec. 6102) This section extends funding through January 30, 2026, for the Special Diabetes Program for Type I Diabetes and the Special Diabetes Program for Indians. (The Special Diabetes Program for Type I Diabetes supports research on the prevention and cure of Type I diabetes, and the Special Diabetes Program for Indians supports diabetes treatment and prevention for tribal populations.)

(Sec. 6103) This section extends through January 30, 2026, the authority that allows states and tribes to request the temporary reassignment of state and local health department personnel who are funded through certain federal programs to immediately address a public health emergency.

It also extends through January 30, 2026, provisions that prohibit the disclosure of information about Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) programs that could compromise national security (e.g., information regarding biomedical threats).

The section extends through January 30, 2026, provisions that authorize HHS to engage with developers of medical countermeasures, and that provide for related antitrust exemptions, for the purpose of furthering product development.

Additionally, the section extends through January 30, 2026, the National Advisory Committee on Children and Disasters, the National Advisory Committee on Seniors and Disasters, and the National Advisory Committee on Individuals with Disabilities and Disasters.

It also extends through January 30, 2026, the authority of HHS to directly appoint candidates to positions within the National Disaster Medical System if HHS determines the number of personnel in the system is insufficient to address a public health emergency or potential public health emergency. (The National Disaster Medical System is a partnership between HHS, the Department of Defense, and other federal departments that responds to public health and other emergencies, including by deploying medical response teams.)

TITLE II--MEDICARE

(Sec. 6201) This section extends through January 30, 2026, certain increased payment adjustments for low-volume hospitals under Medicare's inpatient prospective payment system.

(Sec. 6202) This section extends through January 30, 2026, the Medicare-Dependent Hospital Program, which provides additional payments to certain small rural hospitals that have a high proportion of Medicare patients.

(Sec. 6203) This section extends through FY2026, funding for certain Medicare quality-measurement activities.

(Sec. 6204) This section extends through January 30, 2026, the Acute Hospital Care at Home Program under Medicare. (The program allows hospitals to treat certain patients from emergency departments or inpatient hospital beds at home.)

(Sec. 6205) This section extends through January 30, 2026, funding for surveys of hospices for purposes of certification under Medicare.

(Sec. 6206) This section extends through January 30, 2026, certain increased payment adjustments for ground ambulance services in rural and other areas under Medicare.

(Sec. 6207) This section extends through January 30, 2026, certain minimum adjustments to the work geographic index with respect to payments for physician services under Medicare.

(Sec. 6208) This section extends through January 30, 2026, certain telehealth flexibilities under Medicare.

Specifically, the section (1) removes geographic restrictions on originating sites (i.e., the location of the beneficiary); (2) allows the home of the beneficiary to serve as the originating site for all services; (3) allows audiologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists to furnish telehealth services; (4) allows federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics to serve as the distant site (i.e., the location of the health care practitioner); (5) delays implementation of certain in-person evaluation requirements for mental health telehealth services; (6) expands coverage to include audio-only services for evaluation and management and behavioral health services; and (7) allows, for purposes of hospice care recertification under Medicare, physicians and nurse practitioners to fulfill the requirement of a face-to-face encounter with the hospice patient via telehealth.

(Sec. 6209) This section delays until February 1, 2026, certain laboratory reporting requirements that are used to determine payment rates for clinical diagnostic laboratory tests under Medicare. It also delays related payment reductions until January 31, 2026.

(Sec. 6210) This section extends through January 30, 2026, funding for state health insurance programs, area agencies on aging, aging and disability resource centers, and technical assistance related to outreach and enrollment with respect to Medicare and other programs.

(Sec. 6211) This section extends through January 30, 2026, coverage under the Medicare prescription drug benefit of prescription oral antiviral drugs that were authorized in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency.

(Sec. 6212) This section reduces funding for the Medicare Improvement Fund beginning in FY2027.

(Sec. 6213) This section extends by one month the sequestration that applies to Medicare payments in FY2032.

TITLE III--HUMAN SERVICES

(Sec. 6301) This section extends through January 30, 2026, the Sexual Risk Avoidance Education Program. This program supports projects to implement sexual risk avoidance education that teaches participants to voluntarily refrain from nonmarital sexual activities.

(Sec. 6302) This section extends through January 30, 2026, the Personal Responsibility Education Program. This program provides grants to states to (1) educate young people about abstinence and contraception to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, and (2) support pregnant youth and mothers under the age of 21.

(Sec. 6303) This section extends through January 30, 2026, the Family-to-Family Health Information Centers Program, which is administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration. The program awards grants to family-run organizations to support the provision of information and peer support to families of children with special health care needs. 

TITLE IV--MEDICAID

(Sec. 6401) This section delays reductions to Medicaid disproportionate-share hospital (DSH) allotments until January 31, 2026. (DSHs are hospitals that receive additional payments under Medicaid for treating a large share of low-income patients.)

The section also extends Tennessee’s specialized DSH allotment through January 30, 2026.

TITLE V--FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION

Over-the-Counter Monograph Drug User Fee Amendments

This title reauthorizes the Over-the-Counter (OTC) Monograph Drug User Fee Program (OMUFA) through FY2030; revises Food and Drug Administration (FDA) procedures for the evaluation of topical, nonprescription drugs; and requires the FDA to clarify the process through which a prescription drug may be switched to nonprescription status.

Under current law, many OTC drugs are marketed through compliance with an OTC monograph issued by the FDA, rather than through an approved new drug application. Monographs establish the conditions under which OTC drugs are generally recognized as safe and effective (GRASE), and include ingredients, dosages, and other requirements. OMUFA permits the FDA to collect fees from OTC drug facilities and entities requesting changes to a monograph.

(Sec. 6503) This section adds as a Tier 2 OTC monograph order request a request for the addition or modification of a testing procedure applicable to one or more monograph drugs, provided the testing procedure reflects a voluntary consensus standard with respect to pharmaceutical quality. (Requestors seeking certain kinds of changes to a monograph are awarded a period of market exclusivity if the FDA makes the requested changes; tier 2 requests are not eligible for market exclusivity.)

(Sec. 6504) This section reauthorizes the collection of OMUFA fees through FY2030. This section also makes certain changes to the OMUFA fee structure, including by

• revising the total facility fee revenue amount to be collected for FY2026-FY2030,
• revising due dates for facility fees,
• permitting the FDA to implement a one-time adjustment to facility fees for FY2028-FY2030 if certain conditions exist, and
• requiring the FDA to publish facility and order request fee amounts at least 60 days before the start of each fiscal year.

(Sec. 6505) This section expands existing reporting requirements related to OMUFA, revises processes for the next OMUFA reauthorization, and requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to report on the OTC monograph drug supply chain.

Specifically, this section expands the scope of an annual report detailing the FDA’s progress in achieving the goals of OMUFA. Pursuant to this section, the report must include certain data on OTC monograph order requests, information on post-market safety activities related to OTC monograph drugs, and information on facility registration and fee payment. Additionally, the report must include information on the implementation of new evidence and testing standards for topical, nonprescription drugs and information on the FDA’s progress in allowing nonclinical alternatives to animal testing for active ingredients used in sunscreen.

This section also requires the FDA to consult with stakeholders to develop recommendations for the next reauthorization of OMUFA. The FDA must publish written minutes of any related meetings with industry stakeholders. Final recommendations must be submitted to Congress by January 15, 2030.

Finally, this section requires GAO to report to Congress with an assessment of the supply chain for OTC monograph drugs. This report must include an assessment of the FDA’s collection and use of information on the OTC monograph drug supply chain and an assessment of how the FDA coordinates with other federal agencies to address disruptions to the supply chain.

(Sec. 6506) This section revises FDA procedures for the evaluation of topical, nonprescription drugs subject to a monograph, including sunscreens.

Specifically, in evaluating the GRASE status of active ingredients for use in such topical, nonprescription drugs, the FDA must employ standards that allow for the use of real-world evidence in addition to evidence from traditional clinical trials. These standards must allow the FDA to evaluate whether the benefits of such active ingredients outweigh the risks. In evaluating these active ingredients, the FDA must also apply certain existing standards through which sponsors may demonstrate that a nonprescription drug is safe (e.g., a verifiable history of being marketed and safely used by consumers in the United States).

Further, the FDA must consider nonclinical tests and other alternatives to animal testing, as appropriate, for topical, nonprescription drugs subject to a monograph. The FDA must also issue new draft guidance describing how sponsors can use nonclinical alternatives to animal testing to meet safety and efficacy standards for topical drugs.

Finally, the FDA’s final order on active ingredients for nonprescription sunscreen must (1) account for historical data on the safety of sunscreen active ingredients that have previously been marketed in the United States, (2) account for the role of broad-spectrum sunscreens with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15 or higher in preventing skin cancer, and (3) incorporate evidence and testing standards that allow for the use of real-world evidence and alternatives to animal testing.

(Sec. 6507) This section requires the FDA to clarify the process through which the holder of an approved prescription drug application may apply to market the drug as a nonprescription drug. A switch from prescription status to nonprescription status may be full or partial; in a partial switch, the drug is approved for nonprescription use only under certain conditions and otherwise remains approved for prescription use only.

Specifically, the FDA must issue guidance to clarify the application process and standards of approval for nonprescription drugs, especially with respect to prescription drugs with well-established safety profiles for which an applicant may apply for nonprescription status. This guidance must describe evidentiary expectations and discuss how various information sources may be used to support an application for a nonprescription drug. It must also provide recommendations for incorporating mechanisms, such as mobile applications and decision aids, into the information submitted in support of an application for a switch to nonprescription status.

Further, the FDA must develop and publish a plan to engage stakeholders on considerations for identifying prescription drugs that may be promising candidates for a switch to nonprescription status.

Under this section, an individual or entity planning to apply to switch a prescription drug to nonprescription status may request to meet with the FDA to develop a plan for the application. This plan may address evidence needed to support the application, the format and content of the application, and potential risks to public health. The FDA’s guidance on the nonprescription application process must provide procedures for requesting such a meeting.

Finally, GAO must evaluate and report to Congress on the FDA’s handling of applications to switch a drug from prescription to nonprescription status since October 1, 2022.

(Sec. 6508) This section permits organizations nominated by drug sponsors or administrative order requestors to meet with FDA officials to obtain advice on studies and other information necessary to support applications for nonprescription drugs and other related matters.

(Sec. 6509) This section provides for the termination of OMUFA at the end of FY2030 and for the termination of associated reporting requirements on January 31, 2031.

(Sec. 6510) This section provides for OMUFA fees to be assessed beginning October 1, 2025, regardless of the date of enactment of this title.

(Sec. 6511) This section provides for the continued application of OMUFA, as was in effect before enactment of this title, with respect to the assessment and collection of required fees for fiscal years before FY2026.

TITLE VI--NO SURPRISES ACT IMPLEMENTATION

(Sec. 6601) This section extends through January 30, 2026, the availability of funding that was provided for HHS, the Department of Labor, and the Department of the Treasury to implement provisions of the No Surprises Act, which generally established federal protections from surprise medical bills and otherwise modified reporting and disclosure requirements related to health insurance.

The section also provides additional funding for HHS to implement these provisions through January 30, 2026.

DIVISION G--DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS EXTENDERS

TITLE I--HEALTH CARE MATTERS

(Sec. 7101) This section extends through FY2026 the authority for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to collect copayments from certain veterans for hospital care or nursing home care.

(Sec. 7102) This section extends through FY2026 the requirement that the VA provide nursing home care to certain veterans with a service-connected disability.

(Sec. 7103) This section extends through FY2026 the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program, which awards grants to eligible entities to provide or coordinate suicide prevention services for veterans and members of the Armed Forces and their families.

(Sec. 7104) This section extends through FY2026 the authorization for the expansion of the VA’s Rural Access Network for Growth Enhancement (RANGE) program, which serves veterans in rural areas who are experiencing mental illness.

TITLE II--BENEFITS

(Sec. 7201) This section extends through 2026 the requirement for quarterly briefings by the VA to Congress regarding the implementation of a presumption of service-connection based on toxic exposure for purposes of VA benefits and care.

(Sec. 7202) This section extends the requirement that certain educational assistance entitlements be restored for individuals who are affected by a closure or disapproval of a course or program of education to apply to closures or disapprovals occurring before the end of FY2026.

(Sec. 7203) This section extends by one year the authority for additional licensed health care professionals (i.e., physician assistants, nurse practitioners, audiologists, and psychologists) to perform medical disability examinations as part of the existing VA pilot program related to the use of contract physicians for disability examinations.

(Sec. 7204) This section extends through FY2026 the authority of the VA to maintain a regional office in the Philippines.

TITLE III--HOUSING

(Sec. 7301) This section reauthorizes through FY2026 a Department of Labor grant program for programs and facilities that provide dedicated services for homeless women veterans and homeless veterans with children.

(Sec. 7302) This section extends through FY2026 the VA's Health Care for Homeless Veterans program, which provides outreach, treatment, rehabilitation, and therapeutic transitional housing assistance for seriously mentally ill and homeless veterans. Additionally, the section extends the authority of the VA to operate a program to establish centers for the provision of comprehensive services to homeless veterans.

(Sec. 7303) This section reauthorizes through FY2026 the Supportive Services for Veterans Families program, which provides financial assistance for supportive services for very low-income veteran families in permanent housing or transitioning from homelessness.

(Sec. 7304) This section reauthorizes through FY2026 the VA program to provide grants to entities to encourage the development of programs for homeless veterans with special needs.

(Sec. 7305) This section extends through FY2026 the VA’s authority to provide assistance for housing adaptations for disabled veterans who are residing temporarily in housing owned by a family member.

(Sec. 7306) This section extends through FY2026 the Specially Adapted Housing Assistive Technology (SAHAT) Grant Program, through which the VA provides grants to persons or entities to develop assistive technologies for use in specially adapted housing.

(Sec. 7307) This section modifies the VA’s Partial Claim Program, under which the VA may make a partial claim (purchase a portion of the indebtedness) on VA loans for primary residences that are in default or at imminent risk of default. Among other modifications, this section extends from 120 days to 180 days the amount of time following a major disaster during which the VA may make an additional partial claim on a loan in the case of an individual who failed to make a payment during such disaster.

(Sec. 7308) This section requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to annually report on the VA’s Partial Claim Program. The GAO must also conduct an assessment of the benefits and challenges of the program prior to the program’s termination.

TITLE IV--OTHER MATTERS

(Sec. 7401) This section extends through FY2026 the subpoena authority of the VA Office of Inspector General.

(Sec. 7402) This section extends through December 31, 2026, the requirement for the VA to submit a report containing a statement regarding the disposition of each case recommended to the VA for equitable relief due to administrative error.

(Sec. 7403) This section extends through FY2026 the authority to transport individuals to and from VA facilities in connection with vocational rehabilitation, required counseling, or for the purpose of examination, treatment, or care.

(Sec. 7404) This section extends the existing authority under the VA’s Vendee Loan program, which offers qualified buyers the option to purchase VA-owned properties with a low down payment (or no down payment).

(Sec. 7405) This section extends through FY2026 the authority of the VA to transfer real property to other agencies, states, or public or private entities.

(Sec. 7406) This section provides for a retroactive effective date for all amendments in Division G of this act, with the exception of the modifications to the Partial Claim Program.

DIVISION H--MISCELLANEOUS

(Sec. 8001) This section exempts the budgetary effects of Divisions E-G of this act from (1) the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) Act of 2010, (2) the Senate PAYGO rule, and (3) certain budget scorekeeping rules.