Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, 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 ob