[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3944 Engrossed Amendment Senate (EAS)]
<DOC>
In the Senate of the United States,
August 1, 2025.
Resolved, That the bill from the House of Representatives (H.R.
3944) entitled ``An Act making appropriations for military
construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies
for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, and for other
purposes.'', do pass with the following
AMENDMENT:
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Military Construction and Veterans
Affairs, Agriculture, and Legislative Branch Appropriations Act,
2026''.
SEC. 2. REFERENCES TO ACT.
Except as expressly provided otherwise, any reference to ``this
Act'' contained in any division of this Act shall be treated as
referring only to the provisions of that division.
SEC. 3. REFERENCES TO REPORT.
(a) Any reference to a ``report accompanying this Act'' contained
in division A shall be treated as a reference to Senate Report 119-43.
The effect of such Report shall be limited to division A and shall
apply for purposes of determining the allocation of funds provided by,
and the implementation of, division A.
(b) Any reference to a ``report accompanying this Act'' contained
in division B shall be treated as a reference to Senate Report 119-37.
The effect of such Report shall be limited to division B and shall
apply for purposes of determining the allocation of funds provided by,
and the implementation of, division B.
(c) Any reference to a ``report accompanying this Act'' contained
in division C shall be treated as a reference to Senate Report 119-38.
The effect of such Report shall be limited to division C and shall
apply for purposes of determining the allocation of funds provided by,
and the implementation of, division C.
DIVISION A--MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, VETERANS AFFAIRS, AND RELATED
AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2026
The following sums are appropriated, out of any money in the
Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for military construction, the
Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal
year ending September 30, 2026, and for other purposes, namely:
TITLE I
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Military Construction, Army
For acquisition, construction, installation, and equipment of
temporary or permanent public works, military installations,
facilities, and real property for the Army as currently authorized by
law, including personnel in the Army Corps of Engineers and other
personal services necessary for the purposes of this appropriation, and
for construction and operation of facilities in support of the
functions of the Commander in Chief, $2,447,609,000, to remain
available until September 30, 2030: Provided, That, of this amount,
not to exceed $446,388,000 shall be available for study, planning,
design, architect and engineer services, and host nation support, as
authorized by law, unless the Secretary of the Army determines that
additional obligations are necessary for such purposes and notifies the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress of the
determination and the reasons therefor: Provided further, That of the
amount made available under this heading, $268,650,000 shall be for the
projects and activities, and in the amounts, specified in the table
under the heading ``Military Construction, Army'' in the report
accompanying this Act, in addition to amounts otherwise available for
such purposes.
Military Construction, Navy and Marine Corps
For acquisition, construction, installation, and equipment of
temporary or permanent public works, naval installations, facilities,
and real property for the Navy and Marine Corps as currently authorized
by law, including personnel in the Naval Facilities Engineering Command
and other personal services necessary for the purposes of this
appropriation, $5,906,524,000, to remain available until September 30,
2030: Provided, That, of this amount, not to exceed $613,213,000 shall
be available for study, planning, design, and architect and engineer
services, as authorized by law, unless the Secretary of the Navy
determines that additional obligations are necessary for such purposes
and notifies the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress of the determination and the reasons therefor: Provided
further, That of the amount made available under this heading,
$144,390,000 shall be for the projects and activities, and in the
amounts, specified in the table under the heading ``Military
Construction, Navy and Marine Corps'' in the report accompanying this
Act, in addition to amounts otherwise available for such purposes.
Military Construction, Air Force
For acquisition, construction, installation, and equipment of
temporary or permanent public works, military installations,
facilities, and real property for the Air Force as currently authorized
by law, including personnel in the Department of the Air Force when
designated by the Secretary of Defense to direct and supervise Military
Construction projects in accordance with section 2851 of title 10,
United States Code, and other personal services necessary for the
purposes of this appropriation, $4,090,673,000, to remain available
until September 30, 2030: Provided, That, of this amount, not to
exceed $718,973,000 shall be available for study, planning, design, and
architect and engineer services, as authorized by law, unless the
Secretary of the Air Force determines that additional obligations are
necessary for such purposes and notifies the Committees on
Appropriations of both Houses of Congress of the determination and the
reasons therefor: Provided further, That of the amount made available
under this heading, $359,200,000 shall be for the projects and
activities, and in the amounts, specified in the table under the
heading ``Military Construction, Air Force'' in the report accompanying
this Act, in addition to amounts otherwise available for such purposes.
Military Construction, Defense-Wide
(including transfer of funds)
For acquisition, construction, installation, and equipment of
temporary or permanent public works, installations, facilities, and
real property for activities and agencies of the Department of Defense
(other than the military departments), as currently authorized by law,
$3,724,301,000, to remain available until September 30, 2030:
Provided, That such amounts of this appropriation as may be determined
by the Secretary of Defense may be transferred to such appropriations
of the Department of Defense available for military construction or
family housing as the Secretary may designate, to be merged with and to
be available for the same purposes, and for the same time period, as
the appropriation or fund to which transferred: Provided further,
That, of the amount, not to exceed $211,001,000 shall be available for
study, planning, design, and architect and engineer services, as
authorized by law, unless the Secretary of Defense determines that
additional obligations are necessary for such purposes and notifies the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress of the
determination and the reasons therefor: Provided further, That of the
amount made available under this heading, $32,000,000 shall be for the
projects and activities, and in the amounts, specified in the table
under the heading ``Military Construction, Defense-Wide'' in the report
accompanying this Act, in addition to amounts otherwise available for
such purposes.
Military Construction, Army National Guard
For construction, acquisition, expansion, rehabilitation, and
conversion of facilities for the training and administration of the
Army National Guard, and contributions therefor, as authorized by
chapter 1803 of title 10, United States Code, and Military Construction
Authorization Acts, $271,230,000, to remain available until September
30, 2030: Provided, That, of the amount, not to exceed $78,380,000
shall be available for study, planning, design, and architect and
engineer services, as authorized by law, unless the Director of the
Army National Guard determines that additional obligations are
necessary for such purposes and notifies the Committees on
Appropriations of both Houses of Congress of the determination and the
reasons therefor: Provided further, That of the amount made available
under this heading, $112,050,000 shall be for the projects and
activities, and in the amounts, specified in the table under the
heading ``Military Construction, Army National Guard'' in the report
accompanying this Act, in addition to amounts otherwise available for
such purposes.
Military Construction, Air National Guard
For construction, acquisition, expansion, rehabilitation, and
conversion of facilities for the training and administration of the Air
National Guard, and contributions therefor, as authorized by chapter
1803 of title 10, United States Code, and Military Construction
Authorization Acts, $292,546,000, to remain available until September
30, 2030: Provided, That, of the amount, not to exceed $73,646,000
shall be available for study, planning, design, and architect and
engineer services, as authorized by law, unless the Director of the Air
National Guard determines that additional obligations are necessary for
such purposes and notifies the Committees on Appropriations of both
Houses of Congress of the determination and the reasons therefor:
Provided further, That of the amount made available under this heading,
$95,900,000 shall be for the projects and activities, and in the
amounts, specified in the table under the heading ``Military
Construction, Air National Guard'' in the report accompanying this Act,
in addition to amounts otherwise available for such purposes.
Military Construction, Army Reserve
For construction, acquisition, expansion, rehabilitation, and
conversion of facilities for the training and administration of the
Army Reserve as authorized by chapter 1803 of title 10, United States
Code, and Military Construction Authorization Acts, $46,239,000, to
remain available until September 30, 2030: Provided, That, of the
amount, not to exceed $6,013,000 shall be available for study,
planning, design, and architect and engineer services, as authorized by
law, unless the Chief of the Army Reserve determines that additional
obligations are necessary for such purposes and notifies the Committees
on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress of the determination and
the reasons therefor: Provided further, That of the amount made
available under this heading, $4,000,000 shall be for the projects and
activities, and in the amounts, specified in the table under the
heading ``Military Construction, Army Reserve'' in the report
accompanying this Act, in addition to amounts otherwise available for
such purposes.
Military Construction, Navy Reserve
For construction, acquisition, expansion, rehabilitation, and
conversion of facilities for the training and administration of the
reserve components of the Navy and Marine Corps as authorized by
chapter 1803 of title 10, United States Code, and Military Construction
Authorization Acts, $2,255,000, to remain available until September 30,
2030: Provided, That, of the amount, not to exceed $2,255,000 shall be
available for study, planning, design, and architect and engineer
services, as authorized by law, unless the Secretary of the Navy
determines that additional obligations are necessary for such purposes
and notifies the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress of the determination and the reasons therefor.
Military Construction, Air Force Reserve
For construction, acquisition, expansion, rehabilitation, and
conversion of facilities for the training and administration of the Air
Force Reserve as authorized by chapter 1803 of title 10, United States
Code, and Military Construction Authorization Acts, $116,268,000, to
remain available until September 30, 2030: Provided, That, of the
amount, not to exceed $6,970,000 shall be available for study,
planning, design, and architect and engineer services, as authorized by
law, unless the Chief of the Air Force Reserve determines that
additional obligations are necessary for such purposes and notifies the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress of the
determination and the reasons therefor: Provided further, That of the
amount made available under this heading, $55,810,000 shall be for the
projects and activities, and in the amounts, specified in the table
under the heading ``Military Construction, Air Force Reserve'' in the
report accompanying this Act, in addition to amounts otherwise
available for such purposes.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Security Investment Program
For the United States share of the cost of the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization Security Investment Program for the acquisition and
construction of military facilities and installations (including
international military headquarters) and for related expenses for the
collective defense of the North Atlantic Treaty Area as authorized by
section 2806 of title 10, United States Code, and Military Construction
Authorization Acts, $481,832,000, to remain available until expended.
Department of Defense Base Closure Account
For deposit into the Department of Defense Base Closure Account,
established by section 2906(a) of the Defense Base Closure and
Realignment Act of 1990 (10 U.S.C. 2687 note), $410,161,000, to remain
available until expended.
Family Housing Construction, Army
For expenses of family housing for the Army for construction,
including acquisition, replacement, addition, expansion, extension, and
alteration, as authorized by law, $228,558,000, to remain available
until September 30, 2030.
Family Housing Operation and Maintenance, Army
For expenses of family housing for the Army for operation and
maintenance, including debt payment, leasing, minor construction,
principal and interest charges, and insurance premiums, as authorized
by law, $388,418,000.
Family Housing Construction, Navy and Marine Corps
For expenses of family housing for the Navy and Marine Corps for
construction, including acquisition, replacement, addition, expansion,
extension, and alteration, as authorized by law, $177,597,000, to
remain available until September 30, 2030.
Family Housing Operation and Maintenance, Navy and Marine Corps
For expenses of family housing for the Navy and Marine Corps for
operation and maintenance, including debt payment, leasing, minor
construction, principal and interest charges, and insurance premiums,
as authorized by law, $384,108,000.
Family Housing Construction, Air Force
For expenses of family housing for the Air Force for construction,
including acquisition, replacement, addition, expansion, extension, and
alteration, as authorized by law, $274,230,000, to remain available
until September 30, 2030.
Family Housing Operation and Maintenance, Air Force
For expenses of family housing for the Air Force for operation and
maintenance, including debt payment, leasing, minor construction,
principal and interest charges, and insurance premiums, as authorized
by law, $369,765,000.
Family Housing Operation and Maintenance, Defense-Wide
For expenses of family housing for the activities and agencies of
the Department of Defense (other than the military departments) for
operation and maintenance, leasing, and minor construction, as
authorized by law, $53,374,000.
Department of Defense
Family Housing Improvement Fund
For the Department of Defense Family Housing Improvement Fund,
$8,315,000, to remain available until expended, for family housing
initiatives undertaken pursuant to section 2883 of title 10, United
States Code, providing alternative means of acquiring and improving
military family housing and supporting facilities.
Department of Defense
Military Unaccompanied Housing Improvement Fund
For the Department of Defense Military Unaccompanied Housing
Improvement Fund, $497,000, to remain available until expended, for
unaccompanied housing initiatives undertaken pursuant to section 2883
of title 10, United States Code, providing alternative means of
acquiring and improving military unaccompanied housing and supporting
facilities.
Administrative Provisions
Sec. 101. None of the funds made available in this title shall be
expended for payments under a cost-plus-a-fixed-fee contract for
construction, where cost estimates exceed $25,000, to be performed
within the United States, except Alaska, without the specific approval
in writing of the Secretary of Defense setting forth the reasons
therefor.
Sec. 102. Funds made available in this title for construction
shall be available for hire of passenger motor vehicles.
Sec. 103. Funds made available in this title for construction may
be used for advances to the Federal Highway Administration, Department
of Transportation, for the construction of access roads as authorized
by section 210 of title 23, United States Code, when projects
authorized therein are certified as important to the national defense
by the Secretary of Defense.
Sec. 104. None of the funds made available in this title may be
used to begin construction of new bases in the United States for which
specific appropriations have not been made.
Sec. 105. None of the funds made available in this title shall be
used for purchase of land or land easements in excess of 100 percent of
the value as determined by the Army Corps of Engineers or the Naval
Facilities Engineering Command, except: (1) where there is a
determination of value by a Federal court; (2) purchases negotiated by
the Attorney General or the designee of the Attorney General; (3) where
the estimated value is less than $25,000; or (4) as otherwise
determined by the Secretary of Defense to be in the public interest.
Sec. 106. None of the funds made available in this title shall be
used to: (1) acquire land; (2) provide for site preparation; or (3)
install utilities for any family housing, except housing for which
funds have been made available in annual Acts making appropriations for
military construction.
Sec. 107. None of the funds made available in this title for minor
construction may be used to transfer or relocate any activity from one
base or installation to another, without prior notification to the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress.
Sec. 108. None of the funds made available in this title may be
used for the procurement of steel for any construction project or
activity for which American steel producers, fabricators, and
manufacturers have been denied the opportunity to compete for such
steel procurement.
Sec. 109. None of the funds available to the Department of Defense
for military construction or family housing during the current fiscal
year may be used to pay real property taxes in any foreign nation.
Sec. 110. None of the funds made available in this title may be
used to initiate a new installation overseas without prior notification
to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress.
Sec. 111. None of the funds made available in this title may be
obligated for architect and engineer contracts estimated by the
Government to exceed $500,000 for projects to be accomplished in Japan,
in any North Atlantic Treaty Organization member country, or in
countries bordering the Arabian Gulf, unless such contracts are awarded
to United States firms or United States firms in joint venture with
host nation firms.
Sec. 112. None of the funds made available in this title for
military construction in the United States territories and possessions
in the Pacific and on Kwajalein Atoll, or in countries bordering the
Arabian Gulf, may be used to award any contract estimated by the
Government to exceed $1,000,000 to a foreign contractor: Provided,
That this section shall not be applicable to contract awards for which
the lowest responsive and responsible bid of a United States contractor
exceeds the lowest responsive and responsible bid of a foreign
contractor by greater than 20 percent: Provided further, That this
section shall not apply to contract awards for military construction on
Kwajalein Atoll for which the lowest responsive and responsible bid is
submitted by a Marshallese contractor.
Sec. 113. The Secretary of Defense shall inform the appropriate
committees of both Houses of Congress, including the Committees on
Appropriations, of plans and scope of any proposed military exercise
involving United States personnel 30 days prior to its occurring, if
amounts expended for construction, either temporary or permanent, are
anticipated to exceed $100,000.
Sec. 114. Funds appropriated to the Department of Defense for
construction in prior years shall be available for construction
authorized for each such military department by the authorizations
enacted into law during the current session of Congress.
Sec. 115. For military construction or family housing projects
that are being completed with funds otherwise expired or lapsed for
obligation, expired or lapsed funds may be used to pay the cost of
associated supervision, inspection, overhead, engineering and design on
those projects and on subsequent claims, if any.
Sec. 116. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any funds
made available to a military department or defense agency for the
construction of military projects may be obligated for a military
construction project or contract, or for any portion of such a project
or contract, at any time before the end of the fourth fiscal year after
the fiscal year for which funds for such project were made available,
if the funds obligated for such project: (1) are obligated from funds
available for military construction projects; and (2) do not exceed the
amount appropriated for such project, plus any amount by which the cost
of such project is increased pursuant to law.
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 117. Subject to 30 days prior notification, or 14 days for a
notification provided in an electronic medium pursuant to sections 480
and 2883 of title 10, United States Code, to the Committees on
Appropriations of both Houses of Congress, such additional amounts as
may be determined by the Secretary of Defense may be transferred to:
(1) the Department of Defense Family Housing Improvement Fund from
amounts appropriated for construction in ``Family Housing'' accounts,
to be merged with and to be available for the same purposes and for the
same period of time as amounts appropriated directly to the Fund; or
(2) the Department of Defense Military Unaccompanied Housing
Improvement Fund from amounts appropriated for construction of military
unaccompanied housing in ``Military Construction'' accounts, to be
merged with and to be available for the same purposes and for the same
period of time as amounts appropriated directly to the Fund: Provided,
That appropriations made available to the Funds shall be available to
cover the costs, as defined in section 502(5) of the Congressional
Budget Act of 1974, of direct loans or loan guarantees issued by the
Department of Defense pursuant to the provisions of subchapter IV of
chapter 169 of title 10, United States Code, pertaining to alternative
means of acquiring and improving military family housing, military
unaccompanied housing, and supporting facilities.
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 118. In addition to any other transfer authority available to
the Department of Defense, amounts may be transferred from the
Department of Defense Base Closure Account to the fund established by
section 1013(d) of the Demonstration Cities and Metropolitan
Development Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 3374) to pay for expenses associated
with the Homeowners Assistance Program incurred under 42 U.S.C.
3374(a)(1)(A). Any amounts transferred shall be merged with and be
available for the same purposes and for the same time period as the
fund to which transferred.
Sec. 119. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, funds made
available in this title for operation and maintenance of family housing
shall be the exclusive source of funds for repair and maintenance of
all family housing units, including general or flag officer quarters:
Provided, That not more than $35,000 per unit may be spent annually for
the maintenance and repair of any general or flag officer quarters
without 30 days prior notification, or 14 days for a notification
provided in an electronic medium pursuant to sections 480 and 2883 of
title 10, United States Code, to the Committees on Appropriations of
both Houses of Congress, except that an after-the-fact notification
shall be submitted if the limitation is exceeded solely due to costs
associated with environmental remediation that could not be reasonably
anticipated at the time of the budget submission: Provided further,
That the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) is to report annually
to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress all
operation and maintenance expenditures for each individual general or
flag officer quarters for the prior fiscal year.
Sec. 120. Amounts contained in the Ford Island Improvement Account
established by subsection (h) of section 2814 of title 10, United
States Code, are appropriated and shall be available until expended for
the purposes specified in subsection (i)(1) of such section or until
transferred pursuant to subsection (i)(3) of such section.
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 121. During the 5-year period after appropriations available
in this Act to the Department of Defense for military construction and
family housing operation and maintenance and construction have expired
for obligation, upon a determination that such appropriations will not
be necessary for the liquidation of obligations or for making
authorized adjustments to such appropriations for obligations incurred
during the period of availability of such appropriations, unobligated
balances of such appropriations may be transferred into the
appropriation ``Foreign Currency Fluctuations, Construction, Defense'',
to be merged with and to be available for the same time period and for
the same purposes as the appropriation to which transferred.
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 122. Amounts appropriated or otherwise made available in an
account funded under the headings in this title may be transferred
among projects and activities within the account in accordance with the
reprogramming guidelines for military construction and family housing
construction contained in Department of Defense Financial Management
Regulation 7000.14-R, Volume 3, Chapter 7, of April 2021, as in effect
on the date of enactment of this Act.
Sec. 123. None of the funds made available in this title may be
obligated or expended for planning and design and construction of
projects at Arlington National Cemetery.
Sec. 124. For an additional amount for the accounts and in the
amounts specified, to remain available until September 30, 2030:
``Military Construction, Army'', $45,000,000;
``Military Construction, Army National Guard'',
$15,500,000;
``Military Construction, Air National Guard'', $11,000,000;
and
``Military Construction, Army Reserve'', $15,000,000:
Provided, That such funds may only be obligated to carry out
construction and cost to complete projects identified in the respective
military department's unfunded priority list for fiscal year 2026
submitted to Congress: Provided further, That such projects are
subject to authorization prior to obligation and expenditure of funds
to carry out construction: Provided further, That not later than 60
days after enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the military
department concerned, or their designee, shall submit to the Committees
on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress an expenditure plan for
funds provided under this section.
Sec. 125. All amounts appropriated to the ``Department of
Defense--Military Construction, Army'', ``Department of Defense--
Military Construction, Navy and Marine Corps'', ``Department of
Defense--Military Construction, Air Force'', and ``Department of
Defense--Military Construction, Defense-Wide'' accounts pursuant to the
authorization of appropriations in a National Defense Authorization Act
specified for fiscal year 2026 in the funding table in section 4601 of
that Act shall be immediately available and allotted to contract for
the full scope of authorized projects.
Sec. 126. Notwithstanding section 116 of this Act, funds made
available in this Act or any available unobligated balances from prior
appropriations Acts may be obligated before October 1, 2027 for fiscal
year 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 military construction projects for
which project authorization has not lapsed or for which authorization
is extended for fiscal year 2026 by a National Defense Authorization
Act: Provided, That no amounts may be obligated pursuant to this
section from amounts that were designated by the Congress as an
emergency requirement pursuant to a concurrent resolution on the budget
or the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.
Sec. 127. For the purposes of this Act, the term ``congressional
defense committees'' means the Committees on Armed Services of the
House of Representatives and the Senate, the Subcommittee on Military
Construction and Veterans Affairs of the Committee on Appropriations of
the Senate, and the Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans
Affairs of the Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives.
Sec. 128. For an additional amount for ``Military Construction,
Navy and Marine Corps'', $76,000,000, to remain available until
September 30, 2030: Provided, That such funds may only be obligated to
carry out construction projects specified in a National Defense
Authorization Act for fiscal year 2026 in the funding table in section
4601 of that Act: Provided further, That not later than 30 days after
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense, or their designee,
shall submit to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress an expenditure plan for funds provided under this section.
Sec. 129. None of the funds made available by this Act may be used
to carry out the closure or realignment of the United States Naval
Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Sec. 130. (a)(1) Not later than 120 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Director of the Defense Health Agency shall
submit to the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the
Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives a report
detailing the current and projected capacity, patient load, staffing
requirements, and outstanding infrastructure needs at the General
Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.
(2) The report required by paragraph (1) shall--
(A) assess the role of the hospital specified in such
paragraph in supporting medical readiness and emergency care
for active duty members of the Armed Forces, dependents of such
members, and retirees;
(B) evaluate potential impacts to access and quality of
care, including in the surrounding community, if the hospital
were to be realigned, downgraded, or have its scope of services
reduced; and
(C) assess how the hospital supports the functions and
mission of Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, including training
activities and programs.
(b)(1) Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of
this Act, the Secretary of the Army shall submit to the Committee on
Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on Appropriations of the
House of Representatives a report detailing the current condition of
military family housing at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, including
ongoing or planned renovation and upgrade projects, timelines for
completion, and any challenges affecting such improvements.
(2) The report required by paragraph (1) shall include--
(A) the total estimated cost of conducting all necessary
renovation and replacement activities for deficient family
housing units, the number of units in need of replacement, and
a detailed plan for carrying out those activities; and
(B) an assessment of the impact of housing conditions on
quality of life and readiness of members of the Armed Forces
and their dependents;
(C) recommendations for addressing any identified
shortcomings; and
(D) the findings from consultations with military families
who live in housing units at Fort Leonard Wood.
TITLE II
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
Veterans Benefits Administration
compensation and pensions
(including transfer of funds)
For the payment of compensation benefits to or on behalf of
veterans and a pilot program for disability examinations as authorized
by section 107 and chapters 11, 13, 18, 51, 53, 55, and 61 of title 38,
United States Code; pension benefits to or on behalf of veterans as
authorized by chapters 15, 51, 53, 55, and 61 of title 38, United
States Code; and burial benefits, the Reinstated Entitlement Program
for Survivors, emergency and other officers' retirement pay, adjusted-
service credits and certificates, payment of premiums due on commercial
life insurance policies guaranteed under the provisions of title IV of
the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (50 U.S.C. App. 541 et seq.) and
for other benefits as authorized by sections 107, 1312, 1977, and 2106,
and chapters 23, 51, 53, 55, and 61 of title 38, United States Code,
$241,947,603,000, which shall become available on October 1, 2026, to
remain available until expended: Provided, That not to exceed
$29,454,647 of the amount made available for fiscal year 2027 under
this heading shall be reimbursed to ``General Operating Expenses,
Veterans Benefits Administration'', and ``Information Technology
Systems'' for necessary expenses in implementing the provisions of
chapters 51, 53, and 55 of title 38, United States Code, the funding
source for which is specifically provided as the ``Compensation and
Pensions'' appropriation: Provided further, That such sums as may be
earned on an actual qualifying patient basis, shall be reimbursed to
``Medical Care Collections Fund'' to augment the funding of individual
medical facilities for nursing home care provided to pensioners as
authorized.
readjustment benefits
For the payment of readjustment and rehabilitation benefits to or
on behalf of veterans as authorized by chapters 21, 30, 31, 33, 34, 35,
36, 39, 41, 51, 53, 55, and 61 of title 38, United States Code,
$20,057,841,000, which shall become available on October 1, 2026, to
remain available until expended: Provided, That expenses for
rehabilitation program services and assistance which the Secretary is
authorized to provide under subsection (a) of section 3104 of title 38,
United States Code, other than under paragraphs (1), (2), (5), and (11)
of that subsection, shall be charged to this account.
veterans insurance and indemnities
For military and naval insurance, national service life insurance,
servicemen's indemnities, service-disabled veterans insurance, and
veterans mortgage life insurance as authorized by chapters 19 and 21 of
title 38, United States Code, $97,893,000, which shall become available
on October 1, 2026, to remain available until expended.
veterans housing benefit program fund
For the cost of direct and guaranteed loans, such sums as may be
necessary to carry out the program, as authorized by subchapters I
through III of chapter 37 of title 38, United States Code: Provided,
That such costs, including the cost of modifying such loans, shall be
as defined in section 502 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974:
Provided further, That, during fiscal year 2026, within the resources
available, not to exceed $500,000 in gross obligations for direct loans
are authorized for specially adapted housing loans.
In addition, for administrative expenses to carry out the direct
and guaranteed loan programs, $266,736,842.
vocational rehabilitation loans program account
For the cost of direct loans, $45,428, as authorized by chapter 31
of title 38, United States Code: Provided, That such costs, including
the cost of modifying such loans, shall be as defined in section 502 of
the Congressional Budget Act of 1974: Provided further, That funds
made available under this heading are available to subsidize gross
obligations for the principal amount of direct loans not to exceed
$1,394,442.
In addition, for administrative expenses necessary to carry out the
direct loan program, $507,254, which may be paid to the appropriation
for ``General Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits Administration''.
native american veteran housing loan program account
For the cost of direct loans, $6,865,235, as authorized by
subchapter V of chapter 37 of title 38, United States Code: Provided,
That such costs, including the cost of modifying such loans, shall be
as defined in section 502 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974:
Provided further, That funds made available under this heading are
available to subsidize gross obligations for the principal amount of
direct loans not to exceed $75,000,000.
In addition, for administrative expenses to carry out the direct
loan program authorized by subchapter V of chapter 37 of title 38,
United States Code, $5,845,241.
general operating expenses, veterans benefits administration
For necessary operating expenses of the Veterans Benefits
Administration, not otherwise provided for, including hire of passenger
motor vehicles, reimbursement of the General Services Administration
for security guard services, and reimbursement of the Department of
Defense for the cost of overseas employee mail, $3,879,000,000:
Provided, That expenses for services and assistance authorized under
paragraphs (1), (2), (5), and (11) of section 3104(a) of title 38,
United States Code, that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs determines
are necessary to enable entitled veterans: (1) to the maximum extent
feasible, to become employable and to obtain and maintain suitable
employment; or (2) to achieve maximum independence in daily living,
shall be charged to this account: Provided further, That, of the funds
made available under this heading, not to exceed 10 percent shall
remain available until September 30, 2027.
Veterans Health Administration
medical services
For necessary expenses for furnishing, as authorized by law,
inpatient and outpatient care and treatment to beneficiaries of the
Department of Veterans Affairs and veterans described in section
1705(a) of title 38, United States Code, including care and treatment
in facilities not under the jurisdiction of the Department, and
including medical supplies and equipment, bioengineering services, food
services, and salaries and expenses of healthcare employees hired under
title 38, United States Code, assistance and support services for
caregivers as authorized by section 1720G of title 38, United States
Code, loan repayments authorized by section 604 of the Caregivers and
Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-163; 124
Stat. 1174; 38 U.S.C. 7681 note), monthly assistance allowances
authorized by section 322(d) of title 38, United States Code, grants
authorized by section 521A of title 38, United States Code, and
administrative expenses necessary to carry out sections 322(d) and 521A
of title 38, United States Code, and hospital care and medical services
authorized by section 1787 of title 38, United States Code;
$59,858,000,000, plus reimbursements, which shall become available on
October 1, 2026, and shall remain available until September 30, 2027:
Provided, That, of the amount made available on October 1, 2026, under
this heading, $2,000,000,000 shall remain available until September 30,
2028: Provided further, That of the $75,039,000,000 to become
available on October 1, 2025, previously appropriated under this
heading in the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2025 (division
A of Public Law 119-4), $15,889,000,000 is hereby rescinded: Provided
further, That, notwithstanding any other provision of law, the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall establish a priority for the
provision of medical treatment for veterans who have service-connected
disabilities, lower income, or have special needs: Provided further,
That, notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs shall give priority funding for the provision of basic
medical benefits to veterans in enrollment priority groups 1 through 6:
Provided further, That, notwithstanding any other provision of law,
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs may authorize the dispensing of
prescription drugs from Veterans Health Administration facilities to
enrolled veterans with privately written prescriptions based on
requirements established by the Secretary: Provided further, That the
implementation of the program described in the previous proviso shall
incur no additional cost to the Department of Veterans Affairs:
Provided further, That the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure
that sufficient amounts appropriated under this heading for medical
supplies and equipment are available for the acquisition of prosthetics
designed specifically for female veterans: Provided further, That
nothing in section 2044(e) of title 38, United States Code, may be
construed as limiting amounts that may be made available under this
heading for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 in this or prior Acts.
medical community care
For necessary expenses for furnishing health care to individuals
pursuant to chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, at non-
Department facilities, $38,700,000,000, plus reimbursements, which
shall become available on October 1, 2026, and shall remain available
until September 30, 2027: Provided, That, of the amount made available
on October 1, 2026, under this heading, $2,000,000,000 shall remain
available until September 30, 2028.
medical support and compliance
For necessary expenses in the administration of the medical,
hospital, nursing home, domiciliary, construction, supply, and research
activities, as authorized by law; administrative expenses in support of
capital policy activities; and administrative and legal expenses of the
Department for collecting and recovering amounts owed the Department as
authorized under chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, and the
Federal Medical Care Recovery Act (42 U.S.C. 2651 et seq.),
$12,000,000,000, plus reimbursements, which shall become available on
October 1, 2026, and shall remain available until September 30, 2027:
Provided, That, of the amount made available on October 1, 2026, under
this heading, $350,000,000 shall remain available until September 30,
2028: Provided further, That, of the $12,700,000,000 to become
available on October 1, 2025, previously appropriated under this
heading in the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2025 (division
A of Public Law 119-4), $610,000,000 is hereby rescinded.
medical facilities
For necessary expenses for the maintenance and operation of
hospitals, nursing homes, domiciliary facilities, and other necessary
facilities of the Veterans Health Administration; for administrative
expenses in support of planning, design, project management, real
property acquisition and disposition, construction, and renovation of
any facility under the jurisdiction or for the use of the Department;
for oversight, engineering, and architectural activities not charged to
project costs; for repairing, altering, improving, or providing
facilities in the several hospitals and homes under the jurisdiction of
the Department, not otherwise provided for, either by contract or by
the hire of temporary employees and purchase of materials; for leases
of facilities; and for laundry services; $3,000,000, which shall be in
addition to funds previously appropriated under this heading that
become available on October 1, 2025; and, in addition, $11,700,000,000,
plus reimbursements, which shall become available on October 1, 2026,
and shall remain available until September 30, 2027: Provided, That,
of the amount made available on October 1, 2026, under this heading,
$500,000,000 shall remain available until September 30, 2028.
medical and prosthetic research
For necessary expenses in carrying out programs of medical and
prosthetic research and development as authorized by chapter 73 of
title 38, United States Code, $943,000,000, plus reimbursements, shall
remain available until September 30, 2027: Provided, That the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that sufficient amounts
appropriated under this heading are available for prosthetic research
specifically for female veterans, and for toxic exposure research.
National Cemetery Administration
For necessary expenses of the National Cemetery Administration for
operations and maintenance, not otherwise provided for, including
uniforms or allowances therefor; cemeterial expenses as authorized by
law; purchase of one passenger motor vehicle for use in cemeterial
operations; hire of passenger motor vehicles; and repair, alteration or
improvement of facilities under the jurisdiction of the National
Cemetery Administration, $497,000,000, of which not to exceed 10
percent shall remain available until September 30, 2027.
Departmental Administration
general administration
(including transfer of funds)
For necessary operating expenses of the Department of Veterans
Affairs, not otherwise provided for, including administrative expenses
in support of Department-wide capital planning, management and policy
activities, uniforms, or allowances therefor; not to exceed $25,000 for
official reception and representation expenses; hire of passenger motor
vehicles; and reimbursement of the General Services Administration for
security guard services, $440,000,000, which shall be for the offices
and in the amounts specified under this heading in the report
accompanying this Act, of which not to exceed 10 percent for each such
office shall remain available until September 30, 2027: Provided, That
funds provided under this heading may be transferred to ``General
Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits Administration''.
board of veterans appeals
For necessary operating expenses of the Board of Veterans Appeals,
$277,000,000, of which not to exceed 10 percent shall remain available
until September 30, 2027.
information technology systems
(including transfer of funds)
For necessary expenses for information technology systems and
telecommunications support, including developmental information systems
and operational information systems; for pay and associated costs; and
for the capital asset acquisition of information technology systems,
including management and related contractual costs of said
acquisitions, including contractual costs associated with operations
authorized by section 3109 of title 5, United States Code,
$5,908,000,000, plus reimbursements: Provided, That $1,418,416,000
shall be for pay and associated costs, of which not to exceed 3 percent
shall remain available until September 30, 2027: Provided further,
That $4,488,829,000 shall be for operations and maintenance, of which
not to exceed 5 percent shall remain available until September 30,
2027, and of which $118,900,000 shall remain available until September
30, 2030, for the purpose of facility activations related to projects
funded by the ``Construction, Major Projects'', ``Construction, Minor
Projects'', ``Medical Facilities'', ``National Cemetery
Administration'', ``General Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits
Administration'', and ``General Administration'' accounts: Provided
further, That $755,000 shall be for information technology systems
development, and shall remain available until September 30, 2027:
Provided further, That amounts made available for salaries and
expenses, operations and maintenance, and information technology
systems development may be transferred among the three subaccounts
after the Secretary of Veterans Affairs requests from the Committees on
Appropriations of both Houses of Congress the authority to make the
transfer and an approval is issued: Provided further, That amounts
made available for the ``Information Technology Systems'' account for
development may be transferred among projects or to newly defined
projects: Provided further, That no project may be increased or
decreased by more than $3,000,000 of cost prior to submitting a request
to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress to make
the transfer and an approval is issued, or absent a response, a period
of 30 days has elapsed.
veterans electronic health record
For activities related to implementation, preparation, development,
interface, management, rollout, and maintenance of a Veterans
Electronic Health Record system, including contractual costs associated
with operations authorized by section 3109 of title 5, United States
Code, and salaries and expenses of employees hired under titles 5 and
38, United States Code, $3,488,000,000, to remain available until
September 30, 2028: Provided, That the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
shall submit to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress quarterly reports detailing obligations, expenditures, and
deployment implementation by facility, including any changes from the
deployment plan or schedule: Provided further, That the funds provided
in this account shall only be available to the Office of the Deputy
Secretary, to be administered by that Office: Provided further, That
25 percent of the funds made available under this heading shall not be
available until July 1, 2026, and are contingent upon the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs providing to the Committees on Appropriations of both
Houses of Congress a plan by June 1, 2026, containing the following:
(1) an updated life-cycle cost estimate for the EHRM
program based on the Department's acceleration of deployments
announced in March 2025;
(2) an updated facility-by-facility deployment schedule for
all facilities to receive the EHRM program;
(3) a certification that all VA facilities using the new
EHR on or before April 1, 2024, have exceeded or met certain
health care performance baseline metrics indicating they have
returned to their service delivery levels in place prior to the
deployment of the new EHR; and
(4) a description of the projected Federal VA staffing
levels, contract support, and other relevant activities
required, and the resources required to fund those activities,
to meet the deployment goal as outlined in (2), including
target Federal and contracted staffing levels at VA Central
Office and, each local VA medical center with a slated
deployment in 2026 and 2027, as well as contract support to
provide technical and other change management support to carry
out the deployments.
office of inspector general
For necessary expenses of the Office of Inspector General, to
include information technology, in carrying out the provisions of the
Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. 401 et seq.), $296,000,000, of
which not to exceed 10 percent shall remain available until September
30, 2027.
construction, major projects
For constructing, altering, extending, and improving any of the
facilities, including parking projects, under the jurisdiction or for
the use of the Department of Veterans Affairs, or for any of the
purposes set forth in sections 316, 2404, 2406 and chapter 81 of title
38, United States Code, not otherwise provided for, including planning,
architectural and engineering services, construction management
services, maintenance or guarantee period services costs associated
with equipment guarantees provided under the project, services of
claims analysts, offsite utility and storm drainage system construction
costs, and site acquisition, where the estimated cost of a project is
more than the amount set forth in section 8104(a)(3)(A) of title 38,
United States Code, or where funds for a project were made available in
a previous major project appropriation, $1,394,000,000, of which
$621,615,000 shall remain available until September 30, 2030, and of
which $772,385,000 shall remain available until expended: Provided,
That except for advance planning activities, including needs
assessments which may or may not lead to capital investments, and other
capital asset management related activities, including portfolio
development and management activities, and planning, cost estimating,
and design for major medical facility projects and major medical
facility leases and investment strategy studies funded through the
advance planning fund and the planning and design activities funded
through the design fund, staffing expenses, and funds provided for the
purchase, security, and maintenance of land for the National Cemetery
Administration and the Veterans Health Administration through the land
acquisition line item, none of the funds made available under this
heading shall be used for any project that has not been notified to
Congress through the budgetary process or that has not been approved by
the Congress through statute, joint resolution, or in the explanatory
statement accompanying such Act and presented to the President at the
time of enrollment: Provided further, That funds provided for the
Veterans Health Administration through the land acquisition line item
shall be only for projects included on the five year development plan
notified to Congress through the budgetary process: Provided further,
That such sums as may be necessary shall be available to reimburse the
``General Administration'' account for payment of salaries and expenses
of all Office of Construction and Facilities Management employees to
support the full range of capital infrastructure services provided,
including minor construction and leasing services: Provided further,
That funds made available under this heading for fiscal year 2026, for
each approved project shall be obligated: (1) by the awarding of a
construction documents contract by September 30, 2026; and (2) by the
awarding of a construction contract by September 30, 2027: Provided
further, That the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall promptly submit
to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress a
written report on any approved major construction project for which
obligations are not incurred within the time limitations established
above: Provided further, That notwithstanding the requirements of
section 8104(a) of title 38, United States Code, amounts made available
under this heading for seismic program management activities shall be
available for the completion of both new and existing seismic projects
of the Department.
construction, minor projects
For constructing, altering, extending, and improving any of the
facilities, including parking projects, under the jurisdiction or for
the use of the Department of Veterans Affairs, including planning and
assessments of needs which may lead to capital investments,
architectural and engineering services, maintenance or guarantee period
services costs associated with equipment guarantees provided under the
project, services of claims analysts, offsite utility and storm
drainage system construction costs, and site acquisition, or for any of
the purposes set forth in sections 316, 2404, 2406 and chapter 81 of
title 38, United States Code, not otherwise provided for, where the
estimated cost of a project is equal to or less than the amount set
forth in section 8104(a)(3)(A) of title 38, United States Code,
$709,000,000, of which $467,940,000 shall remain available until
September 30, 2030, and of which $241,060,000 shall remain available
until expended, along with unobligated balances of previous
``Construction, Minor Projects'' appropriations which are hereby made
available for any project where the estimated cost is equal to or less
than the amount set forth in such section: Provided, That funds made
available under this heading shall be for: (1) repairs to any of the
nonmedical facilities under the jurisdiction or for the use of the
Department which are necessary because of loss or damage caused by any
natural disaster or catastrophe; and (2) temporary measures necessary
to prevent or to minimize further loss by such causes.
grants for construction of state extended care facilities
For grants to assist States to acquire or construct State nursing
home and domiciliary facilities and to remodel, modify, or alter
existing hospital, nursing home, and domiciliary facilities in State
homes, for furnishing care to veterans as authorized by sections 8131
through 8137 of title 38, United States Code, $171,000,000, to remain
available until expended.
grants for construction of veterans cemeteries
For grants to assist States and tribal organizations in
establishing, expanding, or improving veterans cemeteries as authorized
by section 2408 of title 38, United States Code, $60,000,000, to remain
available until expended.
Cost of War Toxic Exposures Fund
For investment in the delivery of veterans' health care associated
with exposure to environmental hazards, the expenses incident to the
delivery of veterans' health care and benefits associated with exposure
to environmental hazards, and medical and other research relating to
exposure to environmental hazards, as authorized by section 324 of
title 38, United States Code, and in addition to the amounts otherwise
available for such purposes in the appropriations provided in this or
prior Acts, including the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (Public Law
118-5), $52,676,000,000, to remain available until expended.
Administrative Provisions
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 201. Any appropriation for fiscal year 2026 for
``Compensation and Pensions'', ``Readjustment Benefits'', and
``Veterans Insurance and Indemnities'' may be transferred as necessary
to any other of the mentioned appropriations: Provided, That, before a
transfer may take place, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
request from the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress the authority to make the transfer and such Committees issue
an approval, or absent a response, a period of 30 days has elapsed.
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 202. Amounts made available for the Department of Veterans
Affairs for fiscal year 2026, in this or any other Act, under the
``Medical Services'', ``Medical Community Care'', ``Medical Support and
Compliance'', and ``Medical Facilities'' accounts may be transferred
among the accounts: Provided, That any transfers among the ``Medical
Services'', ``Medical Community Care'', and ``Medical Support and
Compliance'' accounts of 1 percent or less of the total amount
appropriated to the account in this or any other Act may take place
subject to notification from the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress of the amount
and purpose of the transfer: Provided further, That any transfers
among the ``Medical Services'', ``Medical Community Care'', and
``Medical Support and Compliance'' accounts in excess of 1 percent, or
exceeding the cumulative 1 percent for the fiscal year, may take place
only after the Secretary requests from the Committees on Appropriations
of both Houses of Congress the authority to make the transfer and an
approval is issued: Provided further, That any transfers to or from
the ``Medical Facilities'' account may take place only after the
Secretary requests from the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses
of Congress the authority to make the transfer and an approval is
issued.
Sec. 203. Appropriations available in this title for salaries and
expenses shall be available for services authorized by section 3109 of
title 5, United States Code; hire of passenger motor vehicles; lease of
a facility or land or both; and uniforms or allowances therefore, as
authorized by sections 5901 through 5902 of title 5, United States
Code.
Sec. 204. No appropriations in this title (except the
appropriations for ``Construction, Major Projects'' and ``Construction,
Minor Projects'') shall be available for the purchase of any site for
or toward the construction of any new hospital or home.
Sec. 205. No appropriations in this title shall be available for
hospitalization or examination of any persons (except beneficiaries
entitled to such hospitalization or examination under the laws
providing such benefits to veterans, and persons receiving such
treatment under sections 7901 through 7904 of title 5, United States
Code, or the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.)), unless reimbursement of the
cost of such hospitalization or examination is made to the ``Medical
Services'' account at such rates as may be fixed by the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs.
Sec. 206. Appropriations available in this title for
``Compensation and Pensions'', ``Readjustment Benefits'', and
``Veterans Insurance and Indemnities'' shall be available for payment
of prior year accrued obligations required to be recorded by law
against the corresponding prior year accounts within the last quarter
of fiscal year 2025.
Sec. 207. Appropriations available in this title shall be
available to pay prior year obligations of corresponding prior year
appropriations accounts resulting from sections 3328(a), 3334, and
3712(a) of title 31, United States Code, except that if such
obligations are from trust fund accounts they shall be payable only
from ``Compensation and Pensions''.
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 208. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, during
fiscal year 2026, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall, from the
National Service Life Insurance Fund under section 1920 of title 38,
United States Code, the Veterans' Special Life Insurance Fund under
section 1923 of title 38, United States Code, and the United States
Government Life Insurance Fund under section 1955 of title 38, United
States Code, reimburse the ``General Operating Expenses, Veterans
Benefits Administration'' and ``Information Technology Systems''
accounts for the cost of administration of the insurance programs
financed through those accounts: Provided, That reimbursement shall be
made only from the surplus earnings accumulated in such an insurance
program during fiscal year 2026 that are available for dividends in
that program after claims have been paid and actuarially determined
reserves have been set aside: Provided further, That if the cost of
administration of such an insurance program exceeds the amount of
surplus earnings accumulated in that program, reimbursement shall be
made only to the extent of such surplus earnings: Provided further,
That the Secretary shall determine the cost of administration for
fiscal year 2026 which is properly allocable to the provision of each
such insurance program and to the provision of any total disability
income insurance included in that insurance program.
Sec. 209. 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 shall be
available until expended.
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 210. Funds available in this title or funds for salaries and
other administrative expenses shall also be available to reimburse 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 for all services provided at rates which will recover
actual costs but not to exceed $134,342,000 for the Office of
Resolution Management, $7,607,000 for the Office of Employment
Discrimination Complaint Adjudication, and $7,586,000 for the
Alternative Dispute Resolution function within the Office of Human
Resources and Administration: Provided, That payments may be made in
advance for services to be furnished based on estimated costs:
Provided further, That amounts received shall be credited to the
``General Administration'' and ``Information Technology Systems''
accounts for use by the office that provided the service.
Sec. 211. No funds of the Department of Veterans Affairs shall be
available for hospital care, nursing home care, or medical services
provided to any person under chapter 17 of title 38, United States
Code, for a non-service-connected disability described in section
1729(a)(2) of such title, unless that person has disclosed to the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in such form as the Secretary may
require, current, accurate third-party reimbursement information for
purposes of section 1729 of such title: Provided, That the Secretary
may recover, in the same manner as any other debt due the United
States, the reasonable charges for such care or services from any
person who does not make such disclosure as required: Provided
further, That any amounts so recovered for care or services provided in
a prior fiscal year may be obligated by the Secretary during the fiscal
year in which amounts are received.
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 212. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, proceeds or
revenues derived from enhanced-use leasing activities (including
disposal) may be deposited into the ``Construction, Major Projects''
and ``Construction, Minor Projects'' accounts and be used for
construction (including site acquisition and disposition), alterations,
and improvements of any medical facility under the jurisdiction or for
the use of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Such sums as realized
are in addition to the amount provided for in ``Construction, Major
Projects'' and ``Construction, Minor Projects''.
Sec. 213. Amounts made available under ``Medical Services'' are
available--
(1) for furnishing recreational facilities, supplies, and
equipment; and
(2) for funeral expenses, burial expenses, and other
expenses incidental to funerals and burials for beneficiaries
receiving care in the Department.
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 214. Such sums as may be deposited into the Medical Care
Collections Fund pursuant to section 1729A of title 38, United States
Code, may be transferred to the ``Medical Services'' and ``Medical
Community Care'' accounts to remain available until expended for the
purposes of these accounts.
Sec. 215. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may enter into
agreements with Federally Qualified Health Centers in the State of
Alaska and Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations which are party to
the Alaska Native Health Compact with the Indian Health Service, to
provide healthcare, including behavioral health and dental care, to
veterans in rural Alaska. The Secretary shall require participating
veterans and facilities to comply with all appropriate rules and
regulations, as established by the Secretary. The term ``rural Alaska''
shall mean those lands which are not within the boundaries of the
municipality of Anchorage or the Fairbanks North Star Borough.
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 216. Such sums as may be deposited into the Department of
Veterans Affairs Capital Asset Fund pursuant to section 8118 of title
38, United States Code, may be transferred to the ``Construction, Major
Projects'' and ``Construction, Minor Projects'' accounts, to remain
available until expended for the purposes of these accounts.
Sec. 217. Not later than 30 days after the end of each fiscal
quarter, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress a report on the
financial status of the Department of Veterans Affairs for the
preceding quarter: Provided, That, at a minimum, the report shall
include the direction contained in the paragraph entitled ``Quarterly
reporting'', under the heading ``General Administration'' in the joint
explanatory statement accompanying Public Law 114-223.
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 218. Amounts made available under the ``Medical Services'',
``Medical Community Care'', ``Medical Support and Compliance'',
``Medical Facilities'', ``General Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits
Administration'', ``Board of Veterans Appeals'', ``General
Administration'', and ``National Cemetery Administration'' accounts for
fiscal year 2026 may be transferred to or from the ``Information
Technology Systems'' account: Provided, That such transfers may not
result in a more than 10 percent aggregate increase in the total amount
made available by this Act for the ``Information Technology Systems''
account: Provided further, That, before a transfer may take place, the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall request from the Committees on
Appropriations of both Houses of Congress the authority to make the
transfer and an approval is issued.
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 219. Of the amounts appropriated to the Department of
Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2026 for ``Medical Services'',
``Medical Community Care'', ``Medical Support and Compliance'',
``Medical Facilities'', ``Construction, Minor Projects'', and
``Information Technology Systems'', up to $654,954,000, plus
reimbursements, may be transferred to the Joint Department of Defense--
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility Demonstration Fund,
established by section 1704 of the National Defense Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 2010 (Public Law 111-84; 123 Stat. 2571) and may be
used for operation of the facilities designated as combined Federal
medical facilities as described by section 706 of the Duncan Hunter
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law
110-417; 122 Stat. 4500): Provided, That additional funds may be
transferred from accounts designated in this section to the Joint
Department of Defense--Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility
Demonstration Fund upon written notification by the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress: Provided further, That section 220 of title II of division A
of Public Law 118-42, as continued by section 1101(a)(10) of division A
of Public Law 119-4, is repealed.
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 220. Of the amounts appropriated to the Department of
Veterans Affairs which become available on October 1, 2026, for
``Medical Services'', ``Medical Community Care'', ``Medical Support and
Compliance'', and ``Medical Facilities'', up to $739,918,000, plus
reimbursements, may be transferred to the Joint Department of Defense--
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility Demonstration Fund,
established by section 1704 of the National Defense Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 2010 (Public Law 111-84; 123 Stat. 2571) and may be
used for operation of the facilities designated as combined Federal
medical facilities as described by section 706 of the Duncan Hunter
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law
110-417; 122 Stat. 4500): Provided, That additional funds may be
transferred from accounts designated in this section to the Joint
Department of Defense--Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility
Demonstration Fund upon written notification by the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress.
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 221. Such sums as may be deposited into the Medical Care
Collections Fund pursuant to section 1729A of title 38, United States
Code, for healthcare provided at facilities designated as combined
Federal medical facilities as described by section 706 of the Duncan
Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public
Law 110-417; 122 Stat. 4500) shall also be available: (1) for transfer
to the Joint Department of Defense--Department of Veterans Affairs
Medical Facility Demonstration Fund, established by section 1704 of the
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 (Public Law
111-84; 123 Stat. 2571); and (2) for operations of the facilities
designated as combined Federal medical facilities as described by
section 706 of the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417; 122 Stat. 4500): Provided, That,
notwithstanding section 1704(b)(3) of the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 (Public Law 111-84; 123 Stat.
2573), amounts transferred to the Joint Department of Defense--
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility Demonstration Fund
shall remain available until expended.
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 222. Of the amounts available in this title for ``Medical
Services'', ``Medical Community Care'', ``Medical Support and
Compliance'', and ``Medical Facilities'', a minimum of $15,000,000
shall be transferred to the DOD-VA Health Care Sharing Incentive Fund,
as authorized by section 8111(d) of title 38, United States Code, to
remain available until expended, for any purpose authorized by section
8111 of title 38, United States Code.
Sec. 223. None of the funds available to the Department of
Veterans Affairs, in this or any other Act, may be used to replace the
current system by which the Veterans Integrated Service Networks select
and contract for diabetes monitoring supplies and equipment.
Sec. 224. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall notify the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress of all bid
savings in a major construction project that total at least $5,000,000,
or 5 percent of the programmed amount of the project, whichever is
less: Provided, That such notification shall occur within 14 days of a
contract identifying the programmed amount: Provided further, That the
Secretary shall notify the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses
of Congress 14 days prior to the obligation of such bid savings and
shall describe the anticipated use of such savings.
Sec. 225. None of the funds made available for ``Construction,
Major Projects'' may be used for a project in excess of the scope
specified for that project in the original justification data provided
to the Congress as part of the request for appropriations unless the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs receives approval from the Committees on
Appropriations of both Houses of Congress.
Sec. 226. Not later than 30 days after the end of each fiscal
quarter, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress a quarterly
report containing performance measures and data from each Veterans
Benefits Administration Regional Office: Provided, That, at a minimum,
the report shall include the direction contained in the section
entitled ``Disability claims backlog'', under the heading ``General
Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits Administration'' in the joint
explanatory statement accompanying Public Law 114-223: Provided
further, That the report shall also include information on the number
of appeals pending at the Veterans Benefits Administration as well as
the Board of Veterans Appeals on a quarterly basis.
Sec. 227. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall provide written
notification to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress 15 days prior to organizational changes which result in the
transfer of 25 or more full-time equivalents from one organizational
unit of the Department of Veterans Affairs to another.
Sec. 228. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall provide on a
quarterly basis to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress notification of any single national outreach and awareness
marketing campaign in which obligations exceed $1,000,000.
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 229. Amounts made available for the Department of Veterans
Affairs for fiscal year 2026, under the ``Board of Veterans Appeals''
and the ``General Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits
Administration'' accounts may be transferred between such accounts:
Provided, That before a transfer may take place, the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs shall request from the Committees on Appropriations of
both Houses of Congress the authority to make the transfer and receive
approval of that request.
Sec. 230. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may not reprogram
funds among major construction projects or programs if such instance of
reprogramming will exceed a cumulative $7,000,000, unless such
reprogramming is approved by the Committees on Appropriations of both
Houses of Congress.
Sec. 231. (a) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that
the toll-free suicide hotline under section 1720F(h) of title 38,
United States Code--
(1) provides to individuals who contact the hotline
immediate assistance from a trained professional; and
(2) adheres to all requirements of the American Association
of Suicidology.
(b)(1) None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to
enforce or otherwise carry out any Executive action that prohibits the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs from appointing an individual to occupy a
vacant civil service position, or establishing a new civil service
position, at the Department of Veterans Affairs with respect to such a
position relating to the hotline specified in subsection (a).
(2) In this subsection--
(A) the term ``civil service'' has the meaning given such
term in section 2101(1) of title 5, United States Code; and
(B) the term ``Executive action'' includes--
(i) any Executive order, Presidential memorandum,
or other action by the President; and
(ii) any agency policy, order, or other directive.
(c)(1) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall conduct a study on
the effectiveness of the hotline specified in subsection (a) during the
5-year period beginning on January 1, 2016, based on an analysis of
national suicide data and data collected from such hotline.
(2) At a minimum, the study required by paragraph (1) shall--
(A) determine the number of veterans who contact the
hotline specified in subsection (a) and who receive follow up
services from the hotline or mental health services from the
Department of Veterans Affairs thereafter;
(B) determine the number of veterans who contact the
hotline who are not referred to, or do not continue receiving,
mental health care who commit suicide; and
(C) determine the number of veterans described in
subparagraph (A) who commit or attempt suicide.
Sec. 232. Effective during the period beginning on October 1,
2018, and ending on January 1, 2027, none of the funds made available
to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs by this or any other Act may be
obligated or expended in contravention of the ``Veterans Health
Administration Clinical Preventive Services Guidance Statement on the
Veterans Health Administration's Screening for Breast Cancer Guidance''
published on May 10, 2017, as issued by the Veterans Health
Administration National Center for Health Promotion and Disease
Prevention.
Sec. 233. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the
amounts appropriated or otherwise made available to the Department of
Veterans Affairs for the ``Medical Services'' account may 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.
(b) In this section:
(1) The term ``service-connected'' has the meaning given
such term in section 101 of title 38, United States Code.
(2) The term ``covered veteran'' means a veteran, as such
term is defined in section 101 of title 38, United States Code,
who has a service-connected disability that results in the
inability of the veteran to procreate without the use of
fertility treatment.
(3) The term ``assisted reproductive technology'' means
benefits relating to reproductive assistance provided to a
member of the Armed Forces who incurs a serious injury or
illness on active duty pursuant to section 1074(c)(4)(A) of
title 10, United States Code, as described in the memorandum on
the subject of ``Policy for Assisted Reproductive Services for
the Benefit of Seriously or Severely Ill/Injured (Category II
or III) Active Duty Service Members'' issued by the Assistant
Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs on April 3, 2012, and
the guidance issued to implement such policy, including any
limitations on the amount of such benefits available to such a
member except that--
(A) the time periods regarding embryo
cryopreservation and storage set forth in part III(G)
and in part IV(H) of such memorandum shall not apply;
and
(B) such term includes embryo cryopreservation and
storage without limitation on the duration of such
cryopreservation and storage.
(4) The term ``adoption reimbursement'' means reimbursement
for the adoption-related expenses for an adoption that is
finalized after the date of the enactment of this Act under the
same terms as apply under the adoption reimbursement program of
the Department of Defense, as authorized in Department of
Defense Instruction 1341.09, including the reimbursement limits
and requirements set forth in such instruction.
(c) Amounts made available for the purposes specified in subsection
(a) of this section are subject to the requirements for funds contained
in section 508 of division H of the Consolidated Appropriations Act,
2018 (Public Law 115-141).
Sec. 234. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made
available by this Act or any other Act for the Department of Veterans
Affairs may be used in a manner that is inconsistent with: (1) section
842 of the Transportation, Treasury, Housing and Urban Development, the
Judiciary, the District of Columbia, and Independent Agencies
Appropriations Act, 2006 (Public Law 109-115; 119 Stat. 2506); or (2)
section 8110(a)(5) of title 38, United States Code.
Sec. 235. Section 842 of Public Law 109-115 shall not apply to
conversion of an activity or function of the Veterans Health
Administration, Veterans Benefits Administration, or National Cemetery
Administration to contractor performance by a business concern that is
at least 51 percent owned by one or more Indian Tribes as defined in
section 5304(e) of title 25, United States Code, or one or more Native
Hawaiian Organizations as defined in section 637(a)(15) of title 15,
United States Code.
Sec. 236. (a) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in consultation
with the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Labor, shall
discontinue collecting and using Social Security account numbers to
authenticate individuals in all information systems of the Department
of Veterans Affairs for all individuals not later than September 30,
2026.
(b) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may collect and use a Social
Security account number to identify an individual, in accordance with
section 552a of title 5, United States Code, in an information system
of the Department of Veterans Affairs if and only if the use of such
number is necessary to:
(1) obtain or provide information the Secretary requires
from an information system that is not under the jurisdiction
of the Secretary;
(2) comply with a law, regulation, or court order;
(3) perform anti-fraud activities; or
(4) identify a specific individual where no adequate
substitute is available.
(c) The matter in subsections (a) and (b) shall supersede section
237 of division A of Public Law 118-42.
Sec. 237. For funds provided to the Department of Veterans Affairs
for each of fiscal year 2026 and 2027 for ``Medical Services'', section
239 of division A of Public Law 114-223 shall apply.
Sec. 238. None of the funds appropriated in this or prior
appropriations Acts or otherwise made available to the Department of
Veterans Affairs may be used to transfer any amounts from the Filipino
Veterans Equity Compensation Fund to any other account within the
Department of Veterans Affairs.
Sec. 239. Of the funds provided to the Department of Veterans
Affairs for each of fiscal year 2026 and fiscal year 2027 for ``Medical
Services'', funds may be used in each year to carry out and expand the
child care program authorized by section 205 of Public Law 111-163,
notwithstanding subsection (e) of such section.
Sec. 240. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made
available in this title may be used by the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs to enter into an agreement related to resolving a dispute or
claim with an individual that would restrict in any way 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. 241. For funds provided to the Department of Veterans Affairs
for each of fiscal year 2026 and 2027, section 258 of division A of
Public Law 114-223 shall apply.
Sec. 242. (a) None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made
available by this Act may be used to deny an Inspector General funded
under this Act timely access to any records, documents, or other
materials available to the department or agency over which that
Inspector General has responsibilities under the Inspector General Act
of 1978 (5 U.S.C. 401 et seq.), or to prevent or impede the access of
the Inspector General to such records, documents, or other materials,
under any provision of law, except a provision of law that expressly
refers to such Inspector General and expressly limits the right of
access.
(b) A department or agency covered by this section shall provide
its Inspector General access to all records, documents, and other
materials in a timely manner.
(c) Each Inspector General shall ensure compliance with statutory
limitations on disclosure relevant to the information provided by the
establishment over which that Inspector General has responsibilities
under the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. 401 et seq.).
(d) Each Inspector General covered by this section shall report to
the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives within 5 calendar days
of any failure by any department or agency covered by this section to
comply with this requirement.
Sec. 243. None of the funds made available in this Act may be used
in a manner that would increase wait times for veterans who seek care
at medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Sec. 244. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made
available by this Act to the Veterans Health Administration may be used
in fiscal year 2026 to convert any program which received specific
purpose funds in fiscal year 2025 to a general purpose funded program
unless the Secretary of Veterans Affairs submits written notification
of any such proposal to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses
of Congress at least 30 days prior to any such action and an approval
is issued by the Committees.
Sec. 245. For funds provided to the Department of Veterans Affairs
for each of fiscal year 2026 and 2027, section 248 of division A of
Public Law 114-223 shall apply.
Sec. 246. (a) None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made
available by this Act may be used to conduct research commencing on or
after the date of enactment of this Act, that uses any canine, feline,
or non-human primate unless the Secretary of Veterans Affairs approves
such research specifically and in writing pursuant to subsection (b).
(b)(1) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may approve the conduct of
research commencing on or after the date of enactment of this Act,
using canines, felines, or non-human primates if the Secretary
certifies that--
(A) the scientific objectives of the research can only be
met by using such canines, felines, or non-human primates and
cannot be met using other animal models, in vitro models,
computational models, human clinical studies, or other research
alternatives;
(B) such scientific objectives are necessary to advance
research benefiting veterans and are directly related to an
illness or injury that is combat-related as defined by 10
U.S.C. 1413(e);
(C) the research is consistent with the revised Department
of Veterans Affairs canine research policy document dated
December 15, 2017, including any subsequent revisions to such
document; and
(D) ethical considerations regarding minimizing the harm
experienced by canines, felines, or non-human primates are
included in evaluating the scientific necessity of the
research.
(2) The Secretary may not delegate the authority under this
subsection.
(c) If the Secretary approves any new research pursuant to
subsection (b), not later than 30 days before the commencement of such
research, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on
Appropriations of the Senate and House of Representatives a report
describing--
(1) the nature of the research to be conducted using
canines, felines, or non-human primates;
(2) the date on which the Secretary approved the research;
(3) the USDA pain category on the approved use;
(4) the justification for the determination of the
Secretary that the scientific objectives of such research could
only be met using canines, felines, or non-human primates, and
methods used to make such determination;
(5) the frequency and duration of such research; and
(6) the protocols in place to ensure the necessity, safety,
and efficacy of the research, and animal welfare.
(d) Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this
Act, and biannually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to such
Committees a report describing--
(1) any research being conducted by the Department of
Veterans Affairs using canines, felines, or non-human primates
as of the date of the submittal of the report;
(2) the circumstances under which such research was
conducted using canines, felines, or non-human primates;
(3) the justification for using canines, felines, or non-
human primates to conduct such research;
(4) the protocols in place to ensure the necessity, safety,
and efficacy of such research; and
(5) the development and adoption of alternatives to
canines, felines, or non-human primate research.
(e) Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this
Act, and annually thereafter, the Department of Veterans Affairs must
submit to voluntary U.S. Department of Agriculture inspections of
canine, feline, and non-human primate research facilities.
(f) Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this
Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to such
Committees a report describing--
(1) any violations of the Animal Welfare Act, the Public
Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory
Animals, or other Department of Veterans Affairs policies
related to oversight of animal research found during that
quarter in VA research facilities;
(2) immediate corrective actions taken; and
(3) specific actions taken to prevent their recurrence.
(g) The Department shall implement a plan under which the Secretary
will eliminate the research conducted using canines, felines, or non-
human primates by not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of
this Act.
Sec. 247. (a) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may use amounts
appropriated or otherwise made available in this title to ensure that
the ratio of veterans to full-time employment equivalents within any
program of rehabilitation conducted under chapter 31 of title 38,
United States Code, does not exceed 125 veterans to one full-time
employment equivalent.
(b) Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this
Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the programs of
rehabilitation conducted under chapter 31 of title 38, United States
Code, including--
(1) an assessment of the veteran-to-staff ratio for each
such program; and
(2) recommendations for such action as the Secretary
considers necessary to reduce the veteran-to-staff ratio for
each such program.
Sec. 248. Amounts made available for the ``Veterans Health
Administration, Medical Community Care'' account in this or any other
Act for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 may be used for expenses that would
otherwise be payable from the Veterans Choice Fund established by
section 802 of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act, as
amended (38 U.S.C. 1701 note).
Sec. 249. Obligations and expenditures applicable to the ``Medical
Services'' account in fiscal years 2017 through 2019 for aid to state
homes (as authorized by section 1741 of title 38, United States Code)
shall remain in the ``Medical Community Care'' account for such fiscal
years.
Sec. 250. Of the amounts made available for the Department of
Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2026, in this or any other Act, under
the ``Veterans Health Administration--Medical Services'', ``Veterans
Health Administration--Medical Community Care'', ``Veterans Health
Administration--Medical Support and Compliance'', ``Veterans Health
Administration--Medical Facilities'', and ``Cost of War Toxic Exposures
Fund'', accounts, $1,429,181,000 shall be made available for gender-
specific care and programmatic efforts to deliver care for women
veterans; $697,800,000 shall be made available for suicide prevention
outreach programs; $3,500,000,000 shall be made available for the
Caregivers program; $42,000,000 shall be made available for the
National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder; $70,000,000 shall
be made available for the Neurology Centers of Excellence; $342,455,000
shall be made available for rural health care; $3,459,121,000 shall be
made available for veterans' homelessness programs; $6,356,000,000
shall be made available for telehealth for veterans; $709,573,000 shall
be made available for opioid prevention and treatment programs; and,
$36,879,000 shall be made available for the Intimate Partner Violence
Assistance Program.
Sec. 251. Of the unobligated balances available in fiscal year
2026 in the ``Recurring Expenses Transformational Fund'' established in
section 243 of division J of Public Law 114-113, and in addition to any
funds otherwise made available for such purposes in this, prior, or
subsequent fiscal years, $900,000,000 shall be available for
constructing, altering, extending, and improving medical facilities of
the Veterans Health Administration, including all supporting activities
and required contingencies, during the period of availability of the
Fund: Provided, That prior to obligation of any of the funds provided
in this section, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs must provide a plan
for the execution of the funds appropriated in this section to the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress and such
Committees issue an approval, or absent a response, a period of 30 days
has elapsed.
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 252. Of the $75,039,000,000 to become available on October 1,
2025, previously appropriated under the heading ``Veterans Health
Administration--Medical Services'' in the Full-Year Continuing
Appropriations Act, 2025 (division A of Public Law 119-4),
$2,030,000,000 shall be transferred to ``Veterans Health
Administration--Medical Facilities''.
Sec. 253. Not later than 30 days after enactment of this Act, the
Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Appropriations of both
Houses of Congress an expenditure plan for funds made available in this
Act and any available unobligated balances from prior Acts, including
the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (Public Law 118-5), for the Cost
of War Toxic Exposures Fund: Provided, That the budget resource
categories supporting the Veterans Health Administration shall be
reported by the subcategories ``Medical Services'', ``Medical Community
Care'', ``Medical Support and Compliance'', and ``Medical and
Prosthetic Research'': Provided further, That not later than 30 days
after the end of each fiscal quarter, the Secretary shall submit a
quarterly report on the status of the funds, including, at a minimum,
an update on obligations by program, project or activity.
Sec. 254. Any amounts transferred to the Secretary and
administered by a corporation referred to in section 7364(b) of title
38, United States Code, between October 1, 2017 and September 30, 2018
for purposes of carrying out an order placed with the Department of
Veterans Affairs pursuant to section 1535 of title 31, United States
Code, that are available for obligation pursuant to section 7364(b)(1)
of title 38, United States Code, are to remain available for the
liquidation of valid obligations incurred by such corporation during
the period of performance of such order, provided that the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs determines that such amounts need to remain available
for such liquidation.
Sec. 255. None of the funds in this or any other Act may be used
to close Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals, domiciliaries, or
clinics, conduct an environmental assessment, or to diminish healthcare
services at existing Veterans Health Administration medical facilities
as part of a planned realignment of services until the Secretary
provides to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress
a report including an analysis of how any such planned realignment of
services will impact access to care for veterans living in rural or
highly rural areas, including travel distances and transportation costs
to access a Department medical facility and availability of local
specialty and primary care.
Sec. 256. Unobligated balances available under the headings
``Construction, Major Projects'' and ``Construction, Minor Projects''
may be obligated by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for a facility
pursuant to section 2(e)(1) of the Communities Helping Invest through
Property and Improvements Needed for Veterans Act of 2016 (Public Law
114-294; 38 U.S.C. 8103 note), as amended, to provide additional funds
or to fund an escalation clause under such section of such Act:
Provided, That before such unobligated balances are obligated pursuant
to this section, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall request from
the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress the
authority to obligate such unobligated balances and such Committees
issue an approval, or absent a response, a period of 30 days has
elapsed: Provided further, That the request to obligate such
unobligated balances must provide Congress notice that the entity
described in section 2(a)(2) of Public Law 114-294, as amended, has
exhausted available cost containment approaches as set forth in the
agreement under section 2(c) of such Public Law.
Sec. 257. (a) None of the funds appropriated by this Act or
otherwise made available for fiscal year 2026 for the Department of
Veterans Affairs may be obligated, awarded, or expended to procure or
purchase covered information technology equipment in cases where 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 any of the following:
(1) the Department of Defense's Chinese Military Company
List;
(2) the Department of the Treasury's Non-SDN Chinese
Military Industrial Complex Companies List;
(3) the Department of Commerce's Denied Persons List,
Entity List, or Military End User List, if the entity is--
(A) an agency or instrumentality of the People's
Republic of China;
(B) an entity headquartered in the People's
Republic of China; or
(C) directly or indirectly owned or controlled by
an agency, instrumentality, or entity described in
subparagraph (A) or (B); or
(4) the Department of Homeland Security's Uyghur Forced
Labor Prevention Act Entity List.
(b) Applicability to Third Parties.--The prohibition in subsection
(a) also applies in cases in which the Secretary has contracted with a
third party for the procurement, purchase, or expenditure of funds on
any of the equipment and software described in such subsection.
(c) Definition.--For purposes of this section, the term ``covered
information technology equipment'' shall mean the following equipment
used in an office environment: computers, printers, or interoperable
videoconferencing equipment used in or by the Department of Veterans
Affairs directly. ``Covered information technology equipment'' shall
not refer to services that use such equipment, including cloud
services.
Sec. 258. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made
available by this Act may be used to pay award or incentive fees for
contractors whose performance has been judged to be below satisfactory,
behind schedule, over budget, or has failed to meet the basic
requirements of a contract, unless the Agency determines that any such
deviations are due to unforeseeable events, government-driven scope
changes, or are not significant within the overall scope of the project
and/or program and unless such awards or incentive fees are consistent
with section 16.401(e)(2) of the Federal Acquisition Regulation.
Sec. 259. The Department is directed to maintain staffing levels
to facilitate the Department's own goals, including that benefits
claims are adjudicated according to the 125 day goal, and that
healthcare appointments and service are provided in the timeframes
required by statute and regulation.
Sec. 260. The Department is directed to provide quarterly
briefings to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress on the status of implementation of the provisions in Public
Law 118-42 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. 261. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made
available to the Department of Veterans Affairs in this Act may be used
in a manner that would--
(1) interfere with the ability of a veteran to participate
in a medicinal marijuana program approved by a State;
(2) deny any services from the Department to a veteran who
is participating in such a program; or
(3) limit or interfere with the ability of a health care
provider of the Department to make appropriate recommendations,
fill out forms, or take steps to comply with such a program.
report on the use of third-party contractors to conduct medical
disability examinations of veterans for purposes of obtaining
disability compensation
Sec. 262. (a) Report Required.--Not later than 180 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
shall submit to the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on
Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Appropriations and
the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives a
report on the use of third-party contractors to conduct medical
disability examinations of veterans for purposes of obtaining
disability compensation.
(b) Contents.--The report submitted pursuant to subsection (a)
shall include the following:
(1) The number of contractors used in each State to conduct
disability compensation examinations.
(2) Contract performance and quality measures.
(3) The average miles a veteran is required to travel to
attend a contract medical disability examination, disaggregated
by State.
(4) The average wait time for an individual to receive an
examination.
(5) A description of the process at the Department for
handling complaints of veterans about their experience with a
contracted medical disability examiner.
Sec. 263. (a) Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment
of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in consultation with
the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, shall submit to the
Committees on Veterans' Affairs and Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
of the Senate and the Committees on Veterans' Affairs and Financial
Services of the House of Representatives a report that identifies, as
of the date of the report, the total number of veterans participating
in the housing choice voucher program under section 8(o) of the United
States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)).
(b) In this section, the term ``veteran''--
(1) means a person who, regardless of length of service,
was a member of the armed forces (as that term is defined in
section 101 of title 10, United States Code); and
(2) does not include a person who--
(A) received a dishonorable discharge from the
armed forces; or
(B) was discharged or dismissed from the armed
forces by reason of the sentence of a general court-
martial.
national cemetery administration surveys
Sec. 264. (a) The Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs of the
Department of Veterans Affairs shall continue to--
(1) administer the customer service survey of the National
Cemetery Administration to veterans, families, and funeral
homes through ongoing survey activities; and
(2) publish the results of such survey.
(b) Submittal to Congress.--Not later than 30 days before the date
on which any change is made to the survey described in subsection (a),
including with respect to methodology, participants, or scope, the
Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs shall submit a description of such
change to--
(1) the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on
Veterans' Affairs of the Senate; and
(2) the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on
Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives.
interment schedule availability at cemeteries under the control of the
national cemetery administration
Sec. 265. (a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
maintain, on the publicly accessible website landing page of the
National Cemetery Administration, a spreadsheet or similar document
displaying the most recent interment schedule availability for each
operational cemetery under the control of the National Cemetery
Administration.
(b) Implementation.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall--
(1) not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment
of this Act, make the spreadsheet or similar document described
in subsection (a) available as required by such subsection; and
(2) once every 30 days thereafter, update such spreadsheet
or similar document.
(c) Definition of Interment Schedule Availability.--Not later than
60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress
a proposed definition for the term ``interment schedule availability''
that--
(1) generally means the number of business days between the
establishment of a case for a deceased individual and the first
availability for the interment of the individual; and
(2) takes into account the ability to meet the family's
preferred dates, days of the week, and times for scheduling the
interment.
(d) Report on Historical Data.--Not later than one year after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on data
for interment schedule availability during the five-year period ending
on the date on which the report is submitted.
(e) Appropriate Committees of Congress Defined.--In this section,
the term ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
(1) the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on
Veterans' Affairs of the Senate; and
(2) the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on
Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives.
Sec. 266. Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment
of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall provide to the
Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives a briefing on the
current status, path forward, and timeline to construct a new medical
center of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Reno, Nevada, utilizing
in full the funds that have been previously appropriated for such
purpose prior to their expiration.
limitation on availability of funds for canceling large contracts
Sec. 267. None of the amounts appropriated by this title may be
obligated or expended to cancel a contract with a value that exceeds
$10,000,000 until the Secretary of Veterans Affairs has submitted to
the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
of the Senate and the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on
Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives an advance
notification and written explanation of contingency plans to replace
the relevant service being cancelled, including any necessary change in
the Department's staffing levels.
Sec. 268. (a) Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States
shall submit to the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, the
Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives, and each
Member of Congress a report on the current backlog in funding for
construction and renovation of State homes for veterans.
(b) The report required by subsection (a) shall include the
following:
(1) A list of all unfunded or partially funded applications
for construction grants for State homes, including those
identified on the priority lists for fiscal year 2024 and 2025.
(2) The estimated total funding required to fully fund all
projects under such pending applications.
(3) A description of the key hurdles to clearing the
backlog of construction grant applications, including
administrative, regulatory, and funding-related barriers.
(4) Any recommendations for administrative or legislative
action to reduce delays and accelerate the approval and
completion of State home projects.
(5) An exploration of potential options for interim or
alternative sources of funding to sustain or advance priority
projects currently awaiting Federal support, including an
evaluation of such options for feasibility and potential
impact.
(c) The requirement under subsection (b)(5) shall not be construed
as relieving Congress of its responsibility to fund State homes fully
and in a timely manner.
(d) In this section, the term ``State home'' has the meaning given
that term in section 101 of title 38, United States Code.
Sec. 269. No funds appropriated by this title shall be used to
reduce staffing, limit hours of operation, decrease training
opportunities, curb access to relevant information technology systems,
or otherwise reduce the capacity of the Veterans Crisis Line
established under section 1720F(h) of title 38, United States Code, to
respond to and provide resources to veterans in crisis.
report on review and implementation of staffing models at department of
veterans affairs
Sec. 270. (a) Definition of Appropriate Committees of Congress.--
In this section, the term ``appropriate committees of Congress''
means--
(1) the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on
Veterans' Affairs of the Senate; and
(2) the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on
Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives.
(b) Report Required.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit
to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the efforts of
the Secretary to review and implement staffing models at the Department
of Veterans Affairs that will ensure timely, high quality delivery of
health care, benefits, and other services furnished by the Department.
Such report shall describe the methodology and review process the
Secretary is using to create the staffing models for the Department.
TITLE III
RELATED AGENCIES
American Battle Monuments Commission
salaries and expenses
For necessary expenses, not otherwise provided for, of the American
Battle Monuments Commission, including the acquisition of land or
interest in land in foreign countries; purchases and repair of uniforms
for caretakers of national cemeteries and monuments outside of the
United States and its territories and possessions; rent of office and
garage space in foreign countries; purchase (one-for-one replacement
basis only) and hire of passenger motor vehicles; not to exceed $15,000
for official reception and representation expenses; and insurance of
official motor vehicles in foreign countries, when required by law of
such countries, $108,281,000 to remain available until expended.
foreign currency fluctuations account
For necessary expenses, not otherwise provided for, of the American
Battle Monuments Commission, such sums as may be necessary, to remain
available until expended, for purposes authorized by section 2109 of
title 36, United States Code.
United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims
salaries and expenses
For necessary expenses for the operation of the United States Court
of Appeals for Veterans Claims as authorized by sections 7251 through
7298 of title 38, United States Code, $49,000,000, of which $3,000,000
shall be available until September 30, 2027: Provided, That $4,256,000
shall be available for the purpose of providing financial assistance as
described and in accordance with the process and reporting procedures
set forth under this heading in Public Law 102-229.
Department of Defense--Civil
Cemeterial Expenses, Army
salaries and expenses
For necessary expenses for maintenance, operation, and improvement
of Arlington National Cemetery and Soldiers' and Airmen's Home National
Cemetery, including the purchase or lease of passenger motor vehicles
for replacement on a one-for-one basis only, and not to exceed $2,000
for official reception and representation expenses, $118,780,450, of
which not to exceed $15,000,000 shall remain available until September
30, 2028. In addition, such sums as may be necessary for parking
maintenance, repairs and replacement, to be derived from the ``Lease of
Department of Defense Real Property for Defense Agencies'' account.
Armed Forces Retirement Home
trust fund
For expenses necessary for the Armed Forces Retirement Home to
operate and maintain the Armed Forces Retirement Home--Washington,
District of Columbia, and the Armed Forces Retirement Home--Gulfport,
Mississippi, to be paid from funds available in the Armed Forces
Retirement Home Trust Fund, $79,000,000, to remain available until
September 30, 2027, of which $2,072,000 shall remain available until
expended for construction and renovation of the physical plants at the
Armed Forces Retirement Home--Washington, District of Columbia, and the
Armed Forces Retirement Home--Gulfport, Mississippi: Provided, That of
the amounts made available under this heading from funds available in
the Armed Forces Retirement Home Trust Fund, $27,000,000 shall be paid
from the general fund of the Treasury to the Trust Fund.
Administrative Provision
Sec. 301. Amounts deposited into the special account established
under 10 U.S.C. 7727 are appropriated and shall be available until
expended to support activities at the Army National Military
Cemeteries.
TITLE IV
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Sec. 401. No part of any appropriation contained in this Act shall
remain available for obligation beyond the current fiscal year unless
expressly so provided herein.
Sec. 402. None of the funds made available in this Act may be used
for any program, project, or activity, when it is made known to the
Federal entity or official to which the funds are made available that
the program, project, or activity is not in compliance with any Federal
law relating to risk assessment, the protection of private property
rights, or unfunded mandates.
Sec. 403. All departments and agencies funded under this Act are
encouraged, within the limits of the existing statutory authorities and
funding, to expand their use of ``E-Commerce'' technologies and
procedures in the conduct of their business practices and public
service activities.
Sec. 404. Unless stated otherwise, all reports and notifications
required by this Act shall be submitted to the Subcommittee on Military
Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies of the
Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the
Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Related
Agencies of the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate.
Sec. 405. None of the funds made available in this Act may be
transferred to any department, agency, or instrumentality of the United
States Government except pursuant to a transfer made by, or transfer
authority provided in, this or any other appropriations Act.
Sec. 406. (a) Any agency receiving funds made available in this
Act, shall, subject to subsections (b) and (c), post on the public Web
site of that agency any report required to be submitted by the Congress
in this or any other Act, upon the determination by the head of the
agency that it shall serve the national interest.
(b) Subsection (a) shall not apply to a report if--
(1) the public posting of the report compromises national
security; or
(2) the report contains confidential or proprietary
information.
(c) The head of the agency posting such report shall do so only
after such report has been made available to the requesting Committee
or Committees of Congress for no less than 45 days.
Sec. 407. (a) None of the funds made available in this Act may be
used to maintain or establish a computer network unless such network
blocks the viewing, downloading, and exchanging of pornography.
(b) Nothing in subsection (a) shall limit the use of funds
necessary for any Federal, State, tribal, or local law enforcement
agency or any other entity carrying out criminal investigations,
prosecution, or adjudication activities.
Sec. 408. None of the funds made available in this Act may be used
by an agency of the executive branch to pay for first-class travel by
an employee of the agency in contravention of sections 301-10.122
through 301-10.124 of title 41, Code of Federal Regulations.
Sec. 409. None of the funds made available in this Act may be used
to execute a contract for goods or services, including construction
services, where the contractor has not complied with Executive Order
No. 12989.
Sec. 410. None of the funds made available by this Act may be used
in contravention of section 101(e)(8) of title 10, United States Code.
Sec. 411. (a) In General.--None of the funds appropriated or
otherwise made available to the Department of Defense in this Act may
be used to construct, renovate, or expand any facility in the United
States, its territories, or possessions to house any individual
detained at United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for the
purposes of detention or imprisonment in the custody or under the
control of the Department of Defense.
(b) The prohibition in subsection (a) shall not apply to any
modification of facilities at United States Naval Station, Guantanamo
Bay, Cuba.
(c) An individual described in this subsection is any individual
who, as of June 24, 2009, is located at United States Naval Station,
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and who--
(1) is not a citizen of the United States or a member of
the Armed Forces of the United States; and
(2) is--
(A) in the custody or under the effective control
of the Department of Defense; or
(B) otherwise under detention at United States
Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Sec. 412. None of the funds made available by this Act may be used
by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs under section 5502 of title 38,
United States Code, in any case arising out of the administration by
the Secretary of laws and benefits under such title, to report a person
who is deemed mentally incapacitated, mentally incompetent, or to be
experiencing an extended loss of consciousness as a person who has been
adjudicated as a mental defective under subsection (d)(4) or (g)(4) of
section 922 of title 18, United States Code, without the order or
finding of a judge, magistrate, or other judicial authority of
competent jurisdiction that such person is a danger to himself or
herself or others.
Sec. 413. (a) Each department or agency funded in this or any other
appropriations Act for fiscal year 2026 shall, no later than 60 days
after enactment of this Act, report to the Committees on Appropriations
of the House of Representatives and the Senate on funds that are
allotted and available for obligation as of the end of the reporting
period and on obligations as of the end of the reporting period:
Provided, That such report shall be delineated by: (1) program,
project, and activity level; (2) public law making such funds
available; and (3) period of availability: Provided further, That such
reports shall be transmitted to the Committees monthly thereafter, on
the fifteenth of each such month, during the period of availability of
the relevant funds.
(b) The term ``reporting period'' as used in this section means the
month that precedes the date on which the department or agency
transmits the report to the Committees.
This division may be cited as the ``Military Construction, Veterans
Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026''.
DIVISION B--AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND DRUG
ADMINISTRATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2026
The following sums are appropriated, out of any money in the
Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for Agriculture, Rural
Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies for the
fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, and for other purposes, namely:
TITLE I
AGRICULTURAL PROGRAMS
Processing, Research, and Marketing
Office of the Secretary
(including transfers of funds)
For necessary expenses of the Office of the Secretary, $51,792,000
of which not to exceed $7,000,000 shall be available for the immediate
Office of the Secretary, of which $650,000 shall be for the
establishment of a Seafood Industry Liaison; not to exceed $1,896,000
shall be available for the Office of Homeland Security; not to exceed
$5,190,000 shall be available for the Office of Tribal Relations, of
which $1,000,000 shall be to continue a Tribal Public Health Resource
Center at a land grant university with existing indigenous public
health expertise to expand current partnerships and collaborative
efforts with indigenous groups to improve the delivery of public health
services and functions in American Indian communities focusing on
indigenous food sovereignty; not to exceed $6,000,000 shall be
available for the Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement, of
which $1,500,000 shall be for 7 U.S.C. 2279(c)(5); not to exceed
$21,706,000 shall be available for the Office of the Assistant
Secretary for Administration, of which $20,000,000 shall be available
for Departmental Administration to provide for necessary expenses for
management support services to offices of the Department and for
general administration, security, repairs and alterations, and other
miscellaneous supplies and expenses not otherwise provided for and
necessary for the practical and efficient work of the Department:
Provided, That funds made available by this Act to an agency in the
Administration mission area for salaries and expenses are available to
fund up to one administrative support staff for the Office; not to
exceed $4,000,000 shall be available for the Office of Assistant
Secretary for Congressional Relations and Intergovernmental Affairs to
carry out the programs funded by this Act, including programs involving
intergovernmental affairs and liaison within the executive branch; and
not to exceed $6,000,000 shall be available for the Office of
Communications: Provided further, That the Secretary of Agriculture is
authorized to transfer funds appropriated for any office of the Office
of the Secretary to any other office of the Office of the Secretary:
Provided further, That no appropriation for any office shall be
increased or decreased by more than 5 percent: Provided further, That
not to exceed $22,000 of the amount made available under this paragraph
for the immediate Office of the Secretary shall be available for
official reception and representation expenses, not otherwise provided
for, as determined by the Secretary: Provided further, That the amount
made available under this heading for Departmental Administration shall
be reimbursed from applicable appropriations in this Act for travel
expenses incident to the holding of hearings as required by 5 U.S.C.
551-558: Provided further, That funds made available under this
heading for the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Congressional
Relations and Intergovernmental Affairs shall be transferred to
agencies of the Department of Agriculture funded by this Act to
maintain personnel at the agency level: Provided further, That no
funds made available under this heading for the Office of Assistant
Secretary for Congressional Relations may be obligated after 30 days
from the date of enactment of this Act, unless the Secretary has
notified the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress on
the allocation of these funds by USDA agency: Provided further, That
during any 30 day notification period referenced in section 716 of this
Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall take no action to begin
implementation of the action that is subject to section 716 of this Act
or make any public announcement of such action in any form.
Executive Operations
office of the chief economist
For necessary expenses of the Office of the Chief Economist,
$30,500,000, of which $10,000,000 shall be for grants or cooperative
agreements for policy research under 7 U.S.C. 3155: Provided, That of
the amounts made available under this heading, $2,450,000 shall be for
an interdisciplinary center based at a land grant university focused on
agricultural policy relevant to the Midwest region which will provide
private entities, policymakers, and the public with timely insights and
targeted economic solutions: Provided further, That of the amounts
made available under this heading, $500,000 shall be available to carry
out section 224 of subtitle A of the Department of Agriculture
Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6924), as amended by section 12504
of Public Law 115-334.
office of hearings and appeals
For necessary expenses of the Office of Hearings and Appeals,
$16,000,000.
office of budget and program analysis
For necessary expenses of the Office of Budget and Program
Analysis, $14,967,000.
Office of the Chief Information Officer
For necessary expenses of the Office of the Chief Information
Officer, $91,000,000, of which not less than $77,428,000 is for
cybersecurity requirements of the department.
Office of the Chief Financial Officer
For necessary expenses of the Office of the Chief Financial
Officer, $6,867,000.
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
For necessary expenses of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for
Civil Rights, $1,466,000: Provided, That funds made available by this
Act to an agency in the Civil Rights mission area for salaries and
expenses are available to fund up to one administrative support staff
for the Office.
Office of Civil Rights
For necessary expenses of the Office of Civil Rights, $37,000,000.
Agriculture Buildings and Facilities
(including transfers of funds)
For payment of space rental and related costs pursuant to Public
Law 92-313, including authorities pursuant to the 1984 delegation of
authority from the Administrator of General Services to the Department
of Agriculture under 40 U.S.C. 121, for programs and activities of the
Department which are included in this Act, and for alterations and
other actions needed for the Department and its agencies to consolidate
unneeded space into configurations suitable for release to the
Administrator of General Services, and for the operation, maintenance,
improvement, and repair of Agriculture buildings and facilities, and
for related costs, $22,603,000, to remain available until expended.
Hazardous Materials Management
(including transfers of funds)
For necessary expenses of the Department of Agriculture, to comply
with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and
Liability Act (42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.) and the Solid Waste Disposal Act
(42 U.S.C. 6901 et seq.), $3,000,000, to remain available until
expended: Provided, That appropriations and funds available herein to
the Department for Hazardous Materials Management may be transferred to
any agency of the Department for its use in meeting all requirements
pursuant to the above Acts on Federal and non-Federal lands.
Office of Safety, Security, and Protection
For necessary expenses of the Office of Safety, Security, and
Protection, $20,800,000.
Office of Inspector General
For necessary expenses of the Office of Inspector General,
including employment pursuant to the Inspector General Act of 1978
(Public Law 95-452; 5 U.S.C. App.), $111,561,000, including such sums
as may be necessary for contracting and other arrangements with public
agencies and private persons pursuant to section 6(a)(9) of the
Inspector General Act of 1978 (Public Law 95-452; 5 U.S.C. App.), and
including not to exceed $125,000 for certain confidential operational
expenses, including the payment of informants, to be expended under the
direction of the Inspector General pursuant to the Inspector General
Act of 1978 (Public Law 95-452; 5 U.S.C. App.) and section 1337 of the
Agriculture and Food Act of 1981 (Public Law 97-98).
Office of the General Counsel
For necessary expenses of the Office of the General Counsel,
$60,537,000.
Office of Ethics
For necessary expenses of the Office of Ethics, $4,500,000.
Office of the Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics
For necessary expenses of the Office of the Under Secretary for
Research, Education, and Economics, $1,884,000: Provided, That funds
made available by this Act to an agency in the Research, Education, and
Economics mission area for salaries and expenses are available to fund
up to one administrative support staff for the Office: Provided
further, That of the amounts made available under this heading,
$500,000 shall be made available for the Office of the Chief Scientist.
Economic Research Service
For necessary expenses of the Economic Research Service,
$90,612,000.
National Agricultural Statistics Service
For necessary expenses of the National Agricultural Statistics
Service, $187,513,000, of which up to $46,000,000 shall be available
until expended for the Census of Agriculture: Provided, That amounts
made available for the Census of Agriculture may be used to conduct
Current Industrial Report surveys subject to 7 U.S.C. 2204g(d) and (f):
Provided further, That the Secretary shall notify the Committees on
Appropriations of both Houses of Congress in writing at least 30 days
prior to discontinuing data collection programs and reports.
Agricultural Research Service
salaries and expenses
For necessary expenses of the Agricultural Research Service and for
acquisition of lands by donation, exchange, or purchase at a nominal
cost not to exceed $100,000 and with prior notification and approval of
the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress, and for
land exchanges where the lands exchanged shall be of equal value or
shall be equalized by a payment of money to the grantor which shall not
exceed 25 percent of the total value of the land or interests
transferred out of Federal ownership, $1,826,778,000: Provided, That
appropriations hereunder shall be available for the operation and
maintenance of aircraft and the purchase of not to exceed one for
replacement only: Provided further, That appropriations hereunder
shall be available pursuant to 7 U.S.C. 2250 for the construction,
alteration, and repair of buildings and improvements, but unless
otherwise provided, the cost of constructing any one building shall not
exceed $500,000, except for headhouses or greenhouses which shall each
be limited to $1,800,000, except for 10 buildings to be constructed or
improved at a cost not to exceed $1,100,000 each, and except for four
buildings to be constructed at a cost not to exceed $5,000,000 each,
and the cost of altering any one building during the fiscal year shall
not exceed 10 percent of the current replacement value of the building
or $500,000, whichever is greater: Provided further, That
appropriations hereunder shall be available for entering into lease
agreements at any Agricultural Research Service location for the
construction of a research facility by a non-Federal entity for use by
the Agricultural Research Service and a condition of the lease shall be
that any facility shall be owned, operated, and maintained by the non-
Federal entity and shall be removed upon the expiration or termination
of the lease agreement: Provided further, That the limitations on
alterations contained in this Act shall not apply to modernization or
replacement of existing facilities at Beltsville, Maryland: Provided
further, That appropriations hereunder shall be available for granting
easements at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center: Provided
further, That the foregoing limitations shall not apply to replacement
of buildings needed to carry out the Act of April 24, 1948 (21 U.S.C.
113a): Provided further, That appropriations hereunder shall be
available for granting easements at any Agricultural Research Service
location for the construction of a research facility by a non-Federal
entity for use by, and acceptable to, the Agricultural Research Service
and a condition of the easements shall be that upon completion the
facility shall be accepted by the Secretary, subject to the
availability of funds herein, if the Secretary finds that acceptance of
the facility is in the interest of the United States: Provided
further, That funds may be received from any State, other political
subdivision, organization, or individual for the purpose of
establishing or operating any research facility or research project of
the Agricultural Research Service, as authorized by law: Provided
further, That no later than 60 days from the date of enactment of this
Act, the Secretary shall provide a report to the Committees on
Appropriations of both House of Congress that outlines the current
staffing levels and hiring plans in fiscal year 2026 for each research
unit.
buildings and facilities
For the acquisition of land, construction, repair, improvement,
extension, alteration, and purchase of fixed equipment or facilities as
necessary to carry out the agricultural research programs of the
Department of Agriculture, where not otherwise provided, $42,650,000,
to remain available until expended, which shall be for the purposes,
and in the amounts, specified for this account in the table titled
``Congressionally Directed Spending'' in the report accompanying this
Act.
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
research and education activities
For payments to agricultural experiment stations, for cooperative
forestry and other research, for facilities, and for other expenses,
$1,089,510,000, which shall be for the purposes, in the amounts, and
for the periods of availability specified in the table titled
``National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Research and Education
Activities'' in the report accompanying this Act, of which $559,760,000
shall remain available until expended and of which $2,000,000 shall
remain available until September 30, 2027: Provided, That of the
amounts provided under this heading, $13,560,000 shall be for the
purposes, and in the amounts, specified for this account in the table
titled ``Congressionally Directed Spending'' in the report accompanying
this Act, to remain available until expended, which shall not be
subject to section 6(c) and section 6(d) of the Research Facilities Act
(7 U.S.C. 390d): Provided further, That each institution eligible to
receive funds under the Evans-Allen program receives no less than
$1,000,000: Provided further, That funds for education grants for
Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions be made
available to individual eligible institutions or consortia of eligible
institutions with funds awarded equally to each of the States of Alaska
and Hawaii: Provided further, That funds for education grants for 1890
institutions shall be made available to institutions eligible to
receive funds under 7 U.S.C. 3221 and 3222: Provided further, That not
more than 5 percent of the amounts made available by this or any other
Act to carry out the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative under 7
U.S.C. 3157 may be retained by the Secretary of Agriculture to pay
administrative costs incurred by the Secretary in carrying out that
authority.
native american institutions endowment fund
For the Native American Institutions Endowment Fund authorized by
Public Law 103-382 (7 U.S.C. 301 note), $11,880,000, to remain
available until expended.
extension activities
For payments to States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico,
Guam, the Virgin Islands, Micronesia, the Northern Marianas, and
American Samoa, $561,700,000 which shall be for the purposes, in the
amounts, and for the periods of availability specified in the table
titled ``National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Extension
Activities'' in the report accompanying this Act, of which $32,500,000
shall remain available until expended: Provided, That institutions
eligible to receive funds under 7 U.S.C. 3221 for cooperative extension
receive no less than $1,000,000: Provided further, That funds for
cooperative extension under sections 3(b) and (c) of the Smith-Lever
Act (7 U.S.C. 343(b) and (c)) and section 208(c) of Public Law 93-471
shall be available for retirement and employees' compensation costs for
extension agents.
integrated activities
For the integrated research, education, and extension grants
programs, including necessary administrative expenses, $41,100,000,
which shall be for the purposes, in the amounts, and for the periods of
availability specified in the table titled ``National Institute of Food
and Agriculture, Integrated Activities'' in the report accompanying
this Act, of which $8,000,000 shall remain available until expended:
Provided, That notwithstanding any other provision of law, indirect
costs shall not be charged against any Extension Implementation Program
Area grant awarded under the Crop Protection/Pest Management Program (7
U.S.C. 7626).
Office of the Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs
For necessary expenses of the Office of the Under Secretary for
Marketing and Regulatory Programs, $1,617,000: Provided, That funds
made available by this Act to an agency in the Marketing and Regulatory
Programs mission area for salaries and expenses are available to fund
up to one administrative support staff for the Office.
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
salaries and expenses
(including transfers of funds)
For necessary expenses of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service, including up to $30,000 for representation allowances and for
expenses pursuant to the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 4085),
$1,167,534,000 which shall be for the purposes, in the amounts, and for
the periods of availability specified in the table titled ``Animal and
Plant Health Inspection Service'' in the report accompanying this Act,
of which $601,551,000 shall remain available until expended, of which
$11,384,000 shall be for the purposes, and in the amounts, specified
for this account in the table titled ``Congressionally Directed
Spending'' in the report accompanying this Act, to remain available
until expended, and of which $8,500,000 shall remain available until
September 30, 2027: Provided, That no funds shall be used to formulate
or administer a brucellosis eradication program for the current fiscal
year that does not require minimum matching by the States of at least
40 percent: Provided further, That this appropriation shall be
available for the purchase, replacement, operation, and maintenance of
aircraft: Provided further, That in addition, in emergencies which
threaten any segment of the agricultural production industry of the
United States, the Secretary may transfer from other appropriations or
funds available to the agencies or corporations of the Department such
sums as may be deemed necessary, to be available only in such
emergencies for the arrest and eradication of contagious or infectious
disease or pests of animals, poultry, or plants, and for expenses in
accordance with sections 10411 and 10417 of the Animal Health
Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 8310 and 8316) and sections 431 and 442 of the
Plant Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 7751 and 7772), and any unexpended
balances of funds transferred for such emergency purposes in the
preceding fiscal year shall be merged with such transferred amounts:
Provided further, That the Secretary must notify the Committees on
Appropriations about any transfer of funds in the preceding proviso
within 15 days after such transfer being made: Provided further, That
appropriations hereunder shall be available pursuant to law (7 U.S.C.
2250) for the repair and alteration of leased buildings and
improvements, but unless otherwise provided the cost of altering any
one building during the fiscal year shall not exceed 10 percent of the
current replacement value of the building.
In fiscal year 2026, the agency is authorized to collect fees to
cover the total costs of providing technical assistance, goods, or
services requested by States, other political subdivisions, domestic
and international organizations, foreign governments, or individuals,
provided that such fees are structured such that any entity's liability
for such fees is reasonably based on the technical assistance, goods,
or services provided to the entity by the agency, and such fees shall
be reimbursed to this account, to remain available until expended,
without further appropriation, for providing such assistance, goods, or
services.
buildings and facilities
For plans, construction, repair, preventive maintenance,
environmental support, improvement, extension, alteration, and purchase
of fixed equipment or facilities, as authorized by 7 U.S.C. 2250, and
acquisition of land as authorized by 7 U.S.C. 2268a, $1,000,000, to
remain available until expended.
Agricultural Marketing Service
marketing services
For necessary expenses of the Agricultural Marketing Service,
$222,887,000, which shall be for the purposes and in the amounts
specified in the table titled ``Agricultural Marketing Service--
Marketing Services'' in the report accompanying this Act: Provided,
That amounts made available for Dairy Business Innovation Initiatives
to carry out section 12513 of Public Law 115-334 (7 U.S.C. 1632d) shall
remain available until expended and the Secretary shall take measures
to ensure an equal distribution of funds between the three regional
innovation initiatives that were first established using funds made
available under this heading in Public Law 116-6: Provided further,
That this appropriation shall be available pursuant to law (7 U.S.C.
2250) for the alteration and repair of buildings and improvements, but
the cost of altering any one building during the fiscal year shall not
exceed 10 percent of the current replacement value of the building.
Fees may be collected for the cost of standardization activities,
as established by regulation pursuant to law (31 U.S.C. 9701), except
for the cost of activities relating to the development or maintenance
of grain standards under the United States Grain Standards Act, 7
U.S.C. 71 et seq.
limitation on administrative expenses
Not to exceed $62,596,000 (from fees collected) shall be obligated
during the current fiscal year for administrative expenses: Provided,
That if crop size is understated and/or other uncontrollable events
occur, the agency may exceed this limitation by up to 10 percent with
notification to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress.
funds for strengthening markets, income, and supply (section 32)
(including transfers of funds)
Funds available under section 32 of the Act of August 24, 1935 (7
U.S.C. 612c), shall be used only for commodity program expenses as
authorized therein, and other related operating expenses, except for:
(1) transfers to the Department of Commerce as authorized by the Fish
and Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742a et seq.); (2) transfers
otherwise provided in this Act; and (3) not more than $23,880,000 for
formulation and administration of marketing agreements and orders
pursuant to the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937 and the
Agricultural Act of 1961 (Public Law 87-128).
payments to states and possessions
For payments to departments of agriculture, bureaus and departments
of markets, and similar agencies for marketing activities under section
204(b) of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1623(b)),
$1,000,000.
limitation on inspection and weighing services expenses
Not to exceed $55,000,000 (from fees collected) shall be obligated
during the current fiscal year for inspection and weighing services:
Provided, That if grain export activities require additional
supervision and oversight, or other uncontrollable factors occur, this
limitation may be exceeded by up to 10 percent with notification to the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress.
Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety
For necessary expenses of the Office of the Under Secretary for
Food Safety, $1,117,000: Provided, That funds made available by this
Act to an agency in the Food Safety mission area for salaries and
expenses are available to fund up to one administrative support staff
for the Office.
Food Safety and Inspection Service
For necessary expenses to carry out services authorized by the
Federal Meat Inspection Act, the Poultry Products Inspection Act, and
the Egg Products Inspection Act, including not to exceed $10,000 for
representation allowances and for expenses pursuant to section 8 of the
Act approved August 3, 1956 (7 U.S.C. 1766), $1,226,000,000; and in
addition, $1,000,000 may be credited to this account from fees
collected for the cost of laboratory accreditation as authorized by
section 1327 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation and Trade Act of
1990 (7 U.S.C. 138f): Provided, That funds provided for the Public
Health Data Communication Infrastructure system shall remain available
until expended: Provided further, That no fewer than 148 full-time
equivalent positions shall be employed during fiscal year 2026 for
purposes dedicated solely to inspections and enforcement related to the
Humane Methods of Slaughter Act (7 U.S.C. 1901 et seq.): Provided
further, That the Food Safety and Inspection Service shall continue
implementation of section 11016 of Public Law 110-246 as further
clarified by the amendments made in section 12106 of Public Law 113-79:
Provided further, That this appropriation shall be available pursuant
to law (7 U.S.C. 2250) for the alteration and repair of buildings and
improvements, but the cost of altering any one building during the
fiscal year shall not exceed 10 percent of the current replacement
value of the building.
TITLE II
FARM PRODUCTION AND CONSERVATION PROGRAMS
Office of the Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation
For necessary expenses of the Office of the Under Secretary for
Farm Production and Conservation, $1,527,000: Provided, That funds
made available by this Act to an agency in the Farm Production and
Conservation mission area for salaries and expenses are available to
fund up to one administrative support staff for the Office.
Farm Production and Conservation Business Center
salaries and expenses
(including transfers of funds)
For necessary expenses of the Farm Production and Conservation
Business Center, $238,500,000, of which $1,000,000 shall be for the
implementation of section 773 of Public Law 117-328: Provided, That
$70,740,000 of amounts appropriated for the current fiscal year
pursuant to section 1241(a) of the Farm Security and Rural Investment
Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3841(a)) shall be transferred to and merged with
this account.
Farm Service Agency
salaries and expenses
(including transfers of funds)
For necessary expenses of the Farm Service Agency, $1,209,307,000,
of which not less than $15,000,000 shall be for the hiring of new
employees to fill vacancies and anticipated vacancies at Farm Service
Agency county offices and farm loan officers and shall be available
until September 30, 2027: Provided, That the agency shall submit a
report by the end of the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2026 to the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress that identifies
for each project/investment that is operational (a) current performance
against key indicators of customer satisfaction, (b) current
performance of service level agreements or other technical metrics, (c)
current performance against a pre-established cost baseline, (d) a
detailed breakdown of current and planned spending on operational
enhancements or upgrades, and (e) an assessment of whether the
investment continues to meet business needs as intended as well as
alternatives to the investment: Provided further, That the Secretary
is authorized to use the services, facilities, and authorities (but not
the funds) of the Commodity Credit Corporation to make program payments
for all programs administered by the Agency: Provided further, That
other funds made available to the Agency for authorized activities may
be advanced to and merged with this account: Provided further, That of
the amount appropriated under this heading, $696,594,000 shall be made
available to county offices, to remain available until expended:
Provided further, That, notwithstanding the preceding proviso, any
funds made available to county offices in the current fiscal year that
the Administrator of the Farm Service Agency deems to exceed or not
meet the amount needed for the county offices may be transferred to or
from the Farm Service Agency for necessary expenses: Provided further,
That none of the funds available for any department or agency in this
or any other appropriations Acts, including prior year Acts, shall be
used to close Farm Service Agency county offices: Provided further,
That none of the funds available to the Farm Service Agency shall be
used to permanently relocate county based employees that would result
in an office with two or fewer employees without prior notification and
approval of the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress.
state mediation grants
For grants pursuant to section 502(b) of the Agricultural Credit
Act of 1987, as amended (7 U.S.C. 5101-5106), $6,500,000: Provided,
That the Secretary of Agriculture may determine that United States
territories and Federally recognized Indian tribes are ``States'' for
the purposes of Subtitle A of such Act.
grassroots source water protection program
For necessary expenses to carry out wellhead or groundwater
protection activities under section 1240O of the Food Security Act of
1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839bb-2), $7,000,000, to remain available until
expended.
dairy indemnity program
(including transfer of funds)
For necessary expenses involved in making indemnity payments to
dairy farmers and manufacturers of dairy products under a dairy
indemnity program, such sums as may be necessary, to remain available
until expended: Provided, That such program is carried out by the
Secretary in the same manner as the dairy indemnity program described
in the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration,
and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2001 (Public Law 106-387, 114
Stat. 1549A-12).
geographically disadvantaged farmers and ranchers
For necessary expenses to carry out direct reimbursement payments
to geographically disadvantaged farmers and ranchers under section 1621
of the Food Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 8792),
$3,500,000, to remain available until expended.
agricultural credit insurance fund program account
(including transfers of funds)
For gross obligations for the principal amount of direct and
guaranteed farm ownership (7 U.S.C. 1922 et seq.) and operating (7
U.S.C. 1941 et seq.) loans, emergency loans (7 U.S.C. 1961 et seq.),
Indian tribe land acquisition loans (25 U.S.C. 5136), boll weevil loans
(7 U.S.C. 1989), guaranteed conservation loans (7 U.S.C. 1924 et seq.),
and relending program (7 U.S.C. 1936c), to be available from funds in
the Agricultural Credit Insurance Fund, as follows: $3,500,000,000 for
guaranteed farm ownership loans and $3,100,000,000 for farm ownership
direct loans; $2,000,000,000 for unsubsidized guaranteed operating
loans and $1,633,000,000 for direct operating loans; emergency loans,
$14,388,000; Indian tribe land acquisition loans, $20,000,000;
guaranteed conservation loans, $150,000,000; and for boll weevil
eradication program loans, $60,000,000: Provided, That the Secretary
shall deem the pink bollworm to be a boll weevil for the purpose of
boll weevil eradication program loans.
For the cost of direct and guaranteed loans and grants, including
the cost of modifying loans as defined in section 502 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, as follows: $1,000,000 for emergency
loans, to remain available until expended; $39,370,000 for farm
ownership direct loans, and $84,000 for boll weevil eradication program
loans.
In addition, for administrative expenses necessary to carry out the
direct and guaranteed loan programs, $326,053,000: Provided, That of
this amount, $305,803,000 shall be paid to the appropriation for ``Farm
Service Agency, Salaries and Expenses''.
Funds appropriated by this Act to the Agricultural Credit Insurance
Program Account for farm ownership, operating, conservation, and
emergency direct loans and loan guarantees may be transferred among
these programs: Provided, That the Committees on Appropriations of
both Houses of Congress are notified at least 15 days in advance of any
transfer.
Risk Management Agency
salaries and expenses
For necessary expenses of the Risk Management Agency, $65,637,000:
Provided, That $1,000,000 of the amount appropriated under this heading
in this Act shall be available for compliance and integrity activities
required under section 516(b)(2)(C) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act
of 1938 (7 U.S.C. 1516(b)(2)(C)), and shall be in addition to amounts
otherwise provided for such purpose: Provided further, That not to
exceed $1,000 shall be available for official reception and
representation expenses, as authorized by 7 U.S.C. 1506(i).
Natural Resources Conservation Service
conservation operations
For necessary expenses for carrying out the provisions of the Act
of April 27, 1935 (16 U.S.C. 590a-f), including preparation of
conservation plans and establishment of measures to conserve soil and
water (including farm irrigation and land drainage and such special
measures for soil and water management as may be necessary to prevent
floods and the siltation of reservoirs and to control agricultural
related pollutants); operation of conservation plant materials centers;
classification and mapping of soil; dissemination of information;
acquisition of lands, water, and interests therein for use in the plant
materials program by donation, exchange, or purchase at a nominal cost
not to exceed $100 pursuant to the Act of August 3, 1956 (7 U.S.C.
2268a); purchase and erection or alteration or improvement of permanent
and temporary buildings; and operation and maintenance of aircraft,
$895,754,000, which shall be for the purposes and in the amounts
specified in the table titled ``Natural Resources Conservation Service,
Conservation Operations'' in the report accompanying this Act, to
remain available until September 30, 2027: Provided, That
appropriations hereunder shall be available pursuant to 7 U.S.C. 2250
for construction and improvement of buildings and public improvements
at plant materials centers, except that the cost of alterations and
improvements to other buildings and other public improvements shall not
exceed $250,000: Provided further, That when buildings or other
structures are erected on non-Federal land, that the right to use such
land is obtained as provided in 7 U.S.C. 2250a.
watershed and flood prevention operations
For necessary expenses to carry out preventive measures, including
but not limited to surveys and investigations, engineering operations,
works of improvement, and changes in use of land, in accordance with
the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act (16 U.S.C. 1001-1005
and 1007-1009) and in accordance with the provisions of laws relating
to the activities of the Department, $52,360,000, to remain available
until expended, of which $32,360,000 shall be for the purposes, and in
the amounts, specified for this account in the table titled
``Congressionally Directed Spending'' in the report accompanying this
Act: Provided, That for funds provided by this Act or any other prior
Act, the limitation regarding the size of the watershed or subwatershed
exceeding two hundred and fifty thousand acres in which such activities
can be undertaken shall only apply for activities undertaken for the
primary purpose of flood prevention (including structural and land
treatment measures): Provided further, That of the amounts made
available under this heading, $10,000,000 shall be allocated to multi-
benefit irrigation modernization projects and activities that increase
fish or wildlife habitat, reduce drought impact, improve water quality
or instream flow, or provide off-channel renewable energy production.
watershed rehabilitation program
Under the authorities of section 14 of the Watershed Protection and
Flood Prevention Act, $1,000,000 is provided.
CORPORATIONS
The following corporations and agencies are hereby authorized to
make expenditures, within the limits of funds and borrowing authority
available to each such corporation or agency and in accord with law,
and to make contracts and commitments without regard to fiscal year
limitations as provided by section 104 of the Government Corporation
Control Act as may be necessary in carrying out the programs set forth
in the budget for the current fiscal year for such corporation or
agency, except as hereinafter provided.
Federal Crop Insurance Corporation Fund
For payments as authorized by section 516 of the Federal Crop
Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1516), such sums as may be necessary, to remain
available until expended.
Commodity Credit Corporation Fund
reimbursement for net realized losses
(including transfers of funds)
For the current fiscal year, such sums as may be necessary to
reimburse the Commodity Credit Corporation for net realized losses
sustained, but not previously reimbursed, pursuant to section 2 of the
Act of August 17, 1961 (15 U.S.C. 713a-11): Provided, That of the
funds available to the Commodity Credit Corporation under section 11 of
the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act (15 U.S.C. 714i) for the
conduct of its business with the Foreign Agricultural Service, up to
$5,000,000 may be transferred to and used by the Foreign Agricultural
Service for information resource management activities of the Foreign
Agricultural Service that are not related to Commodity Credit
Corporation business: Provided further, That the Secretary shall
notify the Committees on Appropriations of the House and Senate in
writing 15 days prior to the obligation or commitment of any emergency
funds from the Commodity Credit Corporation or the transfer or
cancellation of any previously obligated Commodity Credit Corporation
funds: Provided further, That such written notification shall include
a detailed spend plan for the anticipated uses of such funds and an
expected timeline for program execution if such obligation, commitment,
transfer, or cancellation exceeds $100,000,000.
hazardous waste management
(limitation on expenses)
For the current fiscal year, the Commodity Credit Corporation shall
not expend more than $15,000,000 for site investigation and cleanup
expenses, and operations and maintenance expenses to comply with the
requirement of section 107(g) of the Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (42 U.S.C. 9607(g)), and
section 6001 of the Solid Waste Disposal Act (42 U.S.C. 6961).
TITLE III
RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
Office of the Under Secretary for Rural Development
For necessary expenses of the Office of the Under Secretary for
Rural Development, $1,620,000: Provided, That funds made available by
this Act to an agency in the Rural Development mission area for
salaries and expenses are available to fund up to one administrative
support staff for the Office.
Rural Development
salaries and expenses
(including transfers of funds)
For necessary expenses for carrying out the administration and
implementation of Rural Development programs, including activities with
institutions concerning the development and operation of agricultural
cooperatives; and for cooperative agreements; $351,087,000: Provided,
That of the amount made available under this heading, no less than
$75,000,000, to remain available until expended, shall be used for
information technology expenses: Provided further, That
notwithstanding any other provision of law, funds appropriated under
this heading may be used for advertising and promotional activities
that support Rural Development programs: Provided further, That in
addition to any other funds appropriated for purposes authorized by
section 502(i) of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1472(i)), any
amounts collected under such section, as amended by this Act, will
immediately be credited to this account and will remain available until
expended for such purposes: Provided further, That of the amount made
available under this heading, $2,000,000, to remain available until
expended, shall be for the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out a
pilot program that assists rural hospitals to improve long-term
operations and financial health by providing technical assistance
through analysis of current hospital management practices.
Rural Housing Service
rural housing insurance fund program account
(including transfers of funds)
For gross obligations for the principal amount of direct and
guaranteed loans as authorized by title V of the Housing Act of 1949,
to be available from funds in the rural housing insurance fund, as
follows: $1,000,000,000 shall be for section 502 direct loans;
$5,000,000 shall be for a Single Family Housing Relending demonstration
program for Native American Tribes; and $25,000,000,000 shall be for
section 502 unsubsidized guaranteed loans; $25,000,000 for section 504
housing repair loans; $50,000,000 for section 515 rental housing;
$400,000,000 for section 538 guaranteed multi-family housing loans;
$10,000,000 for credit sales of single family housing acquired
property; $5,000,000 for section 523 self-help housing land development
loans; $5,000,000 for section 524 site development loans; and
$15,000,000 for section 514 direct farm labor housing loans.
For the cost of direct loans, guaranteed loans, and grants,
including the cost of modifying loans, as defined in section 502 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, as follows: section 502 direct loans,
$130,600,000, of which $32,650,000 shall remain available until
September 30, 2027; Single Family Housing Relending demonstration
program for Native American Tribes, $2,469,000; section 504 housing
repair loans, $4,333,000; repair, rehabilitation, and new construction
of section 515 rental housing, $15,130,000, to remain available until
expended; section 523 self-help housing land development loans,
$657,000; section 524 site development loans, $502,000; section 514
farm labor housing loans, $4,761,000, to remain available until
expended; and farm labor housing grants, as authorized by section 516
of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1484, 1486), $7,500,000, to
remain available until expended: Provided, That to support the loan
program level for section 538 guaranteed loans made available under
this heading the Secretary may charge or adjust any fees to cover the
projected cost of such loan guarantees pursuant to the provisions of
the Credit Reform Act of 1990 (2 U.S.C. 661 et seq.), and the interest
on such loans may not be subsidized: Provided further, That applicants
in communities that have a current rural area waiver under section 541
of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1490q) shall be treated as living
in a rural area for purposes of section 502 guaranteed loans provided
under this heading: Provided further, That of the amounts available
under this paragraph for section 502 direct loans, no less than
$5,000,000 shall be available for direct loans for individuals whose
homes will be built pursuant to a program funded with a mutual and
self-help housing grant authorized by section 523 of the Housing Act of
1949 until June 1, 2026: Provided further, That the Secretary shall
implement provisions to provide incentives to nonprofit organizations
and public housing authorities to facilitate the acquisition of Rural
Housing Service (RHS) multifamily housing properties by such nonprofit
organizations and public housing authorities that commit to keep such
properties in the RHS multifamily housing program for a period of time
as determined by the Secretary, with such incentives to include, but
not be limited to, the following: allow such nonprofit entities and
public housing authorities to earn a Return on Investment on the
owner's initial equity contributions, as defined by the Secretary,
invested in the transaction; and allow reimbursement of organizational
costs associated with owner's oversight of asset referred to as ``Asset
Management Fee'' of up to $7,500 per property.
In addition, for the cost of direct loans and grants, including the
cost of modifying loans, as defined in section 502 of the Congressional
Budget Act of 1974, $34,000,000, to remain available until expended,
for a demonstration program for the preservation and revitalization of
the sections 514, 515, and 516 multi-family rental housing properties
to restructure existing USDA multi-family housing loans, as the
Secretary deems appropriate, expressly for the purposes of ensuring the
project has sufficient resources to preserve the project for the
purpose of providing safe and affordable housing for low-income
residents and farm laborers including reducing or eliminating interest;
deferring loan payments, subordinating, reducing or re-amortizing loan
debt; and other financial assistance including advances, payments and
incentives (including the ability of owners to obtain reasonable
returns on investment) required by the Secretary: Provided, That the
Secretary shall, as part of the preservation and revitalization
agreement, obtain a restrictive use agreement consistent with the terms
of the restructuring.
In addition, for administrative expenses necessary to carry out the
direct and guaranteed loan programs, $412,254,000 shall be paid to the
appropriation for ``Rural Development, Salaries and Expenses''.
rental assistance program
For rental assistance agreements entered into or renewed pursuant
to the authority under section 521(a)(2) of the Housing Act of 1949 or
agreements entered into in lieu of debt forgiveness or payments for
eligible households as authorized by section 502(c)(5)(D) of the
Housing Act of 1949, $1,715,000,000, and in addition such sums as may
be necessary, as authorized by section 521(c) of the Act, to liquidate
debt incurred prior to fiscal year 1992 to carry out the rental
assistance program under section 521(a)(2) of the Act: Provided, That
amounts made available under this heading shall be available for
renewal of rental assistance agreements for a maximum of 5,000 units
where the Secretary determines that a maturing loan for a project
cannot reasonably be restructured with another USDA loan or
modification and the project was operating with rental assistance under
section 521 of the Housing Act of 1949: Provided further, That the
Secretary may enter into rental assistance contracts in maturing
properties with existing rental assistance agreements notwithstanding
any provision of section 521 of the Housing Act of 1949, for a term of
at least 10 years but not more than 20 years: Provided further, That
any agreement to enter into a rental assistance contract under section
521 of the Housing Act of 1949 for a maturing property shall obligate
the owner to continue to maintain the project as decent, safe, and
sanitary housing and to operate the development in accordance with the
Housing Act of 1949, except that rents shall be based on current Fair
Market Rents as established by the Department of Housing and Urban
Development pursuant to 24 CFR 888 Subpart A, 42 U.S.C. 1437f and
3535d, to determine the maximum initial rent and adjusted annually by
the Operating Cost Adjustment Factor pursuant to 24 CFR 888 Subpart B,
unless the Agency determines that the project's budget-based needs
require a higher rent, in which case the Agency may approve a budget-
based rent level: Provided further, That rental assistance agreements
entered into or renewed during the current fiscal year shall be funded
for a one year period: Provided further, That upon request by an owner
under section 514 or 515 of the Act, the Secretary may renew the rental
assistance agreement for a period of 20 years or until the term of such
loan has expired, subject to annual appropriations: Provided further,
That any unexpended balances remaining at the end of such one-year
agreements may be transferred and used for purposes of any debt
reduction, maintenance, repair, or rehabilitation of any existing
projects; preservation; and rental assistance activities authorized
under title V of the Act: Provided further, That rental assistance
provided under agreements entered into prior to fiscal year 2026 for a
farm labor multi-family housing project financed under section 514 or
516 of the Act may not be recaptured for use in another project until
such assistance has remained unused for a period of twelve consecutive
months, if such project has a waiting list of tenants seeking such
assistance or the project has rental assistance eligible tenants who
are not receiving such assistance: Provided further, That such
recaptured rental assistance shall, to the extent practicable, be
applied to another farm labor multi-family housing project financed
under section 514 or 516 of the Act: Provided further, That except as
provided in the eighth proviso under this heading and notwithstanding
any other provision of the Act, the Secretary may recapture rental
assistance provided under agreements entered into prior to fiscal year
2026 for a project that the Secretary determines no longer needs rental
assistance and use such recaptured funds for current needs: Provided
further, That in addition to any other available funds, the Secretary
may expend not more than $1,000,000 total, from the program funds made
available under this heading, for information technology improvements
under this heading.
rural housing voucher account
For the rural housing voucher program as authorized under section
542 of the Housing Act of 1949, but notwithstanding subsection (b) of
such section, $48,000,000, to remain available until expended:
Provided, That the funds made available under this heading shall be
available for rural housing vouchers to any low-income household
(including those not receiving rental assistance) residing in a
property financed with a section 515 loan which has been prepaid or
otherwise paid off after September 30, 2005, and is not receiving
stand-alone section 521 rental assistance: Provided further, That the
amount of such voucher shall be the difference between comparable
market rent for the section 515 unit and the tenant paid rent for such
unit: Provided further, That funds made available for such vouchers
shall be subject to the availability of annual appropriations:
Provided further, That the Secretary shall, to the maximum extent
practicable, administer such vouchers with current regulations and
administrative guidance applicable to section 8 housing vouchers
administered by the Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban
Development: Provided further, That in addition to any other available
funds, the Secretary may expend not more than $1,000,000 total, from
the program funds made available under this heading, for administrative
expenses for activities funded under this heading.
mutual and self-help housing grants
For grants and contracts pursuant to section 523(b)(1)(A) of the
Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1490c), $25,000,000, to remain available
until expended.
rural housing assistance grants
For grants for very low-income housing repair and rural housing
preservation made by the Rural Housing Service, as authorized by 42
U.S.C. 1474, and 1490m, $35,000,000, to remain available until
expended.
rural community facilities program account
(including transfers of funds)
For gross obligations for the principal amount of direct and
guaranteed loans as authorized by section 306 and described in section
381E(d)(1) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act,
$1,250,000,000 for direct loans and $650,000,000 for guaranteed loans.
For the cost of direct loans, loan guarantees and grants, including
the cost of modifying loans, as defined in section 502 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, for rural community facilities
programs as authorized by section 306 and described in section
381E(d)(1) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act,
$217,436,000, to remain available until expended, of which $199,436,000
shall be for the purposes, and in the amounts specified in the table
titled ``Congressionally Directed Spending'' in the report accompanying
this Act: Provided, That $5,000,000 of the amount appropriated under
this heading shall be available for a Rural Community Development
Initiative: Provided further, That such funds shall be used solely to
develop the capacity and ability of private, nonprofit community-based
housing and community development organizations, low-income rural
communities, and Federally Recognized Native American Tribes to
undertake projects to improve housing, community facilities, community
and economic development projects in rural areas: Provided further,
That such funds shall be made available to qualified private, nonprofit
and public intermediary organizations proposing to carry out a program
of financial and technical assistance: Provided further, That such
intermediary organizations shall provide matching funds from other
sources, including Federal funds for related activities, in an amount
not less than funds provided: Provided further, That any unobligated
balances from prior year appropriations under this heading for the cost
of direct loans, loan guarantees and grants, including amounts
deobligated or cancelled, may be made available to cover the subsidy
costs for direct loans, loan guarantees and or grants under this
heading in this fiscal year: Provided further, That no amounts may be
made available pursuant to the preceding proviso from amounts that were
designated by the Congress as an emergency requirement pursuant to a
concurrent resolution on the budget or the Balanced Budget and
Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985: Provided further, That amounts
specified in the tables 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, as described
in section 4 in the matter preceding division A of such Acts, may not
be made available pursuant to the fifth proviso until at least three
fiscal years after the fiscal year in which such funds were originally
made available: Provided further, That no amounts may be made
available pursuant to the preceding proviso without prior notification
and approval of the Committees of Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress: Provided further, That $13,000,000 of the amount
appropriated under this heading shall be available for community
facilities grants, as authorized by section 306(a)(19) of the
Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act, of which $8,000,000 shall
be for grants to tribal colleges as authorized by section 306(a)(25) of
such Act: Provided further, That sections 381E-H and 381N of the
Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act are not applicable to the
funds made available under this heading: Provided further, That in
addition to any other available funds, the Secretary may expend not
more than $1,000,000 total, from the program funds made available under
this heading, for administrative expenses for activities funded under
this heading.
Rural Business--Cooperative Service
rural business program account
For gross obligations for the principal amount of guaranteed loans
as authorized by section 310B of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932(g)), $1,750,000,000.
For the cost of loan guarantees and grants, for the rural business
development programs authorized by section 310B and described in
subsections (a), (c), (f) and (g) of section 310B of the Consolidated
Farm and Rural Development Act, $55,575,000, to remain available until
expended: Provided, That of the amount appropriated under this
heading, $15,575,000 shall be for business and industry guaranteed
loans: Provided further, That of the amount appropriated under this
heading, $26,000,000 shall be for rural business development grants as
authorized by section 310B(c) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act, of which not to exceed $500,000 shall be made
available for one grant to a qualified national organization to provide
technical assistance for rural transportation in order to promote
economic development: Provided further, That of the amount
appropriated under this heading, $10,000,000 shall be for grants to the
Delta Regional Authority (7 U.S.C. 2009aa et seq.), the Northern Border
Regional Commission (40 U.S.C. 15101 et seq.), the Southwest Border
Regional Commission (40 U.S.C. 15301 et seq.), and the Appalachian
Regional Commission (40 U.S.C. 14101 et seq.) for any Rural Community
Advancement Program purpose as described in section 381E(d) of the
Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act, of which not more than 5
percent may be used for administrative expenses: Provided further,
That $4,000,000 of the amount appropriated under this heading shall be
for business grants to benefit Federally Recognized Native American
Tribes, including $250,000 for a grant to a qualified national
organization to provide technical assistance for rural transportation
in order to promote economic development: Provided further, That
sections 381E-H and 381N of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development
Act are not applicable to funds made available under this heading.
intermediary relending program fund account
(including transfer of funds)
For the principal amount of direct loans, as authorized by the
Intermediary Relending Program Fund Account (7 U.S.C. 1936b),
$13,000,000.
For the cost of direct loans, $2,954,000, as authorized by the
Intermediary Relending Program Fund Account (7 U.S.C. 1936b), of which
$295,000 shall be available through June 30, 2026, for Federally
Recognized Native American Tribes; and of which $591,000 shall be
available through June 30, 2026, for Mississippi Delta Region counties
(as determined in accordance with Public Law 100-460): Provided, That
such costs, including the cost of modifying such loans, shall be as
defined in section 502 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974.
In addition, for administrative expenses to carry out the direct
loan programs, $4,468,000 shall be paid to the appropriation for
``Rural Development, Salaries and Expenses''.
rural economic development loans program account
For the principal amount of direct loans, as authorized under
section 313B(a) of the Rural Electrification Act, for the purpose of
promoting rural economic development and job creation projects,
$50,000,000.
The cost of grants authorized under section 313B(a) of the Rural
Electrification Act, for the purpose of promoting rural economic
development and job creation projects shall not exceed $10,000,000.
rural cooperative development grants
For rural cooperative development grants authorized under section
310B(e) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C.
1932), $24,800,000, of which $3,500,000 shall be for cooperative
agreements for the appropriate technology transfer for rural areas
program: Provided, That not to exceed $3,000,000 shall be for grants
for cooperative development centers, individual cooperatives, or groups
of cooperatives that serve socially disadvantaged groups and a majority
of the boards of directors or governing boards of which are comprised
of individuals who are members of socially disadvantaged groups; and of
which $12,500,000, to remain available until expended, shall be for
value-added agricultural product market development grants, as
authorized by section 210A of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946,
of which $1,000,000, to remain available until expended, shall be for
Agriculture Innovation Centers authorized pursuant to section 6402 of
Public Law 107-171.
rural microentrepreneur assistance program
For the principal amount of direct loans as authorized by section
379E of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C.
2008s), $19,515,000.
For the cost of loans and grants, $5,000,000 under the same terms
and conditions as authorized by section 379E of the Consolidated Farm
and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2008s).
rural energy for america program
For the principal amount of loan guarantees, under the same terms
and conditions as authorized by section 9007 of the Farm Security and
Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8107), $100,000,000.
healthy food financing initiative
For the cost of loans and grants that is consistent with section
243 of subtitle D of title II of the Department of Agriculture
Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6953), as added by section 4206 of
the Agricultural Act of 2014, for necessary expenses of the Secretary
to support projects that provide access to healthy food in underserved
areas, to create and preserve quality jobs, and to revitalize low-
income communities, $500,000, to remain available until expended:
Provided, That such costs of loans, including the cost of modifying
such loans, shall be as defined in section 502 of the Congressional
Budget Act of 1974.
Rural Utilities Service
rural water and waste disposal program account
(including transfers of funds)
For gross obligations for the principal amount of direct and
guaranteed loans as authorized by section 306 and described in section
381E(d)(2) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act, as
follows: $1,015,000,000 for direct loans; and $50,000,000 for
guaranteed loans.
For the cost of direct loans, loan guarantees and grants, including
the cost of modifying loans, as defined in section 502 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, for rural water, waste water, waste
disposal, and solid waste management programs authorized by sections
306, 306A, 306C, 306D, 306E, and 310B and described in sections
306C(a)(2), 306D, 306E, and 381E(d)(2) of the Consolidated Farm and
Rural Development Act, $443,776,000, to remain available until
expended: Provided, That $51,476,000 of the amount appropriated under
this heading shall be available for direct loans, of which no less than
$3,876,000 shall be available for water and waste direct one percent
loans for distressed communities as the Secretary deems appropriate:
Provided further, That $1,000,000 shall be available for the rural
utilities program described in section 306(a)(2)(B) of such Act:
Provided further, That $5,000,000 of the amount appropriated under this
heading shall be available for the rural utilities program described in
section 306E of such Act: Provided further, That $10,000,000 of the
amount appropriated under this heading shall be for grants authorized
by section 306A(i)(2) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development
Act in addition to funding authorized by section 306A(i)(1) of such
Act: Provided further, That $65,000,000 of the amount appropriated
under this heading shall be for loans and grants including water and
waste disposal systems grants authorized by section 306C(a)(2)(B) and
section 306D of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act, and
Federally Recognized Native American Tribes authorized by 306C(a)(1) of
such Act, and the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (of the State of
Hawaii): Provided further, That funding provided for section 306D of
the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act may be provided to a
consortium formed pursuant to section 325 of Public Law 105-83:
Provided further, That not more than 2 percent of the funding provided
for section 306D of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act may
be used by the State of Alaska for training and technical assistance
programs and not more than 2 percent of the funding provided for
section 306D of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act may be
used by a consortium formed pursuant to section 325 of Public Law 105-
83 for training and technical assistance programs: Provided further,
That $35,000,000 of the amount appropriated under this heading shall be
for technical assistance grants for rural water and waste systems
pursuant to section 306(a)(14) of such Act, unless the Secretary makes
a determination of extreme need, of which $9,000,000 shall be made
available for a grant to a qualified nonprofit multi-State regional
technical assistance organization, with experience in working with
small communities on water and waste water problems, the principal
purpose of such grant shall be to assist rural communities with
populations of 3,300 or less, in improving the planning, financing,
development, operation, and management of water and waste water
systems, and of which not less than $800,000 shall be for a qualified
national Native American organization to provide technical assistance
for rural water systems for tribal communities: Provided further, That
$23,900,000 of the amount appropriated under this heading shall be for
contracting with qualified national organizations for a circuit rider
program to provide technical assistance for rural water systems:
Provided further, That $4,000,000 of the amounts made available under
this heading shall be for solid waste management grants: Provided
further, That $240,400,000 of the amounts made available under this
heading shall be for grants pursuant to section 306(a)(2)(a) of the
Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act: Provided further, That
$8,000,000 of the amount appropriated under this heading shall be
transferred to, and merged with, the Rural Utilities Service, High
Energy Cost Grants Account to provide grants authorized under section
19 of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 918a): Provided
further, That if any funds made available for the direct loan subsidy
costs under this heading remain unobligated after July 31, 2026, such
unobligated balances may be used for grant programs funded under this
heading: Provided further, That any unobligated balances from prior
year appropriations under this heading for the cost of direct loans,
loan guarantees and grants, including amounts deobligated or cancelled,
may be made available to cover the subsidy costs for direct loans, loan
guarantees and or grants under this heading in this fiscal year:
Provided further, That no amounts may be made available pursuant to the
two preceding provisos from amounts that were designated by the
Congress as an emergency requirement pursuant to a concurrent
resolution on the budget or the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit
Control Act of 1985: Provided further, That sections 381E-H and 381N
of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act are not applicable
to the funds made available under this heading.
rural electrification and telecommunications loans program account
(including transfer of funds)
The principal amount of loans and loan guarantees as authorized by
sections 4, 305, 306, 313A, and 317 of the Rural Electrification Act of
1936 (7 U.S.C. 904, 935, 936, 940c-1, and 940g) shall be made as
follows: guaranteed rural electric loans made pursuant to section 306
of that Act, $2,667,000,000; cost of money direct loans made pursuant
to sections 4, notwithstanding the one-eighth of one percent in
4(c)(2), and 317, notwithstanding 317(c), of that Act, $4,333,000,000;
guaranteed underwriting loans pursuant to section 313A of that Act,
$900,000,000; for cost-of-money rural telecommunications loans made
pursuant to section 305(d)(2) of that Act, $350,000,000; and for
guaranteed rural telecommunications loans made pursuant to section 306
of that Act, $200,000,000: Provided, That up to $2,000,000,000 shall
be used for the construction, acquisition, design, engineering or
improvement of fossil-fueled electric generating plants (whether new or
existing) that utilize carbon subsurface utilization and storage
systems.
For the cost of direct loans as authorized by section 305(d)(2) of
the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 935(d)(2)), including
the cost of modifying loans, as defined in section 502 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, cost of money rural
telecommunications loans, $3,570,000.
In addition, $4,200,000 to remain available until expended, to
carry out section 6407 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of
2002 (7 U.S.C. 8107a): Provided, That the energy efficiency measures
supported by the funding in this paragraph shall contribute in a
demonstrable way to the reduction of greenhouse gases.
In addition, for administrative expenses necessary to carry out the
direct and guaranteed loan programs, $33,270,000, which shall be paid
to the appropriation for ``Rural Development, Salaries and Expenses''.
distance learning, telemedicine, and broadband program
For grants for telemedicine and distance learning services in rural
areas, as authorized by 7 U.S.C. 950aaa et seq., $40,610,000, to remain
available until expended, of which $610,000 shall be for the purposes,
and in the amounts, specified for this account in the table titled
``Congressionally Directed Spending'' in the report accompanying this
Act: Provided, That $3,000,000 shall be made available for grants
authorized by section 379G of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act: Provided further, That funding provided under this
heading for grants under section 379G of the Consolidated Farm and
Rural Development Act may only be provided to entities that meet all of
the eligibility criteria for a consortium as established by this
section.
For the cost to continue a broadband loan and grant pilot program
established by section 779 of division A of the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2018 (Public Law 115-141) under the Rural
Electrification Act of 1936, as amended (7 U.S.C. 901 et seq.),
$35,000,000, to remain available until expended: Provided, That the
Secretary may award grants described in section 601(a) of the Rural
Electrification Act of 1936, as amended (7 U.S.C. 950bb(a)) for the
purposes of carrying out such pilot program: Provided further, That
the cost of direct loans shall be defined in section 502 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974: Provided further, That at least 90
percent of the households to be served by a project receiving a loan or
grant under the pilot program shall be in a rural area without
sufficient access to broadband: Provided further, That for purposes of
such pilot program, a rural area without sufficient access to broadband
shall be defined as twenty-five megabits per second downstream and
three megabits per second upstream: Provided further, That to the
extent possible, projects receiving funds provided under the pilot
program must build out service to at least one hundred megabits per
second downstream, and twenty megabits per second upstream: Provided
further, That an entity to which a loan or grant is made under the
pilot program shall not use the loan or grant to overbuild or duplicate
broadband service in a service area by any entity that has received a
broadband loan from the Rural Utilities Service unless such service is
not provided sufficient access to broadband at the minimum service
threshold: Provided further, That not more than four percent of the
funds made available in this paragraph can be used for administrative
costs to carry out the pilot program and up to three percent of funds
made available in this paragraph may be available for technical
assistance and pre-development planning activities to support the most
rural communities: Provided further, That the Rural Utilities Service
is directed to expedite program delivery methods that would implement
this paragraph: Provided further, That for purposes of this paragraph,
the Secretary shall adhere to the notice, reporting and service area
assessment requirements set forth in section 701 of the Rural
Electrification Act (7 U.S.C. 950cc).
In addition, $20,000,000, to remain available until expended, for
the Community Connect Grant Program authorized by 7 U.S.C. 950bb-3.
TITLE IV
DOMESTIC FOOD PROGRAMS
Office of the Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer
Services
For necessary expenses of the Office of the Under Secretary for
Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, $1,127,000: Provided, That
funds made available by this Act to an agency in the Food, Nutrition
and Consumer Services mission area for salaries and expenses are
available to fund up to one administrative support staff for the
Office.
Food and Nutrition Service
child nutrition programs
(including transfers of funds)
For necessary expenses to carry out the Richard B. Russell National
School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.), except section 21, and the
Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1771 et seq.), except sections
17 and 21; $36,285,902,000 to remain available through September 30,
2027, of which such sums as are made available under section
14222(b)(1) of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Public
Law 110-246), as amended by this Act, shall be merged with and
available for the same time period and purposes as provided herein:
Provided, That of the total amount available, $18,004,000 shall be
available to carry out section 19 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966
(42 U.S.C. 1771 et seq.): Provided further, That of the total amount
available, $21,918,000 shall be available to carry out studies and
evaluations and shall remain available until expended: Provided
further, That of the total amount available, $5,000,000 shall remain
available until expended to carry out section 18(g) of the Richard B.
Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1769(g)): Provided
further, That notwithstanding section 18(g)(3)(C) of the Richard B.
Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1769(g)(3)(c)), the total
grant amount provided to a farm to school grant recipient in fiscal
year 2026 shall not exceed $500,000: Provided further, That of the
total amount available, $10,000,000 shall be available to provide
competitive grants to State agencies for subgrants to local educational
agencies and schools to purchase the equipment, with a value of greater
than $1,000, needed to serve healthier meals, improve food safety, and
to help support the establishment, maintenance, or expansion of the
school breakfast program: Provided further, That of the total amount
available, $1,500,000 shall remain available until expended to carry
out activities authorized under subsections (a)(2) and (e)(2) of
section 21 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42
U.S.C. 1769b-1(a)(2) and (e)(2)): Provided further, That section 26(d)
of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C.
1769g(d)) is amended in the first sentence by striking ``2010 through
2026'' and inserting ``2010 through 2027'': Provided further, That
section 9(h)(3) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42
U.S.C. 1758(h)(3)) is amended in the first sentence by striking ``For
fiscal year 2025'' and inserting ``For fiscal year 2026'': Provided
further, That section 9(h)(4) of the Richard B. Russell National School
Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1758(h)(4)) is amended in the first sentence by
striking ``For fiscal year 2025'' and inserting ``For fiscal year
2026''.
special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children
(wic)
For necessary expenses to carry out the special supplemental
nutrition program as authorized by section 17 of the Child Nutrition
Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786), $8,200,000,000, to remain available
through September 30, 2027: Provided, That notwithstanding section
17(h)(10) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786(h)(10)),
not less than $90,000,000 shall be used for breastfeeding peer
counselors and other related activities, and $14,000,000 shall be used
for infrastructure, including investments to develop strategies to
improve timely program data collection and reporting: Provided
further, That funds made available under this heading may be used to
award grants and cooperative agreements to State agencies or other
entities: Provided further, That the Secretary shall use funds made
available under this heading to maintain the amount for the cash-value
voucher for women and children participants at an amount recommended by
the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine and
adjusted for inflation: Provided further, That none of the funds
provided in this account shall be available for the purchase of infant
formula except in accordance with the cost containment and competitive
bidding requirements specified in section 17 of such Act: Provided
further, That none of the funds provided shall be available for
activities that are not fully reimbursed by other Federal Government
departments or agencies unless authorized by section 17 of such Act:
Provided further, That upon termination of a federally mandated vendor
moratorium and subject to terms and conditions established by the
Secretary, the Secretary may waive the requirement at 7 CFR
246.12(g)(6) at the request of a State agency.
supplemental nutrition assistance program
For necessary expenses to carry out the Food and Nutrition Act of
2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.), $118,139,341,000, of which
$3,000,000,000, to remain available through September 30, 2027, shall
be placed in reserve for use only in such amounts and at such times as
may become necessary to carry out program operations: Provided, That
funds provided herein shall be expended in accordance with section 16
of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008: Provided further, That of the
funds made available under this heading, $998,000 may be used to
provide nutrition education services to State agencies and Federally
Recognized Tribes participating in the Food Distribution Program on
Indian Reservations: Provided further, That of the funds made
available under this heading, $3,000,000, to remain available until
September 30, 2027, shall be used to carry out section 4003(b) of
Public Law 115-334 relating to demonstration projects for tribal
organizations: Provided further, That of the funds made available
under this heading, $3,000,000 shall be used to carry out section 4208
of Public Law 115-334: Provided further, That this appropriation shall
be subject to any work registration or workfare requirements as may be
required by law: Provided further, That funds made available for
Employment and Training under this heading shall remain available
through September 30, 2027: Provided further, That funds made
available under this heading for section 28(d)(1), section 4(b), and
section 27(a) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 shall remain
available through September 30, 2027: Provided further, That none of
the funds made available under this heading may be obligated or
expended in contravention of section 213A of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1183A): Provided further, That funds made
available under this heading may be used to enter into contracts and
employ staff to conduct studies, evaluations, or to conduct activities
related to program integrity provided that such activities are
authorized by the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008.
commodity assistance program
For necessary expenses to carry out disaster and commodity
assistance, $516,070,000, to remain available through September 30,
2027, of which $425,000,000 shall be for the Commodity Supplemental
Food Program, as authorized by section 4(a) of the Agriculture and
Consumer Protection Act of 1973 (7 U.S.C. 612c note), $80,000,000 shall
be for the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983, $1,070,000 shall be
for assistance for the nuclear affected islands, as authorized by
section 103(f)(2) of the Compact of Free Association Amendments Act of
2003 (Public Law 108-188), and $10,000,000 shall be for the Farmers'
Market Nutrition Program, as authorized by section 17(m) of the Child
Nutrition Act of 1966: Provided, That none of these funds shall be
available to reimburse the Commodity Credit Corporation for commodities
donated to the program: Provided further, That notwithstanding any
other provision of law, effective with funds made available in fiscal
year 2026 to support the Seniors Farmers' Market Nutrition Program, as
authorized by section 4402 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment
Act of 2002, such funds shall remain available through September 30,
2027: Provided further, That of the funds made available under section
27(a) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2036(a)), the
Secretary may use up to 20 percent for costs associated with the
distribution of commodities.
nutrition programs administration
For necessary administrative expenses of the Food and Nutrition
Service for carrying out any domestic nutrition assistance program,
$177,348,000: Provided, That of the funds provided herein, $2,000,000
shall be used for the purposes of section 4404 of Public Law 107-171,
as amended by section 4401 of Public Law 110-246.
TITLE V
FOREIGN ASSISTANCE AND RELATED PROGRAMS
Office of the Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural
Affairs
For necessary expenses of the Office of the Under Secretary for
Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, $932,000: Provided, That funds
made available by this Act to any agency in the Trade and Foreign
Agricultural Affairs mission area for salaries and expenses are
available to fund up to one administrative support staff for the
Office.
office of codex alimentarius
For necessary expenses of the Office of Codex Alimentarius,
$4,922,000, including not to exceed $40,000 for official reception and
representation expenses.
Foreign Agricultural Service
salaries and expenses
(including transfers of funds)
For necessary expenses of the Foreign Agricultural Service,
including not to exceed $250,000 for representation allowances and for
expenses pursuant to section 8 of the Act approved August 3, 1956 (7
U.S.C. 1766), $227,330,000, of which no more than 6 percent shall
remain available until September 30, 2027, for overseas operations to
include the payment of locally employed staff: Provided, That the
Service may utilize advances of funds, or reimburse this appropriation
for expenditures made on behalf of Federal agencies, public and private
organizations and institutions under agreements executed pursuant to
the agricultural food production assistance programs (7 U.S.C. 1737)
and the foreign assistance programs of the United States Agency for
International Development: Provided further, That of the funds made
available under this heading, $5,000,000, to remain available until
expended, shall be for the Cochran Fellowship Program, as authorized by
7 U.S.C. 3293, $4,000,000, to remain available until expended, shall be
for the Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology
Fellowship program, as authorized by 7 U.S.C. 3319j, and up to
$2,000,000, to remain available until expended, shall be for the
purpose of offsetting fluctuations in international currency exchange
rates, subject to documentation by the Foreign Agricultural Service.
food for peace title ii grants
For expenses during the current fiscal year, not otherwise
recoverable, and unrecovered prior years' costs, including interest
thereon, under the Food for Peace Act (Public Law 83-480), for
commodities supplied in connection with dispositions abroad under title
II of said Act, $1,500,000,000, to remain available until expended:
Provided, That of the amount made available under this heading,
$1,000,000, shall be for the Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation
with the Secretary of State and heads of other relevant Federal
departments and agencies as applicable, to conduct an interagency
review and, within 60 days of enactment of this Act, provide a detailed
report outlining the process and agency needs to support a transfer of
the Food for Peace program from the U.S. Agency for International
Development to the Foreign Agricultural Service within the Department
of Agriculture: Provided further, That such report shall include the
requirements outlined in the section entitled ``Food for Peace
Interagency Review and Report'' in the report accompanying this Act and
shall also address any other needs that the Department of Agriculture
believes will be required to support successful implementation of such
program transfer.
mcgovern-dole international food for education and child nutrition
program grants
For necessary expenses to carry out the provisions of section 3107
of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 1736o-
1), $240,000,000, to remain available until expended: Provided, That
the Commodity Credit Corporation is authorized to provide the services,
facilities, and authorities for the purpose of implementing such
section, subject to reimbursement from amounts provided herein:
Provided further, That of the amount made available under this heading,
not more than 10 percent, but not less than $24,000,000, shall remain
available until expended to purchase agricultural commodities as
described in subsection 3107(a)(2) of the Farm Security and Rural
Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 1736o-1(a)(2)).
commodity credit corporation export (loans) credit guarantee program
account
(including transfers of funds)
For administrative expenses to carry out the Commodity Credit
Corporation's Export Guarantee Program, GSM 102 and GSM 103,
$6,063,000, to cover common overhead expenses as permitted by section
11 of the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act and in conformity
with the Federal Credit Reform Act of 1990, which shall be paid to the
appropriation for ``Foreign Agricultural Service, Salaries and
Expenses''.
TITLE VI
RELATED AGENCIES AND FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION
Department of Health and Human Services
food and drug administration
salaries and expenses
(including transfers of funds)
For necessary expenses of the Food and Drug Administration,
including hire and purchase of passenger motor vehicles; for payment of
space rental and related costs pursuant to Public Law 92-313 for
programs and activities of the Food and Drug Administration which are
included in this Act; for rental of special purpose space in the
District of Columbia or elsewhere; for miscellaneous and emergency
expenses of enforcement activities, authorized and approved by the
Secretary and to be accounted for solely on the Secretary's
certificate, not to exceed $25,000; and notwithstanding section 521 of
Public Law 107-188; $7,015,038,000: Provided, That of the amount
provided under this heading, $1,543,226,000 shall be derived from
prescription drug user fees authorized by 21 U.S.C. 379h, and shall be
credited to this account and remain available until expended;
$445,808,000 shall be derived from medical device user fees authorized
by 21 U.S.C. 379j, and shall be credited to this account and remain
available until expended; $665,438,000 shall be derived from human
generic drug user fees authorized by 21 U.S.C. 379j-42, and shall be
credited to this account and remain available until expended;
$55,731,000 shall be derived from biosimilar biological product user
fees authorized by 21 U.S.C. 379j-52, and shall be credited to this
account and remain available until expended; $34,142,000 shall be
derived from animal drug user fees authorized by 21 U.S.C. 379j-12, and
shall be credited to this account and remain available until expended;
$26,503,000 shall be derived from generic new animal drug user fees
authorized by 21 U.S.C. 379j-21, and shall be credited to this account
and remain available until expended; $712,000,000 shall be derived from
tobacco product user fees authorized by 21 U.S.C. 387s, and shall be
credited to this account and remain available until expended: Provided
further, That in addition to and notwithstanding any other provision
under this heading, amounts collected for prescription drug user fees,
medical device user fees, human generic drug user fees, biosimilar
biological product user fees, animal drug user fees, and generic new
animal drug user fees that exceed the respective fiscal year 2026
limitations are appropriated and shall be credited to this account and
remain available until expended: Provided further, That fees derived
from prescription drug, medical device, human generic drug, biosimilar
biological product, animal drug, and generic new animal drug
assessments for fiscal year 2026, including any such fees collected
prior to fiscal year 2026 but credited for fiscal year 2026, shall be
subject to the fiscal year 2026 limitations: Provided further, That
the Secretary may accept payment during fiscal year 2026 of user fees
specified under this heading and authorized for fiscal year 2027, prior
to the due date for such fees, and that amounts of such fees assessed
for fiscal year 2027 for which the Secretary accepts payment in fiscal
year 2026 shall not be included in amounts under this heading:
Provided further, That none of these funds shall be used to develop,
establish, or operate any program of user fees authorized by 31 U.S.C.
9701: Provided further, That of the total amount appropriated: (1)
$1,171,319,000 shall be for the Human Foods Program and for related
field activities, including inspections, investigations, and import
operations, conducted by the Human Foods Program, the Office of
Inspections and Investigations, or the Office of the Chief Scientist,
of which no less than $15,000,000 shall be used for inspections of
foreign seafood manufacturers and field examinations of imported
seafood; (2) $2,497,463,000 shall be for the Center for Drug Evaluation
and Research and for related field activities, including inspections,
investigations, and import operations, conducted by the Center, the
Office of Inspections and Investigations, or the Office of the Chief
Scientist, of which no less than $10,000,000 shall be for pilots to
increase unannounced foreign inspections and shall remain available
until expended; (3) $625,756,000 shall be for the Center for Biologics
Evaluation and Research and for related field activities, including
inspections, investigations, and import operations, conducted by the
Center, the Office of Inspections and Investigations, or the Office of
the Chief Scientist; (4) $286,442,000 shall be for the Center for
Veterinary Medicine and for related field activities, including
inspections, investigations, and import operations, conducted by the
Center, the Office of Inspections and Investigations, or the Office of
the Chief Scientist; (5) $863,358,000 shall be for the Center for
Devices and Radiological Health and for related field activities,
including inspections, investigations, and import operations, conducted
by the Center, the Office of Inspections and Investigations, or the
Office of the Chief Scientist; (6) $77,740,000 shall be for the
National Center for Toxicological Research; (7) $689,258,000 shall be
for the Center for Tobacco Products and for related field activities,
including inspections, investigations, and import operations, conducted
by the Center, the Office of Inspections and Investigations, or the
Office of the Chief Scientist; (8) $434,455,000 shall be for Rent and
Related activities, of which $55,112,000 is for White Oak
Consolidation, other than the amounts paid to the General Services
Administration for rent; (9) $219,639,000 shall be for payments to the
General Services Administration for rent; and (10) $369,267,000 shall
be for other activities, including the Office of the Commissioner of
Food and Drugs, the Office of the Chief Scientist, the Office of the
Chief Medical Officer, and central services for these offices:
Provided further, That not to exceed $25,000 of this amount shall be
for official reception and representation expenses, not otherwise
provided for, as determined by the Commissioner: Provided further,
That any transfer of funds pursuant to, and for the administration of,
section 770(n) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C.
379dd(n)) shall only be from amounts made available under this heading
for other activities and shall not exceed $2,000,000: Provided
further, That of the amounts that are made available under this heading
for ``other activities'', and that are not derived from user fees,
$1,500,000 shall be transferred to and merged with the appropriation
for ``Department of Health and Human Services--Office of Inspector
General'' for oversight of the programs and operations of the Food and
Drug Administration and shall be in addition to funds otherwise made
available for oversight of the Food and Drug Administration: Provided
further, That funds may be transferred from one specified activity to
another with the prior approval of the Committees on Appropriations of
both Houses of Congress.
In addition, mammography user fees authorized by 42 U.S.C. 263b,
export certification user fees authorized by 21 U.S.C. 381, priority
review user fees authorized by 21 U.S.C. 360n and 360ff, food and feed
recall fees, food reinspection fees, and voluntary qualified importer
program fees authorized by 21 U.S.C. 379j-31, outsourcing facility fees
authorized by 21 U.S.C. 379j-62, prescription drug wholesale
distributor licensing and inspection fees authorized by 21 U.S.C.
353(e)(3), third-party logistics provider licensing and inspection fees
authorized by 21 U.S.C. 360eee-3(c)(1), third-party auditor fees
authorized by 21 U.S.C. 384d(c)(8), medical countermeasure priority
review voucher user fees authorized by 21 U.S.C. 360bbb-4a, and fees
relating to over-the-counter monograph drugs authorized by 21 U.S.C.
379j-72 shall be credited to this account, to remain available until
expended.
buildings and facilities
For plans, construction, repair, improvement, extension,
alteration, demolition, and purchase of fixed equipment or facilities
of or used by the Food and Drug Administration, where not otherwise
provided, $5,000,000, to remain available until expended.
INDEPENDENT AGENCY
Farm Credit Administration
limitation on administrative expenses
Not to exceed $106,500,000 (from assessments collected from farm
credit institutions, including the Federal Agricultural Mortgage
Corporation) shall be obligated during the current fiscal year for
administrative expenses as authorized under 12 U.S.C. 2249: Provided,
That this limitation shall not apply to expenses associated with
receiverships: Provided further, That the agency may exceed this
limitation by up to 10 percent with notification to the Committees on
Appropriations of both Houses of Congress: Provided further, That the
purposes of section 3.7(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Farm Credit Act of 1971 (12
U.S.C. 2128(b)(2)(A)(i)), the Farm Credit Administration may exempt, an
amount in its sole discretion, from the application of the limitation
provided in that clause of export loans described in the clause
guaranteed or insured in a manner other than described in subclause
(II) of the clause.
TITLE VII
GENERAL PROVISIONS
(including rescissions and transfers of funds)
Sec. 701. The Secretary may use any appropriations made available
to the Department of Agriculture in this Act to purchase new passenger
motor vehicles, in addition to specific appropriations for this
purpose, so long as the total number of vehicles purchased in fiscal
year 2026 does not exceed the number of vehicles owned or leased in
fiscal year 2018: Provided, That, prior to purchasing additional motor
vehicles, the Secretary must determine that such vehicles are necessary
for transportation safety, to reduce operational costs, and for the
protection of life, property, and public safety: Provided further,
That the Secretary may not increase the Department of Agriculture's
fleet above the 2018 level unless the Secretary notifies in writing,
and receives approval from, the Committees on Appropriations of both
Houses of Congress within 30 days of the notification.
Sec. 702. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the
Secretary of Agriculture may transfer unobligated balances of
discretionary funds appropriated by this Act or any other available
unobligated discretionary balances that are remaining available of the
Department of Agriculture to the Working Capital Fund for the
acquisition of property, plant and equipment and for the improvement,
delivery, and implementation of Department financial, and
administrative information technology services, and other support
systems necessary for the delivery of financial, administrative, and
information technology services, including cloud adoption and
migration, of primary benefit to the agencies of the Department of
Agriculture, such transferred funds to remain available until expended:
Provided, That none of the funds made available by this Act or any
other Act shall be transferred to the Working Capital Fund without the
prior approval of the agency administrator: Provided further, That
none of the funds transferred to the Working Capital Fund pursuant to
this section shall be available for obligation without written
notification to and the prior approval of the Committees on
Appropriations of both Houses of Congress: Provided further, That none
of the funds appropriated by this Act or made available to the
Department's Working Capital Fund shall be available for obligation or
expenditure to make any changes to the Department's National Finance
Center without written notification to and prior approval of the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress as required by
section 716 of this Act: Provided further, That none of the funds
appropriated by this Act or made available to the Department's Working
Capital Fund shall be available for obligation or expenditure to
initiate, plan, develop, implement, or make any changes to remove or
relocate any systems, missions, personnel, or functions of the offices
of the Chief Financial Officer and the Chief Information Officer, co-
located with or from the National Finance Center prior to written
notification to and prior approval of the Committee on Appropriations
of both Houses of Congress and in accordance with the requirements of
section 716 of this Act: Provided further, That the National Finance
Center Information Technology Services Division personnel and data
center management responsibilities, and control of any functions,
missions, and systems for current and future human resources management
and integrated personnel and payroll systems (PPS) and functions
provided by the Chief Financial Officer and the Chief Information
Officer shall remain in the National Finance Center and under the
management responsibility and administrative control of the National
Finance Center: Provided further, That the Secretary of Agriculture
and the offices of the Chief Financial Officer shall actively market to
existing and new Departments and other government agencies National
Finance Center shared services including, but not limited to, payroll,
financial management, and human capital shared services and allow the
National Finance Center to perform technology upgrades: Provided
further, That of annual income amounts in the Working Capital Fund of
the Department of Agriculture attributable to the amounts in excess of
the true costs of the shared services provided by the National Finance
Center and budgeted for the National Finance Center, the Secretary
shall reserve not more than 4 percent for the replacement or
acquisition of capital equipment, including equipment for the
improvement, delivery, and implementation of financial, administrative,
and information technology services, and other systems of the National
Finance Center or to pay any unforeseen, extraordinary cost of the
National Finance Center: Provided further, That none of the amounts
reserved shall be available for obligation unless the Secretary submits
written notification of the obligation to the Committees on
Appropriations of both Houses of Congress: Provided further, That the
limitations on the obligation of funds pending notification to
Congressional Committees shall not apply to any obligation that, as
determined by the Secretary, is necessary to respond to a declared
state of emergency that significantly impacts the operations of the
National Finance Center; or to evacuate employees of the National
Finance Center to a safe haven to continue operations of the National
Finance Center.
Sec. 703. No part of any appropriation contained in this Act shall
remain available for obligation beyond the current fiscal year unless
expressly so provided herein.
Sec. 704. No funds appropriated by this Act may be used to pay
negotiated indirect cost rates on cooperative agreements or similar
arrangements between the United States Department of Agriculture and
nonprofit institutions in excess of 10 percent of the total direct cost
of the agreement when the purpose of such cooperative arrangements is
to carry out programs of mutual interest between the two parties. This
does not preclude appropriate payment of indirect costs on grants and
contracts with such institutions when such indirect costs are computed
on a similar basis for all agencies for which appropriations are
provided in this Act.
Sec. 705. Appropriations to the Department of Agriculture for the
cost of direct and guaranteed loans made available in the current
fiscal year shall remain available until expended to disburse
obligations made in the current fiscal year for the following accounts:
The Rural Development Loan Fund program account, the Rural
Electrification and Telecommunication Loans program account, and the
Rural Housing Insurance Fund program account.
Sec. 706. None of the funds made available to the Department of
Agriculture by this Act may be used to acquire new information
technology systems or significant upgrades, as determined by the Office
of the Chief Information Officer, without the approval of the Chief
Information Officer and the concurrence of the Executive Information
Technology Investment Review Board: Provided, That notwithstanding any
other provision of law, none of the funds appropriated or otherwise
made available by this Act may be transferred to the Office of the
Chief Information Officer without written notification to and the prior
approval of the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress: Provided further, That notwithstanding section 11319 of
title 40, United States Code, none of the funds available to the
Department of Agriculture for information technology shall be obligated
for projects, contracts, or other agreements over $25,000 prior to
receipt of written approval by the Chief Information Officer: Provided
further, That the Chief Information Officer may authorize an agency to
obligate funds without written approval from the Chief Information
Officer for projects, contracts, or other agreements up to $250,000
based upon the performance of an agency measured against the
performance plan requirements described in the explanatory statement
accompanying Public Law 113-235.
Sec. 707. Funds made available under section 524(b) of the Federal
Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1524(b)) in the current fiscal year shall
remain available until expended to disburse obligations made in the
current fiscal year.
Sec. 708. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any former
Rural Utilities Service borrower that has repaid or prepaid an insured,
direct or guaranteed loan under the Rural Electrification Act of 1936,
or any not-for-profit utility that is eligible to receive an insured or
direct loan under such Act, shall be eligible for assistance under
section 313B(a) of such Act in the same manner as a borrower under such
Act.
Sec. 709. Except as otherwise specifically provided by law, not
more than $20,000,000 in unobligated balances from appropriations made
available for salaries and expenses in this Act for the Farm Service
Agency shall remain available through September 30, 2027, for
information technology expenses.
Sec. 710. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made
available by this Act may be used for first-class travel by the
employees of agencies funded by this Act in contravention of sections
301-10.122 through 301-10.124 of title 41, Code of Federal Regulations.
Sec. 711. In the case of each program established or amended by
the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-79) or by a successor to
that Act, other than by title I or subtitle A of title III of such Act,
or programs for which indefinite amounts were provided in that Act,
that is authorized or required to be carried out using funds of the
Commodity Credit Corporation--
(1) such funds shall be available for salaries and related
administrative expenses, including technical assistance,
associated with the implementation of the program, without
regard to the limitation on the total amount of allotments and
fund transfers contained in section 11 of the Commodity Credit
Corporation Charter Act (15 U.S.C. 714i); and
(2) the use of such funds for such purpose shall not be
considered to be a fund transfer or allotment for purposes of
applying the limitation on the total amount of allotments and
fund transfers contained in such section.
Sec. 712. Of the funds made available by this Act, not more than
$2,900,000 shall be used to cover necessary expenses of activities
related to all advisory committees, panels, commissions, and task
forces of the Department of Agriculture, except for panels used to
comply with negotiated rule makings and panels used to evaluate
competitively awarded grants.
Sec. 713. (a) None of the funds made available in this Act may be
used to maintain or establish a computer network unless such network
blocks the viewing, downloading, and exchanging of pornography.
(b) Nothing in subsection (a) shall limit the use of funds
necessary for any Federal, State, tribal, or local law enforcement
agency or any other entity carrying out criminal investigations,
prosecution, or adjudication activities.
Sec. 714. Notwithstanding subsection (b) of section 14222 of
Public Law 110-246 (7 U.S.C. 612c-6; in this section referred to as
``section 14222''), none of the funds appropriated or otherwise made
available by this or any other Act shall be used to pay the salaries
and expenses of personnel to carry out a program under section 32 of
the Act of August 24, 1935 (7 U.S.C. 612c; in this section referred to
as ``section 32'') in excess of $1,574,028,000 (exclusive of carryover
appropriations from prior fiscal years), as follows: Child Nutrition
Programs Entitlement Commodities--$485,000,000; State Option
Contracts--$5,000,000; Removal of Defective Commodities--$1,660,000;
Administration of section 32 Commodity Purchases--$37,178,000:
Provided, That, of the total funds made available in the matter
preceding this proviso that remain unobligated on October 1, 2026, such
unobligated balances shall carryover into fiscal year 2027 and shall
remain available until expended for any of the purposes of section 32,
except that any such carryover funds used in accordance with clause (3)
of section 32 may not exceed $350,000,000 and may not be obligated
until the Secretary of Agriculture provides written notification of the
expenditures to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress at least two weeks in advance: Provided further, That, with
the exception of any available carryover funds authorized in any prior
appropriations Act to be used for the purposes of clause (3) of section
32, none of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this
or any other Act shall be used to pay the salaries or expenses of any
employee of the Department of Agriculture to carry out clause (3) of
section 32.
Sec. 715. None of the funds appropriated by this or any other Act
shall be used to pay the salaries and expenses of personnel who prepare
or submit appropriations language as part of the President's budget
submission to the Congress for programs under the jurisdiction of the
Appropriations Subcommittees on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food
and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies that assumes revenues or
reflects a reduction from the previous year due to user fees proposals
that have not been enacted into law prior to the submission of the
budget unless such budget submission identifies which additional
spending reductions should occur in the event the user fees proposals
are not enacted prior to the date of the convening of a committee of
conference for the fiscal year 2026 appropriations Act.
Sec. 716. (a) None of the funds provided by this Act, or provided
by previous appropriations Acts to the agencies funded by this Act that
remain available for obligation or expenditure in the current fiscal
year, or provided from any accounts in the Treasury derived by the
collection of fees available to the agencies funded by this Act, shall
be available for obligation or expenditure through a reprogramming,
transfer of funds, or reimbursements as authorized by the Economy Act,
or in the case of the Department of Agriculture, through use of the
authority provided by section 702(b) of the Department of Agriculture
Organic Act of 1944 (7 U.S.C. 2257) or section 8 of Public Law 89-106
(7 U.S.C. 2263), that--
(1) creates new programs;
(2) eliminates a program, project, or activity;
(3) increases funds or personnel by any means for any
project or activity for which funds have been denied or
restricted;
(4) relocates an office or employees;
(5) reorganizes offices, programs, or activities; or
(6) contracts out or privatizes any functions or activities
presently performed by Federal employees;
unless the Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary of Health and
Human Services (as the case may be) notifies in writing and receives
approval from the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress at least 30 days in advance of the reprogramming of such funds
or the use of such authority.
(b) None of the funds provided by this Act, or provided by previous
Appropriations Acts to the agencies funded by this Act that remain
available for obligation or expenditure in the current fiscal year, or
provided from any accounts in the Treasury derived by the collection of
fees available to the agencies funded by this Act, shall be available
for obligation or expenditure for activities, programs, or projects
through a reprogramming or use of the authorities referred to in
subsection (a) involving funds in excess of $500,000 or 10 percent,
whichever is less, that--
(1) augments existing programs, projects, or activities;
(2) reduces by 10 percent funding for any existing program,
project, or activity, or numbers of personnel by 10 percent as
approved by Congress; or
(3) results from any general savings from a reduction in
personnel which would result in a change in existing programs,
activities, or projects as approved by Congress;
unless the Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary of Health and
Human Services (as the case may be) notifies in writing and receives
approval from the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress at least 30 days in advance of the reprogramming or transfer
of such funds or the use of such authority.
(c) The Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary of Health and
Human Services shall notify in writing and receive approval from the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress before
implementing any program or activity not carried out during the
previous fiscal year unless the program or activity is funded by this
Act or specifically funded by any other Act.
(d) None of the funds provided by this Act, or provided by previous
Appropriations Acts to the agencies funded by this Act that remain
available for obligation or expenditure in the current fiscal year, or
provided from any accounts in the Treasury derived by the collection of
fees available to the agencies funded by this Act, shall be available
for--
(1) modifying major capital investments funding levels,
including information technology systems, that involves
increasing or decreasing funds in the current fiscal year for
the individual investment in excess of $500,000 or 10 percent
of the total cost, whichever is less;
(2) realigning or reorganizing new, current, or vacant
positions or agency activities or functions to establish a
center, office, branch, or similar entity with five or more
personnel; or
(3) carrying out activities or functions that were not
described in the budget request;
unless the agencies funded by this Act notify, in writing, the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress at least 30
days in advance of using the funds for these purposes.
(e) As described in this section, no funds may be used for any
activities unless the Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary of
Health and Human Services receives from the Committee on Appropriations
of both Houses of Congress written or electronic mail confirmation of
receipt of the notification as required in this section.
Sec. 717. Notwithstanding section 310B(g)(5) of the Consolidated
Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932(g)(5)), the Secretary may
assess a one-time fee for any guaranteed business and industry loan in
an amount that does not exceed 3 percent of the guaranteed principal
portion of the loan.
Sec. 718. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made
available to the Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug
Administration, or the Farm Credit Administration shall be used to
transmit or otherwise make available reports, questions, or responses
to questions that are a result of information requested for the
appropriations hearing process to any non-Department of Agriculture,
non-Department of Health and Human Services, or non-Farm Credit
Administration employee.
Sec. 719. Unless otherwise authorized by existing law, none of the
funds provided in this Act, may be used by an executive branch agency
to produce any prepackaged news story intended for broadcast or
distribution in the United States unless the story includes a clear
notification within the text or audio of the prepackaged news story
that the prepackaged news story was prepared or funded by that
executive branch agency.
Sec. 720. No employee of the Department of Agriculture may be
detailed or assigned from an agency or office funded by this Act or any
other Act to any other agency or office of the Department for more than
60 days in a fiscal year unless the individual's employing agency or
office is fully reimbursed by the receiving agency or office for the
salary and expenses of the employee for the period of assignment.
Sec. 721. Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of
this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Commissioner of the Food
and Drug Administration, and the Chairman of the Farm Credit
Administration shall submit to the Committees on Appropriations of the
House of Representatives and the Senate a detailed obligation plan
delineated by program, project, and activity, as defined in the report
accompanying this Act, for all amounts made available by this Act and
prior appropriations Acts that remain available for obligation,
including appropriated user fees and loan authorizations: Provided,
That such obligation plan shall include breakdowns of estimated
obligations for each such program, project, or activity by fiscal
quarter, source appropriation, and the number of full-time equivalent
positions supported: Provided further, That such obligation plan shall
serve as the baseline for reprogramming notifications for the purposes
of section 716 of this Act.
Sec. 722. None of the funds made available by this Act may be used
to propose, promulgate, or implement any rule, or take any other action
with respect to, allowing or requiring information intended for a
prescribing health care professional, in the case of a drug or
biological product subject to section 503(b)(1) of the Federal Food,
Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 353(b)(1)), to be distributed to such
professional electronically (in lieu of in paper form) unless and until
a Federal law is enacted to allow or require such distribution.
Sec. 723. For the purposes of determining eligibility or level of
program assistance for Rural Housing Service programs the Secretary
shall not include incarcerated prison populations.
Sec. 724. For loans and loan guarantees that do not require budget
authority and the program level has been established in this Act, the
Secretary of Agriculture may increase the program level for such loans
and loan guarantees by not more than 25 percent: Provided, That prior
to the Secretary implementing such an increase, the Secretary notifies,
in writing, the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress
at least 15 days in advance.
Sec. 725. None of the credit card refunds or rebates transferred
to the Working Capital Fund pursuant to section 729 of the Agriculture,
Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act, 2002 (7 U.S.C. 2235a; Public Law 107-76) shall be
available for obligation without written notification to, and the prior
approval of, the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress: Provided, That the refunds or rebates so transferred shall
be available for obligation only for the acquisition of property, plant
and equipment, including equipment for the improvement, delivery, and
implementation of Departmental financial management, information
technology, and other support systems necessary for the delivery of
financial, administrative, and information technology services,
including cloud adoption and migration, of primary benefit to the
agencies of the Department of Agriculture.
Sec. 726. None of the funds made available by this Act may be used
to implement, administer, or enforce the ``variety'' requirements of
the final rule entitled ``Enhancing Retailer Standards in the
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)'' published by the
Department of Agriculture in the Federal Register on December 15, 2016
(81 Fed. Reg. 90675) until the Secretary of Agriculture amends the
definition of the term ``variety'' as defined in section
278.1(b)(1)(ii)(C) of title 7, Code of Federal Regulations, and
``variety'' as applied in the definition of the term ``staple food'' as
defined in section 271.2 of title 7, Code of Federal Regulations, 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 as published on
December 15, 2016: Provided, That until the Secretary promulgates such
regulatory amendments, the Secretary shall apply the requirements
regarding acceptable varieties and breadth of stock to Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program retailers that were in effect on the day
before the date of the enactment of the Agricultural Act of 2014
(Public Law 113-79).
Sec. 727. In carrying out subsection (h) of section 502 of the
Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1472), the Secretary of Agriculture
shall have the same authority with respect to loans guaranteed under
such section and eligible lenders for such loans as the Secretary has
under subsections (h) and (j) of section 538 of such Act (42 U.S.C.
1490p-2) with respect to loans guaranteed under such section 538 and
eligible lenders for such loans.
Sec. 728. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made
available by this Act shall be available for the United States
Department of Agriculture to propose, finalize or implement any
regulation that would promulgate new user fees pursuant to 31 U.S.C.
9701 after the date of the enactment of this Act.
Sec. 729. Notwithstanding any provision of law that regulates the
calculation and payment of overtime and holiday pay for FSIS
inspectors, the Secretary may charge establishments subject to the
inspection requirements of the Poultry Products Inspection Act, 21
U.S.C. 451 et seq., the Federal Meat Inspection Act, 21 U.S.C. 601 et
seq., and the Egg Products Inspection Act, 21 U.S.C. 1031 et seq., for
the cost of inspection services provided outside of an establishment's
approved inspection shifts, and for inspection services provided on
Federal holidays: Provided, That any sums charged pursuant to this
paragraph shall be deemed as overtime pay or holiday pay under section
1001(d) of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2, 135
Stat. 242): Provided further, That sums received by the Secretary
under this paragraph shall, in addition to other available funds,
remain available until expended to the Secretary without further
appropriation for the purpose of funding all costs associated with FSIS
inspections.
Sec. 730. (a) The Secretary of Agriculture shall--
(1) conduct audits in a manner that evaluates the following
factors in the country or region being audited, as applicable--
(A) veterinary control and oversight;
(B) disease history and vaccination practices;
(C) livestock demographics and traceability;
(D) epidemiological separation from potential
sources of infection;
(E) surveillance practices;
(F) diagnostic laboratory capabilities; and
(G) emergency preparedness and response; and
(2) promptly make publicly available the final reports of
any audits or reviews conducted pursuant to paragraph (1).
(b) This section shall be applied in a manner consistent with
United States obligations under its international trade agreements.
Sec. 731. (a)(1) No Federal funds made available for this fiscal
year for the rural water, waste water, waste disposal, and solid waste
management programs authorized by sections 306, 306A, 306C, 306D, 306E,
and 310B of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C.
1926 et seq.) shall be used for a project 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.
(2) In this section, the term ``iron and steel products'' means the
following products made primarily of iron or steel: lined or unlined
pipes and fittings, manhole covers and other municipal castings,
hydrants, tanks, flanges, pipe clamps and restraints, valves,
structural steel, reinforced precast concrete, and construction
materials.
(b) Subsection (a) shall not apply in any case or category of cases
in which the Secretary of Agriculture (in this section referred to as
the ``Secretary'') or the designee of the Secretary finds that--
(1) applying subsection (a) would be inconsistent with the
public interest;
(2) iron and steel products are not produced in the United
States in sufficient and reasonably available quantities or of
a satisfactory quality; or
(3) inclusion of iron and steel products produced in the
United States will increase the cost of the overall project by
more than 25 percent.
(c) If the Secretary or the designee receives a request for a
waiver under this section, the Secretary or the designee shall make
available to the public on an informal basis a copy of the request and
information available to the Secretary or the designee concerning the
request, and shall allow for informal public input on the request for
at least 15 days prior to making a finding based on the request. The
Secretary or the designee shall make the request and accompanying
information available by electronic means, including on the official
public Internet Web site of the Department.
(d) This section shall be applied in a manner consistent with
United States obligations under international agreements.
(e) The Secretary may retain up to 0.25 percent of the funds
appropriated in this Act for ``Rural Utilities Service--Rural Water and
Waste Disposal Program Account'' for carrying out the provisions
described in subsection (a)(1) for management and oversight of the
requirements of this section.
(f) Subsection (a) shall not apply with respect to a project for
which the engineering plans and specifications include use of iron and
steel products otherwise prohibited by such subsection if the plans and
specifications have received required approvals from State agencies
prior to the date of enactment of this Act.
(g) For purposes of this section, the terms ``United States'' and
``State'' shall include each of the several States, the District of
Columbia, and each Federally recognized Indian Tribe.
Sec. 732. None of the funds appropriated by this Act may be used
in any way, directly or indirectly, to influence congressional action
on any legislation or appropriation matters pending before Congress,
other than to communicate to Members of Congress as described in 18
U.S.C. 1913.
Sec. 733. Of the total amounts made available by this Act for
direct loans and grants under the following headings: ``Rural Housing
Service--Rural Housing Insurance Fund Program Account''; ``Rural
Housing Service--Mutual and Self-Help Housing Grants''; ``Rural Housing
Service--Rural Housing Assistance Grants''; ``Rural Housing Service--
Rural Community Facilities Program Account''; ``Rural Business--
Cooperative Service--Rural Business Program Account''; ``Rural
Business--Cooperative Service--Rural Economic Development Loans Program
Account''; ``Rural Business--Cooperative Service--Rural Cooperative
Development Grants''; ``Rural Business--Cooperative Service--Rural
Microentrepreneur Assistance Program''; ``Rural Utilities Service--
Rural Water and Waste Disposal Program Account''; ``Rural Utilities
Service--Rural Electrification and Telecommunications Loans Program
Account''; and ``Rural Utilities Service--Distance Learning,
Telemedicine, and Broadband Program'', to the maximum extent feasible,
at least 10 percent of the funds shall be allocated for assistance in
persistent poverty counties under this section, including,
notwithstanding any other provision regarding population limits, any
county seat of such a persistent poverty county that has a population
that does not exceed the authorized population limit by more than 10
percent: Provided, That for purposes of this section, the term
``persistent poverty counties'' means any county that has had 20
percent or more of its population living in poverty over the past 30
years, as measured by the Economic Research Service, or any territory
or possession of the United States: Provided further, That with
respect to specific activities for which program levels have been made
available by this Act that are not supported by budget authority, the
requirements of this section shall be applied to such program level.
Sec. 734. None of the funds made available by this Act may be used
to notify a sponsor or otherwise acknowledge receipt of a submission
for an exemption for investigational use of a drug or biological
product under section 505(i) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic
Act (21 U.S.C. 355(i)) or section 351(a)(3) of the Public Health
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 262(a)(3)) in research in which a human embryo
is intentionally created or modified to include a heritable genetic
modification. Any such submission shall be deemed to have not been
received by the Secretary, and the exemption may not go into effect.
Sec. 735. None of the funds made available by this or any other
Act may be used to enforce the final rule promulgated by the Food and
Drug Administration entitled ``Standards for the Growing, Harvesting,
Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption'', and published
on November 27, 2015, with respect to the regulation of entities that
grow, harvest, pack, or hold wine grapes, hops, pulse crops, or
almonds.
Sec. 736. For school years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027, none of the
funds made available by this Act may be used to restrict or limit the
substitution of any vegetable subgroup for fruits under the school
breakfast program established under section 4 of the Child Nutrition
Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773).
Sec. 737. None of the funds made available by this Act or any
other Act may be used--
(1) in contravention of section 7606 of the Agricultural
Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 5940), subtitle G of the Agricultural
Marketing Act of 1946, or section 10114 of the Agriculture
Improvement Act of 2018; or
(2) to prohibit the transportation, processing, sale, or
use of hemp, or seeds of such plant, that is grown or
cultivated in accordance with section 7606 of the Agricultural
Act of 2014 or subtitle G of the Agricultural Marketing Act of
1946, within or outside the State in which the hemp is grown or
cultivated.
Sec. 738. The Secretary of Agriculture may waive the matching
funds requirement under section 412(g) of the Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7632(g)).
Sec. 739. The Secretary of Agriculture shall be included as a
member of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States
(CFIUS) on a case by case basis pursuant to the authorities in section
721(k)(2)(J) of the Defense Production Act of 1950 (50 U.S.C.
4565(k)(2)(J)) with respect to each covered transaction (as defined in
section 721(a)(4) of the Defense Production Act of 1950 (50 U.S.C.
4565(a)(4))) involving agricultural land, agriculture biotechnology, or
the agriculture industry (including agricultural transportation,
agricultural storage, and agricultural processing), as determined by
the CFIUS Chairperson in coordination with the Secretary of
Agriculture. The Secretary of Agriculture shall, to the maximum extent
practicable, notify the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United
States of any agricultural land transaction that the Secretary of
Agriculture has reason to believe, based on information from or in
cooperation with the Intelligence Community, is a covered transaction
(A) that may pose a risk to the national security of the United States,
with particular emphasis on covered transactions of an interest in
agricultural land by foreign governments or entities of concern, as
defined in 42 U.S.C. 19221(a), including the People's Republic of
China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the Russian
Federation, and the Islamic Republic of Iran; and (B) with respect to
which a person is required to submit a report to the Secretary of
Agriculture under section 2(a) of the Agricultural Foreign Investment
Disclosure Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 3501(a)).
Sec. 740. There is hereby appropriated $2,000,000, to remain
available until expended, for a pilot program for the Secretary to
provide grants to qualified non-profit organizations and public housing
authorities to provide technical assistance, including financial and
legal services, to RHS multi-family housing borrowers to facilitate
property preservation through the acquisition of RHS multi-family
housing properties in areas where the Secretary determines a risk of
loss of affordable housing, by non-profit housing organizations and
public housing authorities as authorized by law that commit to keep
such properties in the RHS multi-family housing program for a period of
time as determined by the Secretary: Provided, That such 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. Funds made available under title II of the Food for
Peace Act (7 U.S.C. 1721 et seq.) may only be used to provide
assistance to recipient nations if adequate monitoring and controls, as
determined by the Administrator, 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. None of the funds made available by this Act may be used
to procure raw or processed poultry products or seafood imported into
the United States from the People's Republic of China for use in the
school lunch program under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch
Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.), the Child and Adult Care Food Program
under section 17 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1766), the Summer Food Service
Program for Children under section 13 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1761), or
the school breakfast program under the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42
U.S.C. 1771 et seq.).
Sec. 743. For school year 2025-2026, only a school food authority
that had a negative balance in the nonprofit school food service
account as of June 30, 2025, shall be required to establish a price for
paid lunches in accordance with section 12(p) of the Richard B. Russell
National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1760(p)).
Sec. 744. Any funds made available by this or any other Act that
the Secretary withholds pursuant to section 1668(g)(2) of the Food,
Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5921(g)(2)),
as amended, shall be available for grants for biotechnology risk
assessment research: Provided, That the Secretary may transfer such
funds among appropriations of the Department of Agriculture for
purposes of making such grants.
Sec. 745. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no funds
available to the Department of Agriculture may be 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
the Department in the absence of the enactment of specific legislation
affirming such move.
Sec. 746. The Secretary, acting through the Chief of the Natural
Resources Conservation Service, may use funds appropriated under this
Act or any other Act for the Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations
Program and the Watershed Rehabilitation Program carried out pursuant
to the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act (16 U.S.C. 1001 et
seq.), and for the Emergency Watershed Protection Program carried out
pursuant to section 403 of the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 (16
U.S.C. 2203) to provide technical services for such programs pursuant
to section 1252(a)(1) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C.
3851(a)(1)), notwithstanding subsection (c) of such section.
Sec. 747. In administering the pilot program established by
section 779 of division A of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018
(Public Law 115-141), the Secretary of Agriculture may, for purposes of
determining entities eligible to receive assistance, consider those
communities which are ``Areas Rural in Character'': Provided, That not
more than 10 percent of the funds made available under the heading
``Distance Learning, Telemedicine, and Broadband Program'' for the
purposes of the pilot program established by section 779 of Public Law
115-141 may be used for this purpose.
Sec. 748. In addition to amounts otherwise made available by this
Act and notwithstanding the last sentence of 16 U.S.C. 1310, there is
appropriated $2,000,000, to remain available until expended, to
implement non-renewable agreements on eligible lands, including flooded
agricultural lands, as determined by the Secretary, under the Water
Bank Act (16 U.S.C. 1301-1311).
Sec. 749. Out of amounts appropriated to the Food and Drug
Administration under title VI, the Secretary of Health and Human
Services, acting through the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, shall, not
later than September 30, 2026, and following the review required under
Executive Order No. 12866 (5 U.S.C. 601 note; relating to regulatory
planning and review), issue advice revising the advice provided in the
notice of availability entitled ``Advice About Eating Fish, From the
Environmental Protection Agency and Food and Drug Administration;
Revised Fish Advice; Availability'' (82 Fed. Reg. 6571 (January 19,
2017)), in a manner that is consistent with nutrition science
recognized by the Food and Drug Administration on the net effects of
seafood consumption.
Sec. 750. The Secretary shall set aside for Rural Economic Area
Partnership (REAP) Zones, until August 15, 2026, an amount of funds
made available in title III under the headings of Rural Housing
Insurance Fund Program Account, Mutual and Self-Help Housing Grants,
Rural Housing Assistance Grants, Rural Community Facilities Program
Account, Rural Business Program Account, Rural Development Loan Fund
Program Account, and Rural Water and Waste Disposal Program Account,
equal to the amount obligated in REAP Zones with respect to funds
provided under such headings in the most recent fiscal year any such
funds were obligated under such headings for REAP Zones, excluding the
funding provided through any Community Project Funding/Congressionally
Directed Spending.
Sec. 751. (a) For an additional amount for the Office of the
Secretary, $2,000,000, to remain available until expended, for the
Secretary of Agriculture to carry out no more than 10 pilot projects,
under the terms and conditions determined by the Secretary for a period
not to exceed 2 years, that award grants to an Indian tribe; a tribal
organization approved by an Indian tribe; a tribal educational agency;
a consortium of Indian tribes; or a partnership between an Indian tribe
and either a State educational agency, a local educational agency, a
tribal educational agency, or the Bureau of Indian Education to operate
and implement the school lunch program as authorized by the Richard B.
Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1769), the summer food
service program as established under section 13 of the Richard B.
Russell National School Lunch Act, the child and adult care food
program as established by section 17 of the Richard B. Russell National
School Lunch Act, or the school breakfast program established by the
Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773) in either a Bureau-funded
school (as defined in section 1141 of the Education Amendments of 1978
(25 U.S.C. 2021)); a school (as defined in section 12(d) of the Richard
B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1760(d)) on or near an
Indian reservation; or an early child care and education facility:
Provided, That to carry out this pilot program each grant awarded shall
be no less than $10,000 and no more than $100,000 for each school year
and shall not increase state administrative costs or the amount of
benefits provided in any program: Provided further, That the term
``Indian tribe'' has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the
Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C.
5304).
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a pilot project
grant recipient shall be reimbursed for meals served under the school
lunch program, the summer food service program, and the child and adult
care food program as if the recipient were a State under the Richard B.
Russell National School Lunch Act; and under the school breakfast
program as if the recipient were a State educational agency.
(c) Not later than 1 year after the conclusion of the pilot
program, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the
outcomes of the pilot program.
Sec. 752. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made
available by this Act may be used by the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) 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 guidance regarding Lm in low-risk foods, meaning foods that
do not support the growth of Lm.
Sec. 753. There is hereby appropriated $2,000,000, to remain
available until September 30, 2027, for a Bison Production and
Marketing Grant Program that the Agricultural Marketing Service shall
develop and maintain: Provided, That this program shall be similar, as
determined by the Secretary, to the Sheep Production and Marketing
Grant Program the Department of Agriculture currently maintains
pursuant to section 209(c) of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7
U.S.C. 1627a(c)), and shall prioritize grants to national non-profits
and federally chartered Tribal organizations that have expertise in
bison production or marketing.
Sec. 754. For an additional amount for the Office of the
Secretary, $700,000, for the Office of Tribal Relations to cover costs
incurred for the slaughtering, processing, and voluntary meat
inspection fees, notwithstanding the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946
(7 U.S.C. 1622 et seq.) and 9 CFR part 352, for bison owned by Tribal
governments (as defined by the List Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C. 5131)),
Tribal entities (including Tribal organizations and corporations), and
Tribal members that slaughter and process bison at establishments that
receive USDA voluntary inspection or state inspection.
Sec. 755. If services performed by APHIS employees are determined
by the Administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
to be in response to an animal disease or plant health emergency
outbreak, any premium pay that is funded, either directly or through
reimbursement, shall be exempted from the aggregate of basic pay and
premium pay calculated under section 5547(b)(1) and (2) of title 5,
United States Code, and any other provision of law limiting the
aggregate amount of premium pay payable on a biweekly or calendar year
basis.
Sec. 756. None of the funds made available by this Act may be used
to pay the salaries or expenses of personnel--
(1) to inspect horses under section 3 of the Federal Meat
Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 603);
(2) to inspect horses under section 903 of the Federal
Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 1901
note; Public Law 104-127); or
(3) to implement or enforce section 352.19 of title 9, Code
of Federal Regulations (or a successor regulation).
Sec. 757. There is hereby appropriated $2,000,000, to remain
available until expended, to carry out section 2103 of Public Law 115-
334: Provided, That the Secretary shall prioritize the wetland
compliance needs of areas with significant numbers of individual
wetlands, wetland acres, and conservation compliance requests.
Sec. 758. There is appropriated $3,000,000 for the emergency and
transitional pet shelter and housing assistance grant program
established under section 12502(b) of the Agriculture Improvement Act
of 2018 (34 U.S.C. 20127).
Sec. 759. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and
Medicine (NASEM) were tasked with providing findings and
recommendations on alcohol consumption for the purposes of inclusion in
the 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans as required by section 772 of
division A of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (Public Law
117-328): Provided, That the Secretary of Health and Human Services
and the Secretary of Agriculture shall only consider the findings and
recommendations of the NASEM report in the development of the 2025
Dietary Guidelines for Americans and further, both Secretaries shall
ensure that the alcohol consumption recommendations in the 2025 Dietary
Guidelines for Americans shall be based on the preponderance of
scientific and medical knowledge consistent with section 5341 of title
7 of United States Code.
Sec. 760. (a) Section 313B(a) of the Rural Electrification Act of
1936 (7 U.S.C. 940c-2(a)), shall be applied for fiscal year 2026 and
each fiscal year thereafter until the specified funding has been
expended as if the following were inserted after the final period: ``In
addition, the Secretary shall use $9,465,000 of the funds available to
carry out this section in fiscal year 2024 for an additional amount for
the same purpose and under the same terms and conditions as the Rural
Business Development Grants authorized by section 310B of the
Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932(c)) and
shall use $9,953,000 of the funds available to carry out this section
in fiscal year 2026 for an additional amount for the same purpose and
under the same terms and conditions as the Rural Business Development
Grants authorized by section 310B of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932(c)).''.
(b) Section 780 of division B of Public Law 118-42 and such section
as continued in effect as an authority and condition under section
1101(a)(1) of Public Law 119-4 shall no longer apply.
Sec. 761. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the
acceptable market name of any engineered animal approved prior to the
effective date of the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard
(February 19, 2019) shall include the words ``genetically engineered''
prior to the existing acceptable market name.
Sec. 762. For an additional amount for the Office of the
Secretary, $6,000,000, to remain available until expended, to continue
the Institute for Rural Partnerships as established in section 778 of
Public Law 117-103: Provided, That the Institute for Rural
Partnerships shall continue to dedicate resources to researching the
causes and conditions of challenges facing rural areas, and develop
community partnerships to address such challenges: Provided further,
That administrative or other fees shall not exceed one percent:
Provided further, That such partnership shall coordinate and publish an
annual report.
Sec. 763. There is hereby appropriated $500,000 to carry out the
duties of the working group established under section 770 of the
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and
Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019 (Public Law 116-6; 133 Stat.
89).
Sec. 764. The agencies and offices of the Department of
Agriculture may reimburse the Office of the General Counsel (OGC), out
of the funds provided in this Act, for costs incurred by OGC in
providing services to such agencies or offices under time-limited
agreements entered into with such agencies and offices: Provided, That
such transfer authority is in addition to any other transfer authority
provided by law.
Sec. 765. Section 363 of the Multifamily Mortgage Foreclosure Act
of 1981 (12 U.S.C. 3702) is amended at paragraph (2)--
(1) in subparagraph (D), by striking ``and'';
(2) in subparagraph (E), by striking the period at the end
and inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by inserting after subparagraph (E) the following:
``(F) section 514 or 515 of the Housing Act of 1949
(42 U.S.C. 1484, 1485).''.
Sec. 766. The last proviso in the second paragraph under the
heading ``Rural Community Facilities Program Account'' in division B of
the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (Public Law 118-42) shall be
amended to read as follows: ``Provided further, That in addition to any
other available funds, the Secretary may expend not more than
$1,000,000 total, from the program funds made available under this
heading, for administrative expenses for activities funded under this
heading and in section 778(1).''.
Sec. 767. Of the unobligated balances from prior year
appropriations made available for conservation activities under the
heading ``Natural Resources Conservation Service--Conservation
Operations'', $30,000,000 are hereby rescinded: Provided, That no
amounts may be rescinded from amounts that were designated by the
Congress as an emergency requirement pursuant to a concurrent
resolution on the budget or the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit
Control Act of 1985.
Sec. 768. Of the unobligated balances from prior year
appropriations made available for the ``National Institute of Food and
Agriculture--Research and Education Activities'', $22,000,000 are
hereby rescinded: Provided, That no amounts may be rescinded from
amounts that were designated by the Congress as an emergency
requirement pursuant to a concurrent resolution on the budget or the
Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.
Sec. 769. Of the unobligated balances from prior year
appropriations made available for ``Food For Peace Title II Grants'',
$200,000,000 are hereby rescinded: Provided, That no amounts may be
rescinded from amounts that were designated by the Congress as an
emergency requirement pursuant to a concurrent resolution on the budget
or the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.
Sec. 770. Of the unobligated balances from prior year
appropriations made available under the heading ``Distance Learning,
Telemedicine, and Broadband Program'' for the cost to continue a
broadband loan and grant pilot program established by section 779 of
division A of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (Public Law
115-141) under the Rural Electrification Act of 1936, as amended (7
U.S.C. 901 et seq.), $20,000,000 are hereby rescinded: Provided, That
no amounts may be rescinded from amounts that were designated by the
Congress as an emergency requirement pursuant to a concurrent
resolution on the budget or the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit
Control Act of 1985.
Sec. 771. Of the unobligated balances from prior year
appropriations made available in the ``Working Capital Fund'',
$78,000,000 are hereby permanently rescinded: Provided, That no
amounts may be rescinded from amounts that were designated by the
Congress as an emergency requirement pursuant to a concurrent
resolution on the budget or the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit
Control Act of 1985.
Sec. 772. None of the funds made available to the Department of
Agriculture in this or any other Act may be used to close or
consolidate the resources or locations of any existing Agricultural
Research Service laboratories and facilities without prior notification
and approval of the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress.
Sec. 773. (a) Of the amounts made available in this Act under the
heading ``Department of Health and Human Services--Food and Drug
Administration--Salaries and Expenses'' that are derived from tobacco
product user fees authorized by 21 U.S.C. 387s, not less than
$200,000,000 shall be used by the Commissioner of Food and Drugs for
enforcement activities related to e-cigarettes, vapes, and other
electronic nicotine delivery systems (in this section referred to as
``ENDS''), including activities under section 801(a) of the Federal
Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 381(a)): Provided, That not
less than $2,000,000 of such amount shall be used to continue the
activities of the Federal multi-agency task force led by the Department
of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, and the FDA 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 the Republic of China
and other foreign countries.
(b) Not later than 365 days after the date of enactment of this
Act, the Commissioner of Food and Drugs shall update the FDA document
titled ``Guidance for Industry on its Enforcement Priorities,''
published in January 2020 and updated in April 2020, 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.''
(c) The Commissioner of Food and Drugs shall submit a semi-annual
written report to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress on the progress that the Center for Tobacco Products is making
in removing all illegal nicotine products from the market: Provided,
That the initial report shall be submitted not later than 180 days
after the date of enactment of this Act.
(d) Section 801(a) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21
U.S.C. 381(a)) is amended by striking ``drug or device'' each place it
appears in the seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth sentences and
inserting ``drug, device, or tobacco product''.
Sec. 774. (a) Fees derived from amounts assessed and collected for
fiscal year 2026, credited under the heading ``Department of Health and
Human Services--Food and Drug Administration--Salaries and Expenses'',
and made available for expenditure under such heading must comply with
each provision contained in current user fee authorizations,
appropriations Acts, and commitment letters, as transmitted from the
Secretary of Health and Human Services to the chair and ranking member
of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the
Senate and the chair and ranking member of the Committee on Energy and
Commerce of the House of Representatives regarding reauthorization of
such current user fee authorizations: Provided, That the term current
user fee authorizations means those user fees authorized at 21 U.S.C.
379h, 21 U.S.C. 379j, 21 U.S.C. 379j-42, 21 U.S.C. 379j-52, 21 U.S.C.
379j-12, 21 U.S.C. 379j-21, 21 U.S.C. 387s, 42 U.S.C. 263b, 21 U.S.C.
381, 21 U.S.C. 360n and 360ff, 21 U.S.C. 379-j31, 21 U.S.C. 379j-62 ,
21 U.S.C. 353(e)(3), 21 U.S.C. 360eee-3(c)(1), 21 U.S.C. 384d(c)(8), 21
U.S.C. 360bbb-4a, and 21 U.S.C. 379j-72.
(b)(1) Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this
Act, the Food and Drug Administration shall submit to the Committees on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate a report
that includes obligation and outlay estimates and full-time equivalent
(FTE) personnel staffing estimates for fiscal year 2026 for each Food
and Drug Administration program that uses both general fund
appropriations and funds derived from user fees: Provided, That such
report shall include a table with separate columns for general fund
appropriations and funds derived from user fees for such obligations,
outlays and FTE personnel staffing: Provided further, That such report
shall be certified by the Ombudsman of the Food and Drug
Administration.
(2) The report in paragraph (1) shall be updated, certified by the
Ombudsman of the Food and Drug Administration, and submitted to the
Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the
Senate not later than 45 days after each fiscal quarter until all such
funds are expended: Provided, That a plan for such ongoing quarterly
reporting shall be submitted with the report required by subsection
(b)(1).
(c) Of the amounts provided in this Act in paragraph (10) under the
heading ``Department of Health and Human Services--Food and Drug
Administration--Salaries and Expenses'' and made available by the Food
and Drug Administration for Office of the Commissioner of Food and
Drugs, 50 percent shall be withheld from obligation until the reporting
requirements outlined in subsection (b) are met: Provided, That an
additional 25 percent of the amounts withheld from obligation shall be
available when the report required by subsection (b)(1) is submitted
and the remaining 25 percent shall be available when the plan for
satisfying the ongoing quarterly reporting requirements outlined in the
proviso in subsection (b)(2) is submitted.
Sec. 775. (a) Section 260 of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946
(7 U.S.C. 1636i) is amended by striking ``2025'' and inserting
``2026''.
(b) Section 942 of the Livestock Mandatory Reporting Act of 1999 (7
U.S.C. 1635 note; Public Law 106-78) is amended by striking ``2025''
and inserting ``2026''.
Sec. 776. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made
available by this Act may be used by FDA to develop, issue, promote, or
advance any new guidelines or regulations applicable to food
manufacturers for population-wide sodium reduction actions until the
publication of the 2025-26 National Health and Nutrition Examination
Survey (NHANES) What We Eat In America survey, which will begin to
reflect the impact on population intake of Phase 1 reduction.
Sec. 777. The Secretary of Agriculture shall provide written
notification to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations no
fewer than 3 business days in advance of termination of any grant,
cooperative agreement, or contract award totaling $1,000,000 or more
issued from funds made available in this Act or any previous Act:
Provided, That such notification shall include the recipient of the
award, the amount of the award, the fiscal year for which the funds for
the award were appropriated, the account and program, project, or
activity from which the funds are being drawn, the title of the award,
and a detailed justification for the termination.
Sec. 778. There is hereby appropriated $4,000,000, to remain
available until expended, for the Secretary of Agriculture 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:
Provided, That for the purpose of the new pilot program, the Secretary,
acting through the Under Secretary for Rural Development, shall have
the authority to provide amounts, including in the form of grants,
cooperative agreements, and other financial assistance, to States,
Indian Tribes, cooperative extension services, institutions of higher
education, cooperatives and cooperative organizations, regional
planning commissions or other public entities serving two or more rural
areas: Provided further, That the period of performance under this
pilot program shall be more than 3 but not more than 6 years: Provided
further, That the Federal share shall not be more than 75 percent:
Provided further, That an eligible entity using funds provided under
the pilot program shall 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, as
appropriate, coordinating with relevant State energy offices.
Sec. 779. For purposes of applying the Federal Food Drug, and
Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 301 et seq.), ``Pacific Snapper'' is an
acceptable market name for each of the following food fishes: Sebastes
alutus, Sebastes borealisn, Sebastes ciliatus, Sebastes crameri,
Sebastes entomelas, Sebastes flavidus, Sebastes goodei, Sebastes levis,
Sebastes melanops, Sebastes miniatus, Sebastes ovalis, Sebastes
paucispinis, Sebastes pinniger, Sebastes proriger, Sebastes reedi,
Sebastes ruberrimus, Sebastes rufus, and Sebastes serranoides.
Sec. 780. For purposes of applying the Federal Food Drug, and
Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 301 et seq.), Hawaii grown or produced coffee
shall contain at least 51 percent of coffee grown in Kona, Kau, Maui,
Oahu, Kauai, or other areas of the State of Hawaii. Based on the region
it is produced or grown, the common or usual names shall be Kona
Coffee, Kau Coffee, Maui Coffee, Oahu Coffee, Kauai Coffee, or Hawaii
Coffee.
Sec. 781. None of the funds made available for any department or
agency in this or any other appropriations Acts, including prior year
Acts, shall be 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 that would result in an
office with two or fewer employees without prior notification and
approval of the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress.
report on new world screwworm readiness and response
Sec. 782. Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of
this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall submit to Congress a
report on the New World Screwworm domestic readiness and response
initiative of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, with a
particular focus on--
(1)(A) domestic readiness, including the construction of a
domestic production facility in the event of a threat of a
domestic outbreak; and
(B) exploring partnerships with States and industry with
respect to that construction and other domestic preparedness
efforts;
(2) sterile fly production technology and other eradication
tools and technologies; and
(3) the benefits of and barriers, including timelines and
costs, to enhanced domestic, as compared to international,
sterile fly production.
assessment of feasibility of expanding agricultural quarantine and
inspection program to products entering hawaii
Sec. 783. Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this
Act, the Administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service shall conduct and submit to Congress an assessment regarding
the feasibility of expanding the Agricultural Quarantine and Inspection
program to products entering the State of Hawaii, which shall include a
determination of the methods of transportation and the types of
commerce that are the most likely contributors of invasive pests
entering the State of Hawaii and recommendations on how to begin
implementing the expansion and an estimate of the cost.
Sec. 784. (a) For an additional amount for ``Agricultural
Programs--Agricultural Research Service--Salaries and Expenses'', there
is appropriated $500,000, to remain available until expended, to
expedite fiber research on industrial hemp between the Cereal Disease
Laboratory and the Cotton Fiber Bioscience and Utilization Research
Unit, including cooperative agreements with qualified nonprofit
organizations.
(b) For an additional amount for ``Agricultural Programs--
Agricultural Research Service--Salaries and Expenses'', there is
appropriated $500,000, to remain available until expended, to expand
existing cereal research into methods to mitigate mycotoxin risks.
(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the amount
appropriated by this Act under the heading ``Agricultural Programs--
Processing, Research, and Marketing--Office of the Secretary'' in title
I for the Office of Assistant Secretary for Congressional Relations and
Intergovernmental Affairs shall be reduced by $1,000,000.
suppression of mormon crickets and grasshoppers
Sec. 785. Of the funds provided in this Act under the heading
``salaries and expenses'' under the heading ``Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service'' under the heading ``AGRICULTURAL PROGRAMS'' under
title I of division B, $6,500,000 shall be for activities related to
the suppression and control of Mormon crickets and grasshoppers in
Western States, of which not less than $2,000,000 shall be for actual
treatment of landscape.
Sec. 786. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the
amount made available in the second undesignated paragraph under the
heading ``rural water and waste disposal program account'' under the
heading ``Rural Utilities Service'' in title III for--
(1) the rural utilities program described in section 306E
of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act shall be
$6,500,000, of which not less than $1,500,000 shall be used to
provide subgrants to eligible individuals for the construction,
refurbishing, and servicing of individually owned household
decentralized wastewater systems; and
(2) grants pursuant to section 306(a)(2)(a) of the
Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act shall be
$238,900,000.
Sec. 787. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the
amount made available for--
(1) ``Domestic Food Programs--Food and Nutrition Service--
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program'' shall be
$118,140,341,000, of which $4,000,000 shall be for the Healthy
Fluid Milk Incentives Program; and
(2) ``Agricultural Programs--Processing, Research, and
Marketing--Office of the Secretary'' shall be $50,792,000, of
which not to exceed $5,000,000 shall be available for the
Office of Communications.
This division may be cited as the ``Agriculture, Rural Development,
Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act,
2026''.
DIVISION C--LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2026
The following sums are appropriated, out of any money in the
Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the Legislative Branch for the
fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, and for other purposes, namely:
TITLE I
LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
SENATE
Expense Allowances
For expense allowances of the Vice President, $20,000; the
President Pro Tempore of the Senate, $40,000; Majority Leader of the
Senate, $40,000; Minority Leader of the Senate, $40,000; Majority Whip
of the Senate, $10,000; Minority Whip of the Senate, $10,000; President
Pro Tempore Emeritus, $15,000; Chairmen of the Majority and Minority
Conference Committees, $5,000 for each Chairman; and Chairmen of the
Majority and Minority Policy Committees, $5,000 for each Chairman; in
all, $195,000.
For representation allowances of the Majority and Minority Leaders
of the Senate, $15,000 for each such Leader; in all, $30,000.
Salaries, Officers and Employees
For compensation of officers, employees, and others as authorized
by law, including agency contributions, $314,143,000, which shall be
paid from this appropriation as follows:
office of the vice president
For the Office of the Vice President, $3,210,000.
office of the president pro tempore
For the Office of the President Pro Tempore, $904,000.
office of the president pro tempore emeritus
For the Office of the President Pro Tempore Emeritus, $392,000.
offices of the majority and minority leaders
For Offices of the Majority and Minority Leaders, $6,710,000.
offices of the majority and minority whips
For Offices of the Majority and Minority Whips, $4,212,000.
committee on appropriations
For salaries of the Committee on Appropriations, $22,710,000.
conference committees
For the Conference of the Majority and the Conference of the
Minority, at rates of compensation to be fixed by the Chairman of each
such committee, $2,049,000 for each such committee; in all, $4,098,000.
offices of the secretaries of the conference of the majority and the
conference of the minority
For Offices of the Secretaries of the Conference of the Majority
and the Conference of the Minority, $1,022,000.
policy committees
For salaries of the Majority Policy Committee and the Minority
Policy Committee, $2,093,000 for each such committee; in all,
$4,186,000.
office of the chaplain
For Office of the Chaplain, $699,000.
office of the secretary
For Office of the Secretary, $35,083,000.
office of the sergeant at arms and doorkeeper
For Office of the Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper, $130,353,000.
offices of the secretaries for the majority and minority
For Offices of the Secretary for the Majority and the Secretary for
the Minority, $2,785,000.
agency contributions and related expenses
For agency contributions for employee benefits, as authorized by
law, and related expenses, $97,779,000.
Office of the Legislative Counsel of the Senate
For salaries and expenses of the Office of the Legislative Counsel
of the Senate, $9,401,000.
Office of Senate Legal Counsel
For salaries and expenses of the Office of Senate Legal Counsel,
$1,431,000.
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
For expense allowances of the Secretary of the Senate, $7,500;
Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper of the Senate, $7,500; Secretary for
the Majority of the Senate, $7,500; Secretary for the Minority of the
Senate, $7,500; in all, $30,000.
Contingent Expenses of the Senate
inquiries and investigations
For expenses of inquiries and investigations ordered by the Senate,
or conducted under paragraph 1 of rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of
the Senate, section 112 of the Supplemental Appropriations and
Rescission Act, 1980 (Public Law 96-304), and Senate Resolution 281,
96th Congress, agreed to March 11, 1980, $222,416,000, of which
$22,242,000 shall remain available until September 30, 2028.
u.s. senate caucus on international narcotics control
For expenses of the United States Senate Caucus on International
Narcotics Control, $613,000.
secretary of the senate
For expenses of the Office of the Secretary of the Senate,
$17,852,000, of which $13,274,000 shall remain available until
September 30, 2030, and of which $4,578,000 shall remain available
until expended.
sergeant at arms and doorkeeper of the senate
For expenses of the Office of the Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper
of the Senate, $230,845,000, of which $220,345,000 shall remain
available until September 30, 2030, and of which $10,500,000 shall
remain available until expended.
miscellaneous items
For miscellaneous items, $28,052,000 which shall remain available
until September 30, 2028.
senators' official personnel and office expense account
For Senators' Official Personnel and Office Expense Account,
$645,431,000, of which $32,272,000 shall remain available until
September 30, 2028, and of which $7,000,000 shall be allocated solely
for the purpose of providing financial compensation to Senate interns.
official mail costs
For expenses necessary for official mail costs of the Senate,
$300,000.
Administrative Provisions
requiring amounts remaining in senators' official personnel and office
expense account to be used for deficit reduction or to reduce the
federal debt
Sec. 101. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any amounts
appropriated under this Act under the heading ``SENATE--Contingent
Expenses of the Senate--senators' official personnel and office expense
account'' shall be available for obligation only during the fiscal year
or fiscal years for which such amounts are made available. Any
unexpended balances under such allowances remaining after the end of
the period of availability shall be returned to the Treasury in
accordance with the undesignated paragraph under the center heading
``GENERAL PROVISION'' under chapter XI of the Third Supplemental
Appropriation Act, 1957 (2 U.S.C. 4107) and used for deficit reduction
(or, if there is no Federal budget deficit after all such payments have
been made, for reducing the Federal debt, in such manner as the
Secretary of the Treasury considers appropriate).
delegation authority
Sec. 102. Section 104 of division I of the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2021 (2 U.S.C. 6154 note) shall be amended--
(1) in subsection (a)(2), by adding the following after
``118th'' and before ``Congress'': ``and any subsequent'';
(2) in subsection (a)(3), by striking ``and ending on
January 7, 2025''; and
(3) in subsection (b), by striking ``on or after January 3,
2023''.
JOINT ITEMS
For Joint Committees, as follows:
Joint Economic Committee
For salaries and expenses of the Joint Economic Committee,
$4,283,000, to be disbursed by the Secretary of the Senate.
Joint Committee on Taxation
For salaries and expenses of the Joint Committee on Taxation,
$13,960,620, to be disbursed by the Chief Administrative Officer of the
House of Representatives.
For other joint items, as follows:
Office of the Attending Physician
For medical supplies, equipment, and contingent expenses of the
emergency rooms, and for the Attending Physician and their assistants,
including:
(1) an allowance of $3,500 per month to the Attending
Physician;
(2) an allowance of $2,500 per month to the Senior Medical
Officer;
(3) an allowance of $900 per month each to three medical
officers while on duty in the Office of the Attending
Physician;
(4) an allowance of $900 per month to 2 assistants and $900
per month each not to exceed 11 assistants on the basis
heretofore provided for such assistants; and
(5) $3,388,000 for reimbursement to the Department of the
Navy for expenses incurred for staff and equipment assigned to
the Office of the Attending Physician, which shall be advanced
and credited to the applicable appropriation or appropriations
from which such salaries, allowances, and other expenses are
payable and shall be available for all the purposes thereof,
$4,854,000, to be disbursed by the Chief Administrative Officer
of the House of Representatives.
Office of Congressional Accessibility Services
Salaries and Expenses
For salaries and expenses of the Office of Congressional
Accessibility Services, $1,818,980, to be disbursed by the Secretary of
the Senate.
CAPITOL POLICE
Salaries
For salaries of employees of the Capitol Police, including
overtime, hazardous duty pay, and Government contributions for health,
retirement, social security, professional liability insurance, tuition
reimbursement, recruitment and retention bonuses, and other applicable
employee benefits, $653,422,000, of which overtime shall not exceed
$84,767,000 unless the Committees on Appropriations of the House and
Senate are notified, to be disbursed by the Chief of the Capitol Police
or a duly authorized designee.
General Expenses
For necessary expenses of the Capitol Police, including motor
vehicles, communications and other equipment, security equipment and
installation, uniforms, weapons, supplies, materials, training, medical
services, forensic services, Member protection-related activities and
equipment, stenographic services, personal and professional services,
the employee assistance program, the awards program, postage,
communication services, travel advances, relocation of instructor and
liaison personnel for the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers, and
not more than $7,500 to be expended on the certification of the Chief
of the Capitol Police in connection with official representation and
reception expenses, $201,678,000, to be disbursed by the Chief of the
Capitol Police or a duly authorized designee: Provided, That,
notwithstanding any other provision of law, the cost of basic training
for the Capitol Police at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers
for fiscal year 2026 shall be paid by the Secretary of Homeland
Security from funds available to the Department of Homeland Security:
Provided further, That none of the amounts made available under this
heading may be used to purchase a drone manufactured in the People's
Republic of China or by a business affiliated with the People's
Republic of China except for national security purposes.
Administrative Provision
mutual aid transfer authority
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 110. Of the amounts made available under the heading
``Capitol Police'' in this Act, up to $10,000,000 may be transferred to
``Capitol Police--United States Capitol Police Mutual Aid
Reimbursements'' on September 30, 2026, and, once transferred, shall
remain available until September 30, 2030, to be used for
reimbursements for mutual aid and related training, including mutual
aid and training provided under the agreements described in section
7302 of Public Law 108-458: Provided, That obligation of the funds
transferred pursuant to this section shall be subject to notification
to the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the Committees on Appropriations
of both Houses of Congress, the Senate Committee on Rules and
Administration and the Committee on House Administration of the amount
and purpose of the expense within 15 days of obligation.
OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL WORKPLACE RIGHTS
Salaries and Expenses
For salaries and expenses necessary for the operation of the Office
of Congressional Workplace Rights, $8,396,400, of which $2,500,000
shall remain available until September 30, 2027, and of which not more
than $1,000 may be expended on the certification of the Executive
Director in connection with official representation and reception
expenses.
CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE
Salaries and Expenses
For salaries and expenses necessary for operation of the
Congressional Budget Office, including not more than $6,000 to be
expended on the certification of the Director of the Congressional
Budget Office in connection with official representation and reception
expenses, $71,400,000: Provided, That the Director shall use not less
than $500,000 of the amount made available under this heading for (1)
improving technical systems, processes, and models for the purpose of
improving the transparency of estimates of budgetary effects to Members
of Congress, employees of Members of Congress, and the public, and (2)
to increase the availability of models, economic assumptions, and data
for Members of Congress, employees of Members of Congress, and the
public.
ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL
Capital Construction and Operations
For salaries for the Architect of the Capitol, and other personal
services, at rates of pay provided by law; for all necessary expenses
for surveys and studies, construction, operation, and general and
administrative support in connection with facilities and activities
under the care of the Architect of the Capitol, including the Botanic
Garden, Senate and House office buildings, and other facilities under
the jurisdiction of the Architect of the Capitol; for furnishings and
office equipment; for official reception and representation expenses of
not more than $5,000, to be expended as the Architect of the Capitol
may approve; for purchase or exchange, maintenance, and operation of a
passenger motor vehicle, $156,676,000.
Capitol Building
For all necessary expenses for the maintenance, care and operation
of the Capitol, $83,380,000, of which $47,799,000 shall remain
available until September 30, 2030.
Capitol Grounds
For all necessary expenses for care and improvement of grounds
surrounding the Capitol, the Senate and House office buildings, and the
Capitol Power Plant, $20,059,000, of which $3,000,000 shall remain
available until September 30, 2030.
Senate Office Buildings
For all necessary expenses for the maintenance, care and operation
of Senate office buildings; and furniture and furnishings to be
expended under the control and supervision of the Architect of the
Capitol, $124,696,000, of which $16,900,000 shall remain available
until September 30, 2030, and of which $20,000,000 shall remain
available until expended.
Capitol Power Plant
For all necessary expenses for the maintenance, care and operation
of the Capitol Power Plant; and all electrical substations of the
Capitol; lighting, heating, power (including the purchase of electrical
energy) and water and sewer services for the Capitol, Senate and House
office buildings, Library of Congress buildings, and the grounds about
the same, Botanic Garden, Senate garage, and air conditioning
refrigeration not supplied from plants in any of such buildings;
heating the Government Publishing Office and Washington City Post
Office, and heating and chilled water for air conditioning for the
Supreme Court Building, the Union Station complex, the Thurgood
Marshall Federal Judiciary Building and the Folger Shakespeare Library,
expenses for which shall be advanced or reimbursed upon request of the
Architect of the Capitol and amounts so received shall be deposited
into the Treasury to the credit of this appropriation, $130,705,000, of
which $18,189,000 shall remain available until September 30, 2030:
Provided, That not more than $10,000,000 of the funds credited or to be
reimbursed to this appropriation as herein provided shall be available
for obligation during fiscal year 2026.
Library Buildings and Grounds
For all necessary expenses for the mechanical and structural
maintenance, care and operation of the Library buildings and grounds,
$53,139,000, of which $13,400,000 shall remain available until
September 30, 2030.
Capitol Police Buildings, Grounds and Security
For all necessary expenses for the maintenance, care and operation
of buildings, grounds and security enhancements of the United States
Capitol Police, wherever located, the Alternate Computing Facility, and
Architect of the Capitol security operations, $77,630,000, of which
$12,000,000 shall remain available until September 30, 2030: Provided,
That none of the amounts made available under this heading may be used
to purchase a drone manufactured in the People's Republic of China or
by a business affiliated with the People's Republic of China except for
national security purposes.
Botanic Garden
For all necessary expenses for the maintenance, care and operation
of the Botanic Garden and the nurseries, buildings, grounds, and
collections; and purchase and exchange, maintenance, repair, and
operation of a passenger motor vehicle; all under the direction of the
Joint Committee on the Library, $21,392,000, of which $5,000,000 shall
remain available until September 30, 2030: Provided, That, of the
amount made available under this heading, the Architect of the Capitol
may obligate and expend such sums as may be necessary for the
maintenance, care and operation of the National Garden established
under section 307E of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1989
(2 U.S.C. 2146), upon vouchers approved by the Architect of the Capitol
or a duly authorized designee.
Capitol Visitor Center
For all necessary expenses for the operation of the Capitol Visitor
Center, $30,547,000.
Administrative Provision
no bonuses for contractors behind schedule or over budget
Sec. 120. None of the funds made available in this Act for the
Architect of the Capitol may be used to make incentive or award
payments to contractors for work on contracts or programs for which the
contractor is behind schedule or over budget, unless the Architect of
the Capitol, or agency-employed designee, determines that any such
deviations are due to unforeseeable events, government-driven scope
changes, or are not significant within the overall scope of the project
and/or program.
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
Salaries and Expenses
For all necessary expenses of the Library of Congress not otherwise
provided for, including development and maintenance of the Library's
catalogs; custody and custodial care of the Library buildings;
information technology services provided centrally; special clothing;
cleaning, laundering and repair of uniforms; preservation of motion
pictures in the custody of the Library; operation and maintenance of
the American Folklife Center in the Library; preparation and
distribution of catalog records and other publications of the Library;
hire or purchase of one passenger motor vehicle; and expenses of the
Library of Congress Trust Fund Board not properly chargeable to the
income of any trust fund held by the Board, $592,411,000, and, in
addition, amounts credited to this appropriation during fiscal year
2026 under the Act of June 28, 1902 (chapter 1301; 32 Stat. 480; 2
U.S.C. 150), shall remain available until expended: Provided, That the
Library of Congress may not obligate or expend any funds derived from
collections under the Act of June 28, 1902, in excess of the amount
authorized for obligation or expenditure in appropriations Acts:
Provided further, That of the total amount appropriated, no less than
$17,500,000 shall remain available until expended for the Teaching with
Primary Sources program, the Lewis-Houghton Civics and Democracy
Initiative, the Veterans History Project, the Surplus Books Program,
upgrades of the Legislative Branch Financial Management System and data
storage and migration efforts.
Copyright Office
salaries and expenses
For all necessary expenses of the Copyright Office, $102,386,000,
of which not more than $37,025,000, to remain available until expended,
shall be derived from collections credited to this appropriation during
fiscal year 2026 under sections 708(d) and 1316 of title 17, United
States Code: Provided, That the Copyright Office may not obligate or
expend any funds derived from collections under such section in excess
of the amount authorized for obligation or expenditure in
appropriations Acts: Provided further, That not more than $7,824,000
shall be derived from collections during fiscal year 2026 under
sections 111(d)(2), 119(b)(3), 803(e), and 1005 of such title:
Provided further, That the total amount available for obligation shall
be reduced by the amount by which collections are less than
$44,849,000: Provided further, That of the funds provided under this
heading, not less than $10,200,000 is for modernization initiatives, of
which $9,300,000 shall remain available until September 30, 2027:
Provided further, That not more than $100,000 of the amount
appropriated is available for the maintenance of an ``International
Copyright Institute'' in the Copyright Office of the Library of
Congress for the purpose of training nationals of developing countries
in intellectual property laws and policies: Provided further, That not
more than $6,500 may be expended, on the certification of the Librarian
of Congress, in connection with official representation and reception
expenses for activities of the International Copyright Institute and
for copyright delegations, visitors, and seminars: Provided further,
That, notwithstanding any provision of chapter 8 of title 17, United
States Code, any amounts made available under this heading which are
attributable to royalty fees and payments received by the Copyright
Office pursuant to sections 111, 119, and chapter 10 of such title may
be used for the costs incurred in the administration of the Copyright
Royalty Judges program, with the exception of the costs of salaries and
benefits for the Copyright Royalty Judges and staff under section
802(e).
Congressional Research Service
salaries and expenses
For all necessary expenses to carry out the provisions of section
203 of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 166) and to
revise and extend the Annotated Constitution of the United States of
America, $136,080,000: Provided, That no part of such amount may be
used to pay any salary or expense in connection with any publication,
or preparation of material therefor (except the Digest of Public
General Bills), to be issued by the Library of Congress unless such
publication has obtained prior approval of either the Committee on
House Administration of the House of Representatives or the Committee
on Rules and Administration of the Senate: Provided further, That this
prohibition does not apply to publication of non-confidential
Congressional Research Service (CRS) products: Provided further, That
a non-confidential CRS product includes any written product containing
research or analysis that is currently available for general
congressional access on the CRS Congressional Intranet, or that would
be made available on the CRS Congressional Intranet in the normal
course of business and does not include material prepared in response
to Congressional requests for confidential analysis or research.
National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled
salaries and expenses
For all necessary expenses to carry out the Act of March 3, 1931
(chapter 400; 46 Stat. 1487; 2 U.S.C. 135a), $66,130,000: Provided,
That of the total amount appropriated, $650,000 shall be available to
contract to provide newspapers to blind and print disabled residents at
no cost to the individual.
Administrative Provision
reimbursable and revolving fund activities
Sec. 130. (a) In General.--For fiscal year 2026, the obligational
authority of the Library of Congress for the activities described in
subsection (b) may not exceed $332,285,000.
(b) Activities.--The activities referred to in subsection (a) are
reimbursable and revolving fund activities that are funded from sources
other than appropriations to the Library in appropriations Acts for the
legislative branch.
GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
Congressional Publishing
(including transfer of funds)
For authorized publishing of congressional information and the
distribution of congressional information in any format; publishing of
Government publications authorized by law to be distributed to Members
of Congress; and publishing, and distribution of Government
publications authorized by law to be distributed without charge to the
recipient, $80,000,000: Provided, That this appropriation shall not be
available for paper copies of the permanent edition of the
Congressional Record for individual Representatives, Resident
Commissioners or Delegates authorized under section 906 of title 44,
United States Code: Provided further, That this appropriation shall be
available for the payment of obligations incurred under the
appropriations for similar purposes for preceding fiscal years:
Provided further, That notwithstanding the 2-year limitation under
section 718 of title 44, United States Code, none of the funds
appropriated or made available under this Act or any other Act for
printing and binding and related services provided to Congress under
chapter 7 of title 44, United States Code, may be expended to print a
document, report, or publication after the 27-month period beginning on
the date that such document, report, or publication is authorized by
Congress to be printed, unless Congress reauthorizes such printing in
accordance with section 718 of title 44, United States Code: Provided
further, That unobligated or unexpended balances of expired
discretionary funds made available under this heading in this Act for
this fiscal year may be transferred to, and merged with, funds under
the heading ``Government Publishing Office Business Operations
Revolving Fund'' no later than the end of the fifth fiscal year after
the last fiscal year for which such funds are available for the
purposes for which appropriated, to be available for carrying out the
purposes of this heading, subject to the approval of the Committees on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate:
Provided further, That notwithstanding sections 901, 902, and 906 of
title 44, United States Code, this appropriation may be used to prepare
indexes to the Congressional Record on only a monthly and session
basis.
Public Information Programs of the Superintendent of Documents
salaries and expenses
(including transfer of funds)
For expenses of the public information programs of the Office of
Superintendent of Documents necessary to provide for the cataloging and
indexing of Government publications in any format, and their
distribution to the public, Members of Congress, other Government
agencies, and designated depository and international exchange
libraries as authorized by law, $42,475,000: Provided, That amounts of
not more than $2,000,000 from current year appropriations are
authorized for producing and disseminating Congressional serial sets
and other related publications for the preceding two fiscal years to
depository and other designated libraries: Provided further, That
unobligated or unexpended balances of expired discretionary funds made
available under this heading in this Act for this fiscal year may be
transferred to, and merged with, funds under the heading ``Government
Publishing Office Business Operations Revolving Fund'' no later than
the end of the fifth fiscal year after the last fiscal year for which
such funds are available for the purposes for which appropriated, to be
available for carrying out the purposes of this heading, subject to the
approval of the Committees on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives and the Senate.
Government Publishing Office Business Operations Revolving Fund
For payment to the Government Publishing Office Business Operations
Revolving Fund, $9,525,000, to remain available until expended, for
information technology development and facilities repair: Provided,
That the Government Publishing Office is hereby authorized to make such
expenditures, within the limits of funds available and in accordance
with law, and to make such contracts and commitments without regard to
fiscal year limitations as provided by section 9104 of title 31, United
States Code, as may be necessary in carrying out the programs and
purposes set forth in the budget for the current fiscal year for the
Government Publishing Office Business Operations Revolving Fund:
Provided further, That not more than $7,500 may be expended on the
certification of the Director of the Government Publishing Office in
connection with official representation and reception expenses:
Provided further, That the Business Operations Revolving Fund shall be
available for the hire or purchase of not more than 12 passenger motor
vehicles: Provided further, That expenditures in connection with
travel expenses of the advisory councils to the Director of the
Government Publishing Office shall be deemed necessary to carry out the
provisions of title 44, United States Code: Provided further, That the
Business Operations Revolving Fund shall be available for temporary or
intermittent services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United States
Code, but at rates for individuals not more than the daily equivalent
of the annual rate of basic pay for level V of the Executive Schedule
under section 5316 of such title: Provided further, That activities
financed through the Business Operations Revolving Fund may provide
information in any format: Provided further, That the Business
Operations Revolving Fund and the funds provided under the heading
``Public Information Programs of the Superintendent of Documents'' may
not be used for contracted security services at Government Publishing
Office's passport facility in the District of Columbia.
GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE
Salaries and Expenses
For necessary expenses of the Government Accountability Office,
including not more than $12,500 to be expended on the certification of
the Comptroller General of the United States in connection with
official representation and reception expenses; temporary or
intermittent services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United States
Code, but at rates for individuals not more than the daily equivalent
of the annual rate of basic pay for level IV of the Executive Schedule
under section 5315 of such title; hire of one passenger motor vehicle;
advance payments in foreign countries in accordance with section 3324
of title 31, United States Code; benefits comparable to those payable
under sections 901(5), (6), and (8) of the Foreign Service Act of 1980
(22 U.S.C. 4081(5), (6), and (8)); and under regulations prescribed by
the Comptroller General of the United States, rental of living quarters
in foreign countries, $811,894,000, of which $5,000,000 shall remain
available until expended: Provided, That, in addition, $35,424,000 of
payments received under sections 782, 791, 3521, and 9105 of title 31,
United States Code, shall be available without fiscal year limitation:
Provided further, That this appropriation and appropriations for
administrative expenses of any other department or agency which is a
member of the National Intergovernmental Audit Forum or a Regional
Intergovernmental Audit Forum shall be available to finance an
appropriate share of either Forum's costs as determined by the
respective Forum, including necessary travel expenses of non-Federal
participants: Provided further, That payments hereunder to the Forum
may be credited as reimbursements to any appropriation from which costs
involved are initially financed: Provided further, That amounts made
available under this heading shall be available to cover costs incurred
by the Tiny Findings Child Development Center, in such amount and for
such purposes as determined by the Comptroller General, subject to
notification provided to the Committees on Appropriations of the House
of Representatives and the Senate.
CONGRESSIONAL OFFICE FOR INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP FUND
For a payment to the Congressional Office for International
Leadership Fund for financing activities of the Congressional Office
for International Leadership under section 313 of the Legislative
Branch Appropriations Act, 2001 (2 U.S.C. 1151), $6,000,000: Provided,
That funds made available to support Russian participants shall only be
used for those engaging in free market development, humanitarian
activities, and civic engagement, and shall not be used for officials
of the central government of Russia.
JOHN C. STENNIS CENTER FOR PUBLIC SERVICE TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT
For payment to the John C. Stennis Center for Public Service
Development Trust Fund established under section 116 of the John C.
Stennis Center for Public Service Training and Development Act (2
U.S.C. 1105), $430,000.
TITLE II
GENERAL PROVISIONS
maintenance and care of private vehicles
Sec. 201. No part of the funds appropriated in this Act shall be
used for the maintenance or care of private vehicles, except for
emergency assistance and cleaning as may be provided under regulations
relating to parking facilities for the House of Representatives issued
by the Committee on House Administration and for the Senate issued by
the Committee on Rules and Administration.
fiscal year limitation
Sec. 202. No part of the funds appropriated in this Act shall
remain available for obligation beyond fiscal year 2026 unless
expressly so provided in this Act.
rates of compensation and designation
Sec. 203. Whenever in this Act any office or position not
specifically established by the Legislative Pay Act of 1929 (46 Stat.
32 et seq.) is appropriated for or the rate of compensation or
designation of any office or position appropriated for is different
from that specifically established by such Act, the rate of
compensation and the designation in this Act shall be the permanent law
with respect thereto: Provided, That the provisions in this Act for
the various items of official expenses of Members, officers, and
committees of the Senate and House of Representatives, and clerk hire
for Senators and Members of the House of Representatives shall be the
permanent law with respect thereto.
consulting services
Sec. 204. The expenditure of any appropriation under this Act for
any consulting service through procurement contract, under section 3109
of title 5, United States Code, shall be limited to those contracts
where such expenditures are a matter of public record and available for
public inspection, except where otherwise provided under existing law,
or under existing Executive order issued under existing law.
costs of legislative branch financial managers council
Sec. 205. Amounts available for administrative expenses of any
legislative branch entity which participates in the Legislative Branch
Financial Managers Council (LBFMC) established by charter on March 26,
1996, shall be available to finance an appropriate share of LBFMC costs
as determined by the LBFMC, except that the total LBFMC costs to be
shared among all participating legislative branch entities (in such
allocations among the entities as the entities may determine) may not
exceed $2,000.
limitation on transfers
Sec. 206. None of the funds made available in this Act may be
transferred to any department, agency, or instrumentality of the United
States Government, except pursuant to a transfer made by, or transfer
authority provided in, this Act or any other appropriation Act.
guided tours of the capitol
Sec. 207. (a) Except as provided in subsection (b), none of the
funds made available to the Architect of the Capitol in this Act may be
used to eliminate or restrict guided tours of the United States Capitol
which are led by employees and interns of offices of Members of
Congress and other offices of the House of Representatives and Senate,
unless through regulations as authorized by section 402(b)(8) of the
Capitol Visitor Center Act of 2008 (2 U.S.C. 2242(b)(8)).
(b) At the direction of the Capitol Police Board, or at the
direction of the Architect of the Capitol with the approval of the
Capitol Police Board, guided tours of the United States Capitol which
are led by employees and interns described in subsection (a) may be
suspended temporarily or otherwise subject to restriction for security
or related reasons to the same extent as guided tours of the United
States Capitol which are led by the Architect of the Capitol.
limitation on telecommunications equipment procurement
Sec. 208. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made
available under this Act may be used to acquire telecommunications
equipment produced by Huawei Technologies Company or ZTE Corporation.
prohibition on certain operational expenses
Sec. 209. (a) None of the funds made available in this Act may be
used to maintain or establish a computer network unless such network
blocks the viewing, downloading, and exchanging of pornography.
(b) Nothing in subsection (a) shall limit the use of funds
necessary for any Federal, State, tribal, or local law enforcement
agency or any other entity carrying out criminal investigations,
prosecution, or adjudication activities or other official government
activities.
plastic waste reduction
Sec. 210. All agencies and offices funded by this Act that
contract with a food service provider or providers shall confer and
coordinate with such food service provider or providers, in
consultation with disability advocacy groups, to eliminate or reduce
plastic waste, including waste from plastic straws, explore the use of
biodegradable items, and increase recycling and composting
opportunities.
limitation on cost of living adjustments for members
Sec. 211. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no
adjustment shall be made under section 601(a) of the Legislative
Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 4501) (relating to cost of living
adjustments for Members of Congress) during fiscal year 2026.
extension of pump act protections to congressional staff
Sec. 212. Section 203(a)(1) of the Congressional Accountability
Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1313(a)(1)) is amended--
(1) by striking ``and section 12(c)'' and inserting
``section 12(c), and section 18D''; and
(2) by inserting ``, 218d'' after ``212(c)''.
senate protection
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 213. (a) For an additional amount for ``Contingent Expenses of
the Senate--Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper of the Senate'',
$18,500,000, to remain available until expended, of which $15,000,000
shall be for enhanced Member security and $3,500,000 shall be for the
residential security system program: Provided, That amounts made
available pursuant to this subsection may be transferred to ``Salaries,
Officers and Employees--Office of the Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper''
and ``Contingent Expenses of the Senate--Sergeant at Arms Business
Continuity and Disaster Recovery Fund'': Provided further, That the
transfer authority provided pursuant to the preceding proviso is in
addition to any other transfer authority provided by law: Provided
further, That of the amounts made available pursuant to this subsection
for enhanced Member security, such sums as necessary may be used to
restore amounts, either directly, through reimbursement, or through the
transfer authority in the first proviso, for obligations incurred for
the same purposes by the Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper of the Senate
prior to the date of enactment of this Act: Provided further, That
amounts made available pursuant to this subsection shall be allocated
in accordance with a spending plan submitted to the Committee on
Appropriations of the Senate.
(b) For an additional amount for ``Capitol Police--United States
Capitol Police Mutual Aid Reimbursements'', $25,000,000, to remain
available until September 30, 2030, for reimbursements for mutual aid
and related training, including mutual aid and training provided under
the agreements described in section 7302 of Public Law 108-458:
Provided, That obligation of the funds made available pursuant to this
subsection be subject to notification to the Chairmen and Ranking
Members of the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress,
the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, and the Committee on
House Administration of the amount and purpose of the expense within 15
days of obligation.
(c) For an additional amount for ``Capitol Police-- General
Expenses'', $1,000,000, to remain available until expended, to provide
support to the Senate Sergeant at Arms residential security system
program.
(d) Each amount provided by this section is designated by the
Congress as being for an emergency requirement pursuant to section
4001(a)(1) of S. Con. Res. 14 (117th Congress), the concurrent
resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2022, and to legislation
establishing fiscal year 2026 budget enforcement in the House of
Representatives.
This division may be cited as the ``Legislative Branch
Appropriations Act, 2026''.
Attest:
Secretary.
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H.R. 3944
_______________________________________________________________________
AMENDMENT