119th CONGRESS

1st Session

H.R. 3944

1. Short title

2. References to Act
3. References to Report
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783. Assessment of feasibility of expanding agricultural quarantine and inspection program to products entering Hawaii
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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

1. Short title

This Act may be cited as the "Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, and Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2026".

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.

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.

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.

102.

Funds made available in this title for construction shall be available for hire of passenger motor vehicles.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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: 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: 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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: 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.

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.

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: 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: 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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:

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.

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: 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.

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.

128.

For an additional amount for "Military Construction, Navy and Marine Corps", $76,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2030: 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: 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.

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, Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.

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;

(D) - the findings from consultations with military families who live in housing units at Fort Leonard Wood.

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: 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.

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: 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: 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: 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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".

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: 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: 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: 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.

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.

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: That payments may be made in advance for services to be furnished based on estimated costs: That amounts received shall be credited to the "General Administration" and "Information Technology Systems" accounts for use by the office that provided the service.

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: 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: 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.

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".

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.

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.

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.

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.

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: 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.

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: 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: 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.

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): 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: 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.

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): 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.

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): 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.

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.

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.

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: That such notification shall occur within 14 days of a contract identifying the programmed amount: 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.

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.

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: 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: 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.

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.

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.

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: 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.

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.

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

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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: , 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.

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".

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: 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": 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.

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.

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.

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: 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: 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.

257. Applicability to third parties

(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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

262. Report on the use of third-party contractors to conduct medical disability examinations of veterans for purposes of obtaining disability compensation

(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.

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.

264. National Cemetery Administration surveys

(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.

265. Interment schedule availability at cemeteries under the control of the National Cemetery Administration

(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.

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.

267. Limitation on availability of funds for canceling large contracts

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.

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.

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.

270. Report on review and implementation of staffing models at Department of Veterans Affairs

(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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

411. In general

(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, Guantánamo 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, Guantánamo 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, Guantánamo 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, Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.

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.

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: 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: 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.

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: 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: 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.

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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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.

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.

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.

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.

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: 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: 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: 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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: 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: 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.

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.

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;

(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;

(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;

(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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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: 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: That such obligation plan shall serve as the baseline for reprogramming notifications for the purposes of section 716 of this Act.

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.

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.

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: 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.

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: 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.

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: 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).

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.

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.

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: 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): 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.

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;

(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.

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.

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.

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: 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: 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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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)).

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)).

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: 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.

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.

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.).

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)).

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: That the Secretary may transfer such funds among appropriations of the Department of Agriculture for purposes of making such grants.

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.

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.

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": 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.

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).

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.

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.

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: 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: 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.

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.

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: 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.

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.

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.

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).

757.

There is hereby appropriated $2,000,000, to remain available until expended, to carry out section 2103 of Public Law 115–334: That the Secretary shall prioritize the wetland compliance needs of areas with significant numbers of individual wetlands, wetland acres, and conservation compliance requests.

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).

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): 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.

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.

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.

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: 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: That administrative or other fees shall not exceed one percent: That such partnership shall coordinate and publish an annual report.

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).

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: That such transfer authority is in addition to any other transfer authority provided by law.

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).

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: " 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).".

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: 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.

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: 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.

769.

Of the unobligated balances from prior year appropriations made available for "Food For Peace Title II Grants", $200,000,000 are hereby rescinded: 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.

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: 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.

771.

Of the unobligated balances from prior year appropriations made available in the "Working Capital Fund", $78,000,000 are hereby permanently rescinded: 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.

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.

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)): 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: 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".

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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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.

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".

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.

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: 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.

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: 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: That the period of performance under this pilot program shall be more than 3 but not more than 6 years: That the Federal share shall not be more than 75 percent: 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.

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.

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.

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.

782. Report on New World screwworm readiness and response

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.

783. Assessment of feasibility of expanding agricultural quarantine and inspection program to products entering Hawaii

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.

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.

785. Suppression of Mormon crickets and grasshoppers

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.

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.

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.

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).

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".

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: 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.

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.

130. In General

(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.

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.

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.

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: 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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)".

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: 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": That the transfer authority provided pursuant to the preceding proviso is in addition to any other transfer authority provided by law: 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: 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: 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.

119-HR3944

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

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

H.R. 3944

1. Short title

2. References to Act

3. References to Report

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