H.R. 5342 — Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026

This section authorizes the Department of Commerce to use applicable appropriations made available by this Act for activities specified in the Act of October 26, 1949 (i.e., Department of Commerce Organic Act), during the current fiscal year, to the extent and in the manner prescribed by that Act. The section also permits such funds to be used for advance payments notwithstanding the general prohibition in 31 U.S.C. 3324, upon certification by officials designated by the Secretary of Commerce that the payments are in the public interest.

This section authorizes the Department of Commerce to use salaries and expenses appropriations provided by this Act, during the current fiscal year, for hire of passenger motor vehicles as authorized by law (31 U.S.C. 1343, 1344); services as authorized by law (5 U.S.C. 3109); and uniforms or allowances therefor as authorized by law (5 U.S.C. 5901–5902).

This section authorizes transfers of up to 5% of any Department of Commerce appropriation provided in this Act for the current fiscal year between such appropriations, provided no such appropriation is increased by more than 10% by any such transfers. Transfers are treated as reprogrammings of funds under section 505 of this Act and are not available for obligation or expenditure except in compliance with that section's procedures. The section further requires the Secretary of Commerce to notify the Committees on Appropriations at least 15 days in advance of acquiring or disposing of any capital asset (including land, structures, and equipment) not specifically provided for in this Act or any other law appropriating funds for the department.

This section applies to FY2026 the requirements of section 105 of the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2012 (P.L. 112-55), as amended by P.L. 113-6—which require NOAA to certify that life-cycle costs for specified satellite programs will not be exceeded without congressional approval or reprogramming—and sets those costs at $11,322,125,000 for the Joint Polar Satellite System, $6,837,900,000 for the Polar Follow On Program, $11,700,100,000 for the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite R-Series Program, and $692,800,000 for the Space Weather Follow On Program. (Thus, these programs—which provide polar-orbiting and geostationary observations for weather forecasting and space weather monitoring—are subject to those prior-law cost-control mechanisms for FY2026.)

This section authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to furnish utilities, telecommunications, security, and related services to support persons, firms, or organizations authorized to use or occupy space in the Herbert C. Hoover Building, Washington, DC, or other buildings whose maintenance, operation, and protection have been delegated from the Administrator of General Services, on a reimbursable or non-reimbursable basis. Reimbursements received, up to $200,000, are credited to the appropriation or fund that initially bore the costs of such services.

This section authorizes the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to use, with consent and reimbursement and subject to available appropriations, land, services, equipment, personnel, and facilities of any U.S. department, agency, or instrumentality; state, local, Indian Tribal, territorial, or possession government or political subdivision; or foreign government or international organization to carry out responsibilities under any NOAA-administered statute.

This section prohibits the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) from charging customers for copies of reports or documents generated by the Legislative Branch unless NTIS provides information on accessing and downloading a free electronic copy online. If a customer still requests a printed or digital copy, NTIS may charge only the costs of processing, reproducing, and delivering it.

This section authorizes the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to (1) enter into grants and cooperative agreements with, (2) use on a non-reimbursable basis land, services, equipment, personnel, and facilities provided by, and (3) receive and expend funds made available on a consensual basis from federal agencies, states or their subdivisions, local governments, tribal governments, territories, possessions, or their subdivisions. Funds received for permitting and related regulatory activities must be deposited under the heading “National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration—Operations, Research, and Facilities” and remain available until September 30, 2027. All such funds and uses are subject to section 505 of this Act.

This section authorizes amounts appropriated by this Act or prior appropriations Acts for the Economics and Statistics Administration (ESA) of the Department of Commerce—including for the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Bureau of the Census—to be used for expenses of cooperative agreements with federal, state, or local governmental units or institutions of higher education. The agreements must aid and promote statistical, research, and methodology activities that further the purposes of such appropriated amounts.

This section requires notification to the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate at least 15 days in advance before obligating any unobligated balances of expired discretionary funds transferred to the Department of Commerce Nonrecurring Expenses Fund (as authorized by section 111 of title I of division B of P.L. 116-93). (The fund supports capital acquisitions and information technology system improvements.)

This section authorizes the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), in consultation with National Weather Service employees and nongovernmental personnel management experts, to establish alternative or fixed rates for relocation allowances—including permanent change of station allowances—notwithstanding federal regulations under 5 U.S.C. 5724 and 5738. (Thus, NOAA may deviate from standard governmentwide rates for reimbursing employee relocation expenses.)

This section provides up to $1,000 from Department of Justice funds appropriated in this title, in addition to other such amounts, for official reception and representation expenses of the Attorney General.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this title to pay for an abortion, except where the life of the mother would be endangered if the fetus were carried to term or in the case of rape or incest. (Thus, should this prohibition be declared unconstitutional by a court of competent jurisdiction, this section shall be null and void.)

This section preserves the obligation of the Director of the Bureau of Prisons to provide escort services for a female inmate to receive services outside a federal facility, notwithstanding the preceding section. The section further states that it does not diminish the effect of section 203, which addresses the philosophical beliefs of Bureau of Prisons employees.

This section authorizes transfers of up to 5% of any Department of Justice appropriation provided in this Act for the current fiscal year between such appropriations, provided no such appropriation (except as otherwise specifically provided) is increased by more than 10% by any such transfers. Any such transfer is treated as a reprogramming of funds under section 505 of this Act and is not available for obligation except in compliance with procedures set forth in that section; the transfer authority does not apply to (1) paragraph 1(I) under the heading “State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance”; or (2) paragraph (6) under the heading “Community Oriented Policing Services Programs”.

This section prohibits the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) and the United States Marshals Service (USMS) from using funds provided under this title to transport maximum- or high-security prisoners convicted under state or federal law except to a prison or facility certified by the BOP as appropriately secure for housing such prisoners.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by the Act by federal prisons to purchase cable television services or to rent or purchase audiovisual or electronic media or equipment used primarily for recreational purposes. It permits such expenditures for inmate training, religious, or educational programs.

This section prohibits the obligation or expenditure of funds provided under this title for any new or enhanced information technology program with total estimated development costs exceeding $100 million unless the Deputy Attorney General and the Department of Justice investment review board certify to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations that the program has appropriate program management controls and contractor oversight mechanisms in place and is compatible with the department's enterprise architecture.

This section applies the notification thresholds and procedures in section 505 of this Act to deviations from amounts designated for specific activities in this Act and its accompanying report, and to any use of deobligated balances of funds provided under this title in previous years.

This section prohibits the use of appropriated funds to plan, conduct, or approve public-private competitions under Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-76—or any successor policy—for work performed by employees of the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) or Federal Prison Industries, Incorporated (FPI). (Thus, such competitions, which evaluate whether federal functions should be outsourced to private contractors, are barred for BOP and FPI operations.)

This section prohibits the availability of funds for the salary, benefits, or expenses of any U.S. Attorney assigned dual or additional responsibilities by the Attorney General (or designee) that exempt the attorney from the residency requirement of 28 U.S.C. § 545 (i.e., residing within the district served).

This section authorizes the transfer of up to 1% of funds appropriated for grant or reimbursement programs under the headings “Office on Violence Against Women,” “State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance,” and “Community Oriented Policing Services” (except amounts specifically appropriated for research, evaluation, or statistical programs administered by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) or Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS)) to NIJ and BJS for research, evaluation, or statistical purposes. It also requires the transfer of not less than 0.4% of such funds to the Office of Inspector General, to remain available until expended, for oversight and auditing of programs under those headings. These provisions do not apply to paragraph (1)(J) under “State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance” or paragraph (6) under “Community Oriented Policing Services.”

This section authorizes the Attorney General, upon request by a grantee determined to face fiscal hardship, to waive specified requirements applicable to funds appropriated for FY2022 through FY2025 for (1) adult and juvenile offender state and local reentry demonstration projects under part FF of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (i.e., Second Chance Act grants supporting prisoner reentry services such as employment assistance and substance abuse treatment), and (2) grants to protect inmates and safeguard communities under the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 (i.e., PREA grants for prison rape prevention and prosecution).

This section exempts amounts made available by this or any other Act from (1) the supplantation prohibition applicable to Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grants, which requires such funds to supplement—not supplant—state and local funding (34 U.S.C. 12109(a)), and (2) the funding restrictions applicable to Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (Byrne JAG) program funds for jurisdictions that limit law enforcement officers' off-duty employment or employee organization membership (34 U.S.C. 10157).

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated under this Act—except for the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) established under the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act—by a federal law enforcement officer to facilitate the transfer of an operable firearm to an individual known or suspected to be a drug cartel agent, unless U.S. law enforcement personnel continuously monitor or control the firearm at all times.

This section limits the availability for obligation during FY2026 of funds in the Department of Justice Working Capital Fund and related accounts as follows: (1) none of the income retained in the fund pursuant to title I of P.L. 102-140 may be obligated, except up to $12 million for implementation of a unified Department of Justice financial management system; (2) up to $30 million of unobligated balances transferred to the fund's capital account pursuant to title I of P.L. 102-140 may be obligated, with any use, obligation, transfer, or allocation treated as a reprogramming of funds under section 505 of this Act; and (3) up to $10 million of excess unobligated balances available under 28 U.S.C. 524(c)(8)(E) (i.e., the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund) may be obligated, with any use, obligation, transfer, or allocation treated as a reprogramming of funds under section 505 of this Act.

This section requires the Attorney General to submit quarterly reports to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations on the Crime Victims Fund, Working Capital Fund, Three Percent Fund, and Assets Forfeiture Fund, containing at least the same level of information and detail as provided to those committees in FY2025.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to conduct, contract for, or otherwise support live tissue training unless the Attorney General issues a written, non-delegable determination that such training is medically necessary and cannot be replicated by alternatives.

This section prohibits the Department of Justice from using funds provided by this Act to target or investigate parents who peacefully protest at school board meetings and are not suspected of engaging in unlawful activity.

This section prohibits the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice from using funds appropriated by this Act to implement, administer, or enforce amendments to part 803 of the premerger notification rules under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 and to the Hart-Scott-Rodino Premerger Notification and Report Form and Instructions published on June 29, 2023 (88 Fed. Reg. 42178). (As background, these rules and form govern premerger notifications that certain companies must submit to the Federal Trade Commission and Antitrust Division for review of large mergers and acquisitions.)

This section prohibits employees of the Department of Justice from using funds provided by this Act to conduct any activities with the European Union’s European Commission, the United Kingdom’s Competition and Markets Authority, or the People’s Republic of China’s State Administration for Market Regulation related to merger reviews, investigations, or enforcement actions.

This section establishes original and exclusive jurisdiction in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky over any claim arising from actions taken by the Attorney General or the Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons that are necessary for constructing a proposed Federal Bureau of Prisons facility in Letcher County, Kentucky.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act or any other Act—or the transfer of such funds to another federal agency, board, or commission—to staff or operate the Foreign Influence Task Force for the purpose of monitoring or labeling constitutionally protected speech by a U.S. person as misinformation, disinformation, or malinformation.

This section limits expenditures of appropriations under this Act for consulting services procured pursuant to 5 U.S.C. § 3109 to contracts where such expenditures are a matter of public record and available for public inspection, except as otherwise provided under existing law or Executive order.

This section includes a severability clause stating that the invalidation of any provision of the Act, or its application to any person or circumstance, does not affect the remainder of the Act or the application of other provisions to other persons or circumstances.

This section prohibits agencies funded by this Act from obligating or expending funds—provided under this Act, prior appropriations Acts available in FY2026, or agency fee collections—through reprogramming that (1) creates or initiates a new program, project, or activity; (2) eliminates a program, project, or activity; (3) increases funds or personnel for any project or activity denied or restricted funds; (4) relocates an office or employees; (5) reorganizes or renames offices, programs, or activities; (6) contracts out or privatizes functions performed by federal employees; (7) augments existing programs, projects, or activities by more than $500,000 or 10% (whichever is less) or reduces any by 10% in funding or personnel; or (8) results from general savings that change existing programs as approved by Congress, unless the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations are notified at least 15 days in advance.

This section (1) establishes ineligibility for any contract or subcontract funded by the Act for any person finally determined by a court or federal agency to have intentionally affixed a false “Made in America” label (or equivalent) to a product sold in or shipped to the United States, pursuant to debarment procedures in 48 CFR 9.400 through 9.409; and (2) directs, to the extent practicable, that such funds for authorized purchases of promotional items be used only for items manufactured, produced, or assembled in the United States, its territories, or possessions (i.e., promotional items as defined in OMB Circular A-87, Attachment B, Item (1)(f)(3)).

This section requires the Departments of Commerce and Justice, the National Science Foundation, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to submit quarterly reports to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations on the status of appropriation balances at the account level. The reports must (1) for unobligated, uncommitted balances and unobligated, committed balances, separately identify amounts by source year of appropriation; and (2) for obligated but unexpended balances, separately identify amounts by year of obligation. Reports are due within 30 days of the end of each quarter, and if an agency cannot fully comply due to accounting system limitations, it must do so to the maximum extent practicable and describe any shortfalls in the report.

This section requires departments and agencies funded under this Act to absorb within their total available budgetary resources any costs incurred from, or to prevent, personnel actions taken in response to funding reductions in this Act. It authorizes transfers between appropriations accounts for this purpose—in addition to other transfer authorities and treated as reprogrammings under §505 of this Act subject to its procedures—and applies the requirement to the Department of Commerce for actions involving the care and protection of loan collateral or grant property.

This section prohibits the use of funds provided by this Act to promote the sale or export of tobacco or tobacco products, or to seek the reduction or removal by any foreign country of restrictions on the marketing of tobacco or tobacco products, except for restrictions not applied equally to all tobacco or tobacco products of the same type.

This section limits obligations from the Crime Victims Fund—established under the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 (VOCA) to finance state victim compensation and assistance grants—to $2.05 billion per fiscal year, with excess amounts carried over to the next fiscal year. Of amounts available for obligation, it (1) transfers $10 million to the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General, to remain available until expended for oversight and auditing of this section; and (2) allocates 5% to the Office for Victims of Crime for VOCA-compliant grants to Indian tribes to improve crime victim services.

This section prohibits the Department of Justice from using funds appropriated by this Act to discriminate against or denigrate the religious or moral beliefs of students participating in programs receiving financial assistance from those funds, or of such students' parents or legal guardians.

This section prohibits the transfer of any funds appropriated by the Act to other departments, agencies, or instrumentalities of the U.S. government, except as expressly authorized by the Act or any other appropriations Act.

This section directs the Inspectors General of the Department of Commerce, Department of Justice, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Science Foundation, and Legal Services Corporation to audit grants and contracts funded by this Act pursuant to the Inspector General Act (5 U.S.C. App.) and to submit progress reports to Congress within 180 days of initiating each audit and every 180 days thereafter until completion. It further requires the relevant agency head to publicly post completed audit results on the agency's website within 60 days, in redacted form to exclude FOIA-exempt information and sensitive personal data. It also requires grant and contract recipients to certify that no funds will be passed to entities with a financial interest in the recipient. These requirements take effect 30 days after the OMB Director, in consultation with the OGE Director, determines that substantially similar rules apply uniformly across the executive branch ethics program.

This section prohibits the Departments of Commerce and Justice, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the National Science Foundation (NSF) from using appropriated funds in this Act to acquire a high-impact or moderate-impact information system (as defined in NIST Federal Information Processing Standard Publication 199) unless the agency (1) reviews the supply chain risk against NIST and FBI criteria, (2) reviews the presumptive awardee against FBI and other agency threat information, and (3) assesses, in consultation with the FBI or other federal entity, any cyber-espionage or sabotage risk, including from entities owned, directed, or subsidized by China, Iran, North Korea, or Russia. Funds further may not be used for such a system unless the assessing entity (1) develops a risk mitigation strategy in consultation with NIST, the FBI, and supply chain experts; (2) determines, in consultation with NIST and the FBI, that the acquisition is in the national interest; and (3) reports that determination to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees and the relevant agency Inspector General.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to include in any new bilateral or multilateral trade agreement specified text from three existing U.S. free trade agreements—paragraph 2 of Article 16.7 of the U.S.-Singapore FTA, paragraph 4 of Article 17.9 of the U.S.-Australia FTA, and paragraph 4 of Article 15.9 of the U.S.-Morocco FTA. (Those provisions recognize as effective and safe certain U.S. agricultural production practices, including chlorine or antimicrobial rinses on poultry, ractopamine-fed pork and beef, and rBST-treated dairy cows, and prohibit trading partners from banning their imports.)

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to authorize or issue a national security letter in contravention of laws authorizing the FBI to issue such letters, including the Right to Financial Privacy Act of 1978, Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986, Fair Credit Reporting Act, National Security Act of 1947, USA PATRIOT Act, and USA FREEDOM Act of 2015. (National security letters are administrative subpoenas used by the FBI in national security investigations to obtain financial, telephone, and consumer credit records, among others.)

This section requires the program manager of any project exceeding $75 million under the Departments of Commerce or Justice, NASA, or NSF to immediately notify the respective Secretary, Administrator, or Director if, during any quarter, there is reasonable cause to believe total program costs have increased by 10% or more. The agency head must notify the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations within 30 days in writing, including the date of determination, reasons for the increase, actions taken and proposed to control future costs, contributions of performance or schedule changes, new total project cost estimates, and validation of the project's management structure adequacy.

This section deems funds appropriated or transferred by this Act for intelligence or intelligence-related activities to be specifically authorized by Congress for FY2026 under section 504 of the National Security Act of 1947, until enactment of the Intelligence Authorization Act for FY2026. (As background, section 504 requires statutory authorization before such funds may be expended.)

This section prohibits the use of appropriated funds to enter into contracts greater than $5 million or award grants exceeding that amount unless the prospective contractor or grantee certifies in writing that, to the best of its knowledge, it (1) has filed all required Federal tax returns for the prior three years, (2) has not been convicted of a criminal offense under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, and (3) has not received an unsatisfied Federal tax assessment notice more than 90 days prior to certification (unless the assessment is subject to an approved, non-default installment agreement or offer in compromise, or a non-frivolous administrative or judicial proceeding).

This section permanently rescinds unobligated balances, not later than September 30, 2026, from specified Department of Commerce and Justice accounts (excluding emergency or disaster relief designations and certain appropriations provided by Public Laws 117-103, 117-328, and 118-42), as follows: (1) Department of Commerce—$15 million from Census Working Capital Fund and $46,299,000 from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration—Operations, Research, and Facilities (prior-year appropriations only); and (2) Department of Justice—$36 million from State and Local Law Enforcement Activities, Office on Violence Against Women, Violence Against Women Prevention and Prosecution Programs; $250 million from State and Local Law Enforcement Activities, Office of Justice Programs; $25 million from State and Local Law Enforcement Activities, Community Oriented Policing Services; $100 million from Working Capital Fund; $175 million from Legal Activities—Assets Forfeiture Fund; and $50 million from Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Salaries and Expenses (all from prior-year appropriations). The departments must report each rescission to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees by September 1, 2026.

This section prohibits the use of funds provided by this Act to purchase first-class or premium airline travel in contravention of federal travel regulations at 41 CFR 301-10.122 through 301-10.124.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to send or pay for the attendance of more than 50 employees from a federal department or agency—who are stationed in the United States—at any single conference outside the United States, unless (1) the conference is a law enforcement training or operational conference for law enforcement personnel and the majority of federal employees attending are law enforcement personnel stationed outside the United States; or (2) the conference is a scientific conference and the department or agency head determines that such attendance is in the national interest and notifies the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations at least 15 days in advance with the basis for that determination.

This section directs the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to instruct federal departments, agencies, and instrumentalities receiving funds appropriated under this Act to track undisbursed balances in expired grant accounts and to include the following details in their annual performance plans and performance and accountability reports: (1) future actions to resolve such balances; (2) the method used to track them; (3) identification of balances that may be returned to the Treasury; and (4) for each of the preceding three fiscal years, the total number of expired grant accounts with undisbursed balances (as of the first day of the fiscal year) and the total unobligated funds remaining in those accounts.

This section prohibits the use of funds provided by this Act to relocate the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Canine Training Center or the ATF National Canine Division from Front Royal, Virginia.

This section prohibits the use of appropriated funds by NASA, the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), or the National Space Council (NSC) to develop, design, plan, promulgate, implement, or execute any bilateral policy, program, order, or contract with China or a Chinese-owned company unless specifically authorized by a law enacted after this Act's enactment. The section further prohibits such funds from being used to host official Chinese visitors at NASA facilities. These prohibitions do not apply to activities that NASA, OSTP, or NSC certify—after consultation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)—(1) pose no risk of transferring technology, data, or other information with national security or economic security implications to China or a Chinese-owned company, and (2) will not involve knowing interactions with officials determined by the United States to have direct involvement in human rights violations; such certifications must be submitted to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees and the FBI at least 30 days prior to the activity, including its purpose, agenda, major participants, location, and timing.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by the Act to maintain or establish a computer network unless the network blocks the viewing, downloading, and exchanging of pornography. The prohibition does not apply to funds necessary for federal, state, tribal, or local law enforcement agencies or other entities carrying out criminal investigations, prosecutions, adjudications, or victim assistance activities.

This section directs the Departments of Commerce and Justice, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Commission on Civil Rights, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the International Trade Commission, the Legal Services Corporation, the Marine Mammal Commission, the Offices of Science and Technology Policy and the United States Trade Representative, the National Space Council, and the State Justice Institute to submit spending plans, signed by the respective department or agency head, to the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate not later than 45 days after enactment.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act to pay award or incentive fees for contractor performance judged below satisfactory or that fails to meet basic contract requirements.

This section prohibits the Department of Justice and the Drug Enforcement Administration from using funds appropriated by this Act to contravene section 7606 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (i.e., “Legitimacy of Industrial Hemp Research”). (That section bars federal interference with state pilot programs authorizing institutions of higher education and state departments of agriculture to grow or cultivate industrial hemp for research purposes.)

This section prohibits the Department of Justice from using funds appropriated under this Act to prevent 47 states (Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming, excluding Idaho, Kansas, and Nebraska) and certain territories (the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, and Puerto Rico) from implementing their laws authorizing the use, distribution, possession, or cultivation of medical marijuana. The section permits such funds to enforce violations of federal drug trafficking penalties near schools and in federal enclaves (21 U.S.C. § 860).

This section directs the Department of Commerce, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the National Science Foundation to submit quarterly reports to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations on any official travel to China by agency employees, including the purpose of such travel.

This section requires that not less than 10% of funds made available by this Act for grants authorized under the Federal and State Technology Partnership Program (FAST; 15 U.S.C. 3722)—which supports technology commercialization and entrepreneurship in states and local areas—be allocated for assistance in persistent poverty counties (i.e., any county with 20% or more of its population living in poverty over the past 30 years, as measured by the 1993 Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, the 2000 decennial census, and the most recent Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, or any U.S. territory or possession).

This section prohibits the obligation or expenditure of appropriated funds to require an export license—or to pay related administrative expenses or employee compensation—for components, parts, accessories, or attachments for Category I firearms (i.e., small arms and related items under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, 22 CFR §121.1 as of April 1, 2005) exported to Canada with a total wholesale value not exceeding $500 per transaction, if the exporter meets specified conditions. Those conditions (1) require filing any required Shipper's Export Declaration or notification letter and compliance with other U.S. laws on possession, shipping, transport, or export eligibility; and (2) bar license-free exports of fully automatic firearms and parts (except for end use by the U.S. federal government or Canadian federal, provincial, or municipal governments), barrels, cylinders, receivers (frames), or complete breech mechanisms for Category I firearms (except for the same government end uses), or articles designated for re-export from Canada to a third country. This section further directs District Directors of Customs and postmasters to permit the permanent or temporary export without a license of any unclassified articles covered above to Canada for end use there or return to the United States, or the temporary import of Canadian-origin items from Canada for end use in the United States or return to Canada by a Canadian citizen.

This section prohibits any federal department, agency, or instrumentality from using appropriated funds to pay administrative expenses or employee compensation for denying a qualified application—for a permit to import U.S.-origin "curios or relics" firearms, parts, or ammunition—submitted under the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2778(b)(1)(B)) and meeting ATF criteria (27 CFR 478.112 or .113). ("Curios or relics" are firearms of special interest due to age, rarity, or historical significance, i.e., generally over 50 years old or certified as such.) (Thus, such qualified import permit applications cannot be denied using federal funds.)

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to pay the salaries or expenses of personnel to deny, or fail to act on, an application for the importation of any model of shotgun if (1) all other requirements of law with respect to the proposed importation are met, and (2) no application for such model of shotgun, in the same configuration, had been denied by the Attorney General prior to January 1, 2011, on the basis that the shotgun was not particularly suitable for or readily adaptable to sporting purposes. (As background, under the Gun Control Act of 1968, the Attorney General approves or denies firearm import applications based on whether the firearm is particularly suitable for or readily adaptable to sporting purposes.)

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to require federal firearms licensees to report to the Department of Justice the sale of multiple rifles or shotguns to the same person.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this or any other Act to transfer, release, or assist in the transfer or release to or within the United States, its territories, or possessions, of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed or any other detainee who (1) is not a U.S. citizen or member of the U.S. Armed Forces and (2) is or was held on or after June 24, 2009, at United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, by the Department of Defense.

This section prohibits the use of any appropriated funds to construct, acquire, or modify facilities in the United States, its territories, or possessions to house or detain, in Department of Defense custody or effective control, individuals who were located at U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as of June 24, 2009, and who are not U.S. citizens or members of the U.S. Armed Forces. The prohibition does not apply to modifications of facilities at U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

This section directs the Secretary of Commerce, within 45 days of enactment, to allocate FY2026 funds from the CHIPS for America Fund—made available pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 102(a) of the CHIPS Act of 2022 (Public Law 117-167), including transfer authority—to the accounts, amounts, projects, and activities specified in the table entitled “Department of Commerce Allocation of National Institute of Standards and Technology Funds: CHIPS Act Fiscal Year 2026” in the report accompanying this Act. (As background, the CHIPS for America Fund supports semiconductor research, development, manufacturing incentives, and related activities primarily through the National Institute of Standards and Technology.) It further directs the NSF Director, within 45 days of enactment, to allocate FY2026 funds from the CHIPS for America Workforce and Education Fund—made available pursuant to section 102(d)(1) of the CHIPS Act—to the account, amounts, projects, and activities specified in the table entitled “National Science Foundation Allocation of Funds: CHIPS Act Fiscal Year 2026” in the report accompanying this Act. (As background, the fund supports semiconductor workforce training and education programs.) This section prohibits the President or designee from allocating FY2026 or subsequent fiscal year amounts under section 102(a)(2)(A) or 102(d)(2) of the CHIPS Act if a continuing resolution is in effect for the Departments of Commerce and Justice, Science, and Related Agencies, except for continuing administration of programs funded from the CHIPS for America Fund in amounts no greater than those allocated under subsection (a). Subject to prior consultation with, and notification procedures of, the House and Senate Appropriations Committees and terms of section 505 of this Act, this section authorizes (1) the Secretary of Commerce to reallocate funds provided to Industrial Technology Services under subsection (a)(1), and (2) the NSF Director to reallocate funds provided to the CHIPS for America Workforce and Education Fund under subsection (a)(2). This section requires the Secretary of Commerce and NSF Director to submit, concurrent with the FY2027 presidential budget request, proposed allocations by account, program, project, or activity—with justifications—for FY2027 amounts under CHIPS Act sections 102(a)(2) and 102(d)(2). It further requires quarterly reports from the Department of Commerce and NSF to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees on the status of balances (uncommitted, committed, and unobligated) for projects funded from specified CHIPS Fund allocations, the Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund, and the CHIPS for America Workforce and Education Fund.

This section prohibits the use of funds provided by this Act to issue, implement, administer, or enforce any proposed or final rule or secretarial action regarding the South Atlantic red snapper stock that decreases the quota, closes areas, or otherwise limits access to the South Atlantic Region's Snapper Grouper Fishery to address overfishing of such stock. The prohibition remains in effect until a third-party scientific review determines whether the SEDAR 73 South Atlantic Red Snapper Stock Assessment Report (March 2021) constitutes the best scientific information available under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.

This section prohibits the use of any federal funds to implement, administer, apply, enforce, carry out, or defend the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) final rule titled “Definition of ‘Frame or Receiver’ and Identification of Firearms” (87 Fed. Reg. 24652, April 26, 2022). (As background, the rule expands the regulatory definition of “firearm” under the Gun Control Act of 1968 to include certain unfinished frames or receivers and parts kits that can be readily converted into functional firearms, commonly known as “ghost guns.” Thus, ATF is effectively barred from enforcing the rule.)

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this or any other Act to implement, administer, apply, enforce, or carry out Executive Order 14092, “Reducing Gun Violence and Making our Communities Safer.”

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to implement, administer, apply, enforce, carry out, or defend the joint DOJ/DHS interim final rule (87 Fed. Reg. 18078, Mar. 29, 2022) establishing procedures for asylum officers—rather than immigration judges—to screen credible fear, asylum, withholding of removal, and protection under the Convention Against Torture (CAT) claims consistent with expedited removal processes. (Thus, the rule's procedures remain in effect only to the extent funded by sources other than this Act.)

This section prohibits the Department of Justice from using funds provided by this Act to promulgate, develop, or implement any regulation, policy, or practice regarding categorical administrative closure, dismissal, or termination of cases in immigration court. (Administrative closure is a procedural tool used by immigration judges to temporarily remove cases from active dockets without a decision on the merits; categorical versions apply such actions broadly to classes of cases rather than individually.)

This section prohibits the use of funds provided by this Act to implement, administer, apply, enforce, or carry out any regulation issued or finalized by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on or after January 21, 2021.

This section prohibits the use of any appropriated funds to implement, administer, apply, enforce, carry out, or defend the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) final rule titled “Factoring Criteria for Firearms with Attached ‘Stabilizing Braces’” (88 Fed. Reg. 6478, Jan. 31, 2023). (The rule establishes criteria to determine when certain firearms equipped with stabilizing braces qualify as short-barreled rifles subject to registration, taxation, and other requirements under the National Firearms Act.)

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to implement, administer, apply, enforce, or carry out the Attorney General’s October 4, 2021, memorandum entitled “Partnership Among Federal, State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Law Enforcement to Address Threats Against School Administrators, Board Members, Teachers, and Staff.”

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this or any other Act to implement, administer, apply, enforce, or carry out the Office of Science and Technology Policy’s August 25, 2022, memorandum entitled “Ensuring Free, Immediate, and Equitable Access to Federally Funded Research.” (As background, the memorandum directs federal agencies to update public access policies to provide immediate, free access—without embargo—to peer-reviewed scholarly publications and supporting data from federally funded research.)

This section prohibits the use of funds made available by this Act or any other Act for diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, training, programs, offices, officers, policies, or other executive agency functions.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act by the Department of Commerce for (1) the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Center of Excellence in Climate Change or (2) climate change fisheries research and by the National Science Foundation (NSF) for (1) the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) or (2) the Clean Energy Technology program.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated for the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program—which reimburses states and localities for costs of incarcerating undocumented criminal aliens (i.e., non-U.S. nationals convicted of state or local offenses)—in violation of section 642 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (i.e., the prohibition on restricting any government entity or official from communicating or maintaining information regarding the immigration or citizenship status of individuals for immigration enforcement purposes).

This section prohibits the Census Bureau from using any federal funds to include aliens who are unlawfully present in the United States in apportionment determinations (i.e., population counts used to allocate House seats among states) for subsequent decennial censuses.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to pay compromise settlements for civil actions brought by aliens inadmissible under INA §212(a)(6)(A) (i.e., present in the United States without admission or parole) or §212(a)(7)(A)(i)(I) (i.e., lacking a valid immigrant visa or other entry document), or who entered the United States in violation of INA §275(a) (i.e., improper entry or evasion of inspection), unless expressly authorized by law.

This section prohibits the use of funds provided by this Act to review, process, or approve applications for federal grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, or other agreements by any individual or organization that educates, trains, or informs federal employees about diversity, equity, inclusion, critical race theory, implicit bias, unconscious bias, or culturally relevant teaching.

This section prohibits the use of any funds appropriated by this Act for education, training, or professional development that utilizes, promotes, or teaches Critical Race Theory or associated concepts, or any idea or concept that (1) condones discrimination against or adverse or beneficial treatment of an individual based on race or sex; (2) condones psychological distress on account of an individual's race or sex; (3) regards one race as inherently superior to another race; (4) regards the United States or its institutions as systemically racist or sexist; (5) regards an individual as inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive by virtue of race or sex; (6) regards an individual's moral character as necessarily determined by race or sex; (7) regards an individual as bearing responsibility for past actions by others of the same race or sex; or (8) regards meritocracy as racist, sexist, or created by a particular race to oppress another race.

This section prohibits the use of funds provided by this Act to promote or contribute to environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) investments.

This section prohibits the use of federal funds to investigate, litigate, or advocate against any person or recipient—as defined in Department of Education regulations (34 C.F.R. § 106.2)—for defining "sex," as used in Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. § 1681) and related regulations (34 C.F.R. §§ 106.21–106.45, etc.), to mean biological sex (male or female, as determined by gamete production) or for defining "boys and girls" to mean biological boys (one X and one Y chromosome) and biological girls (two X chromosomes). (Thus, this bars enforcement actions against entities maintaining sex-based distinctions in education programs on biological grounds.)

This section prohibits the use of funds provided by this Act to implement any statute, rule, policy, or interpretive guidance, or to disburse any grants or funding, that would result in the confiscation of any firearm without providing the gun owner notice and an opportunity to participate in a hearing.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this or any other Act, or derived from fee collections available to agencies funded by this Act, to study, prepare, propose, or adopt any rule, regulation, administrative order, or secretarial or executive action restricting the production, purchase, sale, or transfer of any firearm unless expressly authorized by Congress.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to pay salaries or expenses of Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) personnel to facilitate, advise, promote, or otherwise support civil actions—against ATF licensees or persons subject to ATF regulation—to which ATF is not a named party.

This section conditions the use of funds appropriated by this Act for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Demand 2 program—which requires certain federal firearms licensees (FFLs) to report multiple sales based on crime gun trace data—on ATF (1) modifying the program's reporting thresholds to 25 traces or 2.5% of traces relative to a licensee's average annual firearm sales (as reported on the most recent FFL renewal application), whichever is greater; (2) certifying to the FFL that every counted trace is directly related to or involved in an open criminal investigation; and (3) limiting counted traces to those with a time-to-crime of three years or less.

This section prohibits the use of appropriated funds to (1) classify, tax, or register any firearm with an attached stabilizing brace or similar rearward attachment as a rifle, short-barreled rifle, or short-barreled shotgun under the Gun Control Act of 1968, National Firearms Act of 1934, or similar laws, notwithstanding any extended contact surface, use as a buttstock, or shoulder firing; or (2) direct other law enforcement or regulatory entities to perform such actions on behalf of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). (As background, ATF's 2023 rule classified many pistols equipped with stabilizing braces—originally designed for one-handed use—as short-barreled rifles subject to National Firearms Act registration and a $200 transfer tax.)

This section prohibits funds appropriated by this Act from being used to support, directly or indirectly, the Wuhan Institute of Virology or any laboratory owned or controlled by the governments of the People's Republic of China, the Republic of Cuba, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela under the regime of Nicolás Maduro Moros, or any other country determined by the Secretary of State to be a foreign adversary.

This section prohibits the use of federal funds to recruit, hire, promote, or retain any person convicted of a federal or state child pornography charge, convicted of any other federal or state sexual assault charge, or formally disciplined for using federal resources to access, use, or sell child pornography.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act or any other Act to recruit, hire, promote, or retain any person based in whole or in part on such person’s race, national origin, sex, or religion.

This section prohibits the use of federal funds appropriated by this or any other Act to perform sex-altering surgical procedures in a federally owned facility or a private facility leased or used by the federal government.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to sue any state or local government over laws protecting single-sex sports, single-sex facilities, or limiting transgender medical procedures (including in insurance coverage and age limitations), or to intervene or file an amicus brief in such cases.

This section prohibits the use of funds provided by this Act or previous appropriations Acts to take discriminatory action against a person wholly or partially on the basis that such person speaks or acts in accordance with a sincerely held religious belief or moral conviction that marriage is, or should be recognized as, a union of one man and one woman, notwithstanding 1 U.S.C. §7, 28 U.S.C. §1738C, or any other provision of law. Discriminatory action includes (1) altering federal tax treatment, assessing taxes/penalties, or denying tax-exempt status under IRC §501(a); (2) disallowing deductions for charitable contributions; (3) withholding, reducing, or denying federal grants, contracts, loans, employment, or similar benefits; (4) denying entitlements or benefits under federal programs, including equal treatment in educational programs; or (5) denying access to federal property, facilities, or fundraising campaigns. This section further requires the federal government to deem accredited, licensed, or certified any person who would be so but for a determination based on such beliefs.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to facilitate, permit, license, or promote exports to the Cuban military or intelligence service—including the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces and the Ministry of the Interior and any subsidiary thereof—or to any officer of such service, an immediate family member thereof (i.e., a spouse, sibling, son, daughter, parent, grandparent, grandchild, aunt, uncle, niece, or nephew), or any agency or entity owned or operated on their behalf. This section does not apply to exports of goods permitted under the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000.

This section prohibits the use of funds provided by this Act to enforce a Department of Commerce rule establishing procedures for suspension of liquidation, duties, and estimated duties in accordance with Presidential Proclamation 10414 (87 Fed. Reg. 56868 (Sept. 16, 2022)). (Proclamation 10414 modified Section 232 tariffs on steel imports.)

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to pay salaries and expenses of Department of Justice personnel for negotiating or concluding settlements with the federal government that require defendants to donate or contribute funds to an organization or individual.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this or any other Act to pay the salary, benefits, bonuses, or expenses of any federal officer or employee who fails to comply with a duly issued and valid congressional subpoena, including any failure to produce documents in unredacted form by a date certain specified in the subpoena.

This section prohibits the use of appropriated funds to conduct interviews in connection with investigations of federal offenses, or investigations in which the agency is assisting a state, local, or tribal law enforcement agency, unless the interview is recorded using electronic audio recording equipment. The requirement applies to both custodial and noncustodial interviews (except communications with confidential informants and interviews of non-U.S. persons conducted outside the United States), and recordings must be retained for 10 years.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to discourage, or to implement any policy that discourages, United States Marshals Service personnel from fully enforcing 18 U.S.C. § 1507 (i.e., the prohibition against picketing or parading near the residence occupied or used by a federal judge, magistrate judge, or certain other federal officials, with intent to interfere with the administration of justice).

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act from (1) classifying or facilitating the classification of any communications by a United States person as misinformation, disinformation, or malinformation; or (2) partnering with or funding nonprofit or other organizations that pressure or recommend private companies to censor lawful and constitutionally protected speech of United States persons, including recommending the censoring or removal of content on social media platforms.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to implement, administer, or enforce the interim final rule entitled “Revision of Firearms License Requirements” (89 Fed. Reg. 34680 (April 30, 2024)) or any successor rule.

This section prohibits the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) from obligating or expending funds provided by this Act to issue incidental take authorizations (ITAs) under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA)—which allow otherwise lawful activities that incidentally harass, harm, or kill small numbers of marine mammals—for offshore wind energy development under specified Outer Continental Shelf leases (OCS-A 0532, OCS-A 0498, OCS-A 0499, OCS-A 0549, and OCS-A 0490) until the Comptroller General submits to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, the House Committee on Natural Resources, and the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources the study requested on May 15, 2023, on the impact of wind leasing on marine mammals and endangered species.

This section prohibits the Department of Justice from using funds appropriated by this Act to submit to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS)—established under the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act to screen prospective firearms purchasers—the personally identifiable information of a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) beneficiary solely because VA has determined to pay the beneficiary's benefits to a fiduciary under 38 U.S.C. §5502 (i.e., for beneficiaries deemed mentally incompetent). (Thus, such VA fiduciary determinations alone do not result in NICS flagging the beneficiary as a prohibited firearms possessor.)

This section prohibits the use of any funds appropriated by this Act or any other Act to implement, administer, apply, enforce, carry out, or defend the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives final rule titled “Definition of ‘Engaged in the Business’ as a Dealer in Firearms” (89 Fed. Reg. 28968, April 19, 2024). (The rule clarifies who must obtain a federal firearms license when selling firearms repetitively for profit or livelihood.)

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to implement, administer, or enforce ATF Order 5370.1E—or any similar policy, order, or procedure that does not require the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), in all but the most extraordinary circumstances, to issue a warning letter for an initial violation by a federal firearms licensee (FFL), work with cooperative FFLs to rectify violations in a reasonable time frame, and hold a final warning conference before revoking or suspending an FFL. (Thus, ATF may not use these funds to revoke or suspend FFLs for initial violations without following those progressive enforcement steps.)

This section prohibits the use of funds provided by this Act to implement, administer, apply, enforce, or carry out Executive Order 14043 (requiring COVID-19 vaccination for federal employees) or Executive Order 14042 (requiring vaccination or testing for federal contractors) at any federal department, bureau, or subagency.

This section prohibits the use of funds provided by this Act to develop or implement rules or guidance on climate change as a direct response to data cited by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters (Billions) Project (i.e., a dataset tracking U.S. weather and climate disaster costs exceeding $1 billion per event).

This section prohibits the use of funds provided by this Act to establish, administer, or enforce any rule or regulation requiring a United States Atlantic pelagic longline vessel (i.e., a vessel using longlines to target highly migratory species such as tuna and swordfish in the Atlantic Ocean) to pay a fee for costs associated with electronic monitoring of such vessel.

This section prohibits the National Science Foundation from using funds provided by this Act to procure, charter, or lease a foreign-flagged vessel for U.S. research activities in Antarctica if a suitable U.S.-built vessel is available.

This section prohibits the Department of Justice from using funds appropriated by this Act to pay costs and fees incurred by aliens who entered the United States in violation of INA §275(a) (improper entry) or §276(a) (reentry after removal) (8 U.S.C. §§1325(a), 1326(a)) in (1) civil actions under the Equal Access to Justice Act (28 U.S.C. §2412) or (2) agency adjudications under such Act (5 U.S.C. §504), if connected to proceedings under the INA. (Thus, such aliens are ineligible to recover litigation costs from DOJ even if they substantially prevail.)

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act for the implementation, administration, or enforcement of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's final rule published on April 19, 2024 (89 Fed. Reg. 29096), to the extent it includes elective abortion in the definition of “pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions” requiring reasonable accommodation under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to finalize, implement, or enforce the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's “Enforcement Guidance on Harassment in the Workplace” (April 29, 2024) or any similar, related, or successor guidance.

This section prohibits the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) or any part of the Department of Commerce from using funds appropriated by this Act to enforce vessel speed restrictions for the North Atlantic right whale that were not in place prior to January 20, 2021. (Thus, only pre-2021 speed rules—intended to reduce fatal ship strikes to the endangered species—may be enforced with these funds.)

This section prohibits the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration from using funds provided by this Act to implement the proposed rule designating critical habitat for the Rice's whale (88 Fed. Reg. 47453 (Sept. 12, 2023)) or any successor rule. (Critical habitat designations under the Endangered Species Act identify geographic areas essential to the conservation of endangered or threatened species.)

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act to reschedule marijuana or remove it from the schedules established under the Controlled Substances Act.

This section prohibits the use of funds provided by this Act to record or maintain any record delivered to the Attorney General pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 923(g)(4). (Such records are reports from federal firearms licensees of sales of two or more semiautomatic rifles capable of accepting detachable magazines that hold more than five rounds, to the same person within any five consecutive business days.)

This section prohibits the use of funds made available by this Act for any social, psychological, behavioral, or medical intervention performed for the purposes of intentionally changing an individual's body (including by disrupting the body’s development, inhibiting its natural functions, or modifying its appearance) to no longer correspond to the individual’s biological sex.

This section prohibits the obligation or expenditure of funds provided by this Act for any institution of higher education that enters into a partnership or other formalized academic collaboration in STEM fields with an entity located, operated, or controlled by the Chinese Communist Party or the Government of the People’s Republic of China (e.g., a joint institute with such an entity).

This section prohibits the disbursement of any funds made available by this Act to states, districts, territories, or possessions that impose a criminal or civil penalty on—or otherwise indirectly dissuade (including through financial or other barriers)—law-abiding citizens holding valid out-of-state concealed carry licenses or permits from publicly carrying a handgun for self-defense on the same terms, conditions, and limitations applicable to state residents (except regarding eligibility to possess or carry).

This section amends the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (LIBERTAD) Act of 1996, which authorizes U.S. nationals to sue in U.S. courts any person or entity trafficking in property confiscated by the Cuban government (i.e., knowingly profiting from, transferring, or using such property after confiscation), as follows: (1) revises the exception in Section 302(a)(4)(B) to allow claims by persons who acquired ownership of the claim before March 12, 1996, or as a successor in interest who did not acquire the property or claim for value or consideration (previously, the exception barred claims by any person acquiring ownership after March 12, 1996); (2) defines "successor in interest" in Section 4 as a person who follows another in ownership or control of property or a claim and retains the original owner's rights; (3) inserts a cross-reference in Section 306(c)(1)(A) to the revised exception; and (4) repeals Section 305, which limited court jurisdiction over unauthorized claims. (Thus, non-purchasing successors—such as heirs—may pursue claims.) The amendments apply retroactively to actions initiated after enactment; pending actions, including on appeal; actions where the appeal period has not expired; and actions dismissed or adversely decided due to prior conflicting interpretations of Section 302(a), with such prior actions eligible for refiling as if the amendments were in effect since LIBERTAD's enactment.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act for oyster restoration, recovery, reef construction, habitat enhancement, or other related oyster activities in the Chesapeake Bay or its tributaries unless the planted oysters are eligible for managed commercial harvest by licensed watermen after three years from the date of planting.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act for oyster restoration, recovery, or enhancement activities in the Chesapeake Bay or its tributaries at any site designated as underperforming for five or more years following initial federal investment. Funds may be used at such sites if the Secretary of Commerce certifies in writing that the site has a new, independently conducted and peer-reviewed restoration plan demonstrating a high likelihood of meeting significant ecological or economic outcomes within two years of enactment.

This section prohibits the use of Coastal Zone Management Act grants to block wildfire and timber production, energy production, housing construction, or military-related activities under the Endangered Species Act.

This section prohibits the use of appropriated funds to impose any new user fee or processing fee for functions, missions, or activities of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) that are not already charged as of October 1, 2025.

This section prohibits the use of appropriated funds to enforce the National Firearms Act (NFA) (26 U.S.C. 5801 et seq.)—including investigations, prosecutions, or penalties—with respect to any firearm subject to a $0 tax under NFA sections 5811 (making tax) or 5821 (transfer tax) pursuant to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The section further provides that no violation of federal law, or of the NFA or any state or local law incorporating the NFA, accrues with respect to such firearms.