H.R. 7744 — Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026

This section requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to submit to the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security, by October 15, 2026, a report listing all grants and contracts awarded by any means other than full and open competition during FY2025 or FY2026. The Inspector General must review the report for departmental compliance with applicable laws and regulations and report the results to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations by February 15, 2027.

This section requires the Chief Financial Officer of the Department of Homeland Security to submit to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, not later than 30 days after the last day of each month, a budget and staffing report including total obligations for that month and fiscal year to date at the appropriation and program, project, and activity levels by source year of appropriation. It designates the initial such report as the baseline for departmental staffing level increases or decreases pursuant to section 503(a)(4) of this Act.

This section requires the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, to notify the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate of any proposed transfers of funds from the Department of the Treasury Forfeiture Fund—available under 31 U.S.C. 9705(g)(4)(B)—to any agency within the Department of Homeland Security. None of the funds identified for such a transfer may be obligated until the committees are notified.

This section requires that all official costs associated with the use of Government aircraft by Department of Homeland Security personnel to support official travel of the Secretary and the Deputy Secretary be paid from amounts made available for the Office of the Secretary.

This section directs the Under Secretary for Management to brief the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations not later than 45 days after the end of each fiscal quarter on all Level 1 and Level 2 acquisition programs on the Department of Homeland Security's Master Acquisition Oversight List from Acquisition Decision Event to Full Operational Capability, including programs removed from the list during the preceding quarter. The briefings must include, for each program, (1) a description of its purpose, capabilities acquired, and sponsoring component(s); (2) the total annual units to be acquired until procurement completion under the current baseline; (3) Acquisition Review Board status, including current phase, most recent review date, and any pause or breach; (4) a comparison of initial to current cost, schedule, and performance baselines; (5) lifecycle cost estimate details, including confidence level, fiscal years covered, prior five years/current/budget year breakout, appropriation breakout, and changes from prior baseline; (6) independent verification and validation summary or explanation for its absence; (7) a table of obligations by prior fiscal year, current-year estimate, and planned carryover; (8) prime contractors and major subcontractors; and (9) narrative risk descriptions for potential cost, schedule, or performance breaches. This section also requires the Under Secretary to submit each approved Acquisition Decision Memorandum for such programs to the committees not later than five business days after approval.

This section prohibits the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from obligating funds appropriated in this Act or prior Acts for any new pilot or demonstration program—defined as a small-scale, short-term experiment evaluating feasibility, duration, costs, or adverse events that uses more than 10 full-time equivalents (FTEs) or obligates (or proposes to obligate) $5 million or more—unless the responsible component or office documents (1) well-defined and measurable objectives, (2) an assessment methodology detailing data types/sources, collection methods/frequency, and analysis, and (3) an implementation plan with milestones, cost estimates, schedules, and projected end date. Prior to obligating Operations and Support funds for such a program, the Under Secretary for Management must report this information to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees. Not later than 90 days after program completion, the Under Secretary must report to the Committees on lessons learned, actual costs, planned expansion or continuation, and any transition to an enduring program or operation. The section excludes congressionally directed programs or enhancements, programs operational as of enactment, information technology procurement testing/evaluation/initial deployment, and pilots by non-federal recipients under financial assistance agreements.

This section prohibits the Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from using funds appropriated by this Act to conduct a covered activity, as defined by section 6303 of the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 (division F, P.L. 118-159). The prohibition does not limit DHS officials' authority to conduct legal, privacy, civil rights, or civil liberties oversight of I&A intelligence activities and does not restrict I&A personnel from sharing or receiving intelligence information with or from foreign, state, local, tribal, or territorial governments (or agencies/subdivisions thereof); the private sector; or other federal government elements, including DHS components.

This section directs the Inspector General to submit quarterly reports to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations on oversight of funds provided to the Department under Public Law 119–21. The quarterly reports must (1) review spend plans for every program, project, or activity funded under such law, including the current status of obligated funds compared to projections; and (2) summarize audits of the Department's contracting, procurement, and acquisition activities resulting from such law. Beginning one year after enactment of this Act and annually thereafter, the Inspector General must submit a comprehensive report to the same committees on audits, inspections, and evaluations of such funds and activities, including recommendations to improve effectiveness and efficiency and prevent waste, fraud, and abuse.

This section provides $20 million to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of the Secretary for procuring, deploying, and operating body-worn cameras for agents and officers performing immigration enforcement activities. It further requires the DHS Secretary to submit a spending plan to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees within 30 days of enactment.

This section applies overtime compensation limitations, as provided in section 201 of the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2018, to funds made available by this Act for fiscal year 2026 (from fiscal year 2018).

This section authorizes funding under the U.S. Customs and Border Protection—Operations and Support and Procurement, Construction, and Improvements accounts to be used for customs expenses in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands when necessary to maintain operations and prevent adverse personnel actions, in addition to amounts provided under 48 U.S.C. §§ 740 and 1406i.

This section makes fees collected from passengers arriving from Canada, Mexico, or an adjacent island pursuant to 19 U.S.C. 58c(a)(5)—$5 per passenger aboard commercial vessels or aircraft generally, or $1.75 per passenger aboard commercial vessels from those locations—available until expended, as authorized by section 601(b) of the United States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement Implementation Act (P.L. 112-42).

This section provides $31 million, to remain available until expended, for U.S. Customs and Border Protection—Operations and Support, to be reduced by amounts collected and credited to this appropriation in FY2026 under specified preclearance fee authorities, including animal and article preclearance under 7 U.S.C. 8311 (i.e., reimbursable agreements for services performed outside the United States). Amounts collected in excess of $31 million are credited to this appropriation, to remain available until expended.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated in this Act to U.S. Customs and Border Protection to block individuals not engaged in the business of importing from personally importing from Canada a personal-use quantity—not exceeding a 90-day supply—of a prescription drug (as defined in section 801(g) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act) that complies with that Act, provided the drug is not (1) a controlled substance (as defined in 21 U.S.C. 802) or (2) a biological product (as defined in section 351 of the Public Health Service Act).

This section prohibits the use of appropriated funds to approve waivers of navigation and vessel-inspection laws (i.e., Jones Act requirements under 46 U.S.C. §501(b)) for transporting crude oil to or from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve unless the Secretary of Homeland Security, after consulting the Secretaries of Energy and Transportation and U.S.-flag maritime industry representatives, takes adequate measures to ensure the use of U.S.-flag vessels. The section also requires the Secretary to notify the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation within two business days of any such waiver requests and their dispositions.

This section prohibits the Secretary of Homeland Security, beginning on the date of enactment, from establishing, collecting, or imposing any new border crossing fee—or conducting any related study—at land ports of entry on the southern or northern border. A border crossing fee is defined as a fee required of every pedestrian, cyclist, and driver or passenger of a private motor vehicle for crossing those borders at such ports.

This section requires the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to submit to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, not later than 90 days after enactment, an expenditure plan for amounts appropriated in this Act and prior Acts for U.S. Customs and Border Protection—Procurement, Construction, and Improvements. No such amounts provided in this Act may be obligated prior to submission of the plan.

This section authorizes the use of funds appropriated by this Act to alter operations within the National Targeting Center of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). (As background, the center conducts risk-based targeting and vetting of cargo, passengers, and conveyances.) The section prohibits the use of such funds, prior-year appropriations available for obligation or expenditure in FY2026, or fee collections available to components funded by this Act from reducing anticipated or planned vetting operations at existing locations unless authorized by a statute enacted after this Act.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated for U.S. Customs and Border Protection—Procurement, Construction, and Improvements, under the Border Security Assets and Infrastructure heading in this Act or prior appropriations Acts, for procuring or deploying non-autonomous surveillance systems, as defined in section 90004 of P.L. 119-21.

This section directs the Secretary to ensure that U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) November 30, 2021, policy statement titled “Policy Statement and Required Actions Regarding Pregnant, Postpartum, Nursing Individuals, and Infants in Custody”—or substantively similar standards developed in consultation with maternal and pediatric health providers and experts—is in effect and fully implemented to safeguard the health, safety, and rights of pregnant women in CBP custody.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for operations and support to continue any delegation of immigration enforcement authority to state or local law enforcement under INA §287(g) (8 U.S.C. 1357(g))—known as the 287(g) program—if the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General determines a material violation of the agreement's terms. (Thus, such agreements may be terminated upon an IG finding of noncompliance.)

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated under U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement—Operations and Support to continue any contract for detention services if the two most recent overall performance evaluations received by the contracted facility are less than “adequate” or the equivalent median score in any subsequent performance evaluation system. Those performance evaluations must be conducted by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office of Professional Responsibility.

This section authorizes the Secretary to reprogram funds within and transfer funds to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Operations and Support, without regard to time and condition limitations of section 503(d) of this Act, as necessary to ensure detention of aliens prioritized for removal.

This section continues semimonthly reports required under sec. 216 of the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2021 (Division F, Public Law 116-260)—covering U.S. Customs and Border Protection encounters with migrants at the southwest border, processing details, and related enforcement activities—along with all specified reporting matters, during the period described in that section.

This section requires the Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to provide, within 30 days of enactment, a briefing and initial written obligation plan for all ICE funding—including carryover balances and fees—delineated by month, level II program, project, activity, pay and non-pay requirements, major contract costs, personnel levels, and operational and policy considerations. It further requires monthly briefings and written updates on actual obligations and expenditures (including prior year), carryover balances, resource and payroll projections, multi-year contracts, obligations for domestic and international investigations (e.g., countering fentanyl and child exploitation), and operations rates for Custody Operations, Alternatives to Detention, and Transportation and Removal Operations (with fund exhaustion projections), due no later than 15 days after the beginning of the following month. Finally, it provides an additional $100,000 monthly (total $700,000 for the fiscal year) for ICE Operations and Support—Executive Leadership and Oversight, available on the 16th of each month beginning 30 days after enactment only if the reporting requirements are met on schedule.

This section directs the Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to submit to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, not later than 90 days after enactment, a written execution plan for detention facility funding provided by Public Law 119-21 that includes (1) the location, number of beds, and estimated cost per bed for each facility used in the preceding quarter; (2) the same details for facilities projected for the subsequent quarter; (3) total beds projected through fiscal year-end; (4) associated changes in transportation and removal operations costs, including removal flights; and (5) an overview of the desired geographic end-state for facilities, new operational models or strategies for detention capacity, and a comparison of current versus projected end-state capacity. Subsequent to the initial plan, ICE must provide the committees a briefing and written update not later than 30 days after the end of each fiscal quarter that reviews execution of funds for the prior quarter, compares actual to planned execution, identifies any remedial actions for deviations, and displays the initial plan unchanged for comparison.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act or any other Act to reduce the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) attachés or liaisons at U.S. embassies or consulates abroad for international investigations or partnerships with foreign law enforcement. The prohibition does not apply to a reduction in a specific country if (1) the Secretaries of Homeland Security and State provide a written explanation to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees that maintaining such presence undermines U.S. foreign policy interests there; or (2) the country requests cessation of those activities.

This section prohibits exemptions from federal passenger and baggage screening for Members of the House and Senate (including leadership), heads of federal agencies and commissions (including the DHS Secretary, Deputy Secretary, Under Secretaries, and Assistant Secretaries), the Attorney General, Deputy Attorney General, Assistant Attorneys General, U.S. Attorneys, and senior Executive Office of the President members (including the OMB Director). It further prohibits use of funds appropriated in this or any Act—including prior Acts or fee collections available to funded components—to enact legislation altering these screening requirements.

This section permits funds in the Aviation Security Capital Fund (established under 49 U.S.C. 44923(h)) for FY2026 to be used, notwithstanding 49 U.S.C. 44923, for procuring and installing explosive detection systems or issuing other transaction agreements to fund projects under 49 U.S.C. 44923(a). (As background, those projects include replacing baggage conveyor systems for aviation security, reconfiguring baggage areas for explosive detection systems, enabling deployment of such systems in ticket counters or baggage handling areas, and other airport security capital improvements.)

This section directs the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), not later than 45 days after the submission of the President's budget proposal, to submit to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations and specified authorizing committees a single report that includes (1) a Capital Investment Plan, both constrained and unconstrained, for continuous and sustained capital investment in new transportation security equipment and replacement of aged equipment; (2) the 5-year technology investment plan required under section 1611 of title XVI of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, as amended by the Transportation Security Acquisition Reform Act (P.L. 113-245); and (3) the Advanced Integrated Passenger Screening Technologies report required by Senate Report 115-283 accompanying the FY2019 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act.

This section revises a requirement in Section 515(b) of P.L. 108-334 (49 U.S.C. 44945 note) for the Transportation Security Administration to transmit a report to Congress on implementation of the unclaimed money and clothing disposition requirements (i.e., retaining unclaimed money for aviation security and donating clothing to charities serving veterans) to instead provide a briefing.

This section prohibits the use of Coast Guard—Operations and Support funds for expenses incurred in documenting recreational vessels (i.e., issuing recreational endorsements under 46 U.S.C. 12114) except to the extent fees are collected from yacht owners and credited to that account. If such fees are insufficient to cover those expenses and there is a backlog of recreational vessel applications, it authorizes Coast Guard personnel performing non-recreational vessel documentation under subchapter II of 46 U.S.C. ch. 121 to perform recreational vessel documentation.

This section directs the Commandant of the Coast Guard to submit to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations a future-years capital investment plan for the Coast Guard—Acquisition, Construction, and Improvements account, as described in the second proviso under that heading in the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2015 (Public Law 114-4), notwithstanding any other provision of law. The plan is subject to the requirements of the third and fourth provisos under such heading.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to conduct or implement a competition under Office of Management and Budget Circular A-76 (i.e., public-private competition process for federal commercial activities) for operations of the Coast Guard National Vessel Documentation Center (i.e., the office that documents and certifies U.S.-flag vessels for registry, liens, and mortgages).

This section permits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to alter operations within the Coast Guard Civil Engineering Program nationwide—including civil engineering units, facilities design and construction centers, maintenance and logistics commands, and the Coast Guard Academy—but prohibits using such funds to reduce operations within any civil engineering unit unless specifically authorized by a statute enacted after the date of enactment of this Act.

This section makes amounts deposited into the Coast Guard Housing Fund in FY2026 available until expended to carry out the fund's purposes under 14 U.S.C. 2946 (i.e., Coast Guard military family housing and unaccompanied housing activities, including real property conveyance, planning, and environmental compliance) and in addition to funds otherwise available for such purposes. (As background, the fund receives appropriations, transfers, and other proceeds to finance these housing activities.)

This section (1) provides $98 million, to remain available until September 30, 2030, for the Coast Guard—Procurement, Construction, and Improvements account to procure and acquire MQ-9 aircraft, associated base stations, related equipment, and program management; and (2) prohibits the use of any funds made available for the Department of Homeland Security in this or any prior Act to procure or acquire long-range unmanned aircraft with kinetic capabilities (i.e., weapons) or to equip such aircraft with kinetic capabilities.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to the Coast Guard for implementation of Force Design 2028—a long-term initiative to modernize the service's force structure and capabilities—until the Coast Guard provides detailed briefings to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees on related organizational, personnel, technology, contracting, and acquisition initiatives.

This section authorizes the United States Secret Service to obligate funds in anticipation of reimbursements from executive agencies (i.e., executive departments, government corporations, and independent establishments) for personnel receiving training sponsored by the James J. Rowley Training Center (the Secret Service's primary training facility), provided that total obligations at the end of the fiscal year do not exceed total budgetary resources available under the "United States Secret Service—Operations and Support" heading at that time. (Thus, the Secret Service may front-load spending for agency-sponsored training while ensuring obligations stay within annual appropriations.)

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated to the United States Secret Service for the protection of the head of any federal agency other than the Secretary of Homeland Security. The Director of the Secret Service may provide such protection through fully reimbursable agreements.

This section authorizes funding provided in this Act for United States Secret Service operations and support to be used for employee travel on protective missions without regard to expenditure limitations in this or any other Act, provided the Secret Service Director or designee notifies the House and Senate Appropriations Committees at least 10 days in advance or as early as practicable.

This section provides $2,000,000, to remain available until expended, from amounts appropriated under the United States Secret Service—Operations and Support heading as a grant or cooperative agreement for existing National Computer Forensics Institute (NCFI) facilities used by the U.S. Secret Service to carry out activities authorized under 6 U.S.C. §383. (As background, the NCFI, authorized through FY2028, trains state, local, territorial, and tribal law enforcement officers, prosecutors, judges, and cyber fraud task force participants on investigating and preventing cybersecurity incidents and electronic crimes, including forensic examinations of digital devices.)

This section modifies the premium pay limitation for United States Secret Service personnel under section 118 of the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act, 2001 (5 U.S.C. 5547 note) to allow aggregate pay up to the Vice President's annual salary rate under 3 U.S.C. 104 for 2024 (retroactive to December 31, 2023). The section further requires the Secret Service Director to submit to specified congressional committees, not later than 180 days after enactment and annually through 2028, reports on steps to address increased protective service demands, including (1) analysis of current operational demands and staffing levels and (2) recommended overtime reduction strategies such as hiring additional personnel, ensuring year-round resources without premium pay exceptions, workload redistribution, and operational efficiencies. The section also directs inclusion of average and range of overtime hours data for affected personnel in reports required under the Overtime Pay for Protective Services Act of 2023 and the Overtime Pay Protection Act of 2016 and increases to $40 million (from $24 million) the funds available under specified provisions of division C of Public Law 118-47 for United States Secret Service operations and support in 2024, as applied to funds appropriated by this Act.

This section applies the prohibition in sec. 211 of the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2021 (division F of P.L. 116-260)—barring use of funds for border fencing construction in certain environmentally sensitive areas along the U.S.-Mexico border—to funds made available by this Act.

This section authorizes funds appropriated under the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency—Operations and Support heading to be used for procuring or providing access to cybersecurity threat feeds for federal government entities, state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, fusion centers (as described in 6 U.S.C. 124h), and Information Sharing and Analysis Organizations.

This section increases the maximum amount of grants under paragraphs (1) through (5) of the Federal Emergency Management Agency—Federal Assistance appropriation account that may be used for administrative expenses to 5 percent (from 3 percent) under section 2008(a)(12) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 609(a)(12)). Subsection (b) extends this authority to state recipients administering grants under such paragraph (3).

This section requires the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to make applications available for grants under the Federal Assistance heading, paragraphs (1) through (5), not later than 60 days after enactment of this Act; requires eligible applicants to submit applications not later than 80 days after the grant announcement; and requires the FEMA Administrator to act on complete applications within 65 days of receipt. It further reduces appropriations for FEMA Operations and Support by $100,000 for each day past the 60-day requirement that applications are not made available, with a corresponding reduction to Mission Support funding specified in the explanatory statement.

This section requires the FEMA Administrator to brief the House and Senate Appropriations Committees at least five full business days before publicly announcing the intention to award grants under specified paragraphs—(1) through (5), (9), and (10)—of FEMA's Federal Assistance heading. If a public announcement occurs before that period elapses, this section rescinds $1 million from amounts appropriated for FEMA's Operations and Support, with a corresponding reduction to Mission Support as specified in the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026 table.

This section specifies that, for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Federal Assistance grants under paragraphs (1) and (2), the installation of communications towers is not considered construction of a building or other physical facility.

This section modifies the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) reporting requirements from the FY2015 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act for application in FY2026—(1) updating paragraph (1), on budget year projections, by substituting “fiscal year 2027” for “fiscal year 2016”; and (2) updating paragraph (2), on current fiscal year reporting, by inserting “business” after “fifth” (i.e., fifth business day). (The DRF provides supplemental funding to states, localities, and certain nonprofits for recovery from presidentially declared disasters under the Stafford Act.)

This section authorizes the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to waive specified requirements applicable to Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grants, which support fire departments in hiring additional firefighters and attaining 24-hour staffing. The waivable requirements are (1) eligibility of career, combination, and volunteer fire departments and grant purposes under subsection (a)(1)(A); (2) three-year grant terms and uses limited to hiring new firefighters or converting part-time or paid-on-call firefighters to full-time under subsection (a)(1)(B); (3) cost-sharing limits of 75 percent in years one and two and 35 percent in year three under subsection (a)(1)(E); and (4) requirements under subsections (c)(1), (c)(2), and (c)(4).

This section requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to assess and collect fees during FY2026 for the Radiological Emergency Preparedness Program (REP)—which funds offsite planning, preparedness, and response to radiological emergencies, primarily at nuclear power plants—at not less than 100% of anticipated costs for FY2027 (updating the prior requirement applicable beginning FY1999). (1) It requires the fee methodology to be fair and equitable and to reflect service costs, including administrative costs of collection. (2) It directs fees to be deposited as offsetting collections in the Radiological Emergency Preparedness Program account, available October 1, 2026, until expended (previously, the Radiological Emergency Preparedness Fund, available October 1, 1999).

This section authorizes the FEMA Administrator to waive the limitation under subsection (k) of section 33 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2229(k)), which restricts Assistance to Firefighters Grant funding for fire station construction or modification to no more than 3 percent of total funds available under the program. (Thus, more than 3 percent of such grant funds may be used for fire station construction or modification.)

This section transfers any unobligated balances of funds appropriated in prior laws for the National Predisaster Mitigation Fund under 42 U.S.C. 5133, as in effect before enactment of section 1234 of division D of P.L. 115-254, to funds set aside under subsection (i)(1) of that section, as in effect on the date of enactment of this section. (The fund supports technical and financial assistance to states and local governments, including small impoverished communities, for cost-effective predisaster hazard mitigation measures to reduce injuries, loss of life, and property damage.)

This section transfers any unobligated balances appropriated in prior acts under the heading “Federal Emergency Management Agency—Flood Hazard Mapping and Risk Analysis Program” to funds under the heading “Federal Emergency Management Agency—Federal Assistance” for flood hazard mapping and risk analysis expenses. (As background, the program identifies and maps flood-prone areas and flood-risk zones, as authorized by the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4101).) Such transferred funds supplement amounts available under the National Flood Insurance Fund and state or local cost-sharing contributions under 42 U.S.C. 4101(f)(2) and remain available until expended.

This section requires each award for grants under the Federal Emergency Management Agency—Federal Assistance heading for paragraphs (1) through (10) and (12) to have a period of performance of not less than three years and not more than five years.

This section directs the FEMA Administrator to post on FEMA's public website an interactive dashboard displaying reimbursement requests for covered expenses under Stafford Act emergency (42 U.S.C. 5122(1)) and major disaster (42 U.S.C. 5122(2)) declarations, delineated by state and including amounts for individual assistance or public assistance. The dashboard must be posted (1) no more than 90 days after FEMA receives the information and (2) no more than 60 days after final review by the Department of Homeland Security, and must include at minimum the information listed in subparagraphs (1) through (7) under the heading “Public and Individual Assistance” in the explanatory statement described in section 4 (in the matter preceding division A of this consolidated Act).

This section prohibits using funds appropriated by this Act to pause any training or grant funded under the Federal Emergency Management Agency—Federal Assistance heading (i.e., grants to state, local, and tribal governments for emergency management preparedness, including training). The prohibition does not apply if the Secretary of Homeland Security notifies the House and Senate Appropriations Committees no more than 10 business days in advance of the pause—including an explanation, plans to make up missed classes, and budgetary impact—or if the Secretary waives the notice requirement due to extraordinary circumstances imminently threatening human life or property.

This section authorizes U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to use appropriated funds to acquire, operate, equip, and dispose of up to 5 replacement vehicles in areas where the Administrator of General Services does not provide vehicles for lease. It further permits the USCIS director to authorize employees assigned to those areas to use such vehicles to travel between their residences and places of employment.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to process or approve competitions under Office of Management and Budget Circular A-76 for services provided by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services employees serving as Immigration Information Officers, Immigration Service Analysts, Contact Representatives, Investigative Assistants, or Immigration Services Officers (including those on a temporary or term basis).

This section authorizes U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to use any available federal funds for the collection and use of biometrics (i.e., fingerprints, photos) at USCIS Application Support Centers overseen virtually by USCIS personnel using appropriate technology, notwithstanding any other provision of law. (Thus, USCIS may conduct biometrics collection for immigration benefit applications without requiring on-site staff oversight.)

This section directs the Federal Law Enforcement Training Accreditation Board—including representatives from the Federal law enforcement community and non-Federal accreditation experts—to lead the Federal law enforcement training accreditation process to continue measuring and assessing the quality and effectiveness of Federal law enforcement training programs, facilities, and instructors.

This section authorizes the Director of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers to accept transfers to its “Procurement, Construction, and Improvements” account from other government agencies for construction of special use facilities, as authorized by the Economy Act. The Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers shall retain administrative control and ownership of such facilities upon completion.

This section classifies the functions of instructor staff at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers as inherently governmental for purposes of the Federal Activities Inventory Reform (FAIR) Act of 1998. (Thus, these functions—which support training for federal law enforcement personnel—are ineligible for competition by private contractors.)

This section authorizes, subject to section 503, the transfer of unexpended balances from prior appropriations for activities authorized by this Act to new appropriation accounts established pursuant to this Act, where the balances may be merged and thereafter accounted for as one fund for the original period of availability.

This section prohibits reprogramming of fiscal year 2026 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funds, prior-year carryover funds, or fee collections—or transfers between appropriations exceeding 5% (with no single appropriation increased by more than 10%)—that (1) creates or eliminates a program, project, or activity or increases funding denied or restricted by Congress; (2) contracts out federal functions; (3) augments existing programs, projects, or activities by more than $5 million or 10%, whichever is less; (4) reduces funding or personnel for any program, project, or activity by 10% or more; or (5) results from general personnel savings altering congressionally approved funding levels, unless the House and Senate Appropriations Committees receive at least 30 days' advance notice. Notwithstanding such restrictions, this section (1) bars reprogrammings or transfers after June 15 except in emergencies imminently threatening life or property; (2) prohibits changes to grant program funding; (3) forbids creating new programs, projects, activities, functions, or requirements not approved by Congress; and (4) applies all thresholds and procedures to deobligated balances from prior DHS appropriations. This section separately authorizes the DHS Secretary to transfer up to $20 million from available DHS appropriations to the Immigration Examinations Fee Account (established by 8 U.S.C. 1101 note) with 5 days' notice to the Appropriations Committees.

This section applies to funds appropriated by this Act the provisions of sec. 504 of the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2017 (division F, P.L. 115-31), governing operations of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) working capital fund, and authorizes obligation and expenditure of working capital fund resources in anticipation of reimbursements from DHS components. (The DHS working capital fund finances common administrative services—such as IT, finance, and procurement—provided to DHS components on a reimbursable basis.)

This section authorizes up to 50% of unobligated balances remaining available at the end of FY2026 from “Operations and Support” appropriations provided in this Act—as recorded in financial records at the time of reprogramming notification, not later than June 15, 2027—to remain available through September 30, 2027, in the same account and for the same purposes. Prior to obligating such funds, the relevant agency must notify the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations in accordance with section 503 of this Act.

This section deems funds appropriated by this Act for intelligence activities as specifically authorized under section 504 of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 414) for FY2026 until enactment of an Intelligence Authorization Act for FY2026. It further requires any excess amounts in such funds appropriated for "Intelligence, Analysis, and Situational Awareness—Operations and Support" (a Department of Homeland Security intelligence account) to be transferred to and merged with funds for "Management Directorate—Operations and Support," subject to a briefing by the Undersecretary for Management to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees on the planned use of the transferred funds prior to obligation.

This section requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to notify the House and Senate Appropriations Committees at least three full business days before (1) making or awarding a grant over $1 million or from the Disaster Relief Fund over $100,000; (2) making or awarding a contract, other transaction agreement, task or delivery order on a multiple award contract, or letter of intent over $2 million; (3) awarding a task or delivery order over $5 million from multi-year Department of Homeland Security funds; (4) making a sole-source grant award; or (5) publicly announcing an intention to make or award items under (1)-(4), including contracts covered by the Federal Acquisition Regulation. The section authorizes an exception if compliance would pose a substantial risk to human life, health, or safety, requiring notification within three full business days after the action. Notifications must specify the award amount, fiscal year of appropriation, contract type, and funding account and may not involve unobligated funds.

This section prohibits federal agencies from purchasing, constructing, or leasing additional facilities for federal law enforcement training outside existing or contiguous locations without advance notification to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations. The Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers is authorized to obtain the temporary use of additional facilities by lease, contract, or other agreement for training that cannot be accommodated in existing facilities.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act for any construction, repair, alteration, or acquisition project requiring a prospectus under 40 U.S.C. chapter 33 unless the prospectus is approved, except for necessary expenses to develop a proposed prospectus.

This section applies sections 522 and 530 of the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2008 (division E of Public Law 110-161; 121 Stat. 2073-2074), to funds made available by this Act.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act in contravention of the Buy American Act (i.e., 41 U.S.C. ch. 83).

This section prohibits using funds appropriated by this Act to carry out the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary's reorganization authority under 6 U.S.C. 452—which permits the Secretary to allocate or reallocate functions and to establish, consolidate, alter, or discontinue organizational units, subject to congressional notice—unless Congress explicitly authorizes such use after the date of enactment of this Act. Exceptions apply to using that authority (1) to allocate or reallocate functions of the Assistant Secretary for the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office, or (2) to allocate or reallocate any other functions of that office, in each case to other DHS offices and organizational units consistent with the "Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction" table in the explanatory statement described in section 4 (in the matter preceding division A of this consolidated Act). Notwithstanding the prohibition, the section authorizes the Secretary to transfer funds made available in prior appropriations Acts to the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office between any DHS appropriations as necessary to carry out those permitted reallocations.

This section prohibits any official required by this Act to report or certify to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations from delegating that authority unless specifically authorized in the Act.

This section prohibits the use of funds provided by this Act for first-class travel by employees of agencies funded by this Act in violation of federal travel regulations at 41 CFR 301-10.122 through 301-10.124 (which generally restrict first-class travel to cases where no time-sensitive or lower-class seating is available, or for safety, medical, or other specified reasons).

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to pay award or incentive fees for contractor performance judged below satisfactory or not meeting basic contract requirements.

This section prohibits the use of funds provided by this Act to maintain or establish a computer network unless the network blocks the viewing, downloading, and exchanging of pornography. It exempts funds necessary for federal, state, tribal, territorial, or local law enforcement agencies or other entities carrying out criminal investigations, prosecutions, or adjudications.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act by a federal law enforcement officer to facilitate the transfer of an operable firearm to an individual known or suspected to be an agent of a drug cartel unless U.S. law enforcement personnel continuously monitor or control the firearm at all times.

This section prohibits the use of funds provided by this Act to pay for the travel to or attendance at a single international conference (i.e., occurring outside the U.S. and attended by U.S. government representatives and foreign governments, international organizations, or nongovernmental organizations) of more than 50 employees stationed in the U.S. from a single Department of Homeland Security (DHS) component, unless the Secretary of Homeland Security or designee determines such attendance is in the national interest and notifies the House and Senate Appropriations Committees at least 10 days in advance with the basis for that determination. The section also limits total DHS costs for any such conference to $500,000 and excludes from the 50-employee limit, and the prohibition, any employees attending virtually without travel from their permanent U.S. duty station.

This section prohibits the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from obligating funds for any structural pay reform or new position classification affecting more than 100 full-time positions or costing more than $5 million in a single fiscal year until 30 days after the Secretary submits a detailed notification to Congress. The notification must include (1) the number of full-time positions affected, (2) funding required for the current fiscal year and through the Future Years Homeland Security Program, (3) justification for the change, and (4) for structural pay reform, an analysis of compensation alternatives considered by DHS. This section exempts such changes proposed in the President's budget for the fiscal year funded by this Act if funds for the change have not been explicitly denied or restricted in this Act.

This section requires agencies receiving funds under this Act to post on their public websites any report required by this Act to be submitted to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, if the agency head determines it serves the national interest and subject to exceptions for national security or proprietary information and a minimum 45-day review period by the Committees (unless otherwise specified in law). The section suspends reprogramming and transfer authority under section 503 until the posting requirements are met.

This section authorizes funds appropriated in this Act for Operations and Support to be used for minor procurement, construction, and improvements, defining minor as end items with a unit cost of $250,000 or less for personal property and $4,000,000 or less for real property.

This section continues the authority under section 532 of the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2018 (Public Law 115-141), for primary and secondary schooling of dependents of certain DHS employees (i.e., those stationed where adequate local educational services are unavailable), during FY2026.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to place restraints on a pregnant woman or a woman in post-delivery recuperation in Department of Homeland Security (DHS) custody—including during transport, in a detention facility, or at an outside medical facility—except if (1) a DHS official determines the woman is a serious flight risk or poses an immediate and serious threat to harm herself or others that cannot be prevented by other means; or (2) the woman's treating medical professional determines that therapeutic restraints are appropriate for her medical safety. If restraints are used pursuant to an exception, only the safest and least restrictive restraints—as determined by the treating medical professional—may be applied; restraints are prohibited on a woman in active labor or delivery, in a face-down position with four-point restraints, on her back, or in a restraint belt constricting the pregnancy area; and an immobilized pregnant woman must be positioned on her left side to the maximum extent feasible.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to destroy any document, recording, or other record pertaining to (1) the death of, (2) potential sexual assault or abuse perpetrated against, or (3) an allegation of abuse, criminal activity, or disruption by an individual held in the custody of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). It requires such records to be made available, in accordance with applicable laws and regulations and federal rules governing disclosure in litigation, to an individual charged with a crime, placed into segregation, or otherwise punished as a result of an allegation described in (3), upon the individual's request.

This section applies the prohibition on funding for any position designated as a Principal Federal Official—previously enacted in section 519 of division F of Public Law 114-113—to all federal funds made available by this Act.

This section requires the Under Secretary for Management of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to submit to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, not later than 10 days after the President's annual budget submission, a report on unfunded priorities for DHS and each departmental component for which discretionary funding would be classified as budget function 050 (national defense). For each such priority, the report must include (1) a summary description and objectives if funded (whether in whole or in part); (2) a detailed description and objectives; (3) account information, including appropriation account and program, project, or activity name; and (4) the additional number of full-time or part-time positions to be funded. Unfunded priorities are defined as requirements not funded in the President's budget that are necessary to fulfill an operational or contingency plan and that would have been recommended for funding if additional resources were available, the requirement emerged after budget formulation, or it sustains prior-year investments.

This section requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to notify congressional leadership and the appropriate congressional committees—Committees on Appropriations, Judiciary, Homeland Security (House), Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (Senate), and Oversight and Reform (House)—regarding protection for covered individuals (i.e., former or retired government officials or employees, or individuals who will become such during protection). Specifically, the Secretary must (1) submit such notification within 10 days of a presidential determination to evaluate and initiate protection, which may be classified and must include the threat assessment, scope, anticipated cost, and duration (in consultation with the Director of National Intelligence or FBI Director, as appropriate); (2) notify regarding any extension (at least 15 days prior) or termination (at least 30 days prior) of protection, including any change to the threat assessment; and (3) submit an initial report within 45 days of enactment and quarterly thereafter detailing each covered individual, protection scope, and associated costs (which may be classified).

This section prohibits the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from submitting an initial project proposal to the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF)—a fund that provides reimbursable loans and grants to federal agencies for technology modernization projects—unless the agency head concurrently notifies the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, submits a copy of the proposal, and provides a detailed analysis of how the proposed funding supplements or supplants funding requested in DHS's most recent budget submission. It further prohibits obligation of TMF funds provided to DHS until 15 days after transmitting a specified report to the Committees, which must include (1) the full project proposal approved by the TMF Board; (2) the finalized interagency agreement, including deliverables and repayment terms; (3) a detailed analysis of how the project supplements or supplants existing DHS funding; (4) a repayment plan with planned funding sources; and (5) other information as determined by the Secretary.

This section directs the Secretary of Homeland Security, within 60 days of any FY2027 budget submission for the department that assumes revenues or proposes a reduction from the previous year based on unenacted user fee proposals, to provide the House and Senate Appropriations Committees with specific reductions in proposed discretionary budget authority commensurate with those assumed revenues in the event the user fees are not enacted prior to October 1, 2026. (Thus, it requires contingency spending cuts if the proposed fees do not become law by the start of FY2027.)

This section prohibits the Department of Homeland Security from using federal funds to enter into procurement contracts, memoranda of understanding, or cooperative agreements with, make grants to, or provide loans or guarantees to any entity identified under section 1260H of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (P.L. 116-283)—i.e., entities determined by the Department of Defense to be owned or controlled by, or affiliated with, the People's Republic of China and engaged in activities that undermine U.S. national security or foreign policy interests—or any subsidiary of such entity.

This section prohibits the use of appropriated funds to transfer, release, or assist in the transfer or release to or within the United States, its territories, or possessions, 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 Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, by the Department of Defense. (Thus, such detainees must remain detained outside U.S. territory.)

This section requires the Secretary of Homeland Security, beginning immediately after enactment, to develop monthly estimates of anticipated migrant arrivals at the U.S. southwest border covering the current fiscal year and the following fiscal year, with breakouts by demographics (single adults, family units, and unaccompanied children), that undergo independent validation and inform DHS policy planning and budgeting. The section further directs inclusion of the most recent such estimates in budget materials submitted to Congress in support of (1) the President's annual budget request under 31 U.S.C. 1105; (2) any supplemental funding request; and (3) any reprogramming or transfer notification under section 503 of this Act—including descriptions and quantifications of the estimates used to justify funding for DHS border security, immigration enforcement, and immigration services programs; anticipated workloads and requirements; and confirmation that impacted agency budget requests used the same estimates. The section requires the Secretary to share the monthly estimates with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Attorney General, the Secretary of State, and the House and Senate Appropriations Committees. (Thus, failure to provide the required estimates suspends reprogramming and transfer authority under section 503 until they are provided to the Appropriations Committees.)

This section requires the Secretary of Homeland Security, beginning immediately after enactment, to develop monthly estimates of individuals anticipated to be detained in and removed from the United States, covering the current fiscal year and the following fiscal year with a demographic breakout for single adults and family units. The estimates must undergo independent validation, inform DHS policy planning and budgeting, and be included in budget materials submitted to Congress in support of (1) the President's annual budget request under 31 U.S.C. 1105, (2) any supplemental funding request, and (3) any reprogramming or transfer notification under section 503 of this Act; such materials must also include the most recent estimates, descriptions and quantifications justifying funding for border security, immigration enforcement, and immigration services programs, anticipated workloads from the estimates, and confirmation that agency budget requests used the same estimates. The Secretary must share the monthly estimates with the Attorney General, Secretary of State, and House and Senate Appropriations Committees; failure to provide them suspends section 503 reprogramming and transfer authority until compliance.

This section requires the Secretary of Homeland Security, prior to requesting Department of Defense assistance for border security operations, to conduct an alternatives analysis and cost-benefit analysis examining other means of obtaining such support. The section further requires the Secretary to submit to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees (1) within 30 days after making a request, a report detailing the types of support requested, such analyses, and the operational impact to DHS operations; and (2) within 30 days after assistance is granted and quarterly thereafter, a report detailing the assistance provided and its operational impacts to border security operations.

This section directs a transfer of not less than $5 million from funds made available in this Act to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Operations and Support account for operations of the Blue Campaign (i.e., ICE's public awareness and training initiative to combat human trafficking) in FY2026. It requires notification to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations prior to obligation of those funds.

This section directs reductions of $100,000 per day in funding for the Department of Homeland Security's Office of the Secretary and Executive Management—Operations and Support—Management and Oversight under two circumstances: (1) if the monthly report on the Federal Emergency Management Agency—Disaster Relief Fund, as required by the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2015 (Public Law 114-4) and applied in the current fiscal year by section 306 of this Act, is not submitted to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees and published on FEMA's website by the fifth business day of the applicable month; (2) during any period in which the cumulative number of reimbursement requests for individual assistance or public assistance related to emergency (42 U.S.C. 5122(1)) or major disaster (42 U.S.C. 5122(2)) declarations under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.) that have been under final review by DHS for over 60 days exceeds 500. Subsection (c) exempts the reduction in (b) if the Disaster Relief Fund balance is sufficient only for obligating funds for lifesaving or life-sustaining activities.

This section revises Section 16005(c) of the CARES Act to extend the applicability of subsection (a) through September 30, 2026. Subsection (a) appropriated $3.5 billion for FY2020 to the Department of Health and Human Services for Child Care and Development Block Grant stabilization grants (i.e., supplemental payments to states, territories, tribes, and child care providers to prevent provider closures, support the child care workforce, and ensure continuity of services during the COVID-19 pandemic).

This section requires that appropriation levels for classified programs specified in this Act conform to the direction in the classified annex accompanying this Act and be implemented consistent with section 545.

This section authorizes the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), with approval from the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, to transfer amounts within the National Intelligence Program consistent with the percentage caps in section 503(c). Such transfers are permitted only for higher-priority items, based on unforeseen intelligence requirements relative to those originally appropriated, and not for items denied by Congress; transfer requests must comply with section 503(d)(1).

This section requires the Department, within seven days of enactment and quarterly thereafter, to submit to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations (1) an obligation plan by program, project, or activity for each component receiving funds from Public Law 119-21; (2) estimated fee collections for each component collecting new or enhanced fees authorized by Public Law 119-21, delineated by collections retained by the component and those remitted to other agencies or the Treasury; and (3) an obligation plan by program, project, or activity for fee collections retained by a component within the Department.

This section prohibits the Department of Homeland Security from using appropriated funds to prevent Members of Congress or their designated employees from entering, for oversight purposes, any DHS-operated or DHS-contracted facility used to detain or house aliens, or to make temporary modifications altering what such visitors would observe absent the modifications. The section further specifies that Members of Congress need not provide prior notice for such visits, though DHS may require 24 hours' advance notice for designated employees.

This section appropriates $30 million for the Supreme Court of the United States Salaries and Expenses account, to remain available until September 30, 2028.

This section appropriates $140 million to the Department of Transportation—Federal Aviation Administration Operations account for air traffic organization activities, to remain available until September 30, 2027. The funds may be used solely to provide a 3.8% pay increase for calendar year 2026 to air traffic controllers, as defined by 5 U.S.C. §2109(1)(A), and air traffic controller supervisors or managers not covered by that definition but who manage air traffic—contingent on the FAA Administrator's determination, in his sole discretion, that improvements in workforce scheduling, staffing utilization, or other operational efficiencies have been achieved to address workforce shortfalls and enhance aviation safety (effective the first pay period after January 1, 2026, if approved).

This section provides $99,750,000 for Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) operations and support by transfer from unobligated balances previously appropriated to the CISA Cybersecurity Response and Recovery Fund under division J of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (P.L. 117-58). (The fund reimburses owners and operators of critical infrastructure for significant cybersecurity incident response and recovery costs.) Transferred amounts continue to be treated as specified in section 103(b) of division A of P.L. 118-5.

This section rescinds $89,265,000 from unobligated balances in specified Department of Homeland Security accounts as follows: (1) $73,327,000 from the Management Directorate—Procurement, Construction, and Improvements account; (2) $6,713,000 from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection—Operations and Support account; (3) $387,000 from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection—Automation Modernization account; (4) $917,000 from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection—Procurement, Construction, and Improvements account; (5) $6,336,000 from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection—Border Security Fencing, Infrastructure, and Technology account; (6) $1,413,000 from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection—Air and Marine Interdiction, Operations, Maintenance, and Procurement account; and (7) $172,000 from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency—Infrastructure Protection and Infrastructure Security account. No amounts designated by Congress as an emergency requirement pursuant to a concurrent resolution on the budget or the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 may be rescinded.

This section rescinds $111,744,895 in specified unobligated balances provided to the Department of Homeland Security under section 505 of the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2024 (Public Law 118-47), as incorporated by section 1101 of the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2025 (Public Law 119-4), from the following operations and support accounts: (1) $2,072,147 from Office of the Secretary and Executive Management; (2) $5,487,177 from Management Directorate; (3) $4,493,650 from Intelligence, Analysis, and Situational Awareness; (4) $88,190 from Office of the Inspector General; (5) $1,139,096 from U.S. Customs and Border Protection; (6) $19,650,000 from Transportation Security Administration; (7) $703,390 from United States Secret Service; (8) $52,349,050 from Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency; (9) $18,525,975 from Federal Emergency Management Agency; (10) $120,860 from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; (11) $178,340 from Science and Technology Directorate; and (12) $6,937,020 from Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office.