S. 2587 — Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act for Job Corps to pay the salary and bonuses of any individual—either as direct costs or any proration as indirect costs—at a rate exceeding Executive Level II.

This section authorizes the transfer of up to 1% of discretionary funds appropriated for the Department of Labor for the current fiscal year between a program, project, or activity, provided no such program, project, or activity is increased by more than 3% by any such transfer and the authority is not used to create any new program or to fund any project or activity for which no funds are provided in this Act. The section requires at least 15 days' advance notice to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations prior to any transfer.

This section prohibits the obligation or expenditure of funds appropriated by this Act for procuring goods mined, produced, manufactured, or harvested, or services rendered, in whole or in part, by forced or indentured child labor in industries and host countries identified by the Department of Labor prior to enactment, in accordance with Executive Order 13126.

This section restricts funds made available to the Department of Labor for grants under section 414(c) of the American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998 (H-1B job training grants, i.e., grants to train U.S. workers for high-skill occupations where employers use H-1B visas) to competitive grants for training individuals older than 16 years of age and not currently enrolled in school in such H-1B occupations and industries, and related support activities.

This section prohibits recipients and subrecipients of funds appropriated under the Employment and Training Administration heading from using such funds to pay salaries or bonuses exceeding the Executive Level II rate, either as direct or indirect costs. The limitation does not apply to vendors providing goods and services as defined in OMB Circular A-133, and states receiving such funds may impose a lower salary limit on subrecipients based on factors including cost-of-living, comparable state or local government pay levels, and the size of organizations administering ETA programs.

This section authorizes the Secretary of Labor to transfer funds made available to the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) by this Act, notwithstanding section 102, as follows: (1) funds for technical assistance services to grantees, either directly or through a set-aside, to the Program Administration account if those services are determined to be more efficiently performed by federal employees (excluding funds under section 171 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)); and (2) not more than 0.5% of each ETA discretionary appropriation to the Program Administration account for program integrity activities related to those programs, including transfers of not more than 0.5% of funds in paragraphs (1) and (2) of the Office of Job Corps account to paragraph (3) for Job Corps program integrity activities (i.e., a residential education and vocational training program for at-risk youth aged 16-24). Funds transferred under subsection (b) remain available for obligation through September 30, 2027, and may be used directly or via grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, or other arrangements with states or other entities.

This section authorizes the Secretary of Labor to reserve up to 0.75% of appropriations from 15 specified Department of Labor accounts—including Training and Employment Services, Job Corps, Community Service Employment for Older Americans, State Unemployment Insurance and Employment Service Operations, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Office of Workers' Compensation Programs, Wage and Hour Division, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Mine Safety and Health Administration, and Veterans' Employment and Training—for evaluations of funded programs or activities. Such reserved funds must be transferred to Departmental Management for the Office of the Chief Evaluation Officer, remain available through September 30, 2027, and may only be transferred after the Chief Evaluation Officer submits an evaluation plan to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees at least 15 days in advance.

This section establishes a two-year exemption from overtime pay requirements under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) following a major disaster (i.e., any disaster declared by a state or federal agency) for employees of non-insurance employers (directly or via affiliates) who adjust or evaluate related claims, provided such employees (1) earn average weekly compensation of at least $591 (or the Secretary of Labor's minimum, if greater); (2) perform specified duties (e.g., interviewing insureds or witnesses, inspecting damage, evaluating claims, negotiating settlements, or recommending litigation); and (3) hold required licenses with employers that provide workers' compensation (if applicable) and withhold taxes. (Thus, these adjusters are exempt from FLSA overtime—generally 1.5 times the regular rate over 40 hours per week—for up to 104 weeks post-disaster.) The exemption does not affect the FLSA's white-collar exemption under section 13(a)(1).

This section allows seafood industry employers with approved H-2B petitions (i.e., for temporary nonagricultural workers) to bring approved nonimmigrants into the United States at any time within the 120-day period beginning on the petition's start date without filing a new petition. After the 90th day from the start date, employers must conduct a new local labor market assessment by listing job orders in local newspapers on two separate Sundays, posting on the Department of Labor Electronic Job Registry and at the worksite, and offering the job to any equally or more qualified U.S. worker who applies and is available at the time and place of need. The section exempts such employers from Department of Labor rules prohibiting staggering of the date of need (i.e., 20 C.F.R. § 655.20(d)).

This section establishes that the prevailing wage for the H-2B temporary nonagricultural worker program is the greater of (1) the actual wage paid by the employer to other employees with similar experience and qualifications in the same location or (2) the prevailing wage for the occupational classification in the geographic area, based on the best information available at the time of filing the petition. It further requires the Secretary to accept private wage surveys for this determination, even when Occupational Employment Statistics data are available, unless the survey's methodology and data lack statistical support.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to enforce the Department of Labor's definitions of (1) corresponding employment (20 CFR 655.5, i.e., U.S. worker jobs by H-2B employers that are substantially similar to H-2B positions) and (2) the three-fourths guarantee rule (20 CFR 655.20, i.e., requirement to pay H-2B workers for at least three-fourths of the employment period or any references thereto) in the H-2B temporary nonagricultural worker program. It further requires that the definition of temporary need for H-2B admissions follow 8 CFR 214.2(h)(6)(ii)(B) (i.e., a one-time occurrence, seasonal or peakload basis, or intermittent need).

This section authorizes the Secretary to furnish up to $450,000 of excess personal property—valued as determined by the Secretary—to apprenticeship programs through grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, or other arrangements for apprentice training purposes, notwithstanding other laws.

This section authorizes the Secretary of Labor to employ law enforcement officers or special agents to (1) provide protection for the Secretary during the workday and related activities, (2) provide incidental protection to the Secretary's immediate family during official duty-related events, (3) provide continuous protection to the Secretary and immediate family upon a unique and articulable threat of physical harm per Secretary guidelines, and (4) protect the Deputy Secretary or a senior officer representing the Secretary at public events upon such a threat per Secretary guidelines. Such officers or agents may carry firearms, make warrantless arrests for U.S. offenses committed in their presence, conduct protective intelligence and advance security work, coordinate with local law enforcement, and initiate threat investigations with the Department of Labor Inspector General—all in compliance with Attorney General and Secretary guidelines. The authority is effective on the date of enactment.

This section authorizes the Secretary to dispose of or divest, by any means determined appropriate (including agreements or partnerships to construct new Job Corps centers), all or a portion of the real property on which the Treasure Island Job Corps Center and the Gary Job Corps Center are situated. Such dispositions, including associated construction projects, are exempt from federal laws and regulations on disposition of federal real property and federal procurement; net proceeds are transferred to the Secretary and remain available until expended for Job Corps programs on Treasure Island and in and around San Marcos, Texas, respectively. (Job Corps provides residential education and vocational training to at-risk youth ages 16-24.)

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to (1) alter or terminate the Interagency Agreement between the Department of Labor (DOL) and Department of Agriculture (USDA); (2) close any Civilian Conservation Centers, except if necessary to prevent health or safety risks to students, program capacity is retained, and requirements of sec. 159(j) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) are met; or (3) close any Job Corps centers, except if meeting the "Long-Term Center Performance" or "Evaluation of Continuing Center Operations" criteria (81 Fed. Reg. 12529), program capacity is retained, and WIOA sec. 159(j) requirements are met. (Job Corps, administered by DOL under WIOA title I, subtitle C, provides residential job training to at-risk youth ages 16-24; Civilian Conservation Centers are Job Corps centers on federal lands operated by USDA pursuant to the interagency agreement.)

This section permanently rescinds $200 million of unobligated funds available under section 286(s)(2) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1356(s)(2)) not later than September 30, 2026.

This section permanently rescinds $75 million from amounts available under the Employment and Training Administration for the Dislocated Workers Assistance National Reserve (i.e., funds for national activities such as disaster recovery employment and training services for workers who have been laid off or whose jobs have been eliminated) for FY2026 (October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026).

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated in this title to pay the salary of an individual, through a grant or other extramural mechanism, at a rate in excess of Executive Level II. It further specifies that such funds shall not be used to prevent the National Institutes of Health (NIH) from paying up to 100 percent of the salary of an individual at this rate.

This section prohibits the expenditure of funds appropriated by this Act pursuant to section 241 of the Public Health Service Act (PHS Act)—or for other taps and assessments by HHS offices—prior to submission by the HHS Secretary to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations of a report detailing the planned uses of such funds. (Section 241 authorizes the Secretary to transfer up to 1% of appropriations among HHS accounts for specified purposes.)

This section authorizes the Secretary to reserve up to 2.5% of amounts appropriated for programs authorized under the Public Health Service Act for evaluation (directly or by grants or contracts), implementation, and assessment of the effectiveness of programs funded in this title, notwithstanding limitations under section 241(a) of that Act.

This section authorizes the transfer of up to 1% of discretionary funds appropriated for HHS for the current fiscal year between such appropriations, provided no appropriation is increased by more than 3% by any such transfer. The authority may not be used to create new programs or fund projects or activities not provided for in this Act, and the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations must be notified at least 15 days in advance of any transfer.

This section revises the timeframe under section 338E(c)(2) of the Public Health Service Act for terminations of National Health Service Corps (NHSC) contracts awarded in FY2026 under section 338B. Such terminations may occur up to 60 days after the effective date of the contract or at any time if the recipient has not received funds due under the contract. (As background, the NHSC provides scholarships and loan repayment to health professionals who agree to serve in health professional shortage areas.)

This section prohibits funds appropriated by this Act from being made available to entities receiving grants under title X of the Public Health Service Act (i.e., the federal family planning program) unless the grant applicant certifies to the HHS Secretary that it (1) encourages family participation in the decision of minors to seek family planning services and (2) provides counseling to minors on how to resist attempts to coerce them into engaging in sexual activities.

This section requires providers under Title X of the Public Health Service Act (i.e., the federal family planning program) to comply with state laws requiring notification or reporting of child abuse, child molestation, sexual abuse, rape, or incest, notwithstanding any other provision of law.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to carry out the Medicare Advantage program if the Secretary denies participation to an otherwise eligible entity—including a provider-sponsored organization—solely because the entity will not provide, pay for, cover, or refer for abortions. The section requires the Secretary to make prospective adjustments to capitation payments to such entities, based on actuarially sound estimates of the expected costs of abortions for their enrollees, and requires the entities to inform enrollees where to obtain information about all Medicare-covered services.

This section directs the Secretary to make available through assignment not more than 60 employees of the Public Health Service to assist in child survival activities and to work in AIDS programs using funds provided by the Agency for International Development, the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, or the World Health Organization.

This section authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), for international health activities during FY2026—including HIV/AIDS, other infectious diseases, chronic and environmental diseases, and other health activities abroad—to (1) exercise authority equivalent to that of the Secretary of State under section 2(c) of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956, subject to consultation with the Secretary of State and relevant Chiefs of Mission to ensure consistency with the Foreign Service Act of 1980 and other applicable State Department statutes; (2) provide funds by advance or reimbursement to the Secretary of State for acquisition, lease, alteration, renovation, and management of facilities outside the United States for HHS use—with State Department cooperation to ensure facilities are secure, safe, functional, and compliant—and to make grants or cooperative agreements to public or nonprofit entities in participating foreign countries for similar facility purposes; and (3) provide appointed or assigned HHS personnel abroad with allowances and benefits similar to those under chapter 9 of title I of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 4081-4086)—i.e., travel and related expenses for proceeding to/from posts, home leave, family travel, representational travel, medical care, and rest and recuperation—locality-based comparability pay up to the District of Columbia rate under 5 U.S.C. 5304, and leave on the same basis as under 5 U.S.C. subchapter I of chapter 63 or section 903 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980, subject to HHS regulations.

This section authorizes the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), jointly with the Director of the Office of AIDS Research, to transfer up to 3% of funds identified by these directors as supporting HIV research among NIH institutes and centers, subject to at least 15 days' advance notice to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees.

This section directs that amounts made available to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related research—as jointly determined by the NIH Director and the Director of the Office of AIDS Research (OAR), which coordinates NIH HIV/AIDS research activities—be transferred to the OAR account. The OAR Director must then transfer from that account amounts necessary to carry out section 2353(d)(3) of the Public Health Service Act.

This section authorizes the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to use funds authorized under section 402(b)(12) of the Public Health Service Act for transactions other than contracts, cooperative agreements, or grants to carry out research identified pursuant to or described in that section, notwithstanding other law. The section (1) permits the Director to use alternative peer review procedures, in lieu of standard requirements under specified Public Health Service Act sections, and (2) requires notification to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees within 15 days for any such transaction expected to exceed $100 million.

This section authorizes not to exceed $100 million of funds appropriated by this Act to the institutes and centers of the National Institutes of Health for alteration, repair, or improvement of facilities, as necessary for authorized activities, at not to exceed $5 million per project.

This section transfers 1% of funds available to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for National Research Service Awards (NRSA)—which support pre- and postdoctoral research training—to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) for NRSA awards in primary medical care research to individuals affiliated with entities receiving grants or contracts under sections 736 (Primary Care Training and Enhancement), 739 (General Internal Medicine and Pediatrics), or 747 (Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry) of the Public Health Service Act; and 1% to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) for health services research NRSA awards.

This section authorizes the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to enter into multiyear contracts of up to 10 program years (from 5 under general executive agency authority in 41 U.S.C. 3903) for research services or security countermeasures (i.e., qualified pandemic or epidemic products as defined in 42 U.S.C. 247d–6b). BARDA may do so if funds are available and obligated for the full period (or first fiscal year) and estimated termination costs, and the HHS Secretary determines the contract serves the best interests of the government by promoting competition or economy in BARDA programs. (As background, BARDA supports development and procurement of medical countermeasures for public health security threats.) Contracts must include a termination clause (per 41 U.S.C. 3903(c)) and are subject to congressional notification for cancellation ceilings exceeding $10 million (per 41 U.S.C. 3903(d)).

This section directs the Secretary to publish in the FY2027 budget justification and on departmental websites information on full-time equivalent (FTE) federal employees and contractors implementing, administering, enforcing, or carrying out the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) and its amendments, for the proposed fiscal year and each fiscal year since ACA enactment. For employees or contractors supported by ACA-appropriated funds, the information must include, at a minimum, for each such fiscal year: (1) the ACA section under which funds were appropriated, the program, project, or activity receiving the funds, the administering federal operating division or office, and the amount of discretionary or mandatory appropriations; and (2) the number of FTE or contracted employees assigned to each authorized and funded provision identified under (1). The Secretary may exclude from the report employees or contractors supported by non-ACA appropriations on pre-ACA programs, those spending less than 50% of their time on ACA-funded or newly authorized activities, or those on contracts (e.g., fixed-price) without FTE reporting requirements.

This section directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to publish, as part of the President's FY2027 budget submission under 31 U.S.C. 1105(a), details on all Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) funds used specifically for Health Insurance Exchanges (i.e., ACA-established Marketplaces) for each fiscal year since the Affordable Care Act's enactment, including proposed FY2027 uses. Such information must specify, for each fiscal year, amounts used for each activity listed under the heading “Health Insurance Exchange Transparency” in the report accompanying this Act.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act from the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund or Federal Supplemental Medical Insurance Trust Fund—or transferred from other accounts funded by this Act to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Program Management account—for payments under the Affordable Care Act risk corridors program (ACA §1342(b)(1)). (The risk corridors program shared profits and losses with qualified health plans in the ACA Exchanges for plan years 2014-2016 to stabilize premiums.)

This section directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to transfer, within 45 days of enactment, funds from the Prevention and Public Health Fund—established under section 4002 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) to support prevention and public health activities—to the accounts, in the amounts, and for the activities specified under the “Prevention and Public Health Fund” heading in the report accompanying this Act. It (1) prohibits further transfers of these amounts, notwithstanding ACA section 4002(c); and (2) makes funds transferred for activities under section 2821 of the Public Health Service Act available without regard to section 2821(b) (i.e., the fiscal year limitation on such funds).

This section directs the Secretary to administer any provision of law (including cross-references) referring to current recommendations of the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) on breast cancer screening, mammography, and prevention as if referring to the USPSTF recommendations last issued before 2009, during the period from November 1, 2015, through January 1, 2028. It further requires those pre-2009 recommendations—which supported annual screening mammography beginning at age 40—to apply to any screening mammography modality under Medicare (42 U.S.C. 1395x(jj)). (Thus, this provision effectively restores broader Medicare coverage of screening mammography than provided under the USPSTF's 2009 recommendations, which limited routine biennial screening to women ages 50-74.)

This section requires the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to continue applying indirect cost provisions of 45 CFR part 75—including with respect to approving deviations from negotiated indirect cost rates (i.e., predetermined reimbursement rates for overhead costs such as administration and facilities)—to the same extent and in the same manner as applied in the third quarter of FY2017. The section further prohibits using any funds appropriated to the Department of Health and Human Services or any department or agency to develop or implement modifications to these provisions or to intentionally or substantially expand the fiscal effect of such deviations beyond their proportional effect in that quarter.

This section authorizes the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director to transfer funds available for opioid addiction, opioid alternatives, stimulant misuse and addiction, pain management, and addiction treatment to other NIH institutes and centers for the same purposes, 15 days after notifying the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations. This transfer authority is in addition to any other transfer authority provided by law.

This section directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations with (1) detailed monthly enrollment figures from health insurance Exchanges established under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) for enrollments during open enrollment periods and (2) notification of any new or competitive grant awards, including supplements, under section 330 of the Public Health Service Act (i.e., grants to health centers serving medically underserved populations). It further requires those committees to receive at least two business days' advance notice prior to any public release of the enrollment information or grant awards.

This section authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to transfer up to $455 million from the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund (Medicare Part A) and Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund (Medicare Parts B and D) to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Program Management account, in addition to amounts otherwise available, for Medicare-related program management activities. Such funds may not support any provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (P.L. 111-148) or Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act (P.L. 111-152) (or amendments made by either) or supplant other amounts in the account.

This section requires the Department of Health and Human Services to provide the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations with a biannual report on staffing described in the report accompanying this Act, with the first report due 30 days after enactment.

This section authorizes funds appropriated in this Act for salaries and expenses of Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) employees to also pay travel and related expenses for such an employee or a family member to obtain medical care for an illness, injury, or medical condition unavailable locally. The authority applies when the employee is assigned to duty in the United States or a U.S. territory (i.e., Guam, Puerto Rico, Northern Mariana Islands, Virgin Islands, American Samoa, or Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands) during a public health emergency declared under section 319 of the Public Health Service Act.

This section authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services to accept donations from the private sector, nongovernmental organizations, and other non-federal groups for the care of unaccompanied alien children in the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement within the Administration for Children and Families, including medical goods and services (e.g., early childhood developmental screenings), school supplies, toys, clothing, and other items to promote child wellbeing. (As background, the Office of Refugee Resettlement is responsible for the care, placement, and custody of unaccompanied alien children in federal custody due to their immigration status.)

This section prohibits the obligation of funds appropriated under the heading “Department of Health and Human Services—Administration for Children and Families—Refugee and Entrant Assistance” to house unaccompanied alien children in non-State-licensed facilities, except temporarily due to an influx of such children or an emergency, provided that (1) any such facility operating more than six consecutive months complies with applicable Flores Settlement Agreement requirements for licensed placements and specified staffing ratios (one Youth Care Worker per eight children during waking hours and per 16 during sleeping hours, plus required clinician ratios); (2) the Secretary may grant a 60-day waiver for non-compliance (certifying good-faith efforts to Congress), with no more than four consecutive waivers per facility; (3) ORR ensures adherence to its May 15, 2019, monitoring policies; (4) ORR conducts at least one comprehensive monitoring visit in the first three months of operation for facilities open over three months, followed by quarterly visits; and (5) ORR briefs the Appropriations Committees of the House and Senate within 60 days of enactment on influx facility requirements. (ORR is responsible under the Homeland Security Act of 2002 for the care and placement of unaccompanied alien children in federal custody due to their immigration status.)

This section requires the Secretary to notify the House and Senate Appropriations Committees at least 15 days before operationalizing an unlicensed influx facility for unaccompanied alien children—in addition to existing notifications for formal site assessments—specifying (1) whether the facility is hard-sided or soft-sided and (2) analysis indicating that, absent the facility, children would remain in Department of Homeland Security custody longer than 72 hours or face danger. Within 60 days of bringing the facility online, and monthly thereafter, the Secretary must report to the committees the total number of children in care, average length of stay and care, and for any child at the facility over 60 days, length of stay and reason for delay in release.

This section prohibits the use of funds provided by this Act to prevent a U.S. Senator or House Member from entering, for oversight purposes, any facility housing unaccompanied alien children, provided the visit is coordinated with the Office of Refugee Resettlement at least two business days in advance. (As background, the Office of Refugee Resettlement in HHS is responsible for the care, placement, and custody of unaccompanied alien children in federal custody due to their immigration status.)

This section directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to submit to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, and make publicly available online, reports not later than 14 days after enactment and monthly thereafter on children separated from parents or legal guardians by DHS, subsequently classified as unaccompanied alien children, and transferred to the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) during the previous month. Each report includes (1) the number and ages of such children separated after apprehension at or between ports of entry, reported by sector of separation; and (2) the documented cause of separation as reported by DHS at referral.

This section authorizes funds appropriated for salaries and expenses of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) employees to also cover primary and secondary schooling costs for eligible dependents of CDC personnel stationed in a U.S. territory (as defined in section 229), not to exceed amounts paid or reimbursed by the Department of Defense.

This section rescinds $1,613,000,000 of unobligated balances from the Nonrecurring Expenses Fund—established under section 223 of division G of P.L. 110-161 to cover certain one-time Department of Energy costs, such as capital expenses for power marketing administrations—not later than September 30, 2026, excluding amounts previously designated by Congress as emergency requirements pursuant to a concurrent resolution on the budget or the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.

This section requires institutions receiving National Institutes of Health (NIH) extramural awards in FY2026 and subsequent years to complete investigations into concerns about harassment, bullying, retaliation, or hostile working conditions involving a principal investigator (PI) or key personnel, even if the individual leaves the institution. (1) It authorizes the NIH director to decline transfer of an ongoing extramural award to another institution if such concerns remain unresolved to NIH's satisfaction; and (2) it authorizes the director to share investigation reports, conclusions, and results on an as-needed basis with other institutions receiving NIH extramural awards in FY2026 or later. The director may issue implementing regulations.

This section directs the Department of Health and Human Services to support staffing levels necessary to fulfill its statutory responsibilities, including timely execution of programs, projects, and activities funded in this Act. The section further requires the Secretary to submit to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, and publicly release for independent review, a detailed plan and justification not less than 60 days before executing any reorganization that moves functions carried out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to another departmental component if those functions are funded in this Act.

This section prohibits the National Institutes of Health (NIH) from using funds appropriated by this Act to increase the proportion of multi-year grants awarded in FY2026 that are fully funded in the first year of the award, relative to the proportion in FY2024, unless NIH awards at least the same total number of grants in FY2026 as in FY2024.

This section requires the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), prior to terminating the Medicare provider agreement of a critical access hospital (CAH)—defined in 42 U.S.C. 1395x(mm)(1)—that was designated and certified as a CAH and met secondary roads criteria under 42 CFR 485.610(c) before the November 23, 2022, CMS final rule on hospital outpatient prospective payment systems (87 Fed. Reg. 71748), to (1) notify the Senate and House Appropriations Committees of the termination justification, specifying whether it stems from the nearest hospital's designation as a rural emergency hospital (REH)—defined in 42 U.S.C. 1395x(kkk)(2)—after January 1, 2023; (2) provide a detailed analysis of rural healthcare impacts; and (3) consult with states requiring REHs to meet minimum hospital standards of operation and establish a CMS pathway to treat such facilities as hospitals for continuity of standards. (As background, CAHs are small rural hospitals eligible for Medicare cost-based reimbursement to ensure healthcare access in underserved areas; REHs, established by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, provide emergency and limited outpatient services as an alternative for struggling rural facilities.)

This section authorizes the Department of Education to transfer up to 1% of discretionary funds appropriated in this Act between such appropriations, subject to (1) no single appropriation increasing by more than 3% from any such transfer, (2) prohibitions on creating new programs or funding projects or activities for which no funds are provided in this Act, and (3) at least 15 days' advance notice to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations.

This section authorizes institutions of higher education maintaining endowment funds supported by funds appropriated for title III (Strengthening Institutions) or title V (Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 for FY2026 to use income from those funds to award scholarships to students, subject to the limitation in HEA §331(c)(3)(B)(i). It deems prior uses of such income for scholarships allowable, subject to that limitation. This authority sunsets upon reauthorization of titles III and V.

This section makes funds appropriated under the heading "Student Aid Administration" available for payments to institutions of higher education that service outstanding Federal Perkins Loans. (The Federal Perkins Loan program provided low-interest federal loans to students with exceptional financial need; new loans ceased after FY2017, but servicing of existing loans continues.)

This section directs the Secretary of Education to use $2,300,000 of Student Aid Administration funds to conduct outreach to Direct Loan borrowers (i.e., loans under part D of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965) who may qualify for loan cancellation under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program (20 U.S.C. 1087e(m)), which forgives the remaining balance on such loans after 120 qualifying monthly payments under an income-driven repayment plan while employed full-time by a qualifying public service employer. Outreach must (1) ensure borrowers meet PSLF terms and conditions, including assisting those who made some or all required payments under non-qualifying repayment plans to switch to a qualifying plan; (2) communicate full PSLF requirements to all Direct Loan borrowers; and (3) improve employment certification filing via outbound calls, electronic communications, prominent website access to program details, and a centralized electronic certification option.

This section authorizes the Secretary of Education to reserve up to 0.5% of amounts appropriated in this Act for Higher Education Act (HEA) programs—except subpart 1 of part A of title IV (Pell Grants) and the Student Aid Administration account—for rigorous, independent evaluations and outcome data collection and analysis for HEA programs, with reserved funds available through September 30, 2028. It further (1) permits additional reservations for such purposes if allowed under other laws, provided the total does not exceed applicable statutory limits; and (2) requires the Secretary to submit to specified congressional committees, at least 30 days before initial obligation of reserved funds, a plan identifying the source and amount reserved, impacts on program grantees, and planned activities.

This section makes available up to $20 million from amounts appropriated for the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) under Program Administration for the Secretary of Education to provide specified support services to IES (i.e., information technology services, office space, human resources, financial management, legal counsel, physical security, and others). The Secretary must calculate actual costs using a standard Department methodology and may (1) transfer excess available amounts for such services from the IES account to the Program Administration account or (2) transfer necessary amounts from the Program Administration account to the IES account to cover shortfalls, with at least 14 days' advance notice to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees.

This section rescinds $197 million of unobligated balances from the Department of Education Nonrecurring Expenses Fund by September 30, 2026. From any remaining unobligated balances in the fund, it authorizes the Secretary to transfer up to $60 million to the Innovation and Improvement account for activities under part C of title IV of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).

This section permanently rescinds $25 million of funds available for program administration at the Institute of Education Sciences (IES)—the Department of Education's primary research, statistics, and evaluation arm—pursuant to the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2025 (division A of P.L. 119-4), with the rescission to occur not later than September 30, 2026.

This section directs the Secretary to award to each state the amounts required under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act, and Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA) for each formula grant program to which funds are appropriated in this Act, on the date such funds become available for obligation.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this or any other Act to transfer significant responsibilities for administering title I, part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (i.e., grants to local educational agencies in high-poverty areas to support disadvantaged students) or parts B (i.e., aid for special education and related services for children with disabilities ages 3-21) or C (i.e., early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act from the Department of Education to another department or agency, except for activities explicitly authorized by other law. This section further requires the Department of Education to support staffing levels necessary to fulfill its statutory responsibilities, including timely implementation of programs funded in this title.

This section requires the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) to implement significant changes to program requirements, service delivery, or policy only through public notice and comment rulemaking. It also prohibits, for FY2026, any CNCS officer or employee from knowingly disclosing covered grant selection information during a grant selection process to anyone other than an authorized CNCS officer or employee.

This section requires AmeriCorps programs receiving grants under the National Service Trust—which funds Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards for national service participants—to meet an overall minimum non-federal share requirement of 24% for their first three years of funding. Thereafter, such programs must meet the overall minimum share requirement specified in 45 CFR §2521.60 (without regard to the operating costs match requirement in §121(e) or member support federal share limitations in §140 of the National and Community Service Act of 1990), subject to partial waivers consistent with 45 CFR §2521.70.

This section requires that donations to the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) under section 196 of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 for financing programs and operations under titles I and II of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or subtitles B, C, D, or E of title I of the 1990 Act (i.e., certain AmeriCorps programs) be used to supplement, and not supplant, current programs and operations.

This section limits use of a national service education award for repayment of qualified student loans, as described in section 148(a)(4) of the National and Community Service Act of 1990, to veterans (as defined in section 101 of such Act), in addition to requirements under section 146(a). (National service education awards are provided to AmeriCorps participants for higher education costs or student loan repayment.)

This section deems entities described in section 189D(a) of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 as qualified entities, and individuals described therein as volunteers, under the National Child Protection Act of 1990 (NCPA). (Thus, these designations enable the entities to obtain criminal history background checks on the volunteers.) It further authorizes State Commissions on National and Community Service to receive such criminal history record information consistent with P.L. 92-544.

This section authorizes the Corporation for National and Community Service, notwithstanding specified provisions of the National and Community Service Act of 1990, to determine the number of hours required to complete any term of national service of less than 1,700 hours, with any such reduction below 1,700 hours requiring a corresponding reduction in the national service educational award available under subtitle D. (Thus, participants in programs such as AmeriCorps may complete prorated shorter terms while receiving a proportionally reduced Segal Education Award.)

This section authorizes the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation for National and Community Service to deem as having met position requirements, and award a pro-rated education award under subtitle D of title I of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (i.e., National Service Trust awards for AmeriCorps service), any individual required to exit early due to a lapse in funding or premature termination of their program grant or agreement. The pro-rated award equals the ratio of hours served to the full award value for which the individual would otherwise have been eligible.

This section prohibits the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) from using funds appropriated by this Act or prior Acts to issue any new administrative directive or regulation authorizing electronic voting by employees in NLRB-conducted elections to select collective bargaining representatives.

This section authorizes the Secretaries of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education to transfer unexpended balances of prior appropriations to corresponding accounts funded by this Act, for the same purposes and periods originally appropriated.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act, or transferred under section 4002 of P.L. 111-148 (i.e., the Prevention and Public Health Fund), for publicity or propaganda purposes designed to support or defeat federal, state, or local legislation, regulations, or executive actions (except in presentations directly to the relevant bodies); for paying grant or contract recipients or their agents to influence such matters (except for normal executive-legislative relations or state/local/tribal policymaking); and for advocating any proposed, pending, or future tax increases or restrictions on legal consumer products, including gun control.

This section authorizes the Secretary of Labor to use up to $28,000 from title I salaries and expenses funds, the Secretary of Education to use up to $20,000 from title III salaries and expenses funds, the Director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service to use up to $5,000 from agency salaries and expenses funds, and the Chairman of the National Mediation Board to use up to $5,000 from agency salaries and expenses funds for official reception and representation expenses.

This section requires grantees receiving Federal funds under this Act—including state and local governments and recipients of Federal research grants—to clearly state in statements, press releases, requests for proposals, bid solicitations, and other documents describing projects or programs funded in whole or in part with Federal funds: (1) the percentage of total costs financed with Federal money; (2) the dollar amount of Federal funds for the project or program; and (3) the percentage and dollar amount of total costs financed by non-governmental sources.

This section prohibits the expenditure of funds appropriated in this Act, and funds in any trust fund to which funds are appropriated in this Act, for (1) any abortion and (2) health benefits coverage that includes coverage of abortion. The term health benefits coverage means the package of services covered by a managed care provider or organization pursuant to a contract or other arrangement.

This section establishes exceptions to the abortion funding limitations of the preceding section for (1) pregnancies resulting from an act of rape or incest; or (2) physical disorders, injuries, or illnesses, including life-endangering conditions caused by or arising from the pregnancy, certified by a physician as placing the woman in danger of death unless an abortion is performed. The section further (1) clarifies that such limitations do not prohibit expenditures by states, localities, entities, or private persons using state, local, or private funds (other than state or local Medicaid matching funds); (2) states that such limitations do not restrict managed care providers from offering abortion coverage or states or localities from contracting separately for such coverage using state funds (other than Medicaid matching funds); and (3) prohibits funds appropriated by this Act from being made available to any federal agency or program, or state or local government, that discriminates against institutional or individual health care entities (e.g., physicians, hospitals, provider-sponsored organizations, health maintenance organizations, health insurance plans, or other facilities, organizations, or plans) on the basis that the entities do not provide, pay for, provide coverage of, or refer for abortions.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act for (1) the creation of a human embryo or embryos for research purposes; or (2) research in which a human embryo or embryos are destroyed, discarded, or knowingly subjected to risk of injury or death greater than that allowed for research on fetuses in utero under 45 CFR 46.204(b) and Section 498B of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 289g(b)). Subsection (b) defines "human embryo or embryos" to include any organism—not protected as a human subject under 45 CFR 46 as of enactment—that is derived by fertilization, parthenogenesis, cloning, or any other means from one or more human gametes or human diploid cells.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act for activities promoting the legalization of any schedule I controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act (i.e., substances determined to have high abuse potential and no currently accepted medical use), except for normal and recognized executive-congressional communications. The prohibition does not apply if there is significant medical evidence of therapeutic advantage for the substance or federally sponsored clinical trials are being conducted to test such advantage.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to promulgate or adopt any final standard under section 1173(b) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320d-2) for, or providing for the assignment of, a unique health identifier for an individual (except in that individual's capacity as an employer or health care provider) until Congress enacts legislation specifically approving the standard. (As background, SSA §1173(b) directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to adopt uniform standards, including unique identifiers, to enable electronic exchange of health information among covered entities.)

This section prohibits obligating or expending funds made available in this Act to enter into or renew a contract with an entity that (1) is a federal contractor subject to the annual reporting requirement under 38 U.S.C. 4212(d) (i.e., the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act requirement to report to the Secretary of Labor on employment and affirmative action efforts for covered veterans, including disabled veterans, wartime veterans, recently separated veterans, and certain service medal recipients) and (2) has not submitted the report for the most recent applicable year.

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

This section prohibits funds appropriated by this Act for the Library Services and Technology Act from being provided to libraries covered by section 224(f)(1) of that Act, as amended by the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA), unless such libraries make the certifications required by section 224(f)(4). (The certifications require libraries receiving federal assistance to adopt internet safety policies and deploy technology protection measures, such as filters, to block obscene or harmful content for minors.)

This section prohibits reprogramming of funds appropriated under this Act, prior-year appropriations available for obligation or expenditure in FY2026, or agency fee collections for specified purposes without 15 days' prior consultation and 10 days' written notice to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees. Prohibited reprogrammings under subsection (a) include (1) creating new programs; (2) eliminating a program, project, or activity; (3) increasing funds or personnel for any project or activity denied or restricted by Congress; (4) relocating an office or employees; (5) reorganizing or renaming offices; (6) reorganizing programs or activities; or (7) contracting out or privatizing functions performed by federal employees. Subsection (b) further prohibits reprogrammings exceeding $500,000 or 10% (whichever is less) that (1) augment existing programs, projects, or activities; (2) reduce by 10% the funding or personnel for any existing program, project, or activity; or (3) result from general personnel savings altering existing programs, projects, or activities.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by the Act (1) to request that a candidate for appointment to a federal scientific advisory committee disclose the candidate's political affiliation, voting history, or position on political issues not directly related to and necessary for the committee's work; and (2) to disseminate information that is deliberately false or misleading.

This section requires each department and related agency funded through this Act to submit an operating plan—detailing the amount allocated and actual and estimated monthly obligations for each program, project, and activity funded through the Act—within 45 days of enactment and every 30 days thereafter.

This section requires the Secretaries of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education to submit quarterly reports to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees on non-competitive contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements exceeding $500,000 (individually or in total for a project, activity, or initiative) awarded by their departments during each quarter of FY2026. The reports, due within 30 days after each quarter's end, must include the contractor or grantee name, funding amount, governmental purpose, and justification for non-competitive award (excluding formula grants or those directed by law).

This section prohibits the Commissioner of Social Security from using appropriated funds to process claims for quarters-of-coverage credits toward title II (Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance) benefits based on work performed under another individual's social security number if the claimant was convicted under SSA §208(a)(6) or (7) for that conduct. (Thus, such convicted individuals cannot count those earnings toward Social Security eligibility requirements.)

This section prohibits the Social Security Administration from using funds appropriated by this Act to pay employee compensation for administering title II Social Security benefits (i.e., Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance benefits) under any U.S.-Mexico totalization agreement that are payable solely due to the agreement. (Totalization agreements coordinate benefits for workers who divide careers between the U.S. and another country, allowing combined credits to meet eligibility requirements.)

This section prohibits the use of funds made available by the 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, or local law enforcement agencies or other entities carrying out criminal investigations, prosecutions, or adjudications.

This section directs that, for purposes of Executive Order 13589, OMB Memorandum M–12–12 (May 11, 2012), and annual appropriations requirements on conference attendance and expenditures: (1) operating divisions of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) are considered independent agencies; and (2) attendance at and support for scientific conferences are tabulated separately from agency totals.

This section requires federal agencies funded under this Act to include a clear statement in the text, audio, or video of their advertising or educational communications—including emails and internet postings—disclosing that the materials are printed, published, produced, or disseminated at U.S. taxpayer expense. Funds to implement this requirement must be derived from the agency's existing appropriations for advertising or communications regarding its programs and activities.

This section authorizes federal agencies to use discretionary funds provided in this Act to carry out up to 10 Performance Partnership Pilots (i.e., pilots allowing states, localities, tribes, and nonprofits to blend categorical funds across programs and adjust related requirements to improve outcomes for vulnerable populations such as disconnected youth), governed by section 526 of division H of Public Law 113-76 with the following modifications: (1) substituting "Fiscal Year 2026" for "Fiscal Year 2014" in the title of subsection (b); and (2) substituting "September 30, 2030" for "September 30, 2018" each place it appears. Such pilots must include communities that have experienced civil unrest. The section further authorizes agencies to use funds provided in this Act to participate in Performance Partnership Pilots operating under specified prior appropriations act authorities and directs agencies to grant pilot sites selected under this Act or prior acts an additional five years to operate.

This section requires the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and the Social Security Administration to submit to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, not later than 30 days after the end of each calendar quarter beginning with the first month of FY2026, reports on the status of their appropriation balances categorized as unobligated and uncommitted, committed, and obligated but unexpended. The reports must separately identify amounts attributable to each source year of appropriation beginning with FY2012 (or earlier fiscal years, to the extent feasible).

This section requires the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and the Corporation for National and Community Service to notify the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations at least three full business days before announcing or providing notice of (1) any new or non-competing continuation grant, including supplements, issued at the departments' discretion (except emergency response grants at any time or awards during the last 10 business days of the fiscal or program year); and (2) the termination or non-continuation of any grant, including a short description of the reason.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to purchase sterile needles or syringes for the hypodermic injection of any illegal drug. Such prohibition does not apply to elements of a program other than such purchases if the relevant state or local health department, in consultation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), determines that the jurisdiction is experiencing or at risk for a significant increase in hepatitis infections or an HIV outbreak due to injection drug use and the program operates in accordance with state and local law.

This section makes $12,685,000,000 of amounts in the Child Enrollment Contingency Fund for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) unavailable for obligation in this fiscal year.

This section makes amounts appropriated under this Act to the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and to the Chief Evaluation Office and specified Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) activities in the Department of Labor (DOL) for research, evaluation, or statistical purposes available for obligation through September 30, 2030. It further authorizes such offices to use a single Treasury account for research and evaluation funds received from multiple appropriations (advanced on a reimbursable basis) and permits deobligation and reobligation of unexpended balances upon completion of a contract, grant, or cooperative agreement in that fiscal year or the next fiscal year.

This section requires the Secretary to publish funding opportunity announcements for competitive grant programs funded in this Act no later than four months prior to the expiration of the period of availability of such funds and to make every effort to award those funds no less than 30 days prior to expiration. The section further requires the Secretary to brief the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations no later than the day after any such program has not been awarded within 30 days of expiration, including a plan for timely awarding the funds prior to their expiration.

This section requires any agency receiving funds under this Act to provide written notice to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations at least 45 days before initiating any reorganization or workforce action that increases, decreases, or transfers functions of 10 staff members or 10% of the staffing of an existing affected program or office, whichever is less—even without a funding change and regardless of workforce action type (e.g., voluntary, involuntary, or incentive-based).