What's actually in the bill?

Packages five of the twelve regular appropriations bills for fiscal year 2026: Defense, Labor/HHS/Education, Transportation/HUD, Financial Services, and State Department. This came after the longest government shutdown in modern history (October 1 through November 12, 2025) and a second partial shutdown beginning February 14, 2026.

Congress used its oversight power over D.C. to block a local tax law the D.C. Council passed in December 2025. D.C. normally mirrors federal tax changes automatically, but after the big federal tax bill passed, the D.C. Council tried to decouple from some of those provisions, including changes to standard deductions, tipped wages, and property depreciation. Congress overrode that move and forced D.C. back into conformity.

Makes it permanent for the Treasury Department to access Social Security's death records so the government can catch and stop payments going to people who have died. Previously, this data-sharing arrangement had to be renewed every three years. The fix is straightforward: keep the Do Not Pay system plugged into the Death Master File without a sunset date.

Updates the federal bankruptcy system by raising trustee fees in Chapter 7 and Chapter 11 cases, extending certain fee structures for five more years, and keeping temporary bankruptcy judgeships in place. These are mostly behind-the-scenes administrative changes that keep the bankruptcy courts funded and staffed.

Would require colleges that accept federal student aid to inform pregnant students about their rights, campus resources, and community support for carrying a pregnancy to term. Schools would need to provide information on academic accommodations, childcare, housing, and financial aid options. The bill focuses specifically on resources for students who choose to continue their pregnancy.

People who were trafficked are often forced to commit crimes like theft, drug offenses, or sex work under threat of violence. This law creates a federal process for those survivors to get those convictions thrown out and arrest records expunged, so a criminal record caused by exploitation doesn't follow them forever. It also funds legal aid for survivors filing these motions and requires the GAO to track how many people use the process.

A spending package that bundles three of the twelve regular annual funding bills into one. It covers the DOJ, FBI, federal courts, NASA, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, national labs, the EPA, and the Interior Department. Instead of running these agencies on a flat continuing resolution from the prior year, this gives them detailed, line-item budgets for FY2026.

Orders the GAO to investigate why the Veterans Benefits Administration ran short on funding in 2024 and why the Veterans Health Administration is expected to come up short in 2025. The VA must send the GAO's findings to Congress, putting the budget problems on the record so lawmakers can figure out what went wrong.

Right now, VA disability payments count as income when veterans apply for federal housing assistance, which means some disabled vets get disqualified because their disability compensation pushes them over the income limit. This law fixes that by excluding VA disability payments from the calculation. The GAO must also report on how disability compensation is treated across other federal programs.

Veterans with service-connected disabilities get career transition help through the VA's Veteran Readiness and Employment program, but their individualized plans can go stale if circumstances change. This law sets specific conditions that trigger a mandatory plan update, so vets aren't stuck following an outdated career roadmap that no longer fits their situation.

Schools in the National School Lunch Program can now offer whole milk and reduced-fat milk alongside the low-fat and fat-free options that were previously the only choices allowed. The milk can be flavored or unflavored and may be organic or lactose-free. Recent nutrition research has moved away from the blanket advice to avoid full-fat dairy, which helped drive this change.

Orders the President to pull U.S. troops out of any military operations in or against Venezuela that Congress never authorized. The resolution invokes the War Powers Act to reassert that the President cannot wage war without a congressional vote. It still allows self-defense against direct attacks.

Raises the bar for when a big corporation can be held responsible as a joint employer for a franchise or subcontractor's labor violations. Under this bill, a company only counts as a joint employer if it directly handles hiring, firing, pay, scheduling, or discipline. Good for franchise owners who want clear legal lines, but harder for workers to hold parent companies accountable.

Closes a gap that could cost disaster victims their tax refunds. When the IRS pushes back filing deadlines after a disaster, that postponement wasn’t counting toward the three-year window you have to claim a refund. So someone who filed late because of a hurricane could technically lose their refund on a technicality. This law fixes that by treating disaster postponements as real deadline extensions for refund purposes. It also extends the IRS’s own notice deadlines in the same way.

If you've ever tried to figure out where you can legally fish or kayak on federal waterways, you know the information is all over the place. This bill requires the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior to standardize and publish data on public access points to federal waterways for recreation. The agencies have to develop shared standards for geospatial data so the information is consistent, compatible, and actually useful to people planning outdoor trips.

Gives Alaska Native Vietnam-era veterans five more years to apply for up to 160 acres of federal land in Alaska. The program covers Alaska Natives who served between August 1964 and December 1971, along with their heirs. Many eligible veterans didn't know about the program or ran into bureaucratic delays, so the original deadline was expiring before they could apply. This extension keeps the door open.

Extends NOAA's Marine Debris Program through 2029 and updates how the program and the Marine Debris Foundation operate. The program funds research, cleanup, and prevention of ocean trash that affects fisheries, tourism, and marine ecosystems. The update also lets NOAA contribute directly to project costs and expands the foundation's fundraising tools.

Extends federal funding through 2030 for USGS research on Great Lakes fisheries, including invasive species monitoring and fish population studies. The Great Lakes fishing industry supports roughly $7 billion in annual economic activity, and this research helps state and federal agencies make informed management decisions about the ecosystem.

Roughly 40 acres at the Wounded Knee massacre site in South Dakota would be placed under tribal control for the Oglala Sioux and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribes. The land goes into restricted fee status, meaning the tribes own it but can't sell or lease it without federal approval. The site of the 1890 massacre is one of the most significant places in Native American history, and the tribes have been pushing for this transfer for generations. The land must be used as a memorial and sacred site.

The annual defense spending blueprint that sets military policy and authorizes funding for 2026. Covers everything from weapons procurement and troop levels to military pay raises, cyber defense, and intelligence operations. Also includes provisions for the Department of Energy's nuclear security programs, the Coast Guard, and the State Department. Essentially the yearly bill that decides how the U.S. military operates and what it buys.

Continues federal payments to counties that have national forests or other federal land within their borders, extending the program through 2026 and backfilling missed payments for 2024 and 2025. These payments compensate rural communities for timber revenue lost when logging on federal lands declined, and the money funds local schools and roads. Counties can use the funds for community projects through 2028.

When a fiduciary (someone managing a veteran's benefits on their behalf) steals or misuses that money, the VA is supposed to make the veteran whole. This law tightens up those procedures by requiring the VA to set clear methods and timelines for determining whether its own negligence contributed to the fraud. If the veteran dies before getting reimbursed, the money goes to their surviving beneficiaries. The VA also cannot withhold reissuance while it investigates.

Requires the VA to check every five years whether the maximum life insurance coverage for servicemembers and veterans has kept up with inflation. Right now, those coverage caps can sit unchanged for years while the cost of living goes up, meaning military families are effectively getting less protection over time. The VA has to base its review on the Consumer Price Index and report its findings, though Congress would still need to act on any recommended increases.

Stops colleges from charging out-of-state tuition rates to reservists using Montgomery GI Bill benefits when they’re actually living in the state. If a school tries to charge more than in-state rates to these students, the VA has to pull its approval of that school’s programs. Since reservists often move for service and may not have established official residency, this closes a loophole that was costing them thousands in extra tuition.

Reopens 1.7 million acres in southeastern Montana to coal leasing by overturning a BLM land management plan that had made zero acres available for new coal development. The Biden-era plan effectively shut down future coal leasing in the Miles City Field Office area, and this resolution reverses that decision.

Throws out a BLM land management plan that restricted oil, gas, and coal development on federal land in North Dakota. The plan limited drilling in areas deemed low-potential and only allowed new coal leasing within four miles of existing mines. This resolution scraps those restrictions and reverts to the previous, more permissive 1988 plan.

Strips environmental protections from roughly 3.6 million acres of Alaska’s interior by overturning a BLM plan that had designated 21 areas as critical environmental concern zones in the Central Yukon region. Removing the designations opens the land back up to potential mining and energy development.

Restores coal leasing in Wyoming's Powder River Basin, the most productive coal region in the country. A Biden-era BLM plan had shut the door on all future federal coal leasing in the Buffalo Field Office area. Wyoming produces about 40% of U.S. coal, and this resolution forces BLM back to the pre-2024 rules that kept leasing open.

Opens the full 1.6 million acres of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge's Coastal Plain to oil and gas drilling. A 2024 BLM decision had scaled back leasing to a smaller portion of the area, but this resolution throws that out and reverts to a 2020 plan that made all of it available. Congress originally mandated these lease sales in the 2017 tax law.

Extends the expanded ACA health insurance subsidies for three more years, through 2028. These subsidies were originally boosted by the American Rescue Plan and Inflation Reduction Act, and they lower what people pay for marketplace health insurance. Without an extension, millions of Americans would see their premiums jump by hundreds of dollars per month.

Takes a different approach than the ACA subsidy extension by letting people with bronze or catastrophic health plans receive federal deposits into health savings accounts during 2026-2027. Also restricts Medicaid and CHIP payments for certain noncitizens and bars coverage of gender-transition procedures under those programs. It is the Republican alternative to extending the ACA’s premium tax credits.

Reverses a Biden-era decision that closed nearly half of Alaska’s 23-million-acre National Petroleum Reserve to oil and gas drilling. The 2022 BLM plan had locked up about 48% of the reserve to protect caribou habitat and Indigenous subsistence areas. This resolution reverts to a 2020 plan that opened the full reserve for energy development.

Requires the State Department to review its guidelines on the U.S.-Taiwan relationship every two years and report to Congress, instead of the one-time review currently required. The U.S. has not had official diplomatic ties with Taiwan since 1979, when it recognized China instead, but maintains a complex unofficial relationship. The biennial reviews are meant to ensure that guidance to federal agencies stays current as the geopolitical situation evolves.

Renews and updates the federal programs that fund substance abuse treatment, overdose prevention, and mental health services through 2030. The original SUPPORT Act from 2018 expanded access to medication-assisted treatment during the opioid crisis, and this reauthorization keeps those programs running while updating them for the fentanyl era, including harm reduction and naloxone distribution.

Raises the monthly pension for living Medal of Honor recipients from about $1,400 to $8,333, roughly a 6x increase. It also creates a new $1,400 monthly pension for surviving spouses of recipients. Both amounts get adjusted for inflation each year. The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration in the country.

Pushes back a restriction on how interest from the Wildlife Restoration Trust Fund can be used, extending it from FY2026 to FY2033. In practice, this frees up more money in the near term for state-level wildlife conservation and restoration programs. The tradeoff is that less will be available later, since the bill doesn't add any new funding to the pot.

Anyone who's gotten a vague IRS letter saying there's a math error on their return knows how frustrating it is when the notice doesn't explain what actually went wrong. This law requires the IRS to include a clear description of the specific error, which return line it's on, and how to dispute it. It also sets up a pilot program for improving how these notices are sent and requires the IRS to notify taxpayers when an error-based tax assessment gets reversed.

Gives veterans' disability payments, dependent benefits, clothing allowances, and survivor compensation the same annual cost-of-living bump that Social Security recipients get, effective December 1, 2025. Without this routine adjustment, veterans' payments would lose purchasing power to inflation each year.

Directs the TSA to update its screening procedures so that breast milk, baby formula, infant water, and juice are handled more hygienically at airport security checkpoints. Covers ice packs and cooling accessories too. Also requires DHS to train TSA agents on these updated protocols so parents traveling with infants face less risk of contamination during screening.

Requires the DOJ to publicly release all unclassified records from the Jeffrey Epstein investigation in a searchable, downloadable format. That includes materials related to Ghislaine Maxwell, flight logs, travel records, and names of individuals referenced in the case, including government officials. The DOJ can still withhold information that would compromise ongoing investigations or expose victims' identities, but the default is disclosure.

The bill that ended the October 2025 government shutdown. It gave full-year funding to four areas (agriculture, military construction, veterans affairs, and the legislative branch) while keeping the rest of the government running on a temporary continuing resolution through January 30, 2026. It also extended various expiring federal programs and authorities that would have lapsed during the shutdown.

Federal employees who are required to keep working during a government shutdown currently do so without getting paid on time. This bill would guarantee those workers their normal paychecks, benefits, and allowances throughout the shutdown instead of forcing them to wait until it ends. It covers all "excepted" employees, meaning the ones deemed essential enough that they cannot be furloughed.

A stopgap spending bill that kept the government running through October 31, 2025, while Congress worked on full-year budgets. Beyond the basic funding extension, it permanently locks in the expanded health insurance premium tax credits from the ACA marketplace, adds Medicaid funding, and extends several other expiring programs.

Would automatically keep the government funded at last year's spending levels whenever Congress fails to pass new spending bills on time. Instead of a shutdown, agencies would just keep operating on autopilot until a real budget passes. The goal is to take government shutdowns off the table entirely.

Would withhold congressional pay for each day that all regular appropriations bills have not been passed by the start of the fiscal year. Members would forfeit pay retroactively, not merely have it delayed. Targets the pattern of Congress repeatedly missing budget deadlines and operating on continuing resolutions.

If you've ever applied for a mortgage and immediately gotten flooded with calls, texts, and mailers from lenders you never contacted, this is the bill that targets that problem. It restricts credit reporting agencies from sharing your credit report with third parties during a mortgage transaction unless you've actually given consent or the third party already originated your loan. The trade-off is that less competition from outside lenders could mean fewer alternative rate offers for borrowers.

Requires the Commerce Department to send Congress a yearly report on export control licensing decisions. The Bureau of Industry and Security controls which dual-use goods (things with both civilian and military applications) and military components can be sold overseas, but Congress has had limited visibility into how those decisions are being made. Annual reporting gives lawmakers a clearer picture of whether sensitive technology is being adequately protected from reaching adversaries.

Requires the VA to partner with the National Academies of Sciences to study cancer rates among veterans who served as aircrew on fixed-wing aircraft. Aircrew face unique exposure risks from radiation, fuel fumes, and other hazards, and this study would document how those exposures affect long-term cancer outcomes.

Requires the VA to give Congress quarterly budget updates, including any shortfalls and plans to fix them. Also bans certain pay bonuses for senior VA executives. The idea is to keep closer tabs on how the VA spends its money while signaling that leadership perks should not come before service delivery.

Gives the VA new tools to help veterans who fall behind on their home loans avoid foreclosure. The VA can now pay lenders directly to keep a loan current, and it establishes a partial claim program with loss mitigation procedures similar to what FHA and conventional mortgage servicers already have. With roughly 3.6 million active VA home loans, the program was overdue for these kinds of servicing options.

Congress clawed back $9.4 billion in federal money that had been allocated but not yet spent, mostly from the State Department, USAID, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The idea is straightforward: if the money hasn't been committed to a specific project yet, pull it back to reduce the deficit. Critics argue these cuts weaken diplomacy and foreign aid programs that prevent costlier military interventions down the line.

Previously, the IRS could only extend tax deadlines when a disaster was declared at the federal level. This law lets state governors request the same relief for state-declared disasters, covering situations that are serious but don't reach the federal declaration threshold. It also increases the automatic extension period for affected taxpayers, giving people dealing with fires, floods, or storms more breathing room on filing returns, paying taxes, and making retirement contributions.

Creates the first federal regulatory framework for stablecoins, the digital currencies pegged to the dollar. Only approved issuers (banks or licensed nonbank companies) can offer stablecoins to U.S. users, and they must back every coin 1:1 with reserves. Issuers face federal or state oversight depending on their size, and the law sets consumer protection and transparency requirements that did not exist before.

Permanently classifies all fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I controlled substances, closing a loophole where new fentanyl analogues could dodge enforcement while temporary scheduling orders were renewed. Penalties for trafficking fentanyl analogues now match those for fentanyl itself, with the same quantity thresholds and sentencing rules. The law also creates a process for researchers to apply for access to study these substances.

Upgrades the Salem Maritime National Historic Site in Massachusetts to a National Historical Park, which is a more prominent designation. It also directs the Interior Department to study whether nearby sites tied to Salem's maritime history, coastal defenses, and military history should be folded into the park's boundaries. The study looks at feasibility and suitability but doesn't commit to any expansion on its own.

Fixes a paperwork issue from a 1989 Nevada land deal. The original law transferred federal land near North Las Vegas to Clark County for an industrial park, but some of the rights-of-way (access roads, utilities, etc.) were never properly handed off. This bill transfers those rights-of-way from the Department of the Interior to North Las Vegas and the Apex Industrial Park Owners Association so the area can actually function as intended.

When Alaska Natives who are elderly, blind, or disabled receive payments from settlement trusts, those payments currently count as income for federal benefit programs like SNAP. That means the trust money, which is meant to improve quality of life, can actually disqualify people from food assistance and other need-based programs. This law stops that by excluding those trust payments from income calculations.

Under a decades-old law, Alaska Native village corporations were required to hand over certain lands to the state for hypothetical future municipal governments that mostly never formed. This bill drops that requirement. It also returns any lands already conveyed to the state back to the original village corporations, since the municipalities those lands were held for never materialized.

The signature reconciliation package of the 119th Congress. Permanently extends the 2017 individual tax rates, increases the child tax credit to $2,200, raises the estate tax exemption to $15 million, restructures SNAP benefits, and includes energy and immigration provisions. Passed on party-line votes in both chambers.

Rolls back tougher bank merger review standards that had eliminated automatic approvals and streamlined application forms. The original rule was meant to give regulators more time to scrutinize proposed mergers, but Congress overturned it, restoring the faster approval process that the banking industry preferred.

Lets industrial facilities that cut their pollution enough to reclassify from "major" to "area" sources actually get the regulatory relief that comes with that lower classification. An EPA rule had locked them into the stricter major-source standards permanently, even after they reduced emissions. Congress overturned that rule, restoring the incentive to clean up.

Revokes the EPA waiver that let California set its own stricter emission rules for heavy-duty trucks, including zero-emission mandates for new truck sales and tougher warranty requirements. Without the waiver, California has to follow the same federal standards as every other state. Over a dozen states had adopted or were considering California's rules, so this effectively blocked a nationwide shift.

Strikes down the EPA waiver that allowed California to require increasing percentages of new car sales to be zero-emission vehicles, reaching 100% by 2035. Because other states can legally copy California's auto standards, this one waiver was on track to become a de facto EV mandate across much of the country without Congress ever voting on it.

Congress pulled the EPA waiver that let California impose its own tighter nitrogen oxide (NOX) limits on heavy-duty truck engines. California’s standards were significantly stricter than federal rules, meaning engine manufacturers had to build different versions for different states. This resolution forces a single national standard.

Lets the Pentagon sell its surplus aircraft and parts for wildfire suppression, extending that authority through 2035. Previously, these planes could only drop fire retardant; now they can also deliver water. It also removes a restriction that prevented the aircraft from being used for international firefighting assistance.

A comprehensive immigration bill that would restart border wall construction, increase Border Patrol staffing, limit asylum claims, expand expedited removal, and require employers to use E-Verify. It also ends the practice of catch-and-release and restricts parole authority.

Reopens Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Utah and Arizona to off-road vehicles by overturning a National Park Service rule that had restricted ATV and off-highway vehicle use in parts of the park. Supporters said the restrictions hurt local tourism; opponents said the rule protected fragile desert landscapes.

Wipes out new EPA emission standards for rubber tire factories that were supposed to limit hazardous air pollutants released during the manufacturing process. The EPA wrote the rule after a federal court told it to close a gap in its regulation of the industry. Congress used the CRA to undo the standards before they took effect.

Would codify the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) as a permanent federal advisory body. DOGE was created by executive order in January 2025, led by Elon Musk, to identify and eliminate wasteful government spending. This bill would give it statutory authority beyond the current administration.

Criminalizes the publication of nonconsensual intimate images, including AI-generated deepfakes. Requires social media platforms to remove such content within 48 hours of a valid report. Carries penalties of up to 2 years imprisonment and fines.

Overturns a Biden-era DOE rule that set stricter efficiency standards for tankless gas water heaters. The rule would have required new models to hit higher energy efficiency targets, which supporters said would save consumers money long-term but critics argued would raise upfront costs and limit available options.

Kills a DOE rule that would have raised energy efficiency requirements for commercial walk-in coolers and freezers. Restaurants, grocery stores, and other food businesses would have eventually needed to buy pricier, more efficient units. Congress used the CRA to block the rule before it took effect.

Reverses a DOE rule that updated certification, labeling, and enforcement requirements for a wide range of appliances and commercial equipment, from washing machines and dishwashers to computer room air conditioners. Manufacturers argued the new paperwork and testing requirements added cost without real consumer benefit.

Undoes a DOE rule that tightened energy efficiency standards for commercial refrigerators, freezers, and combo units used by businesses. The rule aimed for maximum feasible efficiency improvements, but businesses argued it would force costly equipment upgrades and eliminate specialized models they depend on.

Blocks a CFPB rule that would have capped overdraft fees at $5 at the largest banks. Right now, overdraft fees at big banks typically run $35 per transaction. The CFPB wanted to slash those fees, but banks warned they would just stop offering overdraft protection entirely, leaving customers with bounced payments and late penalties instead.

Stops the CFPB from being able to directly supervise big payment apps like Venmo, Cash App, and similar platforms. The rule would have subjected any nonbank payment app processing 50+ million transactions a year to the same kind of oversight that banks get. Congress killed it, keeping these tech companies under lighter regulation.

Attempts to end the national emergency Trump declared to impose sweeping tariffs, including a baseline 10% tariff on most imports and higher rates on specific countries. The resolution passed the Senate but would need to clear the House and survive a veto to actually terminate the emergency.

Blocks an IRS rule that would have required DeFi platforms to report crypto transactions to the government, similar to how stock brokers report trades. The rule was meant to close a tax enforcement gap, but critics said it was unworkable because many DeFi platforms run on code, not companies, making traditional broker-style reporting nearly impossible.

Requires K-12 schools receiving federal funding to provide parents with access to curricula, reading lists, and budgets. Mandates parental notification before surveys are administered to students and before any change to a student's services or monitoring related to gender identity. Requires schools to notify parents of violent activity on campus.

Congress couldn't pass its normal spending bills, so this continuing resolution kept the government funded for the rest of FY2025 and prevented a shutdown when the previous stopgap expired on March 14, 2025. Most agencies got the same funding they had in FY2024, with no adjustments for inflation or changing needs. The bill also extended various federal programs and authorities that were about to expire. It's a band-aid, not a budget, but it kept things running.

Eliminates the first-ever federal fee on methane pollution from oil and gas operations. The EPA rule charged companies when their methane leaks exceeded certain thresholds, creating a financial incentive to fix leaking equipment. Congress struck it down using the CRA, and because of how the CRA works, the EPA cannot issue a similar rule without new legislation.

Gets rid of a rule that required offshore oil and gas companies to survey for shipwrecks and other underwater archaeological sites before drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf. The industry said the surveys added delays and costs to projects that already go through extensive permitting. Critics said the rule protected irreplaceable historical artifacts on the ocean floor.

Would make it a Title IX violation for any school receiving federal funding to let someone whose biological sex at birth was male compete on women's or girls' sports teams. The rule applies at every level, from elementary school through college, and uses sex assigned at birth as the only criteria for eligibility.

Would extend Social Security solvency by applying the payroll tax to income over $250,000 (currently capped at $176,100). Uses the new revenue to increase benefits by $200/month, switch to the CPI-E inflation index for seniors, and extend the trust fund by approximately 50 years.

A bipartisan bill that would cap out-of-pocket insulin costs at $35 per month for all insured Americans and establish a manufacturer discount program for uninsured patients. Builds on the $35 cap for Medicare patients established by the Inflation Reduction Act.

Named after a nursing student killed by an undocumented immigrant, this law requires Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain undocumented immigrants charged with theft or violent crimes. It also allows state attorneys general to sue the federal government over immigration enforcement failures.

Would sanction anyone who helps the International Criminal Court investigate, arrest, or prosecute Americans or citizens of allied countries. The US never ratified the treaty that created the ICC, and this bill treats the court's authority over Americans as illegitimate. Protected persons include US nationals and citizens of allied nations that also haven't joined the ICC.

Requires doctors to provide the same standard of medical care to any infant born alive after an attempted abortion as they would to any other newborn at the same gestational age, and to immediately transfer the infant to a hospital. Creates criminal penalties for health care workers who fail to comply, and gives the mother a private right of action to sue if the law is violated.