Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, and Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2026
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, and Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2026 funds four major areas for fiscal year 2026: military construction and family housing, the Department of Veterans Affairs, agriculture and rural development including the Food and Drug Administration, and the Legislative Branch. It also includes account-specific transfer rules, reporting mandates, construction restrictions, nutrition and rural program riders, member-security funding, and targeted tribal and bison provisions.
Who Benefits and How
Service members and military families benefit from military construction and family housing accounts that fund bases, facilities, and housing-related projects. Veterans benefit from VA medical services, medical community care, benefits administration, facilities, construction, and information-technology accounts. Rural borrowers, rural housing programs, agricultural producers, bison producers, school meal programs, and nutrition program participants benefit from Agriculture division appropriations and program-specific protections.
The Food and Drug Administration, USDA agencies, the Farm Credit Administration, the House, Senate, Library of Congress, Capitol Police, Architect of the Capitol, and legislative support agencies receive fiscal year 2026 operating funds. Tribal governments benefit from the Office of Tribal Relations provision for bison slaughtering, processing, and voluntary meat inspection fees.
Who Bears the Burden and How
The Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration, Capitol Police, Architect of the Capitol, and other funded agencies must comply with detailed transfer caps, notification requirements, account restrictions, sourcing rules, reporting deadlines, and policy riders. VA administrators must manage transfers among medical accounts, quarterly Veterans Benefits Administration performance reporting, and human-resources limitations.
Federal taxpayers bear the cost of the annual appropriations. Contractors, grantees, and regulated entities receiving funds under the bill must follow the account conditions Congress attaches to each appropriation.
Key Provisions
- Funds military construction, family housing, and related defense activities for fiscal year 2026.
- Funds VA medical services, medical community care, medical support, medical facilities, benefits administration, construction, and information technology.
- Funds USDA, rural development, Food and Drug Administration, nutrition, inspection, research, and rural housing accounts.
- Provides million for a Bison Production and Marketing Grant Program and ,000 for tribal bison processing and inspection costs.
- Restricts use of funds for selected SNAP retailer variety requirements and certain school breakfast vegetable-substitution limits.
- Funds Legislative Branch operations, including Capitol Police transfer authority and Senate security funding.
- Requires reporting, notification, transfer, and account-control rules across the covered agencies.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Makes fiscal year 2026 appropriations and policy conditions for military construction, Veterans Affairs, agriculture and rural development including FDA, and the Legislative Branch.
Key Policy Areas
Appropriations, Veterans, Agriculture, Defense, Legislative Branch
Primary Purpose
Makes fiscal year 2026 appropriations and policy conditions for military construction, Veterans Affairs, agriculture and rural development including FDA, and the Legislative Branch.
Policy Domains
FY2026 MilCon-VA, Agriculture, and Legislative Branch appropriations
Identified Gains
- Service members
- Military families
- Veterans receiving VA care
- VA Medical Services account
- VA Medical Community Care account
- Veterans Benefits Administration
- Rural borrowers
- Bison producers
- Tribal governments
- Food and Drug Administration
- Capitol Police
Identified Costs
- Department of Defense
- Department of Veterans Affairs administrators
- Department of Agriculture administrators
- Food and Drug Administration administrators
- Federal taxpayers
- VA human resources offices
- Architect of the Capitol
Legislative Progress
Passed SenateMessage on House action received in Senate and at desk: …
The Speaker appointed conferees: Cole, Aderholt, Carter of Texas, Harris …
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without …
On motion that the House instruct conferees Failed by the …
Resolving differences -- House actions: On motion that the House …
POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the …
The previous question was ordered without objection.
DEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate …
Ms. DeLauro moved that the House instruct conferees.
On motion that the House disagree to the Senate amendment, …
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
APHIS employees responding to emergencies, ARS laboratory employees, Agencies funded by this Act
Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, Executive branch agencies, FDA, Federal agencies, Food and Drug Administration, Legislative Branch agencies, Members of Congress, Natural Resources Conservation Service, VA Healthcare system, VA Medical Services, VA construction programs, VA medical facilities, Veterans Health Administration face effects in multiple directions
Positive-direction: APHIS employees responding to emergencies, ARS laboratory employees, Agricultural emergency response, Air Force construction programs, American Battle Monuments Commission, Armed Forces Retirement Home, Army National Military Cemeteries, Army National Military Cemeteries (including Arlington), Army and National Guard facilities, Army construction programs, Capitol Police, Combined federal medical facilities, Congressional offices, Congressional oversight, DOD-VA combined medical facilities, DOD-VA joint healthcare programs, DOD-VA joint medical facilities, Defense agencies construction, Department of Defense military construction budget, Department of Defense military construction programs, DoD construction programs, DoD laboratory facilities, DoD military construction programs, Farm Service Agency, Federal Highway Administration, Federal budget, Food Safety and Inspection Service, Ford Island (Pearl Harbor) development, Ford Island development, Ford Island military facilities, Guantanamo Bay Naval Station personnel, Homeowners Assistance Program, Inspectors General, Joint DoD-VA medical facilities, Law enforcement agencies providing mutual aid, Military construction and VA programs, Military construction operations, Military construction programs, Military construction programs (Army, Navy, Air Force), Military departments (Army, Navy, Air Force), Military departments and defense agencies, Multi-year appropriation accounts, NRCS and Rural Development field offices, National Finance Center employees, Navy and Marine Corps construction programs, Public housing authorities, Rural Development programs, U.S. Naval Station Guantánamo Bay, US federal prison system, USDA, USDA National Finance Center, USDA Office of General Counsel, USDA Rural Development, USDA and FDA, USDA and related agency employees, USDA food loss/waste working group, USDA rural housing loan program, USDA wetland compliance staff, VA Construction projects, VA IT modernization, VA Information Technology Systems, VA Medical Community Care account, VA Medical Services account, VA Medical Services budget, VA Medical Services programs, VA Veterans Benefits Administration, VA administrative offices, VA benefits administration, VA benefits processing, VA benefits programs, VA child care program, VA enhanced-use lease programs, VA general administration, VA healthcare providers, VA insurance administration, VA insurance program administration, VA medical facility construction, VA medical programs, VA rehabilitation staff, VA suicide prevention staff, VA whistleblowers and employees, Veterans Crisis Line, Veterans Crisis Line staff
Negative-direction: Agencies funded by this Act, Agency communications, Agency communications staff, Agency lobbying activities, Agency network administrators, Agricultural Marketing Service, Agricultural Research Service, All agencies funded by this Act, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Architect of the Capitol, Arlington National Cemetery, Army, Army Corps of Engineers / Arlington Cemetery, Board of Veterans Appeals, Defense Health Agency, Department of Agriculture, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Housing and Urban Development, DoD and VA network administrators, DoD and VA programs, DoD detention facilities, DoD facility expansion, DoD facility management, DoD military exercises, DoD overseas expansion, DoD personnel programs, Federal agencies funded by this Act, Federal agencies funded by this or other FY2026 acts, Federal agencies receiving appropriations, Federal agencies under this Act, Federal employees, Food for Peace programs, Foreign governments hosting US military bases, Government Accountability Office, HHS and USDA, Legislative Branch, Library of Congress, NIFA research programs, National Cemetery Administration, Sitting members of Congress, USAID food aid programs, USDA Congressional Relations office, USDA Working Capital Fund, USDA advisory committees, USDA agencies, USDA budget personnel, USDA leadership, USDA, FDA, and Farm Credit Administration, VA Construction Major Projects, VA IT systems, VA administration, VA administration offices, VA and DoD administration, VA benefits accounts, VA construction program, VA construction program management, VA employees who smoke, VA facilities, VA facility expansion planning, VA financial management, VA healthcare facilities, VA human resources offices, VA medical accounts, VA procurement, VA programs, VA public affairs and marketing, VA suicide prevention hotline, VA transportation budget, VA vocational rehabilitation program, VA women's health programs, Veterans Benefits Administration
Areas Rural in Character communities, Domestic violence victims with pets, Families of fallen soldiers
Positive-direction: Areas Rural in Character communities, Domestic violence victims with pets, Families of fallen soldiers, Filipino WWII veterans and families, Filipino veterans eligible for compensation, General public seeking government transparency, Homeless veterans, Military aircrew veterans with cancer, Military families, Military families at Fort Leonard Wood, Military families with children, Military personnel, News consumers, Persistent poverty counties, Rural borrowers under USDA programs, Rural communities, Rural homebuyers, Rural homeowners with decentralized wastewater needs, Rural multi-family housing tenants, Rural veterans, SNAP recipients, Students in Bureau-funded schools, Taxpayers, U.S. territories, VA facility visitors and staff, Veteran caregivers, Veterans, Veterans and military personnel at combined facilities, Veterans and military personnel using shared healthcare facilities, Veterans and service members using joint facilities, Veterans and servicemembers at joint facilities, Veterans and staff at VA facilities, Veterans at risk of suicide, Veterans awaiting benefits or healthcare, Veterans deemed mentally incapacitated, Veterans families scheduling interments, Veterans families using NCA services, Veterans in Bakersfield, California area, Veterans in Freely Associated States, Veterans in Reno, Nevada area, Veterans in VA rehabilitation programs, Veterans in crisis, Veterans in rural Alaska, Veterans receiving VA care, Veterans seeking VA healthcare, Veterans seeking medical marijuana, Veterans using VA systems, Veterans using community care, Veterans using community care under MISSION Act, Veterans using state-legal medical marijuana, Veterans with children receiving VA healthcare, Veterans with disability claims, Veterans with emergent healthcare needs, Veterans with service-connected reproductive disabilities, Veterans with toxic exposure conditions, Women veterans, Women veterans and other veterans relying on the funded suicide prevention, caregiver, PTSD, neurology, rural health, and homelessness services, Women veterans receiving VA healthcare, Women veterans seeking breast cancer screening
Negative-direction: Guantanamo Bay detainees, Non-veterans using VA facilities, Transgender veterans, Undocumented immigrants, Veterans with non-service-connected conditions, Women veterans seeking abortion services
CHIP-IN Veterans Act project partners, Capitol construction contractors, Child care facility contractors
Military construction contractors, VA construction contractors face effects in multiple directions
Positive-direction: CHIP-IN Veterans Act project partners, Child care facility contractors, E-Verify compliant contractors, Laboratory construction contractors, Marshallese contractors, Medical facility construction contractors, Military construction oversight contractors, Military construction projects, Military demolition contractors, Military housing developers, Military housing developers/contractors, Road construction contractors, U.S. construction contractors, VA facility construction contractors
Negative-direction: Capitol construction contractors, Construction contractors, Contractors using unauthorized workers, Foreign construction contractors, Government contractors not using E-Verify
Alaska Native health organizations, Alaska Native tribal health organizations, Community healthcare providers
Positive-direction: Alaska Native health organizations, Alaska Native tribal health organizations, Community healthcare providers, Community healthcare providers serving veterans, DOD-VA joint healthcare programs, Diabetes monitoring equipment suppliers, Federally Qualified Health Centers in Alaska, Fertility clinics, Fertility treatment providers, Joint DoD-VA medical facilities, National Academies of Sciences, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Private healthcare providers in VA network, State veterans homes, Unvaccinated VA healthcare personnel, VA healthcare providers specializing in women's health, VA healthcare workers, VA healthcare workers opposed to vaccination mandates, VA-affiliated research corporations, Veterans Health Administration programs receiving specified set-aside funding for these services
Negative-direction: Third-party disability examination contractors, VA healthcare providers
Female veterans, Rural Alaska veterans, Service members and veterans at joint facilities
Agricultural commodity suppliers, Agricultural industry paying USDA fees, Bison producers
Positive-direction: Agricultural commodity suppliers, Agricultural industry paying USDA fees, Bison producers, Conventional animal producers, Dairy industry, Farm Bill program participants, Farmers in high-wetland areas, Hawaii agricultural industry, Hawaii coffee growers, Hemp fiber industry, Hemp growers and processors, Landowners with flooded agricultural lands, Livestock industry, Livestock producers, Pest control contractors, Tribal governments, Tribal meat processing establishments, U.S. agricultural land owners, U.S. livestock producers, U.S. poultry and seafood producers, Vegetable producers, Western state farmers and ranchers, Wine grape, hops, pulse crop, and almond growers
Negative-direction: Chinese poultry and seafood exporters, Foreign meat and livestock exporters, Genetically engineered animal producers, Horse slaughter facilities, Livestock packers and processors, Meat, poultry, and egg processing establishments
Alcoholic beverage producers, American steel producers, American steel producers and fabricators
Positive-direction: Alcoholic beverage producers, American steel producers, American steel producers and fabricators, Compliant ENDS manufacturers, Non-Chinese IT equipment vendors, Pharmaceutical and medical device companies paying user fees, U.S. iron and steel producers
Negative-direction: Chinese ENDS manufacturers, Chinese IT equipment manufacturers, Foreign steel producers, Foreign steel suppliers, Illegal e-cigarette/ENDS importers
Chinese IT manufacturers, Chinese technology companies on military/sanctions lists, IT vendors for USDA
Positive-direction: IT vendors for USDA, Identity security vendors, Non-Chinese IT equipment manufacturers, US and allied IT manufacturers, US-based computer and IT equipment manufacturers, VA IT systems contractors
Negative-direction: Chinese IT manufacturers, Chinese technology companies on military/sanctions lists
On Motion to Instruct Conferees
Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026
On the Amendment S.Amdt. 3412 to S.Amdt. 3411 to H.R. 3944 (No short title on file)
Mullin Amdt. No. 3412
On Passage of the Bill H.R. 3944
H. R. 3944, as amended
On the Amendment S.Amdt. 3411 to H.R. 3944 (No short title on file)
Collins Amdt. No. 3411, as amended
On the Amendment S.Amdt. 3428 to S.Amdt. 3411 to H.R. 3944 (No short title on file)
Johnson Amdt. No. 3428
On the Amendment S.Amdt. 3113 to S.Amdt. 3411 to H.R. 3944 (No short title on file)
Scott (FL) Amdt. No. 3113, as modified
On the Amendment S.Amdt. 3414 to S.Amdt. 3411 to H.R. 3944 (No short title on file)
Kennedy Amdt. No. 3414
On the Amendment S.Amdt. 3466 to S.Amdt. 3411 to H.R. 3944 (No short title on file)
Duckworth Amdt. No. 3466
On the Amendment S.Amdt. 3115 to S.Amdt. 3411 to H.R. 3944 (No short title on file)
Van Hollen Amdt. No. 3115
On the Amendment S.Amdt. 3447 to S.Amdt. 3411 to H.R. 3944 (No short title on file)
Murphy Amdt. No. 3447
On the Motion (Motion to Waive All Applicable Budgetary Points of Order Re: Merkley Amdt. No. 3114)
Motion to Waive All Applicable Budgetary Points of Order Re: Merkley Amdt. No. 3114
On the Motion to Proceed H.R. 3944
Motion to Proceed to H.R. 3944
On Cloture on the Motion to Proceed H.R. 3944
Motion to Invoke Cloture: Motion to Proceed to H.R. 3944
On the Motion to Proceed H.R. 3944
Motion to Proceed to Executive Session to consider Emil J. Bove III
On Passage
Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026
On Motion to Recommit
Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026
On Agreeing to the Amendment
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "secretary"
- → Relevant department Secretary or agency head
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology