HR5450-119

What This Bill Does

The Continuing Appropriations and Extensions and Other Matters Act, 2026 is a stopgap funding and extenders bill. It keeps projects and activities running mostly at fiscal year 2025 rates until October 31, 2025, or until regular fiscal year 2026 appropriations or no-funding decisions take effect. It limits new starts, Defense production increases, high initial spending, and program changes; allows apportionments to prevent civilian furloughs; keeps mandatory payments, SNAP, and some VA expenses moving; and changes impoundment practice by declaring section 1017(d) of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act to have no force and keeping proposed rescission or deferral budget authority available unless Congress completes action within the statutory period. The bill adds or protects targeted funding for WIC at an $8.2 billion rate, NASA Science Mission Directorate missions, NSF grants and facilities, NOAA oceanic research, Manufacturing Extension Partnership centers, U.S. Marshals judicial security, federal defender services, Supreme Court residence protection, court security, Capitol and member security, FEMA disaster response, wildfire suppression, Indian Health Service facility staffing, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Head Start allocation rules, Essential Air Service, HUD tenant-based rental assistance, Continuum of Care and youth homelessness renewals, and fair housing initiative awards. It extends community health centers, the National Health Service Corps, teaching health centers, quality measure endorsement, Medicare outreach assistance, oral antivirals under Part D, sexual-risk avoidance education, personal-responsibility education, family-to-family health information centers, state cybersecurity grants, grain standards, and multiple VA authorities for nursing home care, supportive services, suicide prevention grants, education entitlement restoration, homeless veterans, rural mental health, adapted housing technology, reintegration grants, and vendee loans. It also authorizes a U.S. subscription to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, supports SBA loan demand, funds Air Force E-7 Wedgetail prototyping, supports Virginia-class submarine completion, directs Hanford waste-treatment commissioning, and permanently extends enhanced ACA premium tax credits by removing the 400 percent income cliff and revising applicable percentage tables after 2025.

Who Benefits and How

Federal employees at furlough risk benefit because agencies may apportion civilian compensation and continue core operations during the stopgap period. WIC participants, SNAP recipients, community health centers, National Health Service Corps sites, teaching health centers, and ACA marketplace enrollees benefit from continued or enhanced funding and tax-credit rules. Veterans receiving VA nursing home care, suicide prevention services, homelessness assistance, rural mental health support, education entitlement restoration, adapted housing technology, and vendee loans benefit from one-month extensions. HUD voucher families, Continuum of Care providers, youth homelessness projects, disaster survivors, wildfire response crews, IHS patients, public broadcasting stations, Essential Air Service communities, and state cybersecurity offices benefit from targeted continuity provisions.

Who Bears the Burden and How

OMB apportionment staff and agency budget officers must implement stopgap funding rates, limits on new starts, rescissions, emergency designations, impoundment changes, and later appropriation chargebacks. Appropriations committees must receive required notices and reports for U.S. Marshals security, HUD rental assistance allocations, and other targeted funding actions. Federal taxpayers bear the cost of emergency security funding, health and veterans extenders, CPB funding, disaster and wildfire operations, ACA premium tax credit expansion, and other stopgap appropriations. Programs seeking new starts, higher production, or budget-structure changes face restrictions until regular fiscal year 2026 appropriations are enacted.

Key Provisions

• Provides continuing appropriations at fiscal year 2025 rates through October 31, 2025 or earlier regular appropriations decisions.
• Limits Defense production increases, new starts, high initial rates, and program changes while allowing apportionments to avoid furloughs.
• Funds WIC, NASA science missions, NSF grants, NOAA research, Manufacturing Extension Partnership centers, U.S. Marshals security, court security, Capitol security, FEMA disaster response, wildfire suppression, IHS facilities, CPB, HUD rental assistance, and homelessness renewals.
• Extends community health centers, the National Health Service Corps, teaching health centers, Medicare outreach, Part D oral antivirals, education programs, state cybersecurity grants, grain standards, and multiple veterans authorities.
• Establishes an OMB Inspector General, changes impoundment control treatment, and permanently extends enhanced ACA premium tax credits.