HR7481-119

What This Bill Does

This is a DHS appropriations and general-provisions bill for fiscal year 2026. Beyond making funds available, it attaches detailed controls to how DHS, TSA, the Coast Guard, the Secret Service, FEMA, DHS Intelligence and Analysis, the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office, and other DHS components can obligate, transfer, reprogram, report, travel, procure, and manage programs. The bill repeatedly uses appropriations restrictions and notification rules: DHS must report noncompetitive grants and contracts, monthly budgets and staffing, acquisition program baselines, Treasury Forfeiture Fund transfers, new pilots, Disaster Relief Fund reporting, unfunded priorities, protection costs, Technology Modernization Fund proposals, and large awards before funds move.

Who Benefits and How

Congressional appropriations committees, the DHS Inspector General, TSA security programs, Coast Guard housing and MQ-9 acquisition programs, FEMA grant recipients, Disaster Relief Fund applicants, public oversight users, and taxpayers benefit from more visibility and controls over DHS money. Some operational programs also receive targeted support, including $98 million for Coast Guard MQ-9 aircraft and base stations, continued Coast Guard Housing Fund availability, Secret Service training reimbursement authority, and a $2 million National Computer Forensics Institute grant or cooperative agreement. Pregnant women in DHS custody and people affected by detention records benefit from restrictions on restraints and record destruction.

Who Bears the Burden and How

The DHS Secretary, Under Secretary for Management, Chief Financial Officer, Inspector General, TSA Administrator, Coast Guard Commandant, Secret Service Director, FEMA, DHS Intelligence and Analysis, CWMD Office, and DHS component heads must submit reports, brief Congress, wait through notification periods, and avoid spending on restricted activities. Contractors, grant recipients, recreational vessel owners, nuclear facilities paying radiological emergency preparedness fees, DHS travelers, Technology Modernization Fund applicants, entities listed under section 1260H, and some detainee-transfer planners face funding limits or compliance conditions. The bill also withholds management funds when FEMA Disaster Relief Fund reports or delayed reimbursement reviews miss specified thresholds.

Key Provisions

• Requires DHS-wide reports on noncompetitive awards, monthly obligations, staffing, acquisition programs, pilots, Disaster Relief Fund activity, unfunded priorities, protection details, and Technology Modernization Fund proposals.
• Funds or preserves specific operations including Coast Guard housing, $98 million for Coast Guard MQ-9 aircraft, Secret Service training reimbursements, and a $2 million National Computer Forensics Institute grant.
• Restricts spending on executive screening exemptions, Coast Guard recreational vessel costs, Force Design 2028 implementation, DHS reprogramming, national ID cards, contractor awards below satisfactory performance, international conferences, and G-700 aircraft travel.
• Requires advance notifications for DHS transfers, large grants, Disaster Relief Fund awards above $100,000, contracts above $2 million, multi-year task orders above $5 million, and sole-source grants.
• Protects oversight and civil-liberties interests through DHS Inspector General audits, public posting of reports, limits on restraints for pregnant detainees, preservation of detention records, and restrictions on intelligence and organizational authorities.
• Bars DHS procurement, grants, loans, guarantees, or cooperative agreements with section 1260H listed entities and prohibits use of funds for certain Guantanamo detainee transfers.