Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026

Appropriates $20,000,000 to purchase, deploy, and operate body-worn cameras for immigration and border enforcement officers and requires an expenditure plan within 30 days.

Prohibits Customs and Border Protection from blocking individuals from importing up to a 90-day personal supply of legal, non-controlled prescription drugs from Canada.

Prohibits the Department of Homeland Security from establishing, collecting, or studying new border crossing fees for pedestrians, cyclists, or private vehicles at land ports of entry.

Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to fully implement health, safety, and custody protections for pregnant, postpartum, and nursing individuals and infants held in Customs and Border Protection custody.

Prohibits Immigration and Customs Enforcement from continuing detention contracts with any facility that receives less-than-adequate ratings on its two most recent performance evaluations.

Subject Members of Congress, federal agency heads, and senior executive branch officials to standard Transportation Security Administration airport passenger and baggage screening.

Appropriates over $3.2 billion across federal emergency management grant programs, including $494,000,000 for State Homeland Security, $584,250,000 for urban areas, $300,000,000 for nonprofit security, $684,000,000 for firefighters, and $123,500,000 for emergency food and shelter.

Prohibits placing physical restraints on pregnant detainees or women recovering from childbirth, bans face-down or four-point restraints, and strictly outlaws any restraints during active labor.

Prohibits the department from blocking unannounced inspection visits by Members of Congress (or designated staff with 24 hours notice) to alien detention facilities, and bans staging conditions for visits.

Appropriates $140,000,000 to the Federal Aviation Administration to fund a 3.8 percent pay raise for air traffic controllers and managers in calendar year 2026, contingent on workforce efficiency improvements.

Gives the explanatory statement submitted by the House Appropriations Committee the same legal force as a conference report for spending allocations and carrying out the bill.

Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to report all noncompetitive contracts and grants to the Inspector General, and requires the Inspector General to review them for legal compliance and report findings to Congress.

Requires the Chief Financial Officer to provide monthly budget and staffing reports to Congress to serve as the department's baseline personnel levels.

Prohibits transferring money from the Treasury Forfeiture Fund to any Homeland Security agency without advance notification to Congress.

Requires all government aircraft costs for official travel by the Secretary and Deputy Secretary to be paid exclusively out of the Office of the Secretary's budget.

Requires quarterly briefings to Congress on major acquisition programs and delivery of approved acquisition decision memos within five business days of approval.

Blocks funding for new pilot or demonstration programs using over 10 full-time staff or costing $5,000,000 or more unless specific goals, metrics, and follow-up cost reports are provided to Congress.

Prohibits the Office of Intelligence and Analysis from carrying out specified restricted intelligence activities, while protecting information sharing and civil liberties oversight.

Directs the Inspector General to submit quarterly and annual audit and spend-plan reviews to Congress regarding funding provided in Public Law 119–21.

Extends the availability of funds for border security assets, trade, and radiation detection systems through September 2028, and facility construction through September 2030.

Earmarks funding within Homeland Security Investigations for forced child labor enforcement ($6,000,000), child-rescue apprenticeships ($3,000,000), intellectual property enforcement ($15,000,000), special operations ($15,000,000), informant compensation ($4,000,000), and repatriation of smuggled migrants ($11,216,000).

Applies statutory overtime compensation limits to Customs and Border Protection officers for fiscal year 2026.

Authorizes Customs and Border Protection funding to cover customs expenses in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to prevent staffing cuts and service reductions.

Makes passenger inspection fees collected from arrivals from Canada, Mexico, and adjacent islands available until expended.

Appropriates an additional $31,000,000 for Customs and Border Protection operations and support, to be offset by trade and agricultural inspection fee collections.

Restricts waivers of U.S.-flag shipping requirements for transporting Strategic Petroleum Reserve crude oil until steps are taken to use American vessels, and requires prompt congressional notification of waiver requests.

Freezes Customs and Border Protection procurement, construction, and improvement funds until the agency submits a comprehensive spending plan to Congress.

Prohibits using funds to reduce planned traveler and cargo vetting operations at existing Customs and Border Protection locations without express statutory authorization.

Prohibits spending border security funds to procure or deploy surveillance systems that are not autonomous.

Bans using funds to continue local law enforcement immigration delegation agreements (287(g) program) if the Inspector General finds the agreement terms were materially violated.

Authorizes the Secretary to reprogram or transfer funds within Immigration and Customs Enforcement as needed to maintain detention bed capacity for prioritized removals.

Requires Immigration and Customs Enforcement to continue submitting semimonthly reports on detention and removal operations to Congress.

Reapplies operational and reporting conditions from fiscal year 2020 appropriations regarding detention standards and alien transfer procedures.

Requires Immigration and Customs Enforcement to submit detailed monthly obligation plans and updates on detention operations to Congress, withholding up to $700,000 for executive leadership if deadlines are missed.

Requires quarterly execution plans and updates to Congress detailing detention facility locations, bed capacity, per-bed costs, and removal flight expenses.

Prohibits reducing the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement attachés and liaisons at foreign embassies without specific diplomatic justification or a host country request.

Authorizes the Transportation Security Administration to use Aviation Security Capital Fund money in fiscal year 2026 to buy and install explosives detection systems.

Requires the Transportation Security Administration to submit a consolidated 5-year capital investment and technology modernization plan to Congress within 45 days of the President's budget.

Changes an existing statutory requirement for the Transportation Security Administration from submitting a written report on passenger screening to providing an in-person congressional briefing.

Limits Coast Guard spending on recreational vessel documentation to collected yacht fees, allowing non-recreational staff to assist only if application backlogs arise.

Requires the Coast Guard Commandant to submit an updated future-years capital investment plan for vessel and aircraft acquisitions.

Prohibits spending funds to reduce operations or cut staff levels at the Coast Guard Operations Systems Center.

Bans subjecting commercial vessel documentation jobs at the Coast Guard National Vessel Documentation Center to private contracting competitions.

Prohibits cutting operations within any Coast Guard civil engineering unit without future congressional approval.

Allows funds deposited into the Coast Guard Housing Fund to remain available until expended to build, maintain, and lease military housing.

Provides $98,000,000 for Coast Guard MQ-9 aircraft and ground stations, while prohibiting the Department of Homeland Security from buying or arming long-range drones with lethal weapons.

Freezes funds for the Coast Guard's "Force Design 2028" restructuring until detailed briefings on staffing, organization, and acquisitions are delivered to Congress.

Authorizes the Secret Service to provide training to outside federal personnel at the James J. Rowley Training Center on a reimbursable basis.

Prohibits the Secret Service from spending funds to protect heads of other federal agencies unless full reimbursement is provided.

Authorizes the Secret Service to reprogram up to $15,000,000 within its operations and support account.

Exempts Secret Service travel expenditures on protective missions from standard spending limits if advance notification is given to Congress.

Directs $2,000,000 in Secret Service funds for grants to support the National Computer Forensics Institute.

Raises the premium overtime pay limitation for Secret Service personnel on protective assignments and requires annual reporting on workload, overtime hours, and staffing solutions.

Prohibits spending funds to build border fencing in specified wildlife refuges, national parks, and historic areas.

Appropriates funds for the National Flood Insurance Fund, including operating costs, agent commissions, debt interest, and $175,000,000 for flood mitigation grants.

Authorizes the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to procure and distribute cyber threat intelligence feeds to federal, state, local, tribal, and private sector entities.

Caps the amount grant recipients may spend on grant administration at 5 percent for major emergency preparedness grant programs.

Sets a 60-day deadline for FEMA to issue preparedness grant applications and docks agency headquarters funding by $100,000 per day for missed deadlines.

Requires FEMA to brief Congress five full business days before publicly announcing preparedness grant awards, rescinding $1,000,000 if an award is announced early.

Clarifies that building communications towers under state and urban security grants does not count as facility construction.

Updates annual reporting requirements for the Disaster Relief Fund through fiscal year 2027.

Authorizes FEMA to waive statutory matching-fund, retention, and staffing restrictions for SAFER firefighter hiring grants.

Requires the department to collect user fees covering 100 percent of the costs of the Radiological Emergency Preparedness Program from commercial nuclear plants.

Authorizes FEMA to waive statutory cost-sharing restrictions for Assistance to Firefighters Grants.

Transfers unspent balances from prior predisaster mitigation appropriations into the current disaster mitigation set-aside fund.

Merges unspent prior-year flood mapping appropriations into the current flood hazard mapping and risk analysis program.

Sets the performance period for major FEMA disaster preparedness and mitigation grants between three and five years.

Requires FEMA to publish an online public dashboard tracking all disaster reimbursement requests and processing times for individual and public assistance.

Prohibits pausing FEMA-funded training or grant programs without giving Congress 10 business days advance notice, except in emergencies threatening life or property.

Authorizes U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to purchase up to five replacement vehicles and allow employee home-to-work travel in areas where the General Services Administration does not lease vehicles.

Prohibits subjecting core U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services jobs—such as immigration officers, analysts, and contact representatives—to private contracting competitions.

Authorizes U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to collect biometrics at application centers overseen remotely by agency staff using appropriate technology.

Authorizes the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers to reimburse other federal agencies for the costs of participating in training accreditation.

Directs the Federal Law Enforcement Training Accreditation Board to establish standards and measure the quality of federal law enforcement academies.

Permits the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers to accept transferred funds to construct specialized facilities for other agencies while retaining agency ownership.

Classifies instructor positions at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers as inherently governmental, barring them from being privatized.

Allows unspent balances of prior appropriations to be transferred to and merged into matching accounts established by this Act.

Limits the Department of Homeland Security's ability to reprogram or transfer money across programs without 30 days advance notice to Congress, and blocks non-emergency transfers requested after June 15.

Reauthorizes the Department of Homeland Security working capital fund and permits spending in advance of reimbursements from departmental agencies.

Allows the department to carry over up to 50 percent of unobligated operations funding into fiscal year 2027 upon notifying Congress.

Deems intelligence activity funding authorized until an annual intelligence bill is enacted, and transfers excess intelligence analysis money to general management.

Requires three business days advance notice to Congress before awarding non-emergency grants over $1,000,000, contracts over $2,000,000, or any sole-source grant.

Bans purchasing, building, or leasing new federal law enforcement training facilities outside existing sites without advance notice to Congress.

Prohibits spending funds on federal building acquisition, alteration, or construction projects that lack an approved congressional prospectus.

Reapplies statutory privacy safeguards and spending restrictions on sensitive administrative activities.

Prohibits spending funds in violation of the Buy American Act.

Prohibits using funds to alter the statutory oath of allegiance required for naturalized citizens.

Restricts the department's authority to reorganize internal offices, permitting only specified realignments of the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office.

Prohibits using funds to plan, test, pilot, or create a national identification card.

Bars federal officials from delegating mandatory congressional reporting or certification duties without explicit statutory authorization.

Prohibits funding first-class airline travel for department personnel in violation of federal travel regulations.

Prohibits the department from employing workers who are not legally authorized to work in the United States.

Bars paying incentive or performance award fees to contractors whose work is rated below satisfactory or fails to meet contract terms.

Requires all department computer networks to block pornography, exempting official criminal investigations and legal proceedings.

Prohibits federal law enforcement officers from allowing working firearms to pass to suspected drug cartel operatives without continuous monitoring and physical control.

Limits conference attendance to no more than 50 department employees per agency for any single international conference and caps agency costs at $500,000 without an official waiver.

Prohibits reimbursing other federal departments for their participation in National Special Security Events.

Requires 30 days advance notice to Congress before implementing major structural pay changes or new job classifications affecting over 100 staff or costing over $5,000,000.

Requires department agencies to publish required congressional reports on public websites within 45 days, freezing transfer authorities if agencies fail to comply.

Authorizes Operations and Support funds to be used for minor equipment purchases up to $250,000 and minor facility construction up to $4,000,000.

Extends authority for the department to provide primary and secondary schooling for dependents of personnel stationed in certain remote areas.

Bans destroying records concerning detainee deaths, sexual abuse, or disciplinary incidents, and guarantees accused detainees access to those records.

Prohibits spending federal funds to support any position designated as a Principal Federal Official.

Requires the department to submit an annual report to Congress listing its unfunded national security and operational priorities.

Requires advance congressional notification and quarterly cost reporting when executive protection is ordered for former government officials.

Requires advance congressional notification and reporting before the department applies for or obligates money from the Technology Modernization Fund.

Directs the Secretary to provide backup spending cut plans if proposed user fee collections are not enacted by Congress.

Bans using funds to implement the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty until the U.S. Senate ratifies it.

Prohibits contracting, partnering with, or awarding grants to Chinese military companies identified by the Department of Defense or their subsidiaries.

Bans spending funds to transfer or release noncitizen detainees held at Guantanamo Bay into the United States or its territories.

Requires the department to formulate monthly estimates of southwest border migrant arrivals to justify its budget requests, suspending transfer powers if not shared with Congress.

Requires monthly estimates of immigration detention and deportation levels to justify annual budget and supplemental requests, suspending transfer authorities for noncompliance.

Requires the Secretary to complete cost-benefit and alternative analyses before requesting Department of Defense assistance for border operations and to submit quarterly operational reports.

Authorizes Operations and Support funds to pay for an emergency back-up care program for department employees' dependents.

Transfers $5,000,000 to Immigration and Customs Enforcement to support the Blue Campaign anti-human trafficking program.

Penalizes departmental executive management by $100,000 per day if monthly disaster reports are late or if more than 500 disaster reimbursement claims remain pending over 60 days.

Extends CARES Act airport screening authorities through September 30, 2026.

Regulates classified intelligence spending levels and authorizes transfer of National Intelligence Program funds within statutory caps upon national interest determinations.

Directs the department to submit quarterly obligation and fee-collection spend plans for programs funded through Public Law 119–21.

Appropriates $30,000,000 for salaries and expenses of the Supreme Court of the United States through September 30, 2028.

Transfers $99,750,000 from the Cybersecurity Response and Recovery Fund to Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Operations and Support.

Rescinds $88,966,000 in unused prior-year funding from management, border security, automation, fencing, and cybersecurity accounts.

Rescinds $108,740,688 in expired carryover operations funds across various Department of Homeland Security components.

Rescinds $2,362,000 from the Department of Homeland Security Nonrecurring Expenses Fund.

Extends continuing appropriations authority to cover the federal funding lapse that began on February 13, 2026.

Mandates retroactive payment of pay, allowances, and benefits to federal employees affected by the February 2026 funding lapse.

Ratifies and validates all government obligations incurred during the funding lapse to maintain essential operations protecting life and property.