Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act, 2026
Description
Ends the government shutdown by funding federal agencies through January 30, 2026, and extends various expiring health and farm programs.
Summary
What it does
This act ends a government shutdown by providing temporary funding for most federal agencies through January 30, 2026, while securing full-year appropriations for agriculture, the legislative branch, and military and veterans programs. It extends various expiring authorities related to public health, Medicare, and the 2018 farm bill to ensure the continued operation of essential services. Additionally, the law modifies the federal definition of hemp, reauthorizes certain drug user fee programs, and provides back pay for federal employees affected by the funding lapse.
Who is affected
This act affects federal employees who were furloughed during the 2025 government shutdown, as well as wildland firefighters and senior political appointees subject to pay limitations. Beneficiaries of federal programs are impacted, including veterans seeking medical care or disability exams, low-income families receiving SNAP or WIC assistance, and students at 1890 Institutions. Additionally, the legislation affects specific industries such as agricultural producers, hemp manufacturers, and pharmaceutical companies involved in over-the-counter drug monographs.
Key provisions
- Temporary and Full-Year Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2026. The act ends a government shutdown by providing continuing appropriations for most federal agencies through January 30, 2026, while providing full-year funding for agriculture, the legislative branch, military construction, and veterans affairs.
- Extension of Agricultural and Farm Bill Programs. The legislation extends various programs authorized by the 2018 Farm Bill through September 30, 2026, including commodity supports, dairy forward pricing, and the Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust.
- Public Health and Medicare Program Extensions. It extends funding for community health centers, the National Health Service Corps, and diabetes research, while maintaining Medicare telehealth flexibilities and increased payment adjustments for rural and low-volume hospitals through January 30, 2026.
- Veterans Health Care and Housing Authorities. The bill reauthorizes VA authorities for suicide prevention grants, nursing home care for disabled veterans, and various programs providing housing assistance and supportive services for homeless veterans.
- Over-the-Counter Monograph Drug User Fee Reauthorization. The act reauthorizes the FDA's Over-the-Counter Monograph Drug User Fee Program through fiscal year 2030 and revises procedures for evaluating topical nonprescription drugs, such as sunscreens.
- Federal Workforce and Operational Protections. The act provides back pay for federal employees affected by the shutdown, prohibits agency-wide reductions in force through January 30, 2026, and waives certain pay limitations for wildland firefighters.
Fiscal impact
- Senate Amendment 3937 to H.R. 5371, the Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act, 2026· As posted on the Senate Amendment Tracking System on November 10, 2025
- H.R. 5371, Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026· As Posted on the Website of the House Committee on Rules, September 16, 2025
Effective dates
The act is considered to have begun on October 1, 2025, with most continuing appropriations and program extensions running through January 30, 2026. Specific provisions include retroactive effective dates for various veterans' programs and phased implementation for certain Medicare and laboratory reporting requirements through early 2026.
Relationship to existing law
This act extends and amends numerous existing statutes, including the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (the 2018 farm bill), the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, and the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. It reauthorizes various federal programs such as the Over-the-Counter Monograph Drug User Fee Program, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and several Department of Veterans Affairs health and housing authorities.
Stated purpose
The bill aims to end the government shutdown that began on October 1, 2025, by providing fiscal year 2026 appropriations and continuing funding for federal agencies through January 30, 2026. It also seeks to maintain government operations by extending various expiring programs and authorities related to agriculture, public health, veterans affairs, and the legislative branch.