Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2026
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This bill would provide fiscal year 2026 funding for the legislative branch, including the House of Representatives, Capitol Police, Library of Congress, Congressional Budget Office, Architect of the Capitol, Government Publishing Office, and Government Accountability Office.
Beyond dollar amounts, it would attach dozens of policy riders — barring China-linked technology and vehicle purchases, restricting certain diversity training, and setting rules on Capitol Police leadership and lease practices — that shape how Congress's own operations run for the year.
What this bill would do
What it would do
The bill would appropriate funding for fiscal year 2026 for the legislative branch, covering the House of Representatives' salaries and expenses, Capitol Police salaries and operations, the Congressional Budget Office, the Architect of the Capitol's building and grounds accounts, the Library of Congress (including the Congressional Research Service and Copyright Office), the Government Publishing Office, the Government Accountability Office, and several joint congressional entities. It sets specific dollar amounts for each account, along with conditions on how funds may be used, carried over, or transferred. The bill also includes numerous general provisions restricting fund use — banning procurement of certain Chinese-linked technology and vehicles, limiting diversity-training content, protecting religious-belief-based conduct from funding penalties, freezing member cost-of-living adjustments, and making technical changes to Capitol Police leadership and reporting structures. It would not fund the Senate, which historically finances its own operations separately.
Key provisions
- 1Would appropriate $1,984,315,000 for House of Representatives salaries and expenses, including leadership offices, committees, and member allowances
- 2Would appropriate $687,355,000 for Capitol Police salaries and $203,546,000 for general expenses, with limits on overtime and drone purchases
- 3Would prohibit obligating funds to procure computer, printer, or videoconferencing equipment from listed Chinese-linked entities for House offices
- 4Would bar use of funds for diversity, equity, and inclusion training that promotes specified divisive concepts about race or sex
- 5Would prohibit funds from being used to take discriminatory action against people acting on religious or moral beliefs about marriage
- 6Would freeze the annual cost-of-living adjustment for Members of Congress during fiscal year 2026
- 7Would restructure Capitol Police leadership reporting so the Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel report to and serve at the pleasure of the Chief and Capitol Police Board
Who would be affected
Members of Congress, House staff and committees, Capitol Police officers, employees of the Library of Congress, Congressional Research Service, Copyright Office, Government Publishing Office, Government Accountability Office, Congressional Budget Office, and the Architect of the Capitol, along with contractors and vendors doing business with these entities.
Why it matters
The funding levels determine staffing, security, and operational capacity for Congress and its support agencies for a year. The attached policy riders would restrict specific purchases, training content, and administrative practices, affecting how these legislative-branch entities can operate regardless of their day-to-day funding needs.
What would change
Changes to existing law
Amends Energy Policy Act of 1992 (Sec. 113)
Removes a House-specific carve-out from long-term lease acquisition requirements starting in FY2026
Amends Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1992 (child care center revolving fund) (Sec. 114)
Allows the fund to cover telecommunications expenses and salaries of assistant directors at the child care center
Amends Title 5, United States Code (Sec. 4120) (Sec. 116)
Requires Capitol Police Board approval before an officer receives international training
Amends Emergency Supplemental Act, 2002; Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2001; U.S. Capitol Police Administrative Technical Corrections Act of 2009; Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2003 (Sec. 117)
Changes Capitol Police appointment, reporting, and termination authority for the Chief Administrative Officer, General Counsel, deputy chiefs, and assistant chiefs
Amends Title 5, United States Code (Sec. 13144) (Sec. 210)
Clarifies that a Member providing direct medical or dental care to a patient is not in a fiduciary relationship with that patient
Agencies directed to act
Effective dates
- Overall appropriations covering the fiscal year
- Amended long-term lease requirements for federal agencies
- Child care center revolving fund telecommunications/salary changes
- Prohibition on procuring covered telecommunications equipment (use/procure clause)
- Prohibition on contracting with entities using covered telecommunications equipment
- Fiduciary-relationship limitation for Members providing medical/dental care
Funding and costs
- $1,984,315,000
Salaries and expenses of the House of Representatives
- $687,355,000
Salaries of Capitol Police employees
- $203,546,000
General expenses of the Capitol Police
- $72,000,000
Salaries and expenses of the Congressional Budget Office
- $166,303,000
Architect of the Capitol capital construction and operations
- $501,902,900
Salaries and expenses of the Library of Congress
- $141,093,000
Salaries and expenses of the Congressional Research Service
- $415,370,000
Salaries and expenses of the Government Accountability Office
- $14,900,000
Salaries and expenses of the Joint Committee on Taxation
How implementation would work
Appropriated amounts would be disbursed by the designated officers (the Chief Administrative Officer, Secretary of the Senate, Chief of the Capitol Police, or agency heads) according to the account-specific conditions in the bill, with many accounts subject to fiscal-year-end lapse unless the bill specifies extended availability. Agencies must comply with riders such as the technology-procurement ban, which includes a waiver process requiring justification and a supply-chain phase-out plan submitted to the Appropriations Committees within 30 days. Some funds require the Comptroller General, the Architect, or committee chairs to make specific certifications or obtain committee approval before certain expenditures.
Legislative status & sources
Latest action
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 144.
Official CRS summary
Show the CRS summaryHide the CRS summary
This bill provides FY2026 appropriations for the legislative branch, including the House of Representatives and joint items such as
- the Joint Economic Committee,
- the Joint Committee on Taxation,
- the Office of the Attending Physician, and
- the Office of Congressional Accessibility Services.
In addition, the bill provides FY2026 appropriations for
- the Capitol Police;
- the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights;
- the Congressional Budget Office;
- the Architect of the Capitol;
- the Library of Congress, including the Congressional Research Service and the Copyright Office;
- the Government Publishing Office;
- the Government Accountability Office;
- the Congressional Office for International Leadership Fund; and
- the John C. Stennis Center for Public Service Training and Development.
(Pursuant to the longstanding practice of each chamber of Congress determining its own requirements, funds for the Senate are not included in the House bill.)
The bill also sets forth requirements and restrictions for using funds provided by this bill.
Legislative subjects
Appropriations; Architect of the Capitol; Asia; Budget deficits and national debt; Child care and development; Computer security and identity theft; Computers and information technology; Congress; Congressional Budget Office (CBO); Congressional Research Service (CRS); Congressional agencies; Congressional committees; Congressional leadership; Congressional officers and employees; Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad; Disability and health-based discrimination; Employee benefits and pensions; Employment and training programs; Employment discrimination and employee rights; Europe; Family relationships; Government Accountability Office (GAO); Government Publishing Office (GPO); Government buildings, facilities, and property; Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management; Government information and archives; Health personnel; Health technology, devices, supplies; Horticulture and plants; House Committee on Appropriations; House of Representatives; Intellectual property; Intergovernmental relations; Joint Committee on Taxation; Joint Economic Committee; Law enforcement administration and funding; Law enforcement officers; Lease and rental services; Libraries and archives; Library of Congress; Lighting, heating, cooling; Members of Congress; Motor vehicles; Public contracts and procurement; Russia; U.S. Capitol
Committee report
H. Rept. 119-178