S 2257 · 119th Congress

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Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2026

legislative branch fundingcongressional operationsCapitol securitygovernment appropriationscongressional staff rights

Last action 2025-07-10

Sponsored by Sen. Mullin, Markwayne [R-OK] (R) — OK

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Would appropriate billions of dollars to fund the U.S. legislative branch for fiscal year 2026, covering the Senate, Capitol Police, the Library of Congress, the Government Accountability Office, the Congressional Budget Office, and other congressional agencies and offices.

The bill also includes several policy riders: blocking cost-of-living pay increases for Members of Congress, extending lactation-break protections to congressional staff, barring Chinese-manufactured drones from Capitol Police procurement, and providing emergency security funding for Senate Members.

What this bill would do

What it would do

The bill would set FY2026 appropriations for every major legislative branch entity — the Senate and its officers, the Capitol Police, the Congressional Budget Office, the Architect of the Capitol, the Library of Congress (including the Congressional Research Service and the Copyright Office), the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, the Government Publishing Office, the Government Accountability Office, and several smaller joint and affiliated offices. It would earmark $7 million within the Senators' Office Expense Account specifically for Senate intern financial compensation, and would require CBO to spend at least $500,000 on transparency and public availability of its models and estimates.

Beyond appropriations, the bill includes binding administrative and policy provisions. It would block cost-of-living adjustments for Members of Congress in FY2026, extend federal PUMP Act lactation protections to congressional employees via an amendment to the Congressional Accountability Act, prohibit purchase of drones manufactured in China by the Capitol Police and Architect of the Capitol, bar acquisition of Huawei or ZTE telecommunications equipment, and require legislative branch offices to coordinate with food-service providers on plastic waste reduction. House-only appropriations are not included, per longstanding bicameral practice.

Key provisions

1Would appropriate $645,431,000 for Senators' Official Personnel and Office Expense Account, with $7,000,000 earmarked specifically for financial compensation to Senate interns.senators' official personnel and office expense account
2Would appropriate $653,422,000 for Capitol Police salaries and $201,678,000 for Capitol Police general expenses, including a bar on purchasing Chinese-manufactured drones.CAPITOL POLICE
3Would appropriate $71,400,000 for the Congressional Budget Office, requiring at least $500,000 be used to improve transparency of cost estimates and public availability of models and data.CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE
4Would appropriate $811,894,000 for the Government Accountability Office, with $5,000,000 remaining available until expended.GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE
5Would block cost-of-living pay adjustments for Members of Congress during fiscal year 2026.Sec. 211
6Would amend the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 to extend federal PUMP Act lactation-break protections to covered congressional employees.Sec. 212
7Would provide $18,500,000 in emergency supplemental funding for enhanced Senate Member security and residential security systems, and $25,000,000 for Capitol Police mutual aid reimbursements.Sec. 213

Who would be affected

Senate offices and their staff, Senate interns who would receive dedicated compensation, Capitol Police officers, employees and patrons of the Library of Congress and its sub-units (CRS, Copyright Office, National Library Service for the Blind), staff of the GAO, CBO, GPO, and Architect of the Capitol, congressional employees who would gain PUMP Act workplace protections, and contractors working on Capitol construction and maintenance projects.

Why it matters

This bill funds the day-to-day operations of Congress and its support agencies for a full fiscal year. Failure to enact it would create funding gaps for the Capitol Police, GAO, CBO, and other essential offices. The policy riders carry distinct practical stakes: congressional employees would gain new lactation-break rights; Members of Congress would forgo a scheduled pay adjustment; and Capitol security procurement would be barred from using Chinese-manufactured drone technology.

What would change

Changes to existing law

Amends Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, Sec. 104 (2 U.S.C. 6154 note) (Sec. 102)

Extends Senate delegation authority beyond the 118th Congress by removing the expiration date tied to January 2025.

Amends Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946, Sec. 601(a) (2 U.S.C. 4501) (Sec. 211)

Blocks any cost-of-living pay adjustment for Members of Congress during fiscal year 2026.

Amends Congressional Accountability Act of 1995, Sec. 203(a)(1) (2 U.S.C. 1313(a)(1)) (Sec. 212)

Extends PUMP Act lactation-break protections (section 18D of the Fair Labor Standards Act) to covered congressional employees.

Agencies directed to act

SenateCapitol PoliceCongressional Budget OfficeArchitect of the CapitolLibrary of CongressCongressional Research ServiceCopyright OfficeNational Library Service for the Blind and Print DisabledGovernment Publishing OfficeGovernment Accountability OfficeOffice of Congressional Workplace RightsJoint Economic CommitteeJoint Committee on TaxationOffice of the Attending PhysicianOffice of Congressional Accessibility ServicesCongressional Office for International LeadershipJohn C. Stennis Center for Public Service Training and DevelopmentDepartment of Homeland SecurityDepartment of the Navy

Effective dates

All FY2026 appropriations and spending restrictions take effectFiscal year 2026
Unexpended Senate office account balances must be returned to TreasurySec. 101Upon expiration of each fiscal year's period of availability
Capitol Police mutual aid transfer authority window closesSec. 1102026-09-30

Funding and costs

$314,143,000FY2026
Compensation of Senate officers, employees, and related agency contributionsSalaries, Officers and Employees
$645,431,000FY2026
Senators' Official Personnel and Office Expense Account, including $7,000,000 for Senate intern compensationsenators' official personnel and office expense account
$222,416,000FY2026
Senate inquiries and investigations by committeesinquiries and investigations
$653,422,000FY2026
Capitol Police salaries, overtime, and employee benefitsCAPITOL POLICE - Salaries
$201,678,000FY2026
Capitol Police general expenses including equipment, training, and Member protectionCAPITOL POLICE - General Expenses
$71,400,000FY2026
Congressional Budget Office salaries and expenses, including at least $500,000 for transparency improvementsCONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE
$592,411,000FY2026
Library of Congress general salaries, expenses, and programs including civics and veterans history initiativesLIBRARY OF CONGRESS - Salaries and Expenses
$136,080,000FY2026
Congressional Research Service salaries and expensesCongressional Research Service
$102,386,000FY2026
Copyright Office salaries, expenses, and modernization initiativesCopyright Office
$66,130,000FY2026
National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled operations, including newspaper contractsNational Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled
$811,894,000FY2026
Government Accountability Office salaries and necessary expensesGOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE
$80,000,000FY2026
Government Publishing Office congressional publishing and information distributionCongressional Publishing
$156,676,000FY2026
Architect of the Capitol capital construction and operationsCapital Construction and Operations
$18,500,000FY2026
Emergency Senate Member security enhancements and residential security system programSec. 213
$25,000,000FY2026
Capitol Police mutual aid reimbursements and related training (emergency designation)Sec. 213

How implementation would work

Funds are disbursed through the relevant agency heads (e.g., Chief of the Capitol Police, Architect of the Capitol, Librarian of Congress, Comptroller General). Many appropriations carry multi-year availability provisions — some remaining available through FY2030 or until expended. Transfer authority is provided in limited circumstances, such as Capitol Police mutual aid reimbursements and Senate Sergeant at Arms security programs. The bill's administrative provisions are self-executing restrictions on how funds may be used; the CBO transparency requirement and Senate intern pay earmark are enforced through appropriations conditions. Senate protection emergency amounts are designated as emergency requirements and require congressional notification before obligation.

Legislative status & sources

Latest action

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 113.

2025-07-10

Official CRS summary

Show the CRS summary

This bill provides FY2026 appropriations for the legislative branch, including the Senate 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 House are not included in the Senate bill.)

The bill also sets forth requirements and restrictions for using funds provided by this bill.

From the Congressional Research Service.

Legislative subjects

Appropriations; Architect of the Capitol; Congress; Congressional Budget Office (CBO); Congressional Research Service (CRS); Congressional agencies; Congressional officers and employees; Government Accountability Office (GAO); Government Publishing Office (GPO); Government buildings, facilities, and property; Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management; Joint Committee on Taxation; Joint Economic Committee; Law enforcement officers; Libraries and archives; Library of Congress; Senate

Committee report

S. Rept. 119-38

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