Bill · S. 2587· Senate(119-S-2587)
Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026
- Introduced
- 7/31/2025
- Last activity
- 7/31/2025 — Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 140.
- Sponsored by
- Shelley Capito
- Cosponsors
- None
- Introduced
- On Calendar
What this bill would do
This bill provides funding for various federal agencies, including the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026. It allocates significant resources toward workforce training, unemployment insurance, job corps, and higher education, including Pell Grants. The legislation also funds public health initiatives, medical research through the National Institutes of Health, and social services like Head Start and community services. Additionally, it covers provisions for veterans' employment, tribal education, and various social safety nets. The bill establishes several spending restrictions regarding reproductive health, research methods, and harm reduction. Finally, it includes mandates for agency reporting, transparency in federal funding, and oversight of fund transfers.
Yes· 3 of 40
Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together?+8
The bill includes extensive resources for veteran employment, transition assistance, and support for homeless veterans.
Does this put more money into medical research?+8
The bill provides massive funding to the National Institutes of Health across various specialized institutes.
Does this put more money into scientific research?+8
The bill provides vast resources for medical, scientific, and technological research through the NIH.
The opposite
Does this make abortion easier to get?-5
The bill explicitly prohibits the use of funds for any abortion or health benefits coverage that includes coverage of abortion.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Workforce Training and Employment: The bill provides $2,919,332,000 for grants to States to support adult, youth, and dislocated worker employment and training activities under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).
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Apprenticeship Opportunities: $285,000,000 is allocated to expand opportunities through apprenticeships registered under the National Apprenticeship Act.
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Support for Veterans: Funds are provided for Jobs for Veterans State grants ($185,000,000) and the Transition Assistance Program ($34,379,000) to assist with employment and transition services.
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Health Care Workforce and Primary Care: The bill includes funding for the National Health Service Corps ($1,383,376,000) to expand the delivery of substance use disorder treatment and primary health services.
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Medical Research: Significant funds are directed toward the National Institutes of Health for various research needs, such as $7,374,159,000 for the National Cancer Institute and $6,592,279,000 for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
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Family and Child Support: Funding is provided for the Child Care and Development Block Grant ($8,831,387,000) to assist low-income families.
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Increased Support for Early Childhood Education: The bill provides $77,000,000 for cost of living adjustments for Head Start, which can help support the program's operations (Children and Families Services Programs).
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Support for Tribal Education: $8,000,000 is designated for the Tribal Colleges and Universities Head Start Partnership Program (Children and Families Services Programs).
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Financial Assistance for Students: The bill sets the maximum Pell Grant at $6,335 for the 2026-2027 award year to assist with higher education costs (Student Financial Assistance).
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Support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities: The bill provides $20,150,000 for the Historically Black College and University Capital Financing Program to subsidize loan principals (Historically Black College and University Capital Financing Program Account).
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Protection for Rural Healthcare Access: The bill includes requirements for the Administrator of CMS to provide detailed analysis of the healthcare impacts before terminating agreements with critical access hospitals, intended to ensure continuity in hospital standards (Sec. 240).
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Empowerment of Individuals with Disabilities: Funding is provided for the American Printing House for the Blind, the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, and Gallaudet University to support specialized educational and service needs (Special Institutions for Persons With Disabilities).
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Increased Transparency in Federal Funding: Grantees receiving Federal money must clearly state the percentage and dollar amount of the project funded by Federal money versus non-governmental sources (Sec. 505).
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Protection for Medical Professionals: Funds cannot be used to deny money to agencies that discriminate against health care entities because they do not provide, pay for, or refer for abortions (Sec. 507(d)(1)).
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Safeguards for Medical Exceptions: The restrictions on abortion funding do not apply in cases of rape, incest, or when a physician certifies a physical condition that places a woman in danger of death (Sec. 507(a)).
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Protection Against Misinformation: The bill prohibits the use of funds to disseminate information that is deliberately false or misleading (Sec. 515(b)).
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Cybersecurity and Content Control: Federal agencies are prohibited from maintaining computer networks unless they block the viewing, downloading, and exchanging of pornography (Sec. 520(a)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Salary and Bonus Limitations: Under Section 105, recipients or subrecipients of funds for Employment and Training Administration programs are prohibited from paying salaries and bonuses to individuals at a rate in excess of Executive Level II.
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Restrictions on Training and Job Opportunities: Some funds for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration cannot be used to enforce standards for employers with 10 or fewer employees in certain categories, which may impact the scope of oversight for those businesses.
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Job Corps Salary Caps: Section 101 prohibits the use of Job Corps funds to pay salaries or bonuses that exceed Executive Level II.
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Restrictions on Legal Action for Individuals with Disabilities: There are limitations placed on using certain funds for legal actions that seek to close State-operated intermediate care facilities for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities, unless specific public notice is provided (Administration for Community Living).
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Limitations on Higher Education Institutions: Under the National Institutes of Health, the Director may decline the transfer of an ongoing extramural award if there are unresolved concerns regarding harassment, bullying, or hostile work environments (Sec. 237).
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Restrictions on Student Loan Servicing: The bill allows for the reallocation of accounts from student loan servicers who fail to comply with guidelines, which could impact the continuity of service for borrowers (Student Aid Administration).
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Limitations on Certain Health Services: The bill specifies that funds may not be used to support the Medicare Advantage program if an entity informs the Secretary that it will not provide, pay for, or cover abortions (Sec. 209).
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Restrictions on Research: Funds cannot be used for the creation of human embryos for research or research where human embryos are destroyed or subjected to risk of injury or death (Sec. 508(a)).
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Limitations on Drug Research: Funds are prohibited from being used for any activity that promotes the legalization of Schedule I drugs, unless there is significant medical evidence of therapeutic advantage or federally sponsored clinical trials are underway (Sec. 509).
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Restrictions on Harm Reduction Tools: Funds cannot be used to purchase sterile needles or syringes for the hypodermic injection of illegal drugs (Sec. 526).
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Impact on Social Security Payments: The bill prohibits using funds to process certain Social Security claims based on work performed under a social security account number that is not the claimant's number if it resulted in a conviction (Sec. 518).
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Restrictions on International Agreements: Funds cannot be used to pay compensation for employees of the Social Security Administration to administer payments under agreements with Mexico that would not otherwise be payable (Sec. 519).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Veterans+8Good For Children+7Good For Low Income Households+7Good For People With Disabilities+7Good For Students+7Good For Native Americans+6Good For Seniors+6Good For African Americans+5Good For Immigrants+5Good For Women+5Good For Middle Class Households+4
- Healthcare
- Increases Research Funding+8Improves Mental Health Access+7Improves Opioid Crisis Response+7Improves Pandemic Preparedness+7Improves Veterans Healthcare+6Improves Healthcare Access+5Increases Affordable Care Act Support+5Increases Medicare Funding+5Increases Medicaid Funding+4Improves Abortion Access-5
- Education And Technology
- Increases Scientific Research Funding+8Improves College Affordability+7Increases Public School Funding+7Improves Student Loan Relief+4
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Childcare Affordability+6Improves Poverty Reduction+5Reduces Homelessness+5Improves Border Security+4Improves Disability Rights+1Improves Social Security+1
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Fiscal Responsibility+5Increases Job Creation+5Increases Unemployment Benefits+4Improves Economic Growth+3Improves Union Protections+1
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Improves Veterans Benefits+7Increases Foreign Aid+4
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Improves Disaster Relief And F E M A+4Improves Rural Development+4
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Government Transparency+3
- 7/31/2025
- Committee on Appropriations. Original measure reported to Senate by Senator Capito. With written report No. 119-55.
- Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 140.
- Introduced in Senate
2 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.