Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026

House Votes

This bill sets the 2026 budgets for the Departments of Commerce and Justice, NASA, the National Science Foundation, and several related agencies. It also adds many limits on how that money can be used. The funding covers the year ending September 30, 2026 .

It blocks funding for several gun control actions (like buybacks, “red flag” laws, and any federal gun registry) and stops multiple recent ATF rules from being enforced. It also says firearms can’t be taken without notice and a chance for a hearing . It limits immigration-related spending, such as legal help and fee payments for people who entered the U.S. illegally, stops certain asylum-processing changes, and keeps people here unlawfully out of the census counts used to divide seats in Congress . It curbs diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and trainings (including critical race theory) and bars hiring based on race, sex, national origin, or religion; it also protects policies that define sex by biology for certain education rules . The bill blocks or pauses some climate and wildlife rules and funding, including certain NOAA actions on whales and offshore wind, and some climate research programs at Commerce and NSF . It also limits government ties with China (for example, NASA partnerships), bars funding for certain foreign labs (like the Wuhan Institute of Virology), and cuts off money to U.S. colleges that partner in STEM with schools controlled by China’s government . The bill tells agencies not to label Americans’ speech as “misinformation” or fund outside groups that push companies to censor lawful speech, bans COVID-19 vaccine mandates or passports, and requires government networks to block pornography (with law-enforcement exceptions) . It also updates Cuba property-claims law so more people can sue over property taken by the Cuban government, including allowing some past cases to be refiled and repealing a prior limit . Finally, it limits how often the Census Bureau can ask you to answer a voluntary survey and bars forcing you to respond.

Key points

• Who is affected: families and communities served by Commerce and Justice programs; gun owners and dealers; immigrants in court; federal workers and grantees; researchers and colleges; coastal communities and fishermen; offshore wind developers; the general public using government networks .
• What changes:
  • Funds the listed agencies for FY2026.
  • Blocks gun buybacks, red flag laws, and any federal gun registry; stops several ATF rules; requires notice and a hearing before any firearm is taken .
  • Limits immigration-related spending, stops certain asylum changes, and keeps unlawfully present people out of census apportionment counts .
  • Restricts DEI and critical race theory trainings and programs; bars hiring preferences by race, sex, national origin, or religion; protects biological definitions of sex in certain contexts .
  • Scales back or pauses certain climate, wildlife, and offshore wind actions, and blocks some climate research programs .
  • Limits work with China and certain foreign labs; restricts U.S. colleges that partner in STEM with CCP-controlled schools .
  • Bars labeling Americans’ speech as “misinformation,” bans COVID-19 vaccine mandates or passports, and requires agency networks to block pornography (with exceptions) .
  • Expands who can sue over Cuba property claims and lets some past cases be refiled; repeals a prior limit .
• When: for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026; some policy limits apply during that year, and the Cuba changes apply to new and certain past cases .