Sponsor
Jerry Moran
Senator · R-KS
Senator · R-KS
The bill increases fiscal transparency, congressional oversight, and some program safeguards (notably for weather services and civil‑liberties protections) but does so by imposing tight spending caps, rescissions, and new certification/compliance rules that reduce agency flexibility, can delay procurement and modernization, and shrink available program funds.
Federal oversight bodies, taxpayers, and congressional appropriations committees gain much stronger fiscal transparency and advance notice of major spending moves (30‑day notifications, out‑year impact reporting, audit/public posting requirements, reporting of unobligated balances, limits on obligating funds beyond the fiscal year).
NOAA, the National Weather Service, and communities (especially rural and coastal) can maintain/hire staff and partner with state, local, Tribal, and academic entities to improve weather forecasting and public‑safety responses.
State, local governments, nonprofits, and grant applicants get faster and more transparent access to DOJ grant opportunities (posting within 90 days and awards by Sept 30, 2026), improving planning and program delivery.
Federal agencies and employees lose budgetary and operational flexibility because transfers, reprogrammings, reorganizations, office moves, privatizations, and program changes face tight caps, notice requirements, and restrictions, which can delay responses to urgent needs.
Program beneficiaries, grant recipients, and taxpayers face reduced funding capacity because rescissions and limits on crediting/revenue (e.g., DOJ rescissions, NTIS cost caps, reimbursement credit caps, waiving cost‑share incentives) shrink available program funds and may shift costs to other budgets.
People in DOJ‑funded programs and facilities who need reproductive care may lose access because DOJ is prohibited from using funds for abortions except very narrow exceptions.
Based on analysis of 10 sections of legislative text.
Provides FY2026 Commerce and Justice appropriations, sets satellite program cost baselines, imposes DOJ spending restrictions (including abortion and prison rules), and tightens reprogramming and procurement rules.
Official title: An original bill making appropriations for the Departments of Commerce and Justice, Science, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, and for other purposes.
Introduced July 17, 2025 by Jerry Moran · Last progress July 17, 2025
Provides FY2026 appropriations and spending rules for the Department of Commerce and the Department of Justice and sets cross‑agency financial controls and reporting requirements. It funds routine department operations, sets lifecycle cost baselines for several NOAA/space satellite programs, restricts certain DOJ expenditures (including abortion-related payments and inmate media/cable purchases), and establishes detailed reprogramming, notification, and procurement rules across agencies. Also includes governmentwide provisions limiting multi‑year obligations, restricting publicity expenditures, tightening consulting contract transparency, imposing reprogramming/transfer limits and advance notice requirements to Appropriations Committees, and several Buy‑American/preference and reporting requirements for procurement activity.