Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026

House Votes

This is a federal spending bill for energy and water programs for fiscal year 2026. It pays for Army Corps of Engineers civil works, the Bureau of Reclamation, the Department of Energy, and independent agencies like the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. It also sets rules for how this money can be used.

Key points:

• When: Applies to fiscal year 2026.
• What it funds: Flood control and other Corps projects; water projects at the Bureau of Reclamation; and many DOE programs, from electricity and cybersecurity to nuclear energy and research, plus oversight agencies like FERC and the NRC.
• Agency limits: No funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion programs or for efforts tied to Critical Race Theory; no use of funds for COVID-19 mask or vaccine mandates; only the U.S. flag, official U.S. government flags, or the POW/MIA flag may be flown at federal facilities; and funds may not be used to punish people for acting on the belief that marriage is between one man and one woman.
• Free speech: Funds may not be used to label Americans’ lawful speech as “mis-, dis-, or mal-information,” or to fund groups that pressure companies to censor lawful speech.
• Outdoor recreation: People who are allowed by state law may possess firearms at Army Corps of Engineers recreation sites; several campgrounds at Lake Lanier, Georgia, must remain open; and fees collected at a Corps project can be used at any site within that same project.
• Nuclear and energy: Shifts unused infrastructure funds toward nuclear energy projects, including small modular reactors, and blocks DOE from enforcing a clean-energy rule for new or renovated federal buildings.
• China-related limits: DOE may not buy certain office computers, printers, or video tools from companies in which China has any ownership stake; large DOE grants or loans ($10 million or more) are restricted for “entities of concern” defined in law; and oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve cannot be sold to entities tied to the Chinese Communist Party or exported to China.
• Nuclear waste: No federal money may support new interim storage of spent nuclear fuel unless the host state, local governments, and affected Tribes consent; current licensed storage sites are not affected.