Sponsor
David G. Valadao
Representative · R-CA
Representative · R-CA
Official title: Making appropriations for the Legislative Branch for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, and for other purposes.
Introduced June 30, 2025 by David G. Valadao
The bill tightens spending discipline and advances telecom security and religious‑expression protections but does so by imposing broad FY2026 expirations, procurement prohibitions, and compliance requirements that could raise costs, disrupt multi‑year programs, and constrain oversight and agency flexibility.
Taxpayers and budget processes: Forces most obligations to expire at the end of FY2026 and requires return of unused allowances to the Treasury, promoting stricter annual budgetary control and limiting open‑ended spending.
State, local, and federal entities replacing covered telecommunications equipment: Prioritizes phase‑out support and transition assistance to reduce transition costs and disruption for entities replacing prohibited telecom and surveillance systems.
Religious organizations and individuals: Prohibits federal adverse actions (tax, grants, benefits, accreditation) against persons acting on sincere religious beliefs or moral convictions, protecting religious exercise from federal penalties.
Federal agencies, vendors, House offices, and taxpayers: Banning procurement/use of covered telecommunications and certain IT equipment from specified manufacturers will require widespread replacement, complicate acquisitions, and raise compliance and replacement costs.
Federal, state, and local programs and taxpayers: Prohibiting obligation of funds beyond FY2026 risks rushed spending, interruption of multi‑year projects, or halting programs that lack express reauthorization.
Government accountability: Prohibiting the GAO from initiating litigation absent a concurrent resolution could reduce GAO's oversight effectiveness and weaken accountability of federal entities.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Appropriates FY2026 legislative branch funds, sets spending and administrative limits, adds cybersecurity minimization rules, amends fleet rules, and allows House Child Care Center telecom expenses.
Appropriates and organizes legislative-branch funding and rules for fiscal year 2026, setting spending limits and administrative authorities for House operations. It caps certain Member allowances and vehicle reimbursement rates, tightens protections when federal entities provide cybersecurity help to the House, eliminates a House-specific carve-out in federal fleet alternative-fuel requirements beginning FY2026, and permits the House Child Care Center to use appropriated funds for specified telecommunications expenses. The bill also includes general appropriations restrictions (single-year availability, limits on transfers and certain uses of funds), rules on consulting contract transparency, limited assistance for private vehicle emergencies, and a requirement that newly established computer networks block pornographic content.