crs_reports: R48970

Congressional Research Service reports with summaries, authors, and topic classifications.

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R48970 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education: FY2026 Appropriations 2026-05-28T04:00:00Z 2026-06-06T05:53:56Z Active Reports Karen E. Lynch, Jessica Tollestrup, David H. Bradley, Ada S. Cornell, Cassandria Dortch, William R. Morton, Angela Napili, Kavya Sekar, Kyle D. Shohfi, Rebecca R. Skinner Appropriations Policy, Labor, HHS & Education Appropriations This report offers an overview of the FY2026 Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) appropriations bill. This bill includes all accounts funded through the annual appropriations process at the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and U.S. Department of Education (ED). It also provides annual appropriations for most agencies within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), with certain exceptions (e.g., the Food and Drug Administration), and for more than a dozen related agencies (including the Social Security Administration). This report primarily focuses on regular FY2026 LHHS discretionary funding enacted during the annual appropriations process. Totals generally do not include emergency-designated funds, except as noted. In general, no emergency-designated funds were proposed or enacted for LHHS programs and activities in FY2026; a limited amount of emergency-designated appropriations were provided to LHHS in FY2024 and FY2025. FY2026 Appropriations FY2026 LHHS Omnibus: On February 3, 2026, the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 (FY2026 LHHS omnibus; H.R. 7148; P.L. 119-75) was signed into law by the President, providing full-year annual appropriations for LHHS (Division B). Annual discretionary LHHS appropriations totaled $226.1 billion (0.4% less than FY2024 enacted, 0.3% more than FY2025, and 29.9% more than the FY2026 President’s request). It also provided $1.513 trillion in mandatory funding, for a combined LHHS total of $1.739 trillion. The distribution of discretionary funding was as follows: DOL: $13.7 billion, 0.2% less than FY2024 and 0.5% more than FY2025. HHS: $116.4 billion, 0.9% less than FY2024 and 0.2% more than FY2025. ED: $79.0 billion, 0.1% less than FY2024 and 0.3% more than FY2025. Related Agencies: $17.1 billion, 1.4% more than FY2024 and 1.0% more than FY2025. FY2026 Continuing Resolutions: At the start of the fiscal year (October 1, 2025), a funding lapse commenced, resulting in a government shutdown that affected many LHHS programs and activities; that lapse ended on November 12, 2025, with the enactment of temporary LHHS funding in a continuing resolution (CR) (Division A of H.R. 5371; P.L. 119-37). The CR funded LHHS programs and activities (and the activities under the purview of several other appropriations acts) through January 30, 2026. Discretionary programs generally were funded at the same rate, and under the same conditions, as in FY2025; whereas appropriated entitlements were funded at their current law levels. The CR also included one provision that was specific to LHHS (§155). When annual appropriations for LHHS were not yet enacted at the time the CR expired, a second funding lapse commenced, ending with the enactment of full-year appropriations on February 3. FY2026 LHHS House Action: On September 9, 2025, the House Appropriations Committee voted to report its version of the FY2026 LHHS bill (35-28). The measure was subsequently reported on September 11, as H.R. 5304 (H.Rept. 119-271). As reported, the House committee bill would have provided $202.2 billion in discretionary LHHS funds (10.9% less than FY2024 enacted, 10.3% less than FY2025, and $16.1 billion more than the FY2026 President’s request). In addition, it would have provided an estimated $1.513 trillion in mandatory funding, for a combined LHHS total of $1.715 trillion. The distribution of proposed discretionary funding was as follows: DOL: $9.6 billion, 30.0% less than FY2024 and 29.6% less than FY2025. HHS: $109.5 billion, 6.8% less than FY2024 and 5.7% less than FY2025. ED: $66.9 billion, 15.4% less than FY2024 and 15.1% less than FY2025. Related Agencies: $16.3 billion, 3.3% less than FY2024 and 3.8% less than FY2025. FY2026 LHHS Senate Action: On July 31, 2025, the Senate Appropriations Committee voted to report its version of the FY2026 LHHS bill (26-3). The measure was subsequently reported that same day as S. 2587 (S.Rept. 119-55). As reported, the bill would have provided $226.4 billion in discretionary LHHS funds (0.2% less than comparable FY2024 enacted levels, 0.5% more than FY2025, and 30.1% more than the FY2026 President’s request). In addition, it would have provided an estimated $1.513 trillion in mandatory funding, for a combined LHHS total of $1.740 trillion. The distribution of proposed discretionary funding was as follows: DOL: $13.7 billion, 0.2% less than FY2024 and 0.5% more than FY2025. HHS: $116.6 billion, 0.7% less than FY2024 and 0.4% more than FY2025. ED: $79.0 billion, 0.1% less than FY2024 and 0.3% more than FY2025. Related Agencies: $17.1 billion, 1.8% more than FY2024 and 1.3% more than FY2025. FY2026 President’s Budget Request: On May 2, President Trump submitted to Congress an outline of his discretionary funding priorities for FY2026. Additional documents related to the budget request were submitted in the weeks that followed, including congressional justifications for individual departments and agencies. The President requested $174.1 billion in discretionary funding for accounts funded by the LHHS bill (23.3% less than FY2024 enacted and 22.8% less than FY2025). In addition, the President requested $1.513 trillion in annually appropriated mandatory funding, for an LHHS total of $1.687 trillion. The distribution of requested discretionary funding was as follows: DOL: $9.0 billion, 33.9% less than FY2024 and 33.5% less than FY2025. HHS: $84.0 billion, 28.4% less than FY2024 and 27.6% less than FY2025. ED: $66.7 billion, 15.6% less than FY2024 and 15.3% less than FY2025. Related Agencies: $14.3 billion, 15.0% less than FY2024 and 15.4% less than FY2025. https://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/R/PDF/R48970/R48970.3.pdf https://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/R/HTML/R48970.html

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