H.R. 7744 · Where this bill is now
In the Senate
Passed the House Mar 5, 2026. Received Mar 9, 2026; no Senate vote yet
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryFunds Department of Homeland Security for 2026
This bill provides money to keep the Department of Homeland Security running for the rest of 2026. It ends a partial shutdown that started when temporary funding ran out, and it covers everything from border protection and immigration services to airport security, emergency management, and cybersecurity. The bill also makes sure federal employees who missed paychecks during the shutdown get their back pay.
How it affects you
If you work for DHS or one of its agencies—like as a border officer, TSA agent, or FEMA employee—you'll resume normal operations and receive any paychecks you missed. For the public, this restores full staffing at airports, ports, and other security checkpoints, and brings emergency response services back to regular capacity. Most Americans won't notice a direct change, but the bill ensures these government services continue without interruption.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Mar 2, 2026)
Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026
This bill provides appropriations to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for the remainder of FY2026. It also ends the partial DHS shutdown that began on February 14, 2026, because the continuing resolution (CR) that was funding DHS expired and a regular FY2026 DHS appropriations bill had not been enacted.
Specifically, the bill provides appropriations to DHS for Departmental Management, Intelligence, Situational Awareness, and Oversight, including
• the Office of the Secretary and Executive Management;
• the Management Directorate;
• Intelligence, Analysis, and Situational Awareness; and
• the Office of Inspector General.
In addition, the bill provides appropriations for Security, Enforcement, and Investigations, including
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection,
• U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement,
• the Transportation Security Administration,
• the U.S. Coast Guard, and
• the U.S. Secret Service.
The bill provides appropriations for Protection, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery, including
• the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and
• the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
The bill provides appropriations for Research, Development, Training, and Services, including
• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services,
• the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers, and
• the Science and Technology Directorate.
The bill also authorizes back pay, in accordance with current law, for federal employees who were affected by the partial DHS shutdown.
Finally, the bill ratifies and approves certain obligations that were incurred during the partial DHS shutdown, including obligations incurred to maintain the essential level of activity to protect life and property and bring about an orderly termination of government functions.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
2nd SessionH. R. 7744
AN ACT
Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026
Sponsor: Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK-4) · Introduced Mar 2, 2026 · Economics and Public Finance · 3 versions of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Mar 9, 2026: “Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Appropriations.”
How Congress voted
Official roll callsHouse · On Passage · Mar 5, 2026
Passage Passed 221–209
| Party | Yes | No | Didn’t vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 4 | 209 | 1 |
| Republicans | 217 | 0 | 1 |
4 members voted against most of their party: 4 Democrats voted Yes.
Congress votes on whole bills and amendments, not on single sections.