[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5304 Reported in House (RH)]
<DOC>
Union Calendar No. 227
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 5304
[Report No. 119-271]
Making appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human
Services, and Education, and related agencies for the fiscal year
ending September 30, 2026, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 11, 2025
Mr. Aderholt, from the Committee on Appropriations, reported the
following bill; which was committed to the Committee of the Whole House
on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
Making appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human
Services, and Education, and related agencies for the fiscal year
ending September 30, 2026, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled, That the following sums
are appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise
appropriated, for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services,
and Education, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending
September 30, 2026, and for other purposes, namely:
TITLE I
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Employment and Training Administration
training and employment services
(including rescission of funds)
For necessary expenses of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity
Act (referred to in this Act as ``WIOA'') and the National
Apprenticeship Act, $2,594,412,000 plus reimbursements, shall be
available. Of the amounts provided:
(1) for grants to States for adult employment and training
activities and dislocated worker employment and training
activities, $1,807,553,000 as follows:
(A) $712,000,000 for adult employment and training
activities, which shall be available for the period
October 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027; and
(B) $1,095,553,000 for dislocated worker employment
and training activities, of which $235,553,000 shall be
available for the period July 1, 2026 through June 30,
2027, and of which $860,000,000 shall be available for
the period October 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027:
Provided, That the funds available for allotment to outlying
areas to carry out subtitle B of title I of the WIOA shall not
be subject to the requirements of section 127(b)(1)(B)(ii) of
such Act: Provided further, That notwithstanding the
requirements of WIOA, outlying areas may submit a single
application for a consolidated grant that awards funds that
would otherwise be available to such areas to carry out the
activities described in subtitle B of title I of the WIOA:
Provided further, That such application shall be submitted to
the Secretary of Labor (referred to in this title as
``Secretary''), at such time, in such manner, and containing
such information as the Secretary may require: Provided
further, That outlying areas awarded a consolidated grant
described in the preceding provisos may use the funds for any
of the programs and activities authorized under such subtitle B
of title I of the WIOA subject to approval of the application
and such reporting requirements issued by the Secretary; and
(2) for national programs, $786,859,000 as follows:
(A) $325,859,000 for the dislocated workers
assistance national reserve, of which $125,859,000
shall be available for the period July 1, 2026 through
September 30, 2027, and of which $200,000,000 shall be
available for the period October 1, 2026 through
September 30, 2027: Provided, That funds provided to
carry out section 132(a)(2)(A) of the WIOA may be used
to provide assistance to a State for statewide or local
use in order to address cases where there have been
worker dislocations across multiple sectors or across
multiple local areas and such workers remain
dislocated; coordinate the State workforce development
plan with emerging economic development needs; and
train such eligible dislocated workers: Provided
further, That funds provided to carry out sections
168(b) and 169(c) of the WIOA may be used for technical
assistance and demonstration projects, respectively,
that provide assistance to new entrants in the
workforce and incumbent workers: Provided further,
That notwithstanding section 168(b) of the WIOA, of the
funds provided under this subparagraph, the Secretary
may reserve not more than 10 percent of such funds to
provide technical assistance and carry out additional
activities related to the transition to the WIOA:
Provided further, That of the funds provided under this
subparagraph, $120,000,000 shall be for training and
employment assistance under sections 168(b), 169(c)
(notwithstanding the 10 percent limitation in such
section) and 170 of the WIOA as follows:
(i) $55,000,000 shall be for workers in the
Appalachian region, as defined by 40 U.S.C.
14102(a)(1), workers in the Lower Mississippi,
as defined in section 4(2) of the Delta
Development Act (Public Law 100-460, 102 Stat.
2246; 7 U.S.C. 2009aa(2)), and workers in the
region served by the Northern Border Regional
Commission, as defined by 40 U.S.C. 15733; and
(ii) $65,000,000 shall be for the purpose
of developing, offering, or improving
educational or career training programs at
community colleges, defined as public
institutions of higher education, as described
in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act
of 1965 and at which the associate's degree is
primarily the highest degree awarded, with
other eligible institutions of higher
education, as defined in section 101(a) of the
Higher Education Act of 1965, eligible to
participate through consortia, with community
colleges as the lead grantee: Provided, That
the Secretary shall follow the requirements for
the program in House Report 116-62: Provided
further, That any grant funds used for
apprenticeships shall be used to support only
apprenticeship programs registered under the
National Apprenticeship Act and as referred to
in section 3(7)(B) of the WIOA;
(B) $65,000,000 for Native American programs under
section 166 of the WIOA, which shall be available for
the period July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027;
(C) $105,000,000 for YouthBuild activities as
described in section 171 of the WIOA, which shall be
available for the period April 1, 2026 through June 30,
2027;
(D) $6,000,000 for the Workforce Data Quality
Initiative, under the authority of section 169 of the
WIOA, which shall be available for the period July 1,
2026 through June 30, 2027; and
(E) $285,000,000 to expand opportunities through
apprenticeships only registered under the National
Apprenticeship Act and as referred to in section
3(7)(B) of the WIOA, to be available to the Secretary
to carry out activities through grants, cooperative
agreements, contracts and other arrangements, with
States and other appropriate entities, including equity
intermediaries and business and labor industry partner
intermediaries, which shall be available for the period
July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027.
Provided, That of the amounts made available for this heading by
section 1112 of Public Law 119-4 on October 1, 2025, $712,000,000 are
hereby rescinded.
job corps
(including transfer of funds)
To carry out subtitle C of title I of the WIOA, including Federal
administrative expenses, the purchase and hire of passenger motor
vehicles, the construction, alteration, and repairs of buildings and
other facilities, and the purchase of real property for training
centers as authorized by the WIOA, $880,078,000, plus reimbursements,
as follows:
(1) $801,663,000 for Job Corps Operations, which shall be
available for the period July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027;
(2) $61,500,000 for construction, rehabilitation and
acquisition of Job Corps Centers, which shall be available for
the period July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2029, and which may
include the acquisition, maintenance, and repair of major items
of equipment: Provided, That the Secretary may transfer up to
15 percent of such funds to meet the operational needs of such
centers or to achieve administrative efficiencies: Provided
further, That any funds transferred pursuant to the preceding
proviso shall not be available for obligation after June 30,
2026: Provided further, That the Committees on Appropriations
of the House of Representatives and the Senate are notified at
least 15 days in advance of any transfer; and
(3) $16,915,000 for necessary expenses of Job Corps:
Provided, That no funds from any other appropriation shall be used to
provide meal services at or for Job Corps Centers.
federal unemployment benefits and allowances
For payments during fiscal year 2026 of trade adjustment benefit
payments and allowances under part I of subchapter B of chapter 2 of
title II of the Trade Act of 1974, and section 246 of that Act; and for
training, employment and case management services, allowances for job
search and relocation, and related State administrative expenses under
part II of subchapter B of chapter 2 of title II of the Trade Act of
1974, and including benefit payments, allowances, training, employment
and case management services, and related State administration provided
pursuant to section 231(a) of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Extension
Act of 2011, sections 405(a) and 406 of the Trade Preferences Extension
Act of 2015, and section 285(a) of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended,
$50,300,000 together with such amounts as may be necessary to be
charged to the subsequent appropriation for payments for any period
subsequent to September 15, 2026: Provided, That notwithstanding
section 502 of this Act, any part of the appropriation provided under
this heading may remain available for obligation beyond the current
fiscal year pursuant to the authorities of section 245(c) of the Trade
Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2317(c)).
state unemployment insurance and employment service operations
(including transfer of funds)
For authorized administrative expenses, $74,306,000, together with
not to exceed $3,650,584,000 which may be expended from the Employment
Security Administration Account in the Unemployment Trust Fund (``the
Trust Fund''), of which--
(1) $2,875,635,000 from the Trust Fund is for grants to
States for the administration of State unemployment insurance
laws as authorized under title III of the Social Security Act
(including not less than $116,000,000 to carry out reemployment
services and eligibility assessments under section 306 of such
Act, any claimants of regular compensation, as defined in such
section, including those who are profiled as most likely to
exhaust their benefits, may be eligible for such services and
assessments: Provided, That of such amount, $9,000,000 is for
continued support of the Unemployment Insurance Integrity
Center of Excellence), the administration of unemployment
insurance for Federal employees and for ex-service members as
authorized under 5 U.S.C. 8501-8523, and the administration of
trade readjustment allowances, reemployment trade adjustment
assistance, and alternative trade adjustment assistance under
the Trade Act of 1974 and under section 231(a) of the Trade
Adjustment Assistance Extension Act of 2011, sections 405(a)
and 406 of the Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015, and
section 285(a) of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended, and shall
be available for Federal obligation through December 31, 2026,
except that funds for outcome payments pursuant to section
306(f)(2) of the Social Security Act shall be available for
Federal obligation through March 31, 2027): Provided further,
That notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary
may recapture any funds appropriated under this paragraph that
remain unexpended by a State after the period of expenditure
for a State (but before such funds have been returned to the
Trust Fund), and such recaptured funds shall remain available
until expended for reobligation by the Secretary to the States
to carry out automation activities related to the
administration of unemployment compensation laws: Provided
further, That funds transferred pursuant to the preceding
proviso shall not be available until 60 days after the
Secretary has submitted a plan to the Committees on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate
on the planned use of funds;
(2) $18,000,000 from the Trust Fund is for national
activities necessary to support the administration of the
Federal-State unemployment insurance system;
(3) $653,639,000 from the Trust Fund, together with
$21,413,000 from the General Fund of the Treasury, is for
grants to States in accordance with section 6 of the Wagner-
Peyser Act, and shall be available for Federal obligation for
the period July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027;
(4) $17,500,000 from the Trust Fund is for national
activities of the Employment Service, including administration
of the work opportunity tax credit under section 51 of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (including assisting States in
adopting or modernizing information technology for use in the
processing of certification requests), and the provision of
technical assistance and staff training under the Wagner-Peyser
Act;
(5) $85,810,000 from the Trust Fund is for the
administration of foreign labor certifications and related
activities under the Immigration and Nationality Act and
related laws, of which $62,528,000 shall be available for the
Federal administration of such activities, and $23,282,000
shall be available for grants to States for the administration
of such activities; and
(6) $52,893,000 from the General Fund is to provide
workforce information, national electronic tools, and one-stop
system building under the Wagner-Peyser Act and shall be
available for Federal obligation for the period July 1, 2026
through June 30, 2027, of which up to $9,800,000 may be used to
carry out research and demonstration projects related to
testing effective ways to promote greater labor force
participation of people with disabilities: Provided, That the
Secretary may transfer amounts made available for research and
demonstration projects under this paragraph to the ``Office of
Disability Employment Policy'' account for such purposes:
Provided, That to the extent that the Average Weekly Insured
Unemployment (``AWIU'') for fiscal year 2026 is projected by the
Department of Labor to exceed 3,075,000, an additional $28,600,000 from
the Trust Fund shall be available for obligation for every 100,000
increase in the AWIU level (including a pro rata amount for any
increment less than 100,000) to carry out title III of the Social
Security Act: Provided further, That funds appropriated in this Act
that are allotted to a State to carry out activities under title III of
the Social Security Act may be used by such State to assist other
States in carrying out activities under such title III if the other
States include areas that have suffered a major disaster declared by
the President under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and
Emergency Assistance Act: Provided further, That the Secretary may use
funds appropriated for grants to States under title III of the Social
Security Act to make payments on behalf of States for the use of the
National Directory of New Hires under section 453(j)(8) of such Act:
Provided further, That the Secretary may use funds appropriated for
grants to States under title III of the Social Security Act to make
payments on behalf of States to the entity operating the State
Information Data Exchange System: Provided further, That funds
appropriated in this Act which are used to establish a national one-
stop career center system, or which are used to support the national
activities of the Federal-State unemployment insurance, employment
service, or immigration programs, may be obligated in contracts,
grants, or agreements with States and non-State entities: Provided
further, That States awarded competitive grants for improved operations
under title III of the Social Security Act, or awarded grants to
support the national activities of the Federal-State unemployment
insurance system, may award subgrants to other States and non-State
entities under such grants, subject to the conditions applicable to the
grants: Provided further, That funds appropriated under this Act for
activities authorized under title III of the Social Security Act and
the Wagner-Peyser Act may be used by States to fund integrated
Unemployment Insurance and Employment Service automation efforts,
notwithstanding cost allocation principles prescribed under the final
rule entitled ``Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Princip