Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026

H.R. 7744, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act for 2026, would provide funding to keep DHS operating for the rest of the fiscal year. The bill was introduced in response to a partial DHS shutdown that started on February 14, 2026, when temporary funding expired and no regular appropriations bill had been passed. If enacted, it would restore funding to all major DHS agencies and operations.

The bill would allocate money across four main areas of DHS operations. First, it would fund departmental management and oversight functions, including the Secretary's office and the Inspector General. Second, it would provide funding for security and enforcement operations, including border protection, immigration enforcement, airport security, the Coast Guard, and the Secret Service. Third, it would fund cybersecurity and disaster response agencies. Fourth, it would support immigration services, law enforcement training, and research and development programs.

Beyond funding operations, the bill would authorize back pay for federal employees who lost wages during the shutdown and would approve certain expenses that DHS incurred while operating at minimal levels during the shutdown period. This would ensure that essential functions like border security and airport screening continued even without a full appropriations bill.

The bill has already passed the House and is now being reviewed by the Senate Appropriations Committee. If the Senate approves it and the President signs it, DHS would receive its full funding for the remainder of 2026 and the shutdown would officially end.