Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026
H.R. 5304 is an appropriations bill for fiscal year 2026 to fund the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and related agencies. The portion included here concentrates on Title I, Department of Labor, outlining funding for key workforce and employment programs (notably the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) programs, Job Corps, unemployment insurance and services, and veteran employment programs), with many detailed provisos. The bill preserves broad federal support for job training, apprenticeships, and employment services while adding targeted initiatives (e.g., expanded apprenticeship funding, support for regional and Native American programs, and targeted investments in community colleges). It also contains various administrative provisions, transfer authorities, and compliance safeguards (including anti-child-labor provisions and salary caps). A notable feature is the introduction of several program flexibilities for outlying U.S. territories and for consolidating certain grants, along with rescission of funds previously made available under earlier law. In short, the bill aims to strengthen federal support for job training, reemployment services, and workforce development while adding specific regional, tribal, and higher-education initiatives, and it provides mechanisms to manage and evaluate program delivery and administration.
Key Points
- 1Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funding and associated national programs
- 2- Total for WIOA and the National Apprenticeship Act: about $2.59 billion, including separate allocations for adult and dislocated worker activities and for national programs.
- 3- Specific provisional/seasonal timing for some funds (e.g., adult employment and training activities: Oct 1, 2026 – Jun 30, 2027; dislocated workers activities with staged availability).
- 4- Provisions for outlying areas to submit consolidated grant applications and use funds with more flexibility, bypassing some standard subtitle requirements, if approved by the Secretary.
- 5- Substantial dedicated funding for apprenticeships and related workforce activities (apprenticeship expansion, equity intermediaries, and related programs).
- 6Job Corps
- 7- Total appropriation for Job Corps (operations, construction/centers, and related expenses): about $880 million, with specific allotments for operations and for construction/center improvements, including transfer flexibility to meet center needs.
- 8- Provisions limiting use of funds for meals at Job Corps centers and allowing administrative transfers under certain caps.
- 9Unemployment benefits and related programs
- 10- Substantial funds for unemployment insurance administration, state grants, national activities, and related workforce services (via the Unemployment Trust Fund and related accounts).
- 11- Special authorities to extend obligation periods, reallocate funds for automation and IT improvements, and support reemployment services and job search activities.
- 12Veterans’ employment and training
- 13- From the Employment Security Administration account: up to about $277 million to support Jobs for Veterans State grants, Transition Assistance, national institutes, and related services, with flexibility to support veterans’ transition services and data tracking.
- 14- An additional $65.5 million from the General Fund for programs assisting homeless veterans, plus HIRE Vets Medallion funding and related administration.
- 15Other Department of Labor accounts and activities
- 16- Employee Benefits Security Administration, Mine Safety and Health Administration, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office of Disability Employment Policy, Office of Inspector General, and Departmental Management receive specified funding.
- 17- Each account includes typical programmatic authorities (e.g., grants, enforcement, data collection, research) and some program integrity or IT modernization earmarks.
- 18General provisions and safeguards
- 19- Restrictions on procurement to avoid forced or indentured child labor in certain host countries (Section 103).
- 20- Limitations on using funds for certain training programs connected to H-1B visa hiring (Section 104).
- 21- Salary cap limitations for Employment and Training Administration-funded staff and other program administrators (Executive Level II, with some state flexibility) (Sections 105).
- 22- Section 106 and 107 provide Secretary-level authority to transfer limited funds for program administration, program integrity, and evaluations, with time-bound obligations and reporting requirements.
- 23Administrative and modernization priorities
- 24- IT modernization and centralized infrastructure investments within the department.
- 25- Authorized but limited transfers to support program evaluation and the Office of the Chief Evaluation Officer.
- 26- CARES-type or emergency-expense-style flexibilities are present in some sections, subject to committee notification and statutory caps.