H.R. 7481: Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026

H.R. 7481 is an annual Homeland Security funding bill, but much of its real impact comes from the strings attached. It sets detailed deadlines for DHS reports, limits how far the department can move money around without warning Congress, and requires advance notice before many large grants and contracts are announced.

For FEMA, the bill lays out a full grant timeline. Applications for certain grants must be posted within 60 days, applicants then get 80 days to file, and FEMA must act within 65 days after receiving an application. If FEMA misses that first deadline, the bill says its operations account loses $100,000 for each day late.

The bill also creates a second penalty around public announcements. If FEMA goes public with an award before giving appropriators 5 full business days' notice, Congress says $1,000,000 should be rescinded. Grant administrative costs are capped at 5%, and performance periods are generally set between 3 and 5 years.

Beyond grants, H.R. 7481 tightens oversight across DHS. Reprogramming that boosts a program by more than $5,000,000 or 10% — whichever is less — or cuts funding or staffing by 10% or more requires 30 days' advance notice. Transfers between accounts are capped at 5%, and no account can be increased by more than 10%.

The bill also reaches into a few high-profile policy areas. It provides $98,000,000 for Coast Guard MQ-9 aircraft and base stations through 2030, bars funding for long-range armed unmanned aircraft, says lawmakers and senior officials are not exempt from airport passenger and baggage screening, and limits restraints on pregnant people in DHS custody to narrow cases involving safety, flight risk, or medical need.