Division A — COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2026

5 Titles Generated 3/10/2026 via Grok

Division Overview

1. Overview

Division A of this omnibus appropriations bill, titled the "Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026," funds the Department of Commerce, Department of Justice, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Science Foundation (NSF), and related agencies like the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Legal Services Corporation. Its overall purpose is to support economic development and trade promotion, law enforcement and federal prisons, scientific research and space exploration, civil rights enforcement, and grants to state and local governments.

2. Total Spending

The total appropriation amount is not discernible as a single figure from the text, which lists funding across hundreds of accounts, subaccounts, offsets (e.g., fees), transfers, and references to separate explanatory statements for precise allocations (e.g., community projects). Major accounts total tens of billions of dollars.

3. Key Funding Areas

  • Federal Bureau of Investigation - Salaries and Expenses: $10.609 billion — for crime detection, investigation, and prosecution activities.
  • Federal Prison System - Salaries and Expenses: $8.1 billion — for operating federal prisons, including First Step Act programs.
  • NASA - Exploration: $7.783 billion — for human spaceflight development, including Space Launch System, Orion crew vehicle, and Human Landing System (available until September 30, 2027).
  • National Science Foundation - Research and Related Activities: $7.176 billion — for science grants, polar research, and operations (available until September 30, 2027).
  • NASA - Science: $7.25 billion — for Earth science, planetary science, astrophysics, and heliophysics research (available until September 30, 2027).
  • NOAA - Operations, Research, and Facilities: $4.54 billion — for weather forecasting, fisheries management, satellite operations, and climate research (available until September 30, 2027; plus transfers).
  • United States Patent and Trademark Office - Salaries and Expenses: $4.956 billion — for patent examinations and trademark registrations (fully offset by fees, available until expended).
  • NOAA - Procurement, Acquisition, and Construction: $1.577 billion — for satellites, ships, aircraft, and facilities (available until September 30, 2028 or expended).
  • NIST - Scientific and Technical Research and Services: $1.249 billion — for standards, measurements, and research labs (available until expended).
  • Office of Justice Programs - State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance: $2.4 billion — for Byrne grants, victim services, reentry programs, and opioid initiatives (available until expended).

4. Notable Provisions

  • Rescinds $694.2 million in unobligated prior-year balances from Commerce and Justice accounts by September 30, 2026 (Sec. 521), excluding certain congressionally directed spending.
  • Prohibits use of funds for abortions except where the mother's life is endangered or in cases of rape/incest; bars requiring employees to perform or facilitate abortions (Secs. 202-204).
  • Limits reprogrammings and transfers to 5-10% of accounts with 30-day notice to Congress (Sec. 505); requires spending plans within 45 days of enactment (Sec. 528).
  • Allocates CHIPS Act funds: Commerce directs ~$1 billion+ to NIST semiconductor programs; NSF to workforce training (Sec. 541).
  • Bars NASA/OSTP bilateral activities with China unless authorized by law post-enactment, with FBI consultation and congressional notice (Sec. 526).
  • Prohibits funding transfers related to Guantanamo detainees or new U.S. facilities for them (Secs. 538-539).
  • No funds to move ATF Canine Training Center from Front Royal, VA (Sec. 543); transfers $507 million from IIJA to NOAA operations (Sec. 544).

5. Who Benefits

Primary beneficiaries include federal agencies (e.g., FBI, NOAA, USPTO, NIST, NASA, NSF bureaus); state/local law enforcement and governments via ~$3+ billion in grants (Byrne JAG, COPS, violence against women programs); federal prisons and inmates (reentry, First Step Act); scientists, universities, and researchers; businesses (patents, trade/export aid, manufacturing extension); minority-owned enterprises; coastal communities and fisheries; victims of crime/violence; and rural/persistent poverty areas via economic development grants.

6. Plain English Summary

Hey neighbor, this section of the big federal spending bill hands out cash for FY2026 to keep the government running in trade, cops, courts, prisons, weather satellites, space rockets, and basic science research—think $10 billion for the FBI to chase bad guys, $8 billion to run federal jails, over $20 billion total for NASA and NSF to explore space and fund labs, and billions more for NOAA's hurricanes-and-fish work plus grants to local police and economic aid for struggling towns. It includes rules like no taxpayer money for most abortions, cuts $700 million in old unspent funds, blocks NASA from cozying up to China without OKs, and shifts some infrastructure cash to NOAA and NTIA programs.

Titles