Review – HR 5304 Introduced – FY 2026 LHH Spending

Back in September Rep Aderhold introduced HR 5304, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026. The House Appropriations Committee published their Report on the bill. The bill contains specific spending authorizations for cybersecurity activities and CBRN response initiatives. The Report contains cybersecurity, chemical safety and UAS discussions.

HR 5304 is similar to HR 9029, the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies [LHH] Appropriations Act, 2025, that was introduced by Alderholt in July, 2024. The House Appropriations Committee published their Report on the bill the same day. No further action was taken on that bill (or its Senate counterpart, S 4942) in the 118th Congress. The Senate version of the FY 2026 LHH spending bill, S 2587, may be included in the text of the substitute language that will be considered for HR 4016 when the Senate comes back to Washington in January.

Moving Forward

It does not currently look like the House will take up this bill as this is one of the more controversial spending bills, even within the Republican caucus. Spending hawks do not think that enough cuts were made, and moderates are concerned with some of the language related to abortions, transgender issues, and vaccine support. It still looks like the Senate will include the language from their more moderate LHH spending bill as a Division in the language they have been ‘debating’ for HR 4016, the FY 2026 DOD spending bill. The Senate leadership is working towards considering that minibus spending bill early in July. What ever spending bills remain unpassed at the end of the month will likely be dealt with under a year-end continuing resolution, hopefully before the current CR runs out on January 31^st.

 

For more information on the cybersecurity and chemical safety provisions of the bill, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/hr-5304-introduced-fy-2026-lhh-spending - subscription required.