Further Additional Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act, 2025
- Bill Number
- H.R. 1974
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Economics and Public Finance
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-03-10: Referred to the Committee on Appropriations, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Last Updated
- 2026-03-11T15:10:41Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose of the Legislation
This bill, titled the "Further Additional Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act, 2025," aims to temporarily extend federal government funding and various programs to prevent a government shutdown. It provides short-term continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2025 (ending September 30, 2025) and extends funding and authorities for health, Medicare, human services, Medicaid, and other initiatives through mid-April 2025.
Key Provisions
The bill is divided into two main parts: Division A for appropriations and Division B for extensions and other matters.
Division A: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2025
- Extension of Funding: Amends the prior Continuing Appropriations Act, 2025 (Public Law 118-83) to extend funding at current levels through April 11, 2025, replacing the previous end date of March 31, 2025.
- Department of Defense (DOD) Adjustments:
- Allows up to $3.34 billion for the Columbia Class Submarine program under Navy shipbuilding procurement.
- Permits up to $1.93 billion for completing prior-year shipbuilding programs, specifying amounts for 22 projects (e.g., $236 million for the 2013/2025 Carrier Replacement Program and $669 million for 2020/2025 CVN Refueling Overhauls).
- Overrides a prior restriction (section 521(b)(1) of Public Law 118-42) on certain fund uses during this period.
- Additional Appropriations:
- $750 million for the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Disaster Relief Fund for major disasters under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (a law providing federal aid after declared disasters). This is designated as an emergency requirement and remains available until spent.
- $1.65 million for the Office of Navajo and Hopi Relocation's salaries and expenses, to support responsibilities under the 1974 Navajo-Hopi Land Settlement Act (which addresses land disputes between these Native American tribes).
- $174,000 one-time payment to Ashley Paige Turner, beneficiary of the late Representative Sylvester Turner from Texas (a standard death gratuity for congressional members' families).
Division B: Extensions and Other Matters
- Title I: Health Extensions
- Public Health Programs: Extends funding through April 11, 2025, for community health centers ($132.6 million), National Health Service Corps ($11 million, for recruiting healthcare providers to underserved areas), and teaching health centers ($6.1 million, for graduate medical education in community settings). Also extends special diabetes programs for Type I diabetes and Indians ($4.8 million each).
- National Health Security: Extends authorities through April 11, 2025, for public health emergency preparedness, including medical countermeasures (e.g., vaccines and treatments for threats like pandemics) and strategic national stockpile management.
- Medicare Extensions:
- Increased payment adjustments for low-volume hospitals (rural facilities with few patients) through April 12, 2025.
- Medicare-Dependent Hospital (MDH) program extension (supports small rural hospitals reliant on Medicare patients) through April 12, 2025.
- Add-on payments for ambulance services through April 12, 2025.
- Funding for quality measure endorsement and selection ($ amount not specified, but extended to April 11, 2025).
- Outreach and assistance for low-income Medicare programs, increasing funding slightly (e.g., State Health Insurance Assistance Programs to $23.1 million through April 11, 2025).
- Work Geographic Index floor (adjusts Medicare payments based on location costs) through April 12, 2025.
- Telehealth flexibilities: Removes geographic limits, expands eligible sites and practitioners, allows audio-only services, and delays in-person requirements for mental health through April 11 or 12, 2025; also extends for federally qualified health centers, rural clinics, and hospice recertifications.
- Acute hospital care at home waiver (allows Medicare to cover hospital-level care in patients' homes) through April 11, 2025.
- Temporary inclusion of certain oral antiviral drugs in Medicare Part D coverage through April 11, 2025.
- Reduces the Medicare Improvement Fund from $1.25 billion to $1.02 billion (a reserve for future Medicare enhancements).
- Human Services: Extends sexual risk avoidance education and personal responsibility education programs through April 11, 2025; increases family-to-family health information centers funding to $3.2 million through April 12, 2025 (supports families with children who have special health needs).
- Medicaid: Delays cuts to disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payments (extra funds for hospitals serving many low-income patients) from April 1 to April 12, 2025.
- Title II: Miscellaneous Extensions
- Extends the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) whistleblower program (rewards tips on financial fraud) through April 11, 2025.
- Extends protections for certain facilities and assets from unmanned aircraft (drones) through April 11, 2025.
- Extends an additional special assessment under criminal law (likely a fee for federal offender supervision) through April 11, 2025.
- Extends authorization for the National Cybersecurity Protection System (defends federal networks from cyber threats) through April 11, 2025.
- Title III: Budgetary Effects
- Exempts the bill's costs from Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) scorecards (rules requiring offsets for new spending to control deficits) and certain budget enforcement mechanisms, ensuring it does not count toward sequestration (automatic spending cuts) or appropriations limits.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Funding Duration: Shifts most program end dates from March 31 or April 1, 2025, to April 11 or 12, 2025, providing an 11-day extension.
- DOD-Specific Overrides: Introduces new apportionment allowances for Navy shipbuilding, bypassing prior limits and adding targeted funds for cost overruns in ongoing programs.
- Health and Medicare Tweaks: Adds prorated funding for short-term periods (e.g., April 1–11, 2025) and expands telehealth flexibilities (e.g., no in-person mental health requirement until April 12). Reduces the Medicare Improvement Fund by about $233 million.
- Budget Exemptions: Explicitly excludes effects from deficit-control laws, a common feature in continuing resolutions to ease passage.
- One-Time Appropriations: Introduces new emergency funding for disasters and tribal relocation, plus a unique congressional beneficiary payment.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: Ensures uninterrupted operations for agencies like DOD (supports shipbuilding to maintain naval readiness), HHS (sustains healthcare programs), and FEMA (bolsters disaster response capacity). Cybersecurity and drone protections aid DHS.
- Citizens: Prevents service disruptions in healthcare (e.g., continued access to community clinics, telehealth for rural or mental health patients, diabetes support). Rural hospitals and low-income individuals benefit from payment extensions, potentially avoiding closures or reduced care. Disaster victims gain extra relief funds; Native American communities see ongoing land settlement support.
- International Relations: Minimal direct impact, but DOD shipbuilding funds (e.g., submarines) could indirectly strengthen U.S. military posture in global security contexts.
- Overall: Averts a partial government shutdown, maintaining stability but delaying full-year budget decisions, which could lead to uncertainty if not followed by comprehensive appropriations.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Government Agencies: Department of Defense (shipbuilding), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS, including Medicare/Medicaid administration), FEMA, CFTC, and DHS (cybersecurity and drone protections).
- Healthcare Providers and Facilities: Community health centers, rural hospitals (MDHs and low-volume), ambulance services, teaching health centers, federally qualified health centers, and rural clinics.
- Citizens and Communities: Low-income and rural patients (telehealth, outreach programs), Medicare beneficiaries (payment adjustments, drug coverage), families with special needs children, Native American tribes (Navajo and Hopi), and disaster-affected individuals.
- Other: Defense contractors (shipbuilding firms like those building submarines and carriers), whistleblowers in financial markets, and congressional families (one-time payment).
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Relies on amendments to existing laws (e.g., Social Security Act, Public Health Service Act) for extensions, with implementation flexibility for HHS via program instructions (speeds rollout without full rulemaking). Emergency designations for disaster funds follow established procedures under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act.
- Constitutional: No apparent challenges; continuing resolutions are standard under Article I's appropriations power, ensuring Congress controls spending without lapse.
- Political: As a short-term "patch," it highlights ongoing budget gridlock in the 119th Congress, potentially pressuring negotiations for full-year funding. PAYGO exemptions reduce fiscal hawk opposition but could draw criticism for adding to deficits without offsets. The beneficiary payment underscores congressional perks, possibly inviting scrutiny on equity. Overall, it maintains the status quo, avoiding politically risky shutdowns.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. DeLauro, Rosa L. [D-CT-3]
Recent Actions
- 2025-03-10: Referred to the Committee on Appropriations, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2025-03-10: Referred to the Committee on Appropriations, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2025-03-10: Introduced in House
- 2025-03-10: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Further Additional Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act, 2025 — issued 2025-03-10 — PDF (19 pages)