Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026

Bill Number: H.R. 4552
Origin Chamber: House
Congress: 119th Congress, Session 1
Policy Area: Economics and Public Finance
Status: Introduced
Latest Action: 2025-07-21: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 172.
Last Updated: 2026-07-11T16:28:20Z

AI-Generated Summary

Summary of H.R. 4552: Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026

Purpose

This bill provides funding for the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and related agencies for fiscal year 2026 (ending September 30, 2026). It supports transportation infrastructure, aviation safety, highway programs, housing assistance for low-income families, community development, and related activities, while including administrative rules, rescissions of prior funds, and policy restrictions.

Key Provisions

The bill allocates approximately $120 billion across DOT, HUD, and related entities, drawing from general funds, trust funds (e.g., Highway Trust Fund, Airport and Airway Trust Fund), and transfers from prior laws like the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA, Public Law 117-58). Major categories include:

Department of Transportation (Title I)

Office of the Secretary: $204.6 million for salaries, expenses, research, and technology, including $44.1 million for research (with $10 million for drone infrastructure grants) and $74.6 million for cybersecurity.
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA): $13.8 billion for operations (from Airport and Airway Trust Fund), $6 billion for facilities/equipment (including $2 billion transferred from IIJA), $230 million for research, and $4 billion for airport grants (plus $313.7 million supplemental for community projects and polyfluoroalkyl-related programs).
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA): $504.2 million administrative limit; $62.7 billion obligation limit for federal-aid highways; $63.4 billion for liquidation; $1.4 billion for highway infrastructure (including $954.4 million for community projects, $200 million for Tribal transportation, and $200 million for freight/highway projects focused on commercial vehicle parking).
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration: $390 million for operations and $536.6 million for grants (e.g., safety assistance, driver's license programs).
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: $212.4 million for operations/research and $849.7 million for safety grants.
Federal Railroad Administration: $265.1 million for safety/operations; $44 million for research; $538.4 million for rail infrastructure grants (including $500 million transferred from IIJA); $925 million for Northeast Corridor grants to Amtrak and $1.4 billion for national network grants (both transferred from IIJA).
Federal Transit Administration: $14.6 billion for formula grants; $97.3 million for infrastructure (including community projects); $7.5 million for technical assistance; $53.7 million for capital investments; $150 million for Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.
Other DOT Components: Funding for Great Lakes Seaway ($38.1 million), Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety ($317.4 million total), and Office of Inspector General ($104.8 million).
Administrative Provisions: Rules on transfers, notifications to Congress, prohibitions (e.g., no new aviation user fees, no enforcement of certain motor carrier rules), and rescissions (e.g., $10 million from ARPA-I).

Department of Housing and Urban Development (Title II)

Management and Administration: $1.5 billion for executive/administrative offices, program offices, and working capital fund.
Public and Indian Housing: $31.3 billion for tenant-based rental assistance (Section 8 vouchers, including renewals and special purposes like HUD-VASH); $7.3 billion for public housing operations/capital; $50 million for inspections; $175 million for self-sufficiency programs; $1.3 billion for Native American programs (including block grants and loan guarantees).
Community Planning and Development: $505 million for Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS; $5.6 billion for community development (including $3.3 billion CDBG formula grants and $2.3 billion for community projects); $56 million for self-help homeownership; $4.2 billion for homeless assistance grants.
Housing Programs: $16.7 billion for project-based rental assistance; $950 million for elderly housing; $261.8 million for disability housing; $14 million for manufactured housing fees; loan guarantees for FHA ($400 billion single-family, $35 billion general/special risk) and GNMA ($550 billion).
Other HUD Components: $95 million for research/technology; $28.5 million for fair housing; $295.6 million for lead hazard reduction/healthy homes; $299.4 million for information technology; $143 million for Office of Inspector General.
Administrative Provisions: Rules on recaptures, competitive grants, asset management exemptions, and transfer authorities; rescissions (e.g., $417 million from lead hazard funds).

Related Agencies (Title III)

Access Board: $10 million for accessibility standards.
Federal Maritime Commission: $40 million for operations.
National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) Office of Inspector General: $31.1 million.
National Transportation Safety Board: $145 million.
Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation: $100 million.
Surface Transportation Board: $40.8 million (with fee offsets).

General Provisions (Titles IV and Specific Titles)

Restrictions on reprogramming funds (Section 405 requires congressional notification/approval for changes over 10% or $5 million).
Prohibitions on eminent domain for private benefit, first-class travel, DEI-related executive orders, mask mandates, and certain foreign interactions.
Buy American Act compliance; Inspector General access; no funds for automated traffic cameras or ByteDance ads.
Rescissions of prior unobligated balances (e.g., $75 million from Amtrak, $40 million from transit infrastructure).

Significant Changes to Existing Law

Transfers and Repurposing: Authorizes transfers from IIJA (e.g., $2 billion to FAA facilities, $500 million to rail grants) and prior appropriations, treating them as specified in Public Law 118-5 for continued eligibility.
Rescissions: Permanently rescinds unobligated balances (e.g., $10 million from ARPA-I research, $417 million from lead hazard programs, $75 million from Amtrak intercity rail).
Program Adjustments: Expands eligible uses (e.g., freight grants for commercial vehicle parking with rural priorities; Native American grants for emergencies); prohibits certain rules (e.g., no enforcement of electronic logging for livestock transport, no speed limiters on heavy vehicles).
Policy Riders: Enforces compliance with recent executive orders (e.g., on permitting, DEI); bans funds for updating energy efficiency standards or certain lease termination rules; allows public housing agencies flexibility in tenant payments (Section 239).
Oversight Enhancements: Requires semi-annual reports on failing multifamily properties; adjusts formula allocations for errors across cycles (Section 231).

Potential Impacts

Government Agencies: Provides operational budgets for DOT/HUD, enabling infrastructure maintenance (e.g., FAA facilities, highway obligations) and program delivery (e.g., voucher renewals). Rescissions reduce available prior-year funds, potentially tightening resources; transfer authorities improve flexibility but require congressional approval.
Citizens: Supports affordable housing for over 2 million via Section 8 vouchers and public housing; aids low-income, elderly, disabled, and homeless individuals through grants. Transportation funding improves safety (e.g., motor carrier grants) and access (e.g., airport improvements), benefiting commuters and rural/Tribal communities. Prohibitions may limit certain regulations, affecting vehicle operators or housing tenants.
International Relations: Minimal direct impact; indirect through maritime security ($380 million) and aviation provisions (e.g., no new user fees). Restrictions on foreign air carriers and Cuban property use reinforce U.S. policy.

Main Stakeholders Affected

Federal Agencies: DOT (e.g., FAA, FHWA), HUD offices, Amtrak, and inspectors general.
State/Local Governments and Tribes: Recipients of formula grants (e.g., CDBG, highway aid, Native American block grants); public housing agencies (over 3,000) for operations and vouchers.
Citizens and Communities: Low-income families (housing assistance), veterans (HUD-VASH), Native Americans/Hawaiians (block grants), homeless individuals (Continuum of Care), and transportation users (e.g., drivers, air travelers).
Private Sector: Airlines, railroads, shipyards, contractors for infrastructure projects; nonprofits for community development and self-sufficiency programs.
Other: Airports, transit authorities (e.g., Washington Metro), and small shipyards receiving grants.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

Congressional Oversight: Strengthens control via reprogramming notifications (30-60 days advance) and quarterly reports on unobligated funds, aligning with constitutional appropriations power (Article I, Section 9).
Policy Riders: Imposes restrictions on executive actions (e.g., no mask mandates, compliance with anti-DEI orders), potentially sparking partisan debates; protects religious freedoms in housing (Section 422) under First Amendment principles.
Eminent Domain and Property Rights: Limits use for private economic gain (Section 407), reinforcing Fifth Amendment "public use" requirements per Kelo v. City of New London precedents.
Budgetary Discipline: Rescissions and offsets promote fiscal restraint; flexible tenant payment authority (Section 239) may face legal challenges if seen as altering statutory rent formulas without clear congressional intent.
Equity and Access: Expansions for Tribal/rural areas and youth vouchers advance social equity, but prohibitions (e.g., on certain foreign engagements) could affect international housing/transport collaborations.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. Womack, Steve [R-AR-3]

Recent Actions

2025-07-21: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 172.
2025-07-21: The House Committee on Appropriations reported an original measure, H. Rept. 119-212, by Mr. Womack.
2025-07-21: The House Committee on Appropriations reported an original measure, H. Rept. 119-212, by Mr. Womack.

Bill Versions

Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026 — issued 2025-07-21 — PDF (214 pages)