American Homes First Act
- Bill Number
- S. 4240
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- International Affairs
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-03-26: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
- Last Updated
- 2026-04-15T01:10:14Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The American Homes First Act (S. 4240) aims to redirect $1 billion in federal funds originally appropriated for other purposes to the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which helps low-income households pay heating and cooling bills.
Key Provisions
- Prohibits the use of funds from the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 or the National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2026 for the Board of Peace, an entity designated as a public international organization by President Trump via Executive Order 14375.
- Requires the Secretary of State and the President to transfer $1,000,000,000 from those appropriated funds to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) for LIHEAP.
- HHS must treat the transferred funds as if they were specifically appropriated under the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 for fiscal year 2026.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Overrides restrictions or allocations in the two named 2025 and 2026 appropriations acts notwithstanding any provision of those laws.
- Diverts funds away from international obligations (Board of Peace) to domestic energy assistance, effectively rescinding support for the Board of Peace after enactment.
Potential Impacts
- On citizens: Increases funding for LIHEAP, potentially aiding millions of low-income families with energy costs during fiscal year 2026.
- On government agencies: Reduces resources for the Department of State (related to international programs); boosts HHS's capacity to distribute energy aid grants to states.
- On international relations: May strain U.S. commitments to the Board of Peace by withholding privileges, exemptions, and immunities previously granted.
Main Stakeholders
- Low-income households: Primary beneficiaries through expanded energy assistance.
- Department of Health and Human Services (HHS): Receives and administers the new funds.
- Department of State and President: Directed to halt funding and execute the transfer.
- Board of Peace: Loses U.S. financial support and designated status.
- State and local governments: Eligible to receive LIHEAP grants for distribution.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Uses "notwithstanding" clause to supersede recent appropriations laws, asserting congressional power over executive spending (potentially subject to legal challenges on impoundment or separation of powers).
- Constitutional: Involves Congress reclaiming control of purse strings (Article I, Section 9), but could face scrutiny if seen as interfering with executive foreign affairs powers or treaty-like obligations.
- Political: Referred to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations despite domestic focus, highlighting tension between foreign aid and domestic priorities; introduced in 119th Congress (2d Session) by Sen. Cortez Masto on March 26, 2026.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV]
Recent Actions
- 2026-03-26: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
- 2026-03-26: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- American Homes First Act — issued 2026-03-26 — PDF (2 pages)