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November: Federal Funding Update

November 10, 2025

On Nov. 9, 2025, the Senate agreed to vote on the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2026, to end the current government shutdown and fund portions of the federal government through a continuing resolution (CR) that would expire Jan. 30, 2026. The CR keeps current federal funding levels and applies to agencies such as CDC, HRSA, SAMHSA, and EPA. The rest of the federal government, including programs within the Department of Agriculture, FDA, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the operations of Congress would be funded through full fiscal year appropriations bills expiring on Sept. 30, 2026. The bill also specifies a number of requirements related to federal workforce, state reimbursement, and spending which are detailed in the sections that follow.

Outlook

Considering the bipartisan support for this deal to end the government shutdown, the ASTHO Government Affairs team is tentatively optimistic that the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2026, will eventually become law. However, the current political environment is volatile and if anything changes, we will issue another legislative alert. After the Senate votes on the bill, which may be delayed due to negotiations on some agriculture provisions, the House will need to approve it by a simple majority vote. If the House fails to garner enough support, then the government shutdown will continue.

Here is the full text of the bill, the text of various extenders, and a section-by-section summary of all sections by the Senate majority.

Federal Workforce and State Finances

  • Requires the return of all federal workforce levels prior to the current lapse of appropriations on Oct. 1, 2025.
  • Requires that funds be apportioned to agencies at a rate that would prevent the furlough of any employee during the duration of the CR.
  • Prevents agencies from overspending funds for grant programs during the CR period, unless funds are required to be spent for the programs during such period. It preserves the funding level for most grant programs, subject to Congress’s decision in the full-year appropriations acts.
  • Explicitly states that agencies should spend money in the most limited way possible during the duration of the CR.
  • Directs that funds provided by the CR are available to pay federal employees who were furloughed or excepted during the lapse.
  • Requires reimbursement to states that carried out federal programs, to prevent a reduction in service, during the lapse.
  • Prevents statutory PAYGO sequestration cuts to Medicare, agriculture, and other programs.

Agriculture and FDA

Specifically, Senators agreed to advance a three-bill package that includes FY26 funding for the Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration (Ag-FDA), the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Legislative Branch. The Ag-FDA bill provides:

  • A hemp products ban, which prevents the unregulated sale of intoxicating hemp-based or hemp-derived products, including Delta-8, from being sold online, in gas stations, and corner stores, while preserving non-intoxicating CBD and industrial hemp products.
  • $8.2 billion for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for WIC.
  • $460 million for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program to assist low-income seniors.
  • $37.8 billion in mandatory funding for child nutrition programs, as requested by the Administration.
  • $107 billion in mandatory funding for SNAP, as requested by the Administration.
  • Reimbursement for both the SNAP and WIC contingency reserves to account for expenditures during the government shutdown.
  • $7 billion (budget authority and user fees), a decrease of $70 million below FY25 enacted levels, for FDA.
  • $1.2 billion for the Food Safety and Inspection Service.
  • $4.1 billion to support rural development across the country including $1.4 billion to prioritize aging water and wastewater infrastructure.

Public Health Provisions

Other public health provisions in the bill include extending several programs through Jan. 30, 2026, including:

  • Community health centers.
  • National Health Service Corps and teaching health centers that operate general medical education programs.
  • The Special Diabetes Program.
  • Some of the authorities of the Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act.
    • Unfortunately, this bill did not include provisions to reauthorize HPP, PHEP, or other public health programs, which will need to be reauthorized in the new year. 
  • Extends Medicare telehealth flexibilities that were extended in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023.
  • The Sexual Risk Avoidance Education Program.
  • The Personal Responsibility Education Program.
  • Family-to-Family Health Information Centers.