H.R. 8029
Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act
Sponsor: Juan Ciscomani · 0 cosponsors
Official summary
Written by the Congressional Research Service.
Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act
This bill provides appropriations to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for the remainder of FY2026. It also ends the partial DHS shutdown that began on February 14, 2026, because the continuing resolution (CR) that was funding DHS expired and a regular FY2026 DHS appropriations bill had not been enacted.
Specifically, the bill provides appropriations to DHS for Departmental Management, Intelligence, Situational Awareness, and Oversight, including
- the Office of the Secretary and Executive Management;
- the Management Directorate;
- Intelligence, Analysis, and Situational Awareness; and
- the Office of Inspector General.
In addition, the bill provides appropriations for Security, Enforcement, and Investigations, including
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection,
- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement,
- the Transportation Security Administration,
- the U.S. Coast Guard, and
- the U.S. Secret Service.
The bill provides appropriations for Protection, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery, including
- the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and
- the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
The bill provides appropriations for Research, Development, Training, and Services, including
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services,
- the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers, and
- the Science and Technology Directorate.
The bill also authorizes back pay, in accordance with current law, for federal employees who were affected by the partial DHS shutdown.
Finally, the bill ratifies and approves certain obligations that were incurred during the partial DHS shutdown, including obligations incurred to maintain the essential level of activity to protect life and property and bring about an orderly termination of government functions.
Text of the bill
A Department of Homeland Security Appropriations
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(a) Not later than 10 days after a determination is made by the President to evaluate and initiate protection under any authority for a former or retired Government official or employee, or for an individual who, during the duration of the directed protection, will become a former or retired Government official or employee (referred to in this section as a covered individual), the Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit a notification to congressional leadership and the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate, the Committees on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives and the Senate, the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate, and the Committee on Oversight and Reform of the House of Representatives (referred to in this section as the appropriate congressional committees).
(b) Such notification may be submitted in classified form, if necessary, and in consultation with the Director of National Intelligence or the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as appropriate, and shall include the threat assessment, scope of the protection, and the anticipated cost and duration of such protection.
(c) Not later than 15 days before extending, or 30 days before terminating, protection for a covered individual, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit a notification regarding the extension or termination and any change to the threat assessment to the congressional leadership and the appropriate congressional committees.
(d) Not later than 45 days after the date of enactment of this Act, and quarterly thereafter, the Secretary shall submit a report to the congressional leadership and the appropriate congressional committees, which may be submitted in classified form, if necessary, detailing each covered individual, and the scope and associated cost of protection.
B Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2026