American Relief Act, 2025
United States · United States Congress · 20 December 2024
American Relief Act, 2025 This act provides continuing FY2025 appropriations for federal agencies and supplemental appropriations for disaster relief. It also extends various expiring programs and authorities, including several public health and agriculture programs. DIVISION A--FURTHER CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2025 Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2025 This division provides continuing FY2025 appropriations to federal agencies through the earlier of March 14, 2025, or the enactment of the applicable appropriations act. It is known as a continuing resolution (CR) and prevents a government shutdown that would otherwise occur if the FY2025 appropriations bills have not been enacted when the existing CR expires on December 20, 2024. The CR funds most programs and activities at the FY2024 levels with several exceptions that provide funding flexibility and additional appropriations for various programs. (Sec. 101) This section provides FY2025 appropriations to federal agencies for continuing projects or activities at the levels and under the conditions included in specified FY2024 appropriations acts. The section also extends several immigration-related programs and specifies several exceptions. The section provides additional funding to the District of Columbia for costs associated with emergency planning and security activities related to the January 2025 Presidential Inauguration. It also amends the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2025 to add the following provisions: (Sec. 153) This section permits the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to apportion specified funds at the rate necessary to maintain the acquisition schedule for Geostationary Earth Orbit. (Sec. 154) This section permits the Department of Justice to apportion Justice Information Technology funding at the rate necessary to carry out proactive vulnerability detection and penetration testing activities. (Sec. 155) This section provides additional emergency funding for the Federal Bureau of Investigation to conduct risk reduction and modification of National Security Systems. (Sec. 156) This section permits the Navy to apportion specified funds at the rate necessary for activities related to the procurement of a Columbia Class Submarine. (Sec. 157) This section provides additional emergency funding to the Navy for (1) the Virginia Class Submarine program, and (2) for workforce wage and non-executive salary improvements for other nuclear-powered vessel programs. Specifically, the funds may be used to incrementally fund contract obligations for the improvement of workforce wages and non-executive level salaries on new or existing contracts pertaining to the Virginia Class Submarine program or to other nuclear-powered vessel programs. (Sec. 158) This section provides additional emergency funding to DOD for conducting risk reduction and modification of National Security Systems. (Sec. 159) This section allows the Department of Energy (DOE) to apportion specified funds for Atomic Energy Defense Activities at the rate necessary to sustain specialized security activities. It also requires DOE and the Office of Management and Budget to notify Congress no later than three days after each use of this authority. (Sec. 160) This section provides additional emergency funding to DOE for conducting risk reduction and modification of National Security Systems. (Sec. 161) This section extends and increases the authorization of appropriations for the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project. (Sec. 162) This section provides additional emergency funding to the Department of the Treasury for conducting risk reduction and modification of National Security Systems. (Sec. 163) This section extends the exemption from the Antideficiency Act for the Federal Communications Commission's Universal Service Fund. (Sec. 164) This section extends limits on pay increases for the Vice President and certain senior political appointees. (Sec. 165) This section permits the Department of Education to apportion Student Aid Administration funds at the rate necessary ensure the continuation of student loan servicing activities and the student aid application and eligibility determination processes. (Sec. 166) This section allows certain unobligated military construction funds that were provided to the Army to be used for an access road project at Arlington National Cemetery. (Sec. 167) This section provides that specified rescissions of funds from various Veteran Health Administration accounts do not apply during the period covered by the CR. (Sec. 168) This section extends the term of a member of the Millennium Challenge Corporation Board of Directors. (Sec. 169) This section permits the Federal Aviation Administration to apportion funds at the rate necessary to fund mandatory pay increases and other inflationary adjustments, to maintain and improve air traffic services, to hire and train air traffic controllers, and to continue aviation safety oversight, while avoiding service reductions. DIVISION B--DISASTER RELIEF SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2025 Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2025 This division provides supplemental appropriations to various federal agencies for disaster relief and assistance to respond to hurricanes, wildfires, severe storms and flooding, tornadoes, and other natural disasters. TITLE I This title provides appropriations to the Department of Agriculture (USDA) for the Office of the Secretary, the Office of Inspector General, the Agricultural Research Service, the Emergency Forest Restoration Program and the Emergency Conservation Program within the Farm Service Agency, the Emergency Watershed Protection Program within the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Rural Development Disaster Assistance Fund, and the Commodity Assistance Program within the Food and Nutrition Service (Sec. 2101) This section modifies the requirements for the Rural Development Disaster Assistance Fund to allow the fund to be used for additional purposes and expand the activity or project limitations that USDA is permitted to waive. For example, this section permits USDA to waive certain limits on age and duplication with respect to replacement of damaged or destroyed utilities; specifies that the fund may be used for activities in areas affected by a disaster declared by the governor of a state or territory (currently USDA or the President); allows USDA to use alternative sources of income data provided by local, regional, state, or federal government sources to determine program eligibility; and specifies that, with respect to grants authorized by the Community Facilities Grant Program, USDA may not require the applicant to demonstrate that it is unable to finance the proposed project from its own resources, through commercial credit at reasonable rates and terms, or other funding sources without grant assistance. (Sec. 2102) This section requires USDA to make one-time economic assistance payments to producers of certain commodities if the expected gross return per acre for the commodity is less than the expected cost of production per acre for that eligible commodity. The section also specifies requirements for determining the (1) the expected gross return per acre, (2) the expected cost of production per acre, and (3) the amount of the economic assistance payment for a producer. TITLE II This title provides appropriations for the Department of Commerce, the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Within Commerce, the title provides appropriations to the Economic Development Administration for Economic Development Assistance Programs. The title also provides appropriations to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for Operations, Research, and Facilities; Procurement, Acquisition, and Construction; and Fisheries Disaster Assistance. The title provides appropriations to DOJ for (1) the U.S. Marshals Service, and (2) the Federal Prison System. The title provides appropriations to NASA for Construction and Environmental Compliance and Restoration. TITLE III This title provides appropriations to the Department of Defense for Operation and Maintenance; Procurement; Research, Development, Test and Evaluation; and the Defense Health Program. TITLE IV This title provides appropriations for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers civil works projects, the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation, and the Department of Energy (DOE). The title provides appropriations to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for Investigations, Construction, Mississippi River and Tributaries, and Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies. The title provides appropriations to the Bureau of Reclamation for Water and Related Resources. Within DOE, the title provides appropriations for (1) the Strategic Petroleum Reserve; and (2) the National Nuclear Security Administration, including for Weapons Activities and Defense Environmental Cleanup. TITLE V This title provides appropriations to the U.S. Supreme Court for protection of the residences of the Supreme Court Justices. It also provides appropriations to the Small Business Administration for the Disaster Loans Program Account. TITLE VI This title provides appropriations to the Department of Homeland Security for the U.S. Coast Guard; the Federal Emergency Management Agency, including the Disaster Relief Fund and the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire Assistance Account; and the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers. TITLE VII This title provides appropriations for the Department of the Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Forest Service. The title provides appropriation to Interior for the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Indian Education, and the Office of Inspector General. The title provides appropriations to the EPA for (1) the Leaking Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund Program, and (2) State and Tribal Assistance Grants. The title provides appropriations to the Forest Service for Forest Service Operations; Forest and Rangeland Research; State, Private, and Tribal Forestry; the National Forest System; and Capital Improvement and Maintenance (Sec. 2701) This section allows Interior and the Forest Service to recruit and directly appoint highly qualified individuals into the competitive service to address certain critical hiring needs for the planning and execution of the projects and activities funded in this title without regard to specified hiring procedures and requirements. This section also specifies requirements and restrictions for using this authority. (Sec. 2702) This section requires agencies that receive funds provided by this title to submit detailed operating plans to Congress prior to obligating the funds. TITLE VIII This title provides appropriations to the Administration for Children and Families for Payments to States for the Child Care and Development Block Grant. (Sec. 2801) This section requires agencies that receive funds provided by this title to submit detailed operating plans to Congress prior to obligating the funds. TITLE IX This title provides appropriations to the Government Accountability Office for audits and investigations related to Hurricane Helene, Hurricane Milton, and other disasters. TITLE X This title provides appropriations for military construction and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The title provides appropriations to the Department of Defense (DOD) for military construction for the Navy and Marine Corps. the Air Force, and the Army National Guard. The title also provides appropriations to the Navy and Marine Corps for (1) Family Housing Construction, and (2) Family Housing Operation and Maintenance. Within the VA, the title provides appropriations to the Veteran Health Administration for Medical Services, Medical Support and Compliance, and Medical Facilities. The title also provides appropriations to the VA for (1) the National Cemetery Administration; and (2) Departmental Administration, including construction for major and minor projects. TITLE XI This title provides appropriations to the Department of State for the International Boundary and Water Commission, United States and Mexico. TITLE XII This title provides appropriations to the Federal Highway Administration for the Emergency Relief Program. It also provides appropriations to the Department of Housing and Urban Development for the Community Development Fund. TITLE XIII (Sec. 21301) This section specifies that the funds provided by this division are in addition to funds otherwise appropriated for the fiscal year involved. (Sec. 21302) This section prohibits funds provided by this division from remaining available for obligation beyond the current fiscal year unless this division expressly provides otherwise. (Sec. 21303) Unless otherwise specified by this division, the funds provided by this division are subject to the authorities and conditions that apply to the applicable appropriations accounts for FY2025. (Sec. 21304) This section specifies that funds designated as emergency spending by Divisions A or B are only available if the President subsequently designates all of the funds as emergency spending and transmits the designations to Congress. (Sec. 21305) This section specifies that funds that are designated by Divisions A or B as emergency spending and are transferred pursuant to authorities provided by this division shall retain the emergency designations. (Sec. 21306) This section exempts the budgetary effects of Division C and each subsequent division of this act from (1) the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 (PAYGO Act), (2) the Senate PAYGO rule, and (3) certain budget scorekeeping rules. DIVISION C--HEALTH Health Extensions and Other Matters Act, 2025 TITLE I--PUBLIC HEALTH EXTENDERS (Sec. 3101) This section extends through March 31, 2025, funding for the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Program, the Community Health Center Fund, and the National Health Service Corps. The program supports education and training of medical students in primary care residency programs in community-based ambulatory patient care centers. The fund supports (1) grants for outpatient health care facilities that serve medically underserved populations; and (2) the National Health Service Corps, which provides scholarships and student loan repayment awards to health care providers who agree to work in areas with health care provider shortages. (Sec. 3102) This section extends funding through March 31, 2025, for the Special Diabetes Program for Type I Diabetes and the Special Diabetes Program for Indians. The Special Diabetes Program for Type I Diabetes supports research on the prevention and cure of Type I diabetes, and the Special Diabetes Program for Indians supports diabetes treatment and prevention for tribal populations. (Sec. 3103) This section extends through March 31, 2025, the authority that allows states and tribes to request the temporary reassignment of state and local health department personnel who are funded through certain federal programs to immediately address a public health emergency. It also extends through March 31, 2025, provisions that prohibit the disclosure of information about Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) programs that could compromise national security (e.g., information regarding biomedical threats). The section extends through March 31, 2025, provisions that authorize HHS to engage with developers of medical countermeasures, and that provide for related antitrust exemptions, for the purpose of furthering product development. Additionally, the section extends through March 31, 2025, the National Advisory Committee on Children and Disasters, the National Advisory Committee on Seniors and Disasters, and the National Advisory Committee on Individuals with Disabilities and Disasters. It also extends through March 31, 2025, the authority of HHS to directly appoint candidates to positions within the National Disaster Medical System if HHS determines the number of personnel in the system is insufficient to address a public health emergency or potential public health emergency. The National Disaster Medical System is a partnership between HHS, the Department of Defense, and other federal departments that responds to public health and other emergencies, including by deploying medical response teams. TITLE II--MEDICARE (Sec. 3201) This section extends through March 31, 2025, certain increased payment adjustments for low-volume hospitals under Medicare's inpatient prospective payment system. (Sec. 3202) This section extends through March 31, 2025, the Medicare-Dependent Hospital Program, which provides additional payments to certain small rural hospitals that have a high proportion of Medicare patients. (Sec. 3203) This section extends through March 31, 2025, certain increased payment adjustments for ground ambulance services in rural and other areas under Medicare. (Sec. 3204) This section extends through March 31, 2025, funding for certain Medicare quality-measurement activities. (Sec. 3205) This section extends through March 31, 2025, funding for state health insurance programs, area agencies on aging, aging and disability resource centers, and technical assistance related to outreach and enrollment with respect to Medicare and other programs. (Sec. 3206) This section extends through March 31, 2025, certain minimum adjustments to the work geographic index with respect to payments for physician services under Medicare. (Sec. 3207) This section extends through March 31, 2025, certain telehealth flexibilities under Medicare. Specifically, the section (1) removes geographic restrictions on originating sites (i.e., the location of the beneficiary); (2) allows the home of the beneficiary to serve as the originating site for all services; (3) allows audiologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists to furnish telehealth services; (4) allows federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics to serve as the distant site (i.e., the location of the health care practitioner); (5) delays implementation of certain in-person evaluation requirements for mental health telehealth services; (6) expands coverage to include audio-only services for evaluation and management and behavioral health services; and (7) allows, for purposes of hospice care recertification under Medicare, physicians and nurse practitioners to fulfill the requirement of a face-to-face encounter with the hospice patient via telehealth. (Sec. 3208) This section extends through March 31, 2025, the Acute Hospital Care at Home Program under Medicare. (The program allows hospitals to treat certain patients from emergency departments or inpatient hospital beds at home.) (Sec. 3209) This section extends through March 31, 2025, coverage under the Medicare prescription drug benefit of prescription oral antiviral drugs that were authorized in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency. (Sec. 3210) This section reduces funding for the Medicare Improvement Fund beginning in FY2026. TITLE III--HUMAN SERVICES (Sec. 3301) This section extends through March 31, 2025, funding for the Sexual Risk Avoidance Education Program. This program supports projects to implement sexual risk avoidance education that teaches participants to voluntarily refrain from nonmarital sexual activities. (Sec. 3302) This section extends through March 31, 2025, funding for the Personal Responsibility Education Program. This program provides grants to states to educate young people about abstinence and contraception for prevention of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. The program also supports pregnant and parenting youth. (Sec. 3303) This section extends through March 31, 2025, the Family-to-Family Health Information Centers Program, which is administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration. The program awards grants to family-run organizations to support the provision of information and peer support to families of children with special health care needs. DIVISION D--EXTENSION OF AGRICULTURAL PROGRAMS (Sec. 4101) This section extends programs authorized by the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (commonly known as the 2018 farm bill) until the later of (1) September 30, 2025; (2) the date specified in the provision of the act; or (3) the date in effect for programs authorized by the Further Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act, 2024. This section extends and amends Department of Agriculture (USDA) commodity programs, including by extending various programs for covered commodities, a loan commodity, sugarcane, or sugar beets for the 2025 crop year; extending the Special Competitive Provisions for Extra Long Staple Cotton program through July 31, 2026; extending the Price Loss Coverage (PLC) payments through the 2025 crop year for a covered commodity; extending the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program through December 31, 2025; limiting the 25% premium discount for the DMC program in 2025 to participating dairy operations that received the discount in 2024; allowing Dairy Forward Pricing Program contracts to be extended through September 30, 2028 (previously September 30, 2027); extending the suspension of permanent price support authorities for the 2025 crop year for covered commodities, cotton, and sugar and through December 31, 2025, for milk; and extending the suspension of provisions related to corn and wheat marketing quotas for wheat planted for harvest in calendar year 2025. This section extends the Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust through FY2025 to allow for eligible commodities to remain in the trust until September 30, 2025. The program makes funds available to provide emergency food assistance to developing countries. This section extends through FY2025 a provision that prohibits USDA from declaring the Grazinglands Research Laboratory in El Reno, Oklahoma, to be excess or surplus federal property, or otherwise conveying or transferring the property. This section extends through the 2025 crop year the Feedstock Flexibility Program (FFP) for Bioenergy Producers, which allows the Commodity Credit Corporation to purchase surplus sugar from processors for resale to ethanol producers for ethanol fuel. Further, this section extends through September 1, 2025, requirements for USDA to provide notice to eligible entities and bioenergy producers of the quantity of eligible commodities that must be made available for purchase and sale for the crop year. Further, this section specifies that the extension of farm bill programs does not apply to certain commodities-related mandatory funding that was provided for the Farm Service Agency to implement USDA commodity programs; the Pima Agriculture Cotton Trust Fund, which provides assistance to reduce the economic injury to domestic manufacturers resulting from tariffs on cotton fabric that are higher than tariffs on certain apparel articles made of cotton fabric; the Agriculture Wool Apparel Manufacturers Trust Fund, which provides assistance to reduce the economic injury to domestic manufacturers resulting from tariffs on wool fabric that are higher than tariffs on certain apparel articles made of wool fabric; and the Wool Research and Promotion Program, which provides grants to assist U.S. wool producers with improving the quality of wool and with developing and promoting the wool market. This section specifies that the extension of farm bill programs does not apply to certain conservation-related mandatory funding for FY2024 and FY2025 that was provided for the Grassroots Source Water Protection Program, a joint project with the Farm Service Agency and the National Rural Water Association (a nonprofit water and wastewater utility membership organization), which is designed to help prevent pollution of surface and ground water that is used as the primary source of drinking water by rural residents; the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program, which provides funding to help state and tribal governments encourage landowners to allow public access to their land for hunting, fishing, and other wildlife-dependent recreation; certain funding under the Conservation Reserve Program for forest management incentive payments (e.g., payments for thinning and other practices to improve the condition of resources, promote forest management, or enhance wildlife habitat) and to facilitate the transfer of land subject to contracts under the program to beginning, veteran, or socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers; and the Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program, which responds to the threat feral swine pose to agriculture, native ecosystems, and human and animal health. This section also specifies that the extension of farm bill programs does not apply with respect to certain limitations on payments under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and the Conservation Stewardship Program. This section specifies that the extension of farm bill programs does not apply to certain mandatory funding that was provided for the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). TEFAP provides food commodities (and cash support for storage and distribution costs) through states to local emergency feeding organizations (e.g., food banks). This section specifies that the extension of farm bill programs does not apply to certain mandatory funding that was provided for the Rural Economic Development Loan & Grant Program, which provides funding for rural projects through local utility organizations. This section specifies that the extension of farm bill programs does not apply to certain research-related mandatory funding that was provided for scholarships for students at 1890 Institutions through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) program that provides grants to 1890 Institutions (i.e., historically Black colleges and universities that belong to the U.S. land-grant university system) for awarding scholarships to students who intend to pursue a career in the food and agricultural sciences; the Urban, Indoor, and other Emerging Agricultural Production Research, Education, and Extension Initiative, a NIFA competitive grant program; and the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, a nonprofit corporation established to advance the research mission of USDA by supporting research activities focused on key problems of national and international significance. This section specifies that the extension of farm bill programs does not apply to certain energy-related mandatory funding that was provided for the biobased markets program (i.e., BioPreferred Program) which promotes biobased products through mandatory purchasing requirements for federal agencies and their contractors and through a voluntary labeling initiative for biobased products; the Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and Biobased Product Manufacturing Assistance Program, which provides loan guarantees to assist in the development of new and emerging technologies for the development of advanced biofuels, renewable chemicals, and biobased product manufacturing; and the bioenergy program for advanced biofuels (i.e., Advanced Biofuel Payment Program) which provides payments to fuel producers to support and expand production of advanced biofuels (i.e., not derived from corn starch). This section specifies that the extension of farm bill programs does not apply to certain horticulture-related mandatory funding that was provided for USDA to collect and report data on the production and marketing of organic agricultural products; modernization and improvement of international trade technology systems and data collection for imports of organically produced agricultural products; the Organic Certification Cost Share Program, which provides cost-share assistance to producers and handlers of agricultural products who are obtaining or renewing their certification under the National Organic Program; and the multiple crop and pesticide use survey of farmers conducted by the USDA Office of Pest Management Policy. This section specifies that the extension of farm bill programs does not apply to certain mandatory funding that was provided for the Sheep Production and Marketing Grant Program, which seeks to strengthen and enhance the production and marketing of sheep and sheep products in the United States; and the Emergency Citrus Disease Research and Development Trust Fund, which funds a program that aims to bring together scientists to find scientifically sound and financially sustainable solutions to Huanglongbing (i.e., citrus greening, a bacterial disease spread by an insect that feeds on citrus). This section also extends various reporting requirements authorized by the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018. Finally, this section must be applied and administered as if it had been enacted on September 30, 2024. DIVISION E--OTHER MATTERS (Sec. 5101) This section extends until March 14, 2025, the availability of funds for customer education initiatives and administrative expenses of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission's Office of Customer Education and Outreach and the Whistleblower Program. This section is retroactively effective beginning September 30, 2024. (Sec. 5102) This section extends until March 14, 2025, the authority of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Justice to take certain actions to mitigate a credible threat to certain facilities or assets from an unmanned aircraft system (UAS). These include certain facilities that are located in the United States and identified as high-risk and a potential target for unlawful UAS activity. (Sec. 5103) This section extends until March 14, 2025, the special assessment on nonindigent persons or entities convicted of certain offenses involving sexual abuse or human trafficking. The assessment funds programs for human-trafficking survivors. (Sec. 5104) This section extends the authority for DHS’s National Cybersecurity Protection System and related reporting requirements until March 14, 2025. (Sec. 5105) This section extends until March 31, 2025, the temporary scheduling order issued by the Drug Enforcement Administration to place fentanyl-related substances in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act.