Earlier this week, the majority leadership of the House of Representatives sent a package of funding bills to the President’s desk, including the Continuing Resolution (CR) that would end the government shutdown and fully fund the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for Fiscal Year 2026. The final FY 26 MilCon/VA Appropriations bill, part of the 394-page CR, included the following provisions that affect potential VA policy and actions:

Second Amendment Protections (Sec. 413) – Prohibits the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from submitting a veteran or beneficiary’s name to the FBI’s NICS list without a judge’s consent that they are a danger to themselves or others, affording veterans with fiduciaries the due process rights they have earned.

Emergency Transportation Protections (Sec. 259) – Prohibits the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from cutting reimbursements for private ground and air ambulatory emergency transportation services in response to the following rule: “Changes in Rates VA Pays for Special Modes of Transportation” (88 Fed. Reg. 10032), effectively protecting rural and remote veterans’ access to lifesaving emergency care.