Homeland Security and SAVE America Act

Full Title:
Homeland Security and Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2026

Summary#

This bill contains three main parts. Division A provides detailed fiscal year 2026 appropriations and rules for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its components, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Coast Guard, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), U.S. Secret Service, and others. It sets dollar amounts for many accounts, includes procurement and construction funding, and adds reporting, oversight, and program rules and restrictions (for example, limits on certain unmanned aircraft capabilities, requirements for acquisition briefings, and rules about pilot programs).

Division B updates continuing appropriations language and ratifies certain obligations during a lapse in appropriations.

Division C, titled the "SAVE America Act," amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 and the Help America Vote Act of 2002. It requires applicants to present "documentary proof of United States citizenship" when registering to vote in federal elections, requires states to verify registrants using certain data sources (including the SAVE system), establishes procedures for applicants who lack documents, and creates a new photo identification requirement for in-person voting and a document or partial SSN requirement for absentee or other non–in-person ballots. The division includes new recordkeeping, notification, and enforcement provisions, a private right of action for certain violations, criminal penalties for specified acts by officials or employees, and an Election Assistance Commission guidance deadline.

What it means for you#

  • If you interact with DHS programs, the bill funds many DHS operations and sets new reporting and oversight steps for components such as CBP, TSA, Coast Guard, FEMA, CISA, and the Secret Service. Specific amounts are provided for many accounts.
  • If you register to vote in federal elections, the bill requires documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when applying to register. Mail registrations must be followed by in-person presentation of proof by a deadline, unless the State follows the bill's alternate processes. States must also notify applicants of the proof requirement.
  • If you vote in person in a federal election, you will generally need to present a valid photo ID to receive a ballot. If you lack the ID, you may cast a provisional ballot and must meet specified follow-up steps to have that ballot counted.
  • States are required to take steps to remove noncitizens from voter rolls if verified information shows they are not citizens, and to use available federal data sources, including SAVE, to help confirm citizenship.

Expenses#

The bill text lists many specific appropriations. Selected amounts shown in the bill include:

  • U.S. Customs and Border Protection (Operations and Support): $11,083,012,000
  • Transportation Security Administration (Operations and Support): $10,635,434,000
  • Coast Guard (Operations and Support): $11,272,401,000
  • Federal Emergency Management Agency (Disaster Relief Fund): $26,367,000,000 (to remain available until expended)
  • Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (Operations and Support): $2,218,634,000
  • Federal Emergency Management Agency (Federal assistance and grants): $3,836,748,513 (with specific sub-allocations for programs listed)
  • National Flood Insurance Fund activities: $226,000,000
  • United States Secret Service (Operations and Support): $3,128,304,000
  • Additional specific amounts and multi-year availability are detailed throughout Division A for procurement, construction, research, and other accounts.

When the bill text does not provide total aggregated spending for the full Act or future-year totals, or when other budgetary impacts are not listed in the text provided, there is no publicly available information in the bill to state those totals.

Proponents' View#

No publicly available information.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information.