Where things stand
H.R. 6500 provides continuing appropriations through December 11, 2026. A continuing resolution, or CR, temporarily keeps agencies funded when Congress has not completed all regular annual appropriations.
Division A, Section 106 of P.L. 119-103 sets that expiration. Funding for a covered activity may be replaced or ended earlier by enacted FY2027 appropriations. We checked the enacted text on Oct 2, 2026; see our source clarification.
The September 30 end of fiscal year 2026 is no longer the operative shutdown deadline. The enacted CR carries funding across that boundary.
None of the 12 regular FY2027 bills had been enacted at our latest review. The House had passed three; the Senate Appropriations Committee had not reported any. Congress is in recess for the midterm elections and returns on November 9, leaving about five weeks before the deadline. Follow each bill in the FY2027 appropriations tracker, and see its year-end calendar for the other programs that expire on the same day.
What Congress can do next
Before the current measure expires, lawmakers can finish full-year appropriations, pass another temporary extension, or combine the two by funding some agencies for the year while extending others. A shutdown occurs only for agencies or programs whose appropriations lapse. That is how a partial shutdown can affect one department while others stay open.
What to watch
- Passage of appropriations bills in both chambers
- A House and Senate agreement on identical legislative text
- Presidential signature before the current funding expires
- Agency contingency notices if lawmakers approach the deadline without a deal