HR 6500 United States House · 119th Congress

Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027

HR 6500, the AGOA Extension Act, extends the expiration date of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) from September 30, 2025, to December 31, 2028. This directly affects U.S. importers of goods from eligible sub-Saharan African countries, allowing them to continue receiving duty-free treatment under AGOA for eligible products. The bill includes a retroactive provision, enabling importers to seek refunds for goods entered after September 30, 2025, but before the bill’s enactment, as if those entries occurred on the enactment date. It also adjusts deadlines for related customs user fees to December 31, 2031, but the core change centers on extending AGOA benefits and enabling retroactive duty refunds.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Dec 2025
Committee Review
Aug 2026
House Passage
Sep 2026
Senate Passage
Aug 2026
Signed into Law
Sep 2026
Introduced Dec 9, 2025 Signed Sep 2, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Engrossed in House Enrolled Bill · 16 edits
MAJOR
HR 6500 was completely transformed from a narrow AGOA Extension Act into the broad 'Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027,' which provides a short-term continuing resolution through December 11, 2026, extends numerous expiring authorizations (including AGOA, customs user fees, and the Defense Production Act), extends surface transportation programs, and includes VA extenders. The original retroactive tariff relief provisions for AGOA entries were dropped, and the customs fee extension end date was changed from December 31, 2031 to March 31, 2032.
SCOPE

The bill's identity changed entirely from the 'AGOA Extension Act' (a single-issue trade bill) to the 'Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027,' a multi-division omnibus package covering continuing appropriations, authorizing extensions, surface transportation, and VA extenders.

Division C extends federal surface transportation programs (highway and transit) through December 11, 2026 using an 'extension fraction' formula based on FY2026 authorization levels.

FISCAL

Division A provides a short-term continuing resolution funding all federal agencies at fiscal year 2026 rates through December 11, 2026, with restrictions on new DoD production starts and multi-year procurements.

Section 126 authorizes up to approximately $2.8 billion in prior-year Navy shipbuilding cost increases across 20 programs (carriers, submarines, destroyers, amphibious ships, fleet oilers).

Section 127 authorizes up to $2,853,000,000 for National Security Systems procurement.

Section 143 provides additional Indian Health Service funding of $75,774,000 for staffing and operating facilities opened or expanded in fiscal years 2022, 2026, and 2027, plus $8,296,000 for Indian Health Facilities.

Section 2006 provides $21,400,000 in additional Medicare disaster relief for the Northern Mariana Islands for fiscal year 2026 services.

The Medicare Improvement Fund amount was reduced from $2,062,000,000 to $2,041,000,000 (a decrease of $21 million).

Section 156 appropriates $6,258,174.91 for fiscal years 2027 through 2029 to satisfy remaining Flex Sub loan indebtedness for qualifying small non-profit housing properties (fewer than 100 units, principal balance of $1.5 million or more).

Multiple sections (125, 149-151, 154, 155) rescind unobligated balances from prior appropriations and reappropriate equivalent amounts for fiscal year 2026 purposes, affecting NTIA Middle Mile Deployment, FAA Research, FHWA Highway Infrastructure, HUD Homeless Assistance, and HUD Fair Housing.

TIMELINE

The AGOA extension now changes the base date from '2026' to '2028' (rather than the original version's change from 'September 30, 2025' to 'December 31, 2028'), and the regional apparel program language was restructured from a fixed number of succeeding periods to 'each succeeding 1-year period until December 31, 2028.'

Customs user fees (merchandise processing fees) extension end date changed from December 31, 2031 to March 31, 2032.

Numerous expiring authorizations are extended to December 11, 2026, including the Defense Production Act, Toxic Substances Control Act fee authority, Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act, Federal Cybersecurity Enhancement Act, Joint Task Forces, Technology Modernization Fund, USPTO fee-setting authority, and the US Commission on International Religious Freedom.

The Haiti Economic LIFT Program is extended from 2026 to 2028 (section 2009).

REQUIREMENT

The retroactive application provisions (original section 2(b)) that would have allowed liquidation or reliquidation of AGOA entries made after September 30, 2025 but before enactment were removed entirely.

Section 157 prohibits finalization of a rule revising the Uniform Guidance (federal financial assistance regulations) through December 11, 2026.

Floor votes · Senate Aug 8, 2026 · House Jan 12, 2026

How they voted

906
Passed · 3 other
Total votes 99
Aug 8, 2026
D Democratic45
42 Yea 3 Nay
93% Yea
I Independent2
1 Yea 1 Nay
50% Nay
R Republican53
47 Yea 2 Nay 4
88% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
41
Key actions
9
Committee
5
Amendments
6
Sep 2, 2026
Signed into law
Signed by President.
executive
Sep 1, 2026
Introduced
On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendments Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 370 - 48 (Roll no. 286). (consideration: CR H5387; text: CR H5377-5383)
lower
Sep 1, 2026
Lower · Passed
Resolving differences -- House actions: On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendments Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 370 - 48 (Roll no. 286). (consideration: CR H5387; text: CR H5377-5383)
lower
Sep 1, 2026
Introduced
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on motion to agree to the Senate amendments to H.R. 6500.
lower
Sep 1, 2026
Introduced
Mr. Cole moved that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendments. (consideration: CR H5377-5385)
lower
Aug 8, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed Senate with an amendment and an amendment to the Title by Yea-Nay Vote. 90 - 6. Record Vote Number: 228.
upper
Aug 8, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment and an amendment to the Title by Yea-Nay Vote. 90 - 6. Record Vote Number: 228.
upper
Aug 7, 2026
Upper · Passed
Motion by Senator Thune to commit to Senate Committee on Appropriations with instructions to report back forthwith with the following amendment SA 6740 fell when cloture on amendment SA 6732 was invoked in Senate.
upper
Aug 5, 2026
Upper · Passed
Motion by Senator Thune to commit to Senate Committee on Appropriations with instructions to report back forthwith with the following amendment SA 6740 made in Senate.
upper
Jan 12, 2026
Introduced
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 340 - 54 (Roll no. 14). (text: CR H637)
lower
Jan 12, 2026
Lower · Passed
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 340 - 54 (Roll no. 14). (text: CR H637)
lower
Jan 12, 2026
Introduced
Mr. Smith (MO) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
lower
Dec 30, 2025
Lower · Passed
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Ways and Means. H. Rept. 119-416.
lower
Dec 10, 2025
Introduced
Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 37 - 3.
lower
Dec 10, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
lower
Dec 9, 2025
Committee
Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
lower
Dec 9, 2025
Introduced
Introduced in House
lower
1 primary · 1 co-sponsor

Sponsors