Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2027
Sponsored By: Representative Womack, Steve [R-AR-3]
In Committee
Summary
This bill funds federal transportation and housing programs for FY2027, with detailed dollar allocations, transfer limits, and reporting requirements. It sets program-level funding and rules across the Department of Transportation and the Department of Housing and Urban Development to guide airports, highways, transit, ports, public housing, and homelessness programs.
Show full summary
- Families and people experiencing homelessness get targeted housing support, including renewals and $18.6 billion for project-based rental assistance and about $4.2 billion for homeless assistance programs. These funds also back public housing operations and rental vouchers.
- Air travelers and the aviation system see major FAA investments, with roughly $14.2 billion for FAA operations and $4.0 billion for facilities and equipment tied to airspace modernization and airport grants. The bill also funds airport improvement programs and safety oversight.
- States, commuters, and freight operators get highway and transit funding limits and priorities, including a $62.7 billion FHWA obligation ceiling and $14.6 billion in transit formula grants. The Act includes program rules, Buy America notices, and notice requirements for large grants.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
26 provisions identified: 7 benefits, 3 costs, 16 mixed.
Public housing funding increase
If enacted, the bill would provide $7.07 billion to the Public Housing Fund for FY2027. That includes $4.687 billion for operating subsidies, $2.286 billion for capital needs, $50 million for need-based shortfalls, and $30 million for emergency capital. These funds would be available until September 30, 2030. HUD must notify PHAs of formula allocations within 60 days of enactment.
Motor carrier safety grants and operations
For FY2027 the bill would provide $536.6 million for FMCSA motor carrier safety grants (including $422.5M for MCSP, $45.2M for CDL implementation, and $62.4M for the High Priority Program) and $390 million for FMCSA operations. At least $63.098 million must go to IT and information management and $14.073 million to Research & Technology. The grant and operation allocations would remain available until September 30, 2029.
Highway grants notice and HIP timing
The bill would require 60 days' written notice to Appropriations before making a grant under 23 U.S.C. 117 and would rescind remaining unobligated FY2023 Highway Infrastructure Program balances as of Sept. 30, 2026 and re-appropriate the same amount on Sept. 30, 2026 to remain available until Sept. 30, 2027. This replaces old balances with equivalent new budget authority and preserves project funding with a new availability period.
Tenant voucher funding and rules
This bill would provide $34.083 billion for tenant-based rental assistance and designate $35.453 billion for renewals of expiring Section 8 vouchers. It would set aside up to $200 million for voucher adjustments, $300 million for relocations and tenant protection (with at least $5 million for low-vacancy areas), and $2.3 billion for PHA administrative costs. The Secretary would allocate renewals using validated Voucher Management System data and an inflation factor and must notify PHAs of budgets by 60 days after enactment or March 1, 2027. The bill would also bar Section 8 help for certain students under age 24 unless they meet listed exceptions, let newly designated MTW PHAs repurpose prior Section 8/9 funds (excluding special purpose funds), and limit PHA salaries charged to Section 8/9 funds to the Executive Schedule Level IV rate for PHA fiscal year 2027.
HUD funding cuts and program changes
The bill would extend federal whistleblower protections to workers on any HUD-funded contract or grant, including funds from prior Acts, upon enactment. Continuum of Care grantees would be allowed to count eligible program income costs toward matching requirements for Homeless Assistance Grants for FY2015 through FY2027. At the same time, the bill would permanently rescind a set of unobligated HUD balances, including $126,615,000 from Project-Based Rental Assistance, $98,000,000 for Housing for Persons with Disabilities, $75,000,000 for Housing for the Elderly, and other listed amounts. These rescissions would reduce money available to those HUD programs.
State highway funding and redistribution
For FY2027, the bill would change how highway obligation limits are shared. The Secretary would withhold amounts for administrative expenses, past unobligated balances, and the Bureau of Transportation Statistics before computing State shares. After August 1, unused obligation authority could be redistributed to States that can obligate more funds. The bill would also let a State use a congressionally earmarked highway amount on any eligible in-State project if the State notifies DOT and files an annual report. Those funds would remain available for obligation for three additional fiscal years and generally must be used within 25 miles of the designated area.
Protect tenants during HUD sales
If enacted, HUD would be required to keep rental assistance in place for tenants in HUD-owned or HUD-mortgaged multifamily properties during management, disposition, and foreclosure. HUD could move subsidies to other owners or provide other rental assistance only after consulting tenants and local officials if continued assistance at the property is not feasible. The bill would also let HUD fund administrative help for small owners converting under RAD, allow project owners to get lump-sum remaining interest reduction payments in FY2027–2028 if they keep affordability rules, authorize one-year Continuum of Care transition grants, and extend CHOICE Neighborhoods liquidation rules to let grantees finish prior obligations.
FAA fees and air traffic protections
The bill would bar use of funds to plan or implement privatizing FAA air traffic functions. It would require FAA to send a report to Appropriations before raising fees for aeronautical navigation products and would let the FAA reimburse certain statutory obligations from navigation fees and carry remaining fee balances to the next year to meet those obligations.
Limits on HUD rules, housing eligibility
The bill would stop HUD from forcing local zoning changes under the cited Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule and would bar spending that changes current federal rules on noncitizen eligibility for assisted housing. It would prohibit HUD from enforcing the temporary eviction-filing moratorium and from using Act funds to update minimum energy-efficiency standards for new HUD- or USDA-financed housing. The bill would also preserve metropolitan city status for certain grants, limit Fair Housing investigations of otherwise lawful advocacy, allow capital funds for central office costs at PHAs, and restrict Native Alaskan housing funds in FY2027 to the FY2005 recipients.
Preserve project-based housing and safety
For FY2027–FY2028, HUD would be allowed to move project-based rental assistance, HUD-held or -insured debt, and required low-income use restrictions from troubled multifamily projects to viable receiving projects, so long as tenant protections, unit counts, and physical standards are preserved. HUD must send a Notice of Default within 15 days after a failing REAC inspection and may replace management, impose fines, abate Section 8 payments, transfer contracts, or seek receivership if problems persist. The bill would let HUD reuse prior unobligated HUD balances for renewing or amending project-based Section 8 contracts and allow PHAs under receivership to apply for and use lead-hazard competitive grants. It would also bar renewals of Section 8 moderate rehabilitation and SRO contracts after September 30, 2030 and require half of certain recaptured McKinney amounts to be rescinded to the Treasury while allowing up to 15% of the remainder to be used as refinancing incentives.
Voucher flexibilities and PHA oversight
If enacted, the Secretary could waive or set alternative rules to speed delivery of new or renewed vouchers for programs like family unification and foster-youth help. HUD could require struggling PHAs to enter recovery agreements and refer noncompliant PHAs for remedial action. Small PHAs with 400 or fewer units could elect to skip certain asset-management rules. HUD must give at least 60 days for public comment before changing Annual Contributions Contracts. The Secretary could also elect up to a 3% rent increase for certain assisted properties and Jobs-Plus rent incentives would not reduce competitive grant amounts for FY2027.
Amtrak reporting, staffing, and overtime
The bill would require Amtrak to send Congress a report within 3 days of the President's budget request describing requested uses and allocations; if Amtrak does not, its Northeast Corridor and National Network funding would be reduced by 5% starting on day four and again every three days until the report is sent. The bill would also bar using those funds to reduce Amtrak Police uniformed officer counts below the May 1, 2019 level and would cap overtime paid from Amtrak funds to $35,000 per employee per year unless Amtrak's President grants a waiver for safety or operations. Amtrak must report past overtime and waiver use soon after enactment.
FAA pay, safety, and airport reimbursements
This bill would change several aviation rules. FAA premium pay could be paid only for time an employee actually worked. The FAA Administrator could raise pay for medical-degree aerospace medicine jobs up to the annual compensation set in federal law (3 U.S.C. 102). The FAA would have to send a spend plan and brief Congress within 30 days of enactment and every 90 days in FY2027 on air traffic control modernization. Up to $3.5 million would be available through September 30, 2029 to reimburse airports and general aviation ground service providers for direct losses when airports close because of a Presidential temporary flight restriction, subject to audit and release rules.
HUD administration and procurement changes
If enacted, HUD would get $619 million for Administrative Support Offices (available to Sept 30, 2028) and $264.307 million for the Information Technology Fund (available to Sept 30, 2029). Up to $12 million of payment-integrity funds could transfer to IT. The bill also sets $18.8 million for Executive Offices and limits the Secretary's reception expenses to $25,000. HUD could use certain funds for legal services and to pay for services of federal housing finance institutions. HUD could not pay awards to employees under administrative discipline. HUD must award Title II assistance competitively unless another law says otherwise, and HUD cannot issue solicitations substantially like the 2022 HAPSS draft.
HUD program funding and rules for grants
The bill would give HUD Program Offices $810.2 million (available through Sept. 30, 2028) and allow those funds to be used for advertising tied to program activities. HUD would need to notify House and Senate Appropriations Committees at least 3 full business days before announcing or changing grant awards. The bill would require trained allotment holders for HUD appropriations, let HUD post competitive funding notices online only for FY2027, allow PD&R to reobligate unspent research contract funds, permit up to $10 million to move into HUD's IT Fund with limits, and let the Secretary transfer up to 10% (or $5 million) between certain HUD offices with advance notice.
Limits on eminent domain and mortgages
The bill would bar using Act funds to support projects that use eminent domain for private economic development and would limit valid "public use" takings to specified infrastructure and safety projects. It would also prohibit FHA, Ginnie Mae, and HUD from insuring or guaranteeing mortgages that refinance or replace a mortgage that has been subject to eminent domain seizure.
Lower competition share for DOT grants
If enacted, the bill would change a past rule to make the competitive share 30% rather than 40% for specified DOT grant amounts. If there are not enough merit-worthy applications for FY2022–FY2026, unused competitive funds may be repurposed to other grants. Repurposed amounts would retain certain prior legal treatment.
Buy America review and rules
If enacted, HUD would have 180 days to review how Build America, Buy America applies to Title II housing projects, then issue updated guidance within 90 days after the review. HUD must report results to committees within 270 days. The bill would bar Act funds to entities convicted of Buy American Act violations. It would also require at least 15 days public notice before waiving Buy America for Federal-aid highway projects and post any waivers online.
Promise Zone designations kept active
If enacted, the bill would keep prior Promise Zone designations and their agreements in force under the original terms and time periods. Communities already designated would keep the same rules and flexibilities.
More FRA oversight and flexibility
If enacted, the bill would let FRA move certain grant funds into a Financial Assistance Oversight and Technical Assistance account. Those amounts could then be used for award, project oversight, administration, and technical help for FRA grants in the same manner as the original appropriations. The transfer cannot be used for amounts Congress labeled emergency.
Limits on DOT bonuses and contracts
If enacted, the bill would restrict DOT spending in several ways. It would bar funds for more than nine FAA political appointee salaries. DOT could not pay retention or senior executive bonuses without prior written approval. Agencies could not pay incentive fees to contractors judged below satisfactory except in narrow cases. The Secretary must complete normal reprogramming before approving some reimbursable agreements, and agencies could not pay intervenor expenses from Act funds.
Limit Ginnie Mae credit audit
The bill would bar using funds in this title for a Government National Mortgage Association audit that would make Federal Credit Reform Act rules apply. The restriction would take effect upon enactment and would limit that specific type of audit tied to federal credit budget treatment.
DOT finance, headquarters, and transit benefits
The bill would fund DOT headquarters consolidation with $57,814,000 available until expended. DOT could not approve certain credit assistance until the Secretary gives at least 3 days' written notice to specified House and Senate committees with project and amount details. The DOT Working Capital Fund could make partial or full advance payments to keep federal transit fringe benefits working and keep up to one month of benefits as a reserve, but customer agencies must fully reimburse the Fund for the actual cost.
DOT tribal, IT and transit receipts rules
The bill would let the Department set full-cost-recovery rates when transferring IT equipment and software between departmental sources or to outside entities. It would allow DOT to move tribal funding awards into the Office of Tribal Government Affairs and to return retroceded funds to operating administrations. For FY2027 DOT could use up to 10% of Working Capital Fund receipts from unused transit and vanpool benefits for contract services, but obligations from those collections in FY2027 could not exceed $1 million.
Airport privacy and space rules
If enacted, the bill would let private noncommercial aircraft owners ask the FAA to block identifying flight data from public tracking displays. The bill would stop agencies from forcing airports to give the FAA free office or building space by rule. It would also limit transfers of certain air-traffic equipment to the FAA unless the equipment was bought on or after specified dates and with government airport aid.
Road safety, cameras, and ELD rules
If enacted, the bill would allow highway grant administrative funds to be used for technical help to traffic safety grantees and would bar NHTSA from making impaired-driving ads that encourage illegal drug or alcohol use. The bill would prohibit using Act funds to buy or operate automated traffic enforcement cameras for red-light, speed, or stop-sign tickets (with narrow school-zone and work-zone exceptions). It would also stop DOT-funded ELD enforcement for commercial vehicles carrying livestock or insects, and bar funds to change two FMCSA preemption decisions from 2018 and 2020.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Womack, Steve [R-AR-3]
AR • R
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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