Veterans and military construction funding for 2024; became a six-bill spending law

§1What it does

Why this matters: A plain-English description of the bill as it was voted on, written by us from the official summary and text.

✎ Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.

The version the House passed in July 2023 covered only military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs and related agencies for the 2024 budget year, which ran from October 2023 through September 2024.^2,3 That version also limited how the money could be used, including bans on using it to carry out a 2022 VA rule that allowed certain abortion-related care, to pay for abortions except in cases of rape, incest or danger to the woman's life, or to pay for surgery or hormone therapy for gender-affirming care or for diversity, equity and inclusion programs.^2,3 The Senate passed a different version in November 2023 that combined this funding with the yearly funding for the Agriculture Department, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Transportation and Housing and Urban Development departments.^2,3 The final law, signed in March 2024, combined six of the twelve yearly funding bills, adding the Commerce, Justice, Energy and Interior departments, science agencies, the Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency, and it also extended several expiring programs, including some public health programs.^2,3

§2Status

§3How Congress voted

Why this matters: The official count.