The Senate has passed a continuing resolution that extends vital cybersecurity authorities and maintains funding for the technology Modernization Fund (TMF) through December 11, 2026. This measure ensures that federal agencies can continue their critical tech projects and cybersecurity initiatives without interruption.
The bill, released by the Senate Appropriations Committee, provides funding at current levels from October 1, 2026, through December 11, 2026. This extension is part of a broader effort to avoid a government shutdown and maintain essential programs.
Key Provisions of the Senate Bill
The Senate’s bill includes several important provisions that go beyond the House’s version of the continuing resolution. Notably, it extends two critical cybersecurity laws the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 (CISA 2015) and the Federal Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2015. These laws were set to expire after September 30, 2026.
CISA 2015 provides privacy and liability protections that encourage companies to share data about cyber vulnerabilities and threats with the government and each other. This collaboration is crucial for enhancing national cybersecurity. The Federal Cybersecurity Enhancement Act authorizes the Department of Homeland Security to deploy intrusion detection tools, such as the long-running EINSTEIN service, across federal agencies.
The Senate bill also blocks the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) from implementing its re-write of federal grant regulations. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Susan Collins (R-Maine) has called on OMB Director Russell Vought to rescind parts of those proposed regulations.
Technology Modernization Fund Extended
The Senate bill extends the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) through December 11, 2026. The TMF and its board were set to expire on September 30, 2026. The House-passed bill did not include an extension for the TMF, which temporarily expired last fall before being extended as part of the January omnibus appropriations agreement.
A lapse in the TMF’s authority would freeze the fund and prevent the General Services Administration (GSA) program from awarding any new projects. Proponents of the TMF have yet to find a path forward on a long-term reauthorization of the eight-year-old program. The OMB has proposed a revised model for the TMF that would allow it to operate like a working capital fund and collect up to $100 million a year in otherwise expired funding.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding its future, TMF Acting Executive Director Jessie Posilkin encourages agencies to continue working with the program. Posilkin recently highlighted the TMF’s ongoing operations, emphasizing that the fund is still open for business and actively seeking proposals from agencies.
Bipartisan Support and Compromises
The Senate bill reflects bipartisan efforts to craft a funding measure that meets the upper chamber’s 60-vote threshold for advancing a bill. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Vice Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-Wash.) have both expressed support for the bill’s provisions.
Collins emphasized that the continuing resolution is straightforward and avoids any poison pills. It continues current government funding levels and includes necessary adjustments for programs like the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), vital national security programs, and the Disaster Relief Fund.
Murray applauded the grants provision and other extensions included in the Senate CR. She noted that the bill rejects the Trump administration’s frivolous war spending wish list and closes a loophole in the House Republicans’ CR that would have allowed the transfer of funding to Border Patrol.
The Senate’s bill stands in contrast to the House’s version, which was passed along party lines and would fund the government through December 4, 2026. House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-Okla.) described the House bill as free of poison pills while extending critical programs.
