Fiscal Year 2026 Congressionally Directed Spending
Senators Kaine and Warner are accepting joint requests for Virginia Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) projects for FY26. A deadline will be announced at a future time. Applicants are encouraged to submit as soon as possible. *This form is based on FY25 guidance and is subject to change upon further information provided by the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Congressionally directed spending will be capped at one percent of all discretionary spending, and there is a ban on congressionally directed spending items to for-profit entities. Submission of a request to the committee does not guarantee funding.
- Purpose: The purpose of this application is to identify high-impact projects in Virginia that can reach completion with one-time assistance from the federal government.
- Senate Rule XLIV: Any CDS request submitted to the Appropriations Committee must comply with this rule.
- Eligible Accounts: The FY26 CDS form is subject to change pending instructions from the Senate Appropriations Committee, including a list of accounts that are eligible for CDS. A specific list of the CDS accounts included for the FY25 process is available here.
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Reforms: The Appropriations Committee instituted the following reforms for recent previous fiscal years. These reforms are expected to continue for FY26:
- A one percent cap on discretionary spending for congressionally directed spending items;
- Ban congressionally directed spending items to for-profit entities;
- Require Senators to post online their congressionally directed spending item requests, as well as their financial certification disclosures attesting that they do not have any financial interest in any of the items requested; and
- The Committee will require the Government Accountability Office to audit a sample of enacted congressionally directed spending items and report its findings to Congress.
Frequently Asked Questions: A list of frequently asked questions is available here.
Please reach out to Kaine_Approps@kaine.senate.gov and approps@warner.senate.gov with questions.