On August 7, 2026, the Senate advanced a Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 Continuing Resolution (CR) that would extend government funding at current levels until December 11, 2026, by a vote of 90-6. Notably, the Senate’s CR contains language delaying finalization of OMB’s proposed Uniform Guidance for federal grantmaking for the duration of the CR. This delay was supported by a bipartisan group of senators responding to concerns from the larger scientific research community that OMB’s proposed Uniform Guidance provided political appointees with too much influence over the grantmaking review process and introduced greater uncertainty into the duration and availability of grant opportunities.

The House passed its own CR legislation on July 21, 2026, by a vote of 220-205. The House CR would extend funding levels only to December 4, 2026, and does not include language delaying finalization of the Uniform Guidance. Congress will need to reconcile the differences between the two CRs by September 30, 2026, if it is to avoid a government shutdown.

The full text of the Senate’s CR and a section-by-section summary can be found here. The full text of the House’s CR and a section-by-section summary can be found here.

Impact on General Dentistry: The Senate CR would delay implementation of OMB's proposed rewrite of the Uniform Guidance until at least December 11, 2026, preserving existing grant administration rules. Additionally, the Senate proposal generally maintains FY 2026 funding levels, meaning programs that support dental training, oral health workforce development, and federally funded oral health initiatives would generally continue operating without interruption.