UPDATE: Following Congress' passage, the President signed this legislation into law on Feb. 3, 2026.

This afternoon, Congress took the final steps in the FY 2026 budget process, passing legislation that increases funding for lupus programs, including $27 million – the most in history - for lupus programs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the HHS Office of Minority Health (OMH) and the Department of Defense (DoD).  The bill also increases funding for the National Institutes of Health, which provides an estimated $140 million in lupus research funding each year. The funding bill now heads to the President, who is expected to sign it into law. 

The Lupus Foundation of America is grateful for the tireless efforts of lupus advocates across the country whose outreach to Congress throughout the year resulted in today’s victory.  Thanks also to our lupus champions leading the Congressional Lupus Caucus, Reps. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) and Bill Keating (D-MA) and to our supporters on the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, including Representatives Tom Cole (R-OK) and Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Patty Murray (D-WA). 

Read our recent advocacy news article for additional details about this victory for the lupus community and lupus advocates nationwide.