HR 2029: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 (congress.gov)

Highlights: The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 provides FY2016 appropriations; extends expiring tax provisions; and affects policies in areas including oil exports, intelligence, cybersecurity, health care, financial services, visa waivers, and conservation. The bill provides appropriations for the federal government through the end of FY2016. The twelve regular appropriations bills included in the divisions of the bill increase discretionary spending above FY2015 levels, which reflects the increased discretionary spending limits included in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015. The bill also includes Overseas Contingency Operations and emergency funding which is not subject to discretionary spending limits. The bill includes authorizing provisions that: reauthorize intelligence programs; create a voluntary cybersecurity information sharing process and modify federal network information security procedures; end the ban on U.S. crude oil exports; modify procedures for the Visa Waiver Program; reauthorize health and compensation programs for 9/11 first responders; extend or make permanent expiring tax provisions; adjust Medicare payment rates for hospitals in Puerto Rico; suspend several tax provisions included in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA); modify financial services laws related to issues including the sale of the Department of the Treasury's preferred stock in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the confidentiality of information shared with regulat...