Stopgap sets December 11 deadline, 20 days before the CHC Fund expires
Issue
On September 2, 2026, the President signed H.R. 6500, now Public Law 119-103, funding the government through December 11. It does not mention health centers or the Community Health Center Fund, which still expires December 31.
Its health provisions are a Medicare Improvement Fund offset and section 2006, which adds $21.4 million to CNMI Medicaid. It pauses OMB’s grant-rule rewrite.
Corrected Oct 16, 2026: Earlier text said the law's only health provision was a Medicare Improvement Fund offset. Section 2006 also adds $21.4 million to the Northern Mariana Islands' fiscal 2026 Medicaid allotment.
Key points
- Two federal deadlines now sit 20 days apart: the CR lapses December 11, 2026 and the Community Health Center Fund expires December 31, 2026.
- Both land after the November 3 midterms, in a lame-duck session — build cash-flow scenarios for a December without a resolution, not for a single cliff.
- The enrolled text, now Public Law 119-103, does not mention health centers, the Community Health Center Fund, the NHSC or teaching health centers. The fund still expires December 31, 2026.
Sources for this story
The White House — signing statement, H.R. 6500Sources for your board packet
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Part of
- Community Health Center Fund and federal appropriations
The mandatory fund and the December 31 expiry · Annual appropriations and continuing resolutions
FQHC Talent. (2026, September 2). Stopgap sets December 11 deadline, 20 days before the CHC Fund expires. Source: The White House — signing statement, H.R. 6500. Retrieved October 27, 2026, from https://www.fqhctalent.com/intel/hr-6500-continuing-resolution-december-11-chc-fund-collision-2026