Building a RAG-Intelligent Retrieval Policy Analysis Engine for Congressional Legislation
Over the past term, the Policy Insight Lab (PILab) has pushed beyond conventional research workflows to build a new class of policy analysis tools. What began as a simple Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) prototype—intended to extract facts from complex federal documents—has evolved into a dynamic Intelligent Retrieval (IR) engine capable of interpreting legislative text with context, nuance, and precision.
Our latest milestone is an internal web app that reads and analyzes the new federal appropriations bill in real time. Instead of returning generic summaries, the system understands policy domains, identifies cross-cutting provisions, and synthesizes implications for state and local governance. It can highlight health-care-related language, track funding authorities, and map how federal rules cascade to cities—all within seconds.
This progression from RAG to IR marks a turning point for PILab’s mission. We’re no longer just building tools that retrieve information—we’re designing systems that reason with it. For a research institute committed to expanding public-interest technology and democratizing access to policy understanding, this is the kind of leap that changes what student labs can do. It demonstrates what’s possible when engineering, policy, and urban governance converge in one space.
Sample Queries and Outputs
What healthcare programs receive funding in this appropriations bill, and what directives or limitations does the bill impose on how that healthcare funding can be used?
Based on the provided document chunks, the appropriations bill provides funding for several healthcare programs and imposes specific directives and limitations on the use of these funds.
Healthcare Programs Receiving Funding
The bill allocates funding to programs within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and other health-related initiatives:
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Related Programs:
- Community Health Centers: Receive $1,423,890,411 for the period of October 1, 2025, to January 30, 2026 [16].
- National Health Service Corps and Teaching Health Centers: The bill extends funding for these programs, though specific amounts are not detailed in the provided chunks [16].
- Secretary of Health and Human Services: Receives an additional $14,000,000 for the period of October 1, 2025, to January 30, 2026 [4].
- Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) Allotment: The DSH allotment for Tennessee is set at $17,748,493 for the period beginning October 1, 2025, and ending January 30, 2026 [9].
- Children and Families Services Programs: The base grant for both the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands is set at $8,000,000 each [5].
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA):
- Medical Community Care: Receives $38,700,000,000, which becomes available on October 1, 2026, for furnishing health care to veterans at non-Department facilities [14].
- Medical Support and Compliance: Receives $12,000,000,000, available starting October 1, 2026, for the administration of medical, hospital, nursing home, and research activities [15].
- Veterans Health Administration Medical Facilities: An appropriation of 145,917,000ismadeforthemaintenanceandoperationofhospitals,nursinghomes,andotherVAfacilities,whichisinadditiontopreviouslyappropriatedfunds[7,12].Thebillalsorescinds145,917,000ismadeforthemaintenanceandoperationofhospitals,nursinghomes,andotherVAfacilities,whichisinadditiontopreviouslyappropriatedfunds[7,12].Thebillalsorescinds610,000,000 from a previous appropriation for medical facilities [12].
Other Health Initiatives:
- Tribal Public Health Resource Center: $1,000,000 is provided to continue a resource center at a land grant university to improve public health services in American Indian communities [6].
Directives and Limitations on Funding
The bill places several directives and limitations on how healthcare funds can be used:
General Directives:
- Approval for New Programs: The Secretary of Health and Human Services must notify and receive approval from the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations before implementing any program or activity not carried out in the previous fiscal year, unless it is specifically funded by this or another Act [2].
- Capital Investment: None of the funds provided by this Act can be used for "modifying major capital investments funding levels" [2].
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Specific Limitations:
- Fund Transfers: The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may transfer funds between appropriations but must provide written notification to the Appropriations Committees. Funds may only be transferred for "higher priority items, based on emergent healthcare requirements," and not for items previously denied by Congress [20].
- New Hospital Construction: Appropriations for the VA cannot be used to purchase a site for or construct a new hospital or home, except for funds specifically designated for "Construction, Major Projects" and "Construction, Minor Projects" [18].
- Patient Eligibility: Funds for the VA are not available for the hospitalization or examination of any person other than beneficiaries legally entitled to such benefits as veterans [18].
- Medical Care Collections: Funds earned on a "qualifying patient basis" are to be reimbursed to the "Medical Care Collections Fund" to supplement funding for nursing home care provided to pensioners [10].
- Authority Extensions: The bill extends the VA's authority to collect copayments for hospital and nursing home care through September 30, 2026 [4].
Health Extenders:
- DSH Allotment Reductions: The bill delays planned reductions to DSH allotments. The reduction period, which was set to begin in fiscal year 2026, is now scheduled to start on January 31, 2026 [9].
What is the name of the bill, the date it was passed, and the most important sections of the bill to read manually?
Name of the Bill
The bill is identified by both its number and its title:
- Bill Number: H.R. 5371 [2, 16].
- Official Name: Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act, 2026 [7]. One part of the act is specifically named the "CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2026" [14].
Date the Bill Was Passed
The provided documents do not state the specific date the bill was passed or enacted into law. One section mentions that it will "take effect on the date of enactment of this Act" but does not specify that date [2].
Most Important Sections to Read Manually
The provided text suggests this is a continuing appropriations bill, designed to provide temporary funding. The most important sections for manual review would be those that outline the scope of the funding, its limitations, and any specific changes or extensions of authority.
Key Sections on Scope and Limitations:
- Section 4: This section is important for context as it refers to an "explanatory statement" that has the "same effect... as if it were a joint explanatory statement of a committee of conference" for allocating funds and implementing several divisions of the Act [14]. This statement would likely contain detailed funding tables and directives.
- Section 104: This section imposes a significant restriction, stating that no funds from the Act can be used to "initiate or resume any project or activity for which appropriations, funds, or other authority were not available during fiscal year 2025" [18]. This limits spending to the continuation of existing government functions.
- Section 106: This section is crucial as it defines the duration of the bill's funding and authority. It states that appropriations are available until the earliest of three events: a new appropriation for a project is enacted, the full appropriations act for fiscal year 2026 is enacted without funding for a project, or January 30, 2026 [10].
- Section 109 & 110: These sections impose further restrictions, preventing agencies from making "high initial rates of operation or complete distribution of appropriations" at the beginning of the fiscal year [13]. Section 110 specifies that "only the most limited funding action... shall be taken" to continue projects [13].
Key Sections on Funding and Specific Authorities:
- Division A: Titled the "CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2026," this division contains the main appropriations for government departments and agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026 [14].
- Specific Funding Allocations: The bill contains highly detailed funding allocations that would require manual review. For example, one chunk specifies funding for veterans' programs, including 3,500,000,000 for the Caregivers program, 698,000,000 for suicide prevention, and $3,459,121,000 for veterans’ homelessness programs [1].
- Sections Extending Authority: The bill contains numerous sections that extend existing legal authorities, often by substituting a new date. For instance, various sections extend authorities related to veterans' programs to September 30, 2026 [15], while others extend healthcare provisions to January 30, 2026 [3, 8, 11].
- Specific Prohibitions: There are sections with very specific limitations, such as Section 223, which prohibits the Department of Veterans Affairs from using any funds to replace its current system for selecting diabetes monitoring supplies [12].
