# 119-hr-5708: Federal Employees Civil Relief Act

119-hr-5708, Federal Employees Civil Relief Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Boyle, Brendan F. [D-PA-2] (D-PA); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-06-19).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5708
- As of: 2026-06-19
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-5708
- Congress: 119
- Title: Federal Employees Civil Relief Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-10-08
- Sponsor: Rep. Boyle, Brendan F. [D-PA-2] (D-PA)
- Cosponsors: 15
- Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-06-19

## Summary

**Temporary civil relief for federal workers during funding lapses and debt-limit breaches.** This bill would create a court-supervised pause on many civil obligations for furloughed or non-pay federal employees and contractor staff while a shutdown or debt-limit breach lasts and for a brief recovery period.

## Cosponsors (15)

- Rep. Randall, Emily [D-WA-6] (D-WA), 2025-10-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4] (D-WI), 2025-10-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Carter, Troy A. [D-LA-2] (D-LA), 2025-10-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Salinas, Andrea [D-OR-6] (D-OR), 2025-10-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McClellan, Jennifer L. [D-VA-4] (D-VA), 2025-10-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Scott, Robert C. "Bobby" [D-VA-3] (D-VA), 2025-10-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Pingree, Chellie [D-ME-1] (D-ME), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] (D-DC), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Bell, Wesley [D-MO-1] (D-MO), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Elfreth, Sarah [D-MD-3] (D-MD), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Thompson, Bennie G. [D-MS-2] (D-MS), 2025-10-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Carson, André [D-IN-7] (D-IN), 2025-10-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Jackson, Jonathan L. [D-IL-1] (D-IL), 2025-10-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Tokuda, Jill N. [D-HI-2] (D-HI), 2025-10-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Keating, William R. [D-MA-9] (D-MA), 2026-06-18T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Keep worker insurance active during shutdowns: benefit, medium. If enacted, your health, life, disability, and car insurance could not end during a shutdown just because you missed a premium. This would apply to policies you had before the shutdown and that stayed in force during it. A court could order otherwise in a specific case.
- Protect credit and dependents of federal workers: benefit, medium. If enacted, lenders and insurers could not use your request for relief under this bill as the sole reason to deny or change terms. Courts could reduce fines or stop collections if the shutdown made it hard for you to pay. Your dependents could also apply for these protections if they are materially…
- Shutdown bill and housing pause for federal workers: benefit, medium. If enacted, furloughed or unpaid federal workers could ask a court to pause bills due during a shutdown. This could cover rent, mortgage, taxes, fines, insurance, and other payments. Landlords could not evict you from your main home without a court order. Foreclosures, vehicle seizures, and many li…
- Who is covered and how to enforce: benefit, medium. If enacted, protections would cover federal employees and contractor employees. A shutdown would mean a funding lapse over 24 hours or a debt limit breach. The covered period would run from the start of the shutdown to 30 days after it ends. Rules would apply in civil and administrative cases in U.…
- Student loan freeze for unpaid federal workers: benefit, medium. If enacted, student loan payments due during a shutdown would be paused for furloughed or unpaid federal workers. Interest would not build during the covered period. Lenders could not default the loan, send it to collections, report it to credit bureaus, or garnish wages or refunds without a court…
- IRS payment delay for federal workers: benefit, medium. If enacted, the IRS could delay collecting federal income tax that comes due during a shutdown. You would need to notify the IRS and show the shutdown hurt your ability to pay. Collection could be delayed up to 90 days after the shutdown ends, with no interest or penalties during the delay. This wo…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-9877: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act
- 119-hr-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act
- 119-hr-20: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025
- 119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act
- 119-hr-5390: FAMILY Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-5708 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/5708)

## Related
- [119-hr-9877: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9877)
- [119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7973)
- [119-hr-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-51)
- [119-hr-20: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-20)
- [119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7977)
- [119-hr-5390: FAMILY Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5390)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5708 (as of 2026-06-19).