# 119-hr-5870: Prevent Government Shutdowns Act

119-hr-5870, Prevent Government Shutdowns Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Arrington, Jodey C. [R-TX-19] (R-TX); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-23).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5870
- As of: 2026-10-23
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-5870
- Congress: 119
- Title: Prevent Government Shutdowns Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-10-31
- Sponsor: Rep. Arrington, Jodey C. [R-TX-19] (R-TX)
- Cosponsors: 21
- Policy area: Economics and Public Finance
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-10-23

## Summary

**Automatic continuing appropriations** would keep previously funded federal programs running during any lapse in appropriations. The bill also imposes temporary travel limits on officials and adds procedural and budget-scoring rules for how those automatic funds operate. - Families and program recipients: Keeps funding flowing for programs that were funded in the prior applicable appropriation, including nutrition programs covered by the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008. Funds are provided at a temporary rate and later charged to the final annual appropriation once enacted. - Federal employees and officials: Restricts official travel by covered officers and employees during a lapse except for short return trips to the seat of government, travel within the National Capital Region, and travel tied to national security or continuity operations. It also limits the use of campaign funds for official travel during the covered period. - Congress and the budget process: Creates automatic 14-day continuing appropriations with automatic 14-day extensions while a lapse continues. Treats those automatic appropriations as discretionary for budget scoring, prohibits large initial funding bursts or rapid grant awards, and requires expenditures to be charged to the applicable appropriation when the annual bill is enacted.

## Cosponsors (21)

- Rep. Panetta, Jimmy [D-CA-19] (D-CA), 2025-10-31T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Peters, Scott H. [D-CA-50] (D-CA), 2025-10-31T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Huizenga, Bill [R-MI-4] (R-MI), 2025-10-31T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Miller-Meeks, Mariannette [R-IA-1] (R-IA), 2025-10-31T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Miller, Max L. [R-OH-7] (R-OH), 2025-10-31T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Nunn, Zachary [R-IA-3] (R-IA), 2025-10-31T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Salazar, Maria Elvira [R-FL-27] (R-FL), 2025-10-31T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1] (R-PA), 2025-11-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Thompson, Mike [D-CA-4] (D-CA), 2025-11-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Goldman, Daniel S. [D-NY-10] (D-NY), 2025-11-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Jackson, Jonathan L. [D-IL-1] (D-IL), 2025-11-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Titus, Dina [D-NV-1] (D-NV), 2025-11-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Goodlander, Maggie [D-NH-2] (D-NH), 2025-11-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5] (D-NJ), 2025-11-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Landsman, Greg [D-OH-1] (D-OH), 2025-11-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Hurd, Jeff [R-CO-3] (R-CO), 2025-11-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Obernolte, Jay [R-CA-23] (R-CA), 2025-12-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17] (R-NY), 2026-02-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Fleischmann, Charles J. "Chuck" [R-TN-3] (R-TN), 2026-03-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Joyce, John [R-PA-13] (R-PA), 2026-06-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Bergman, Jack [R-MI-1] (R-MI), 2026-07-27T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- SNAP and entitlements keep paying: benefit, high. If enacted, you would keep getting entitlement payments and SNAP during a funding lapse, if you qualify. Payments would run at current‑law levels and follow last year’s program rules. This would help keep checks and grocery benefits on schedule.
- Automatic funding to avoid shutdowns: benefit, high. If enacted, the government would provide automatic funding when a lapse starts. Money would flow at last year’s rate and terms, including loan and loan guarantee costs. Funding would come in 14‑day blocks and renew every 14 days until Congress finishes. It would apply only to programs funded last y…
- No official travel during funding gaps: cost, low. If enacted, most official travel by Members of Congress, their staff, and OMB staff would pause during a covered period. Exceptions would allow one return trip to Washington if away at the start, local travel inside the National Capital Region, and national security or continuity trips. Campaign fu…
- Congress limited to funding bills: mixed, medium. If enacted, during a covered period, Congress could mostly take up only this year’s appropriations, quorum motions, and debt‑limit bills. On and after day 30, it could also consider certain top nominations and short program extensions where funding is not enacted. Recesses or adjournments would be…
- Budget rules for automatic funding: mixed, medium. If enacted, budget offices would score the automatic funding like a short discretionary appropriation. In the baseline, the funding would count as part‑year, and enforcing spending limits would treat it as part‑year. Any required report during a lapse would be due the later of the usual date or 30…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-1262: Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act
- 119-hr-842: Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act
- 119-hr-3514: Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2025
- 119-hr-1502: North Platte Canteen Congressional Gold Medal Act
- 119-hr-452: Miracle on Ice Congressional Gold Medal Act
- 119-hr-1: One Big Beautiful Bill Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-5870 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/5870)

## Related
- [119-hr-1262: Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1262)
- [119-hr-842: Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage A…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-842)
- [119-hr-3514: Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3514)
- [119-hr-1502: North Platte Canteen Congressional Gold Medal Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1502)
- [119-hr-452: Miracle on Ice Congressional Gold Medal Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-452)
- [119-hr-1: One Big Beautiful Bill Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5870 (as of 2026-10-23).