# 119-s-2982: Federal Employees Civil Relief Act 119-s-2982, Federal Employees Civil Relief Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Schatz, Brian [D-HI] (D-HI); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-04-21). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2982 - As of: 2026-04-21 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: 119-s-2982 - Congress: 119 - Title: Federal Employees Civil Relief Act - Status: introduced - Introduced: 2025-10-07 - Sponsor: Sen. Schatz, Brian [D-HI] (D-HI) - Cosponsors: 19 - Policy area: Government Operations and Politics - Touches household money: yes - Last recorded action: 2026-04-21 ## Summary **Pauses many civil and financial obligations for federal workers and contractors during government shutdowns and debt‑limit breaches.** It covers the shutdown and the 30 days after and lets affected workers seek stays or adjustments to evictions, foreclosures, collections, fines, taxes, student loans, and insurance deadlines. - Federal workers and contractors: Lets furloughed or unpaid workers request temporary stays or postponements of rent, mortgage, tax, fine, insurance, student loan, and other civil payments when their ability to pay was materially affected. - Housing providers and lenders: Prohibits evictions, foreclosures, sales, or seizures tied to pre‑shutdown mortgages without a court order during the covered period and allows courts to stay eviction or adjust leases for up to 30 days. Violations can trigger misdemeanor penalties and civil fines up to $55,000 for a first violation and $110,000 for later violations. - Student loans, taxes, and insurance: Pauses principal payments and stops interest from accruing on covered student loans during the covered period. Defers collection of federal income tax due during the shutdown for up to 90 days after the shutdown with no interest or penalties during the deferment, and prevents lapse of existing health, life, disability, and motor vehicle insurance for nonpayment. ## Cosponsors (19) - Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY] (D-NY), 2025-10-07T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL] (D-IL), 2025-10-07T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA] (D-CA), 2025-10-07T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT] (I-VT), 2025-10-07T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD] (D-MD), 2025-10-07T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] (D-CT), 2025-10-07T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY] (D-NY), 2025-10-07T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Alsobrooks, Angela D. [D-MD] (D-MD), 2025-10-07T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA] (D-MA), 2025-10-07T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL] (D-IL), 2025-10-07T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI] (D-HI), 2025-10-07T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA] (D-VA), 2025-10-07T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI] (D-WI), 2025-10-07T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV] (D-NV), 2025-10-07T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN] (D-MN), 2025-10-07T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ] (D-NJ), 2025-10-07T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM] (D-NM), 2025-10-07T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Warner, Mark R. [D-VA] (D-VA), 2025-10-07T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (D-OR), 2025-10-27T00:00:00.000Z ## Provisions PRIA read - Housing and foreclosure pause for workers: benefit, high. If enacted, landlords and secured creditors generally could not evict, foreclose, sell, or seize a federal worker's primary residence during the covered period without a prior court order. Courts would have to pause eviction or distress proceedings for 30 days (or a different period if justice requ… - Student loan pause for federal workers: benefit, high. If enacted, federal workers furloughed or required to work without pay would not have to pay covered student loan installments during the covered period. Interest would not accrue on those loans while the pause lasts. Lenders could not place payments due in that time into default or send loans to c… - Who gets protections during shutdowns: benefit, high. If enacted, a "covered period" would run from a shutdown start through 30 days after it ends. A "shutdown" would mean a funding lapse over 24 hours or when the U.S. hits the legal debt limit. The bill would treat contractor employees as federal workers for these protections. The Act would apply acr… - Court stays to pause bills and debts: benefit, medium. If enacted, furloughed federal workers or those working without pay could ask a court to temporarily stay or reduce payments due during the shutdown. Covered items include rent, mortgages, taxes, fines, insurance premiums, and other civil obligations. Applying for or receiving relief alone could no… - No lapse on key insurance for workers: benefit, medium. If enacted, health, life, disability, and car insurance policies a federal worker had before a shutdown would not lapse, terminate, or be forfeited for missed premiums during the covered period. These protections apply to premiums or interest due during the covered period and do not require a court… - Delay of income tax collection for workers: benefit, medium. If enacted, federal income tax due during a shutdown could be deferred up to 90 days after the shutdown ends if your ability to pay was materially affected. You would need to notify the IRS. No interest or penalties would accrue while the tax is deferred. The deferral would not apply to the tax und… - Enforcement and private lawsuits for violations: benefit, low. If enacted, the Attorney General could sue for repeated or important violations. Courts could order money damages and penalties. Individuals harmed after enactment could also bring private lawsuits and recover costs and fees. ## Related bills - 119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026 - 119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act - 119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026 - 119-s-1503: Equality Act - 119-s-2150: Women’s Health Protection Act of 2025 - 119-s-2523: John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2025 ## Sources - [119-s-2982 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/2982) ## Related - [119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5066) - [119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-51) - [119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5108) - [119-s-1503: Equality Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1503) - [119-s-2150: Women’s Health Protection Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2150) - [119-s-2523: John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2523) - [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2982 (as of 2026-04-21).