# 119-s-3039: True Shutdown Fairness Act

119-s-3039, True Shutdown Fairness Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD] (D-MD); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-04-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3039
- 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-3039
- Congress: 119
- Title: True Shutdown Fairness Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-10-23
- Sponsor: Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD] (D-MD)
- Cosponsors: 30
- Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-04-21

## Summary

### The Hook The True Shutdown Fairness Act would create a temporary funding mechanism to ensure **continuation of pay and benefits during a lapse in appropriations** for fiscal year 2026. It targets a lapse beginning October 1, 2025, and ties funding to a defined termination date. ### The Impact - Federal employees: Covered employees would continue to receive standard pay, allowances, pay differentials, benefits, and other regularly payable payments. The bill treats those payments as effective retroactive to September 30, 2025. - Contractors and service members: Contractors who support covered employees, active-duty members of the Armed Forces, and reserve members on active service or inactive-duty training would be included as covered individuals eligible for payments during the lapse. - Agencies and workforce rules: Agencies must charge expenditures to the applicable appropriation once Congress enacts it. The bill would bar proposals or implementation of reductions in force during the lapse and limit administrative leave to 10 workdays in a calendar year.

## Cosponsors (30)

- Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI] (D-MI), 2025-10-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA] (D-WA), 2025-10-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Warner, Mark R. [D-VA] (D-VA), 2025-10-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Alsobrooks, Angela D. [D-MD] (D-MD), 2025-10-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA] (D-VA), 2025-10-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Kim, Andy [D-NJ] (D-NJ), 2025-10-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] (D-CT), 2025-10-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Schatz, Brian [D-HI] (D-HI), 2025-10-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Luján, Ben Ray [D-NM] (D-NM), 2025-10-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA] (D-CA), 2025-10-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Gallego, Ruben [D-AZ] (D-AZ), 2025-10-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE] (D-DE), 2025-10-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA] (D-MA), 2025-10-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA] (D-MA), 2025-10-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL] (D-IL), 2025-10-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Blunt Rochester, Lisa [D-DE] (D-DE), 2025-10-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Welch, Peter [D-VT] (D-VT), 2025-10-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN] (D-MN), 2025-10-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI] (D-HI), 2025-10-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM] (D-NM), 2025-10-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL] (D-IL), 2025-10-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT] (I-VT), 2025-10-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Kelly, Mark [D-AZ] (D-AZ), 2025-10-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN] (D-MN), 2025-10-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (D-OR), 2025-10-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Warnock, Raphael G. [D-GA] (D-GA), 2025-10-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI] (D-RI), 2025-10-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ] (D-NJ), 2025-10-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA] (D-CA), 2025-10-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR] (D-OR), 2025-10-23T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Pay and benefits during a shutdown: benefit, high. If enacted, agencies with a lapse starting October 1, 2025 would be allowed to pay covered individuals their regular pay, allowances, pay differentials, benefits, and other routine payments. "Covered individuals" would include every agency employee, contractors who support those employees, active d…
- Ban on federal layoffs, leave limits: benefit, medium. If enacted, during the covered lapse starting October 1, 2025 agencies could not use funds to propose or carry out a reduction in force or similar permanent staff cuts. Agencies also could not place any agency employee in administrative leave for more than 10 work days in any calendar year while th…

## Related bills

- 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
- 119-s-1115: Paycheck Fairness Act
- 119-s-1393: American Family Act

## Sources
- [119-s-3039 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/3039)

## Related
- [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)
- [119-s-1115: Paycheck Fairness Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1115)
- [119-s-1393: American Family Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1393)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3039 (as of 2026-04-21).