# 119-s-3066: Pay the People Act

119-s-3066, Pay the People Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Kennedy, John [R-LA] (R-LA); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-07-08).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3066
- As of: 2026-07-08
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-3066
- Congress: 119
- Title: Pay the People Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-10-28
- Sponsor: Sen. Kennedy, John [R-LA] (R-LA)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-07-08

## Summary

**Guarantee pay for federal workers during funding gaps.** This bill would require agencies to keep paying wages, benefits, allowances, and regular payments to covered people when an agency lacks interim or full-year appropriations. It applies to fiscal year 2026 and later for periods without appropriations. - Federal employees: Would continue receiving standard pay and regular benefits during an agency funding gap so they do not miss scheduled wages. - Contractors and active-duty military: Defines covered individuals to include contractors who support employees and members of the Armed Forces on active duty, so they could also get paid during gaps. - Agencies and funding mechanics: Would let agency heads draw needed amounts from Treasury money not otherwise appropriated until Congress enacts appropriations that cover those purposes or explicitly omits them.

## Provisions PRIA read

- Keep federal paychecks during lapses: benefit, high. If enacted, the bill would use Treasury money to keep regular federal pay and benefits flowing during funding lapses. Covered individuals would include federal employees, contractors who support employees, and active-duty military. It would apply in fiscal year 2026 and later when an agency has no…
- Limits on agency use of backstop funds: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would keep backstop funds available until Congress either passes appropriations that cover the same purposes or passes appropriations that do not. The bill would bar agencies from obligating backstop funds while continuing appropriations for those purposes are in effect. Costs…

## Related bills

- 119-s-688: Fighting Foreign Illegal Seafood Harvests Act of 2025
- 119-s-4952: Protecting American Taxpayers Act
- 119-s-4378: Protecting American Taxpayers Act
- 119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act
- 119-s-4065: STAND with Taiwan Act of 2026
- 119-s-3492: Essential Caregivers Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-s-3066 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/3066)

## Related
- [119-s-688: Fighting Foreign Illegal Seafood Harvests Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-688)
- [119-s-4952: Protecting American Taxpayers Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4952)
- [119-s-4378: Protecting American Taxpayers Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4378)
- [119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1748)
- [119-s-4065: STAND with Taiwan Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4065)
- [119-s-3492: Essential Caregivers Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3492)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3066 (as of 2026-07-08).