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119-s-3168119th CongressWALLET

Shutdown Fairness Act

Sponsored By: Senator Johnson, Ron [R-WI]

In Committee

Summary

Guarantees pay during funding lapses by creating a dedicated Treasury funding stream to pay federal employees, contractor employees, and members of the Armed Forces. It would define who qualifies, limit how the money is used, and require covered people to perform their usual duties to the maximum extent practicable during a lapse.

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  • Federal employees: Agencies would provide standard pay, allowances, and benefits to covered employees who worked any time from October 1, 2025 through enactment. Agencies must make retroactive payments as soon as practicable but no later than 7 days after enactment, and for future lapses pay on regular pay dates.
  • Contractor employees: Funding would pay covered contract employees who were on a contractor's payroll before a lapse and were required to work during the lapse. The bill treats contractors at any tier as eligible for coverage.
  • Members of the Armed Forces: Active duty members and reservists who perform active service or inactive duty training during a lapse are included as covered individuals.
  • Agency limits and accounting: Funds must be used only to compensate covered individuals, may not be obligated during periods of continuing appropriations, and must be charged to the applicable appropriation when that appropriation is later enacted.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

Keep pay flowing during shutdowns

If enacted, federal employees, certain contractor workers, and service members would keep getting their regular pay during a government funding lapse. The bill would apply retroactively as if passed on September 30, 2025 and start for fiscal year 2026 and after. For Oct 1, 2025 through enactment, agencies would have to pay covered workers as soon as practicable but no later than 7 days after enactment. For lapses that start after enactment, agencies would pay on regularly scheduled pay dates. Covered people would include agency employees (executive, legislative, judicial, and DC public employers) employed before the lapse, contractor employees employed before the lapse who are required to work, and military members performing duty. The money would come from Treasury funds set aside only to pay covered employees or contractors. Agencies could not use this money for other purposes or give duplicate payments for the same period. Agency heads decide which contractor workers must work and are covered.

Government chargeback of shutdown pay

If enacted, the bill would require that amounts the government spends to pay covered workers during a lapse be charged to the agency's later enacted appropriation. In other words, Treasury pays first and the agency's future appropriations would be charged later. This is an accounting rule and would not directly change who gets paid during a lapse.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Johnson, Ron [R-WI]

WI • R

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Cotton, Tom [R-AR]

    AR • R

    Sponsored 11/9/2025

  • Sen. Crapo, Mike [R-ID]

    ID • R

    Sponsored 11/9/2025

  • Sen. Lankford, James [R-OK]

    OK • R

    Sponsored 11/9/2025

  • Sen. Risch, James E. [R-ID]

    ID • R

    Sponsored 11/9/2025

  • Sen. Sullivan, Dan [R-AK]

    AK • R

    Sponsored 11/9/2025

  • Sen. Scott, Rick [R-FL]

    FL • R

    Sponsored 11/9/2025

  • Sen. Paul, Rand [R-KY]

    KY • R

    Sponsored 11/19/2025

  • Sen. Lummis, Cynthia M. [R-WY]

    WY • R

    Sponsored 4/29/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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