Shutdown Fairness Act
Sponsored By: Representative Johnson (SD)
Introduced
Summary
Guarantee federal pay and contractor payments during government funding lapses. This bill would create a temporary, agency-wide funding mechanism starting in fiscal year 2026 to provide standard pay and benefits to covered employees and to compensate covered contractors when regular appropriations lapse.
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- Workers and military: Covered employees include executive, legislative, and judicial staff, District of Columbia public employees, and active-duty and reserve service members on duty. They would receive their standard pay and benefits during a lapse and agencies must pay as soon as practicable, no later than 7 days for an ongoing lapse, and on regular pay dates for future lapses.
- Contractors: A "covered contractor" who is required to perform work during a lapse and is identified by the agency head would be paid for that required work under applicable law.
- Agencies and funding rules: Funds would be appropriated from the Treasury as needed and later charged to the applicable appropriation when enacted. Those funds cannot be transferred or reprogrammed and may only be used to pay covered employees or covered contractors.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Guaranteed pay for federal workers and contractors
If enacted, the bill would let each agency get Treasury money to pay covered employees and covered contractors during a funding lapse. Covered employees would include federal employees and certain military members who were employed or had accepted an offer before the lapse began. Agencies would have to pay employees if a lapse was ongoing on enactment within 7 days, and for future lapses pay on regular paydays. Contractors count only if the agency head determines payment in advance is allowed under law, including 31 U.S.C. 1341. Covered employees and contractor workers would be expected to do their usual duties as much as practicable during the lapse.
Rules and limits on temporary shutdown funds
If enacted, the bill would tightly limit how agencies use the temporary Treasury money. Agencies could use those funds only for employee compensation and required contractor payments and could not transfer or reprogram them to other purposes. Agencies could not obligate temporary funds when continuing appropriations for the same purpose are already in effect. Expenditures made under the temporary authority would later be charged to the proper enacted appropriation when Congress passes it. For FY2026, payments would follow the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2026 rules (or a later continuing appropriations law). For FY2027 and later, payments would follow the rules that applied before the lapse. The bill would also let agencies obligate these funds notwithstanding two specified statutory limits for some diplomatic and national security authorities, but it still forbids spending beyond what this bill authorizes.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Johnson (SD)
SD • R
Cosponsors
Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5]
NJ • D
Sponsored 1/16/2026
Rep. Mackenzie, Ryan [R-PA-7]
PA • R
Sponsored 1/16/2026
Rep. Goodlander, Maggie [D-NH-2]
NH • D
Sponsored 1/16/2026
Rep. Mann, Tracey [R-KS-1]
KS • R
Sponsored 1/16/2026
Rep. Panetta, Jimmy [D-CA-19]
CA • D
Sponsored 1/16/2026
Wittman
VA • R
Sponsored 1/16/2026
Rep. Carbajal, Salud O. [D-CA-24]
CA • D
Sponsored 1/16/2026
Rep. Steil, Bryan [R-WI-1]
WI • R
Sponsored 1/16/2026
Rep. Golden, Jared F. [D-ME-2]
ME • D
Sponsored 1/16/2026
Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1]
PA • R
Sponsored 1/16/2026
Soto
FL • D
Sponsored 1/16/2026
Bresnahan
PA • R
Sponsored 1/16/2026
Rep. Krishnamoorthi, Raja [D-IL-8]
IL • D
Sponsored 1/16/2026
Rep. Garbarino, Andrew R. [R-NY-2]
NY • R
Sponsored 1/16/2026
Davis (NC)
NC • D
Sponsored 1/16/2026
Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17]
NY • R
Sponsored 2/2/2026
Rep. Deluzio, Christopher R. [D-PA-17]
PA • D
Sponsored 2/2/2026
Rep. Green, Al [D-TX-9]
TX • D
Sponsored 2/17/2026
Rescom. Hernández, Pablo Jose [D-PR-At Large]
PR • D
Sponsored 2/17/2026
Rep. Van Orden, Derrick [R-WI-3]
WI • R
Sponsored 3/3/2026
Liccardo
CA • D
Sponsored 3/17/2026
Kennedy (NY)
NY • D
Sponsored 3/17/2026
Rep. Barrett, Tom [R-MI-7]
MI • R
Sponsored 3/30/2026
Rep. Correa, J. Luis [D-CA-46]
CA • D
Sponsored 3/30/2026
Kean
NJ • R
Sponsored 4/9/2026
Bean (FL)
FL • R
Sponsored 4/15/2026
Rep. Grothman, Glenn [R-WI-6]
WI • R
Sponsored 4/16/2026
Rep. Vasquez, Gabe [D-NM-2]
NM • D
Sponsored 4/16/2026
Mills
FL • R
Sponsored 4/16/2026
Rep. Landsman, Greg [D-OH-1]
OH • D
Sponsored 4/16/2026
Rep. Miller, Max L. [R-OH-7]
OH • R
Sponsored 4/27/2026
Bishop
GA • D
Sponsored 4/27/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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