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HR7137119th CongressWALLET
Shutdown Fairness Act
Sponsored By: Representative Johnson, Dusty [R-SD-At Large]
Introduced
Summary
Creates a Treasury-funded backstop to guarantee pay for federal employees, members of the Armed Forces, and certain contractors during gaps in regular appropriations. This bill would define who is covered and set when and how those payments must be made.
Show full summary
- Federal employees and service members: Covered employees would receive their standard compensation, including base pay, allowances, and regular differentials, for lapses beginning October 1, 2025 and for later lapses under the bill’s rules. Coverage includes excepted and emergency workers, furloughed staff, active-duty members, and reservists performing duty.
- Contractors who must keep working: Contractors that support covered employees and are required to perform work during a lapse would be paid for work performed. Agencies could allow advance payments when lawful and as determined by the agency head.
- Agencies and budgeting rules: For fiscal year 2026 and after the bill would appropriate from Treasury sums necessary to make these payments and limit their use strictly to employee and covered-contractor pay. If a lapse is ongoing at enactment agencies must pay as soon as practicable but no later than 7 days after enactment, and for future lapses payments would follow regular pay dates.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Guaranteed pay for workers and contractors
If enacted, the bill would appropriate from Treasury the sums needed to pay standard employee compensation to covered federal employees and to pay covered contractors during any lapse in regular appropriations for fiscal year 2026 and each year after. You would be a covered employee if you were employed or had accepted a job offer before the day the lapse began, including active-duty service members and reservists in training during the lapse. Agencies would pay standard pay and required contractor payments; payments would be limited to usual base pay, allowances, and regular benefits. If a lapse is already happening when the bill is enacted, agencies would pay covered employees as soon as practicable and no later than 7 days after enactment; for lapses starting after enactment, payments would occur on regular pay dates.
Rules and limits for shutdown pay
If enacted, the bill would make these payments subject to special appropriation rules. For FY2026 they would follow the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2026, and for FY2027 and later they must follow the requirements that applied before the lapse. Agencies would have to charge any payments to the later enacted appropriation and could not use these amounts for other purposes or reprogram them. The bill would also direct covered employees and contractor staff to perform typical duties to the maximum extent practicable during a lapse and says agencies are not required to take actions beyond the contract terms.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Johnson, Dusty [R-SD-At Large]
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
Rep. Wittman, Robert J. [R-VA-1]
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
Rep. Soto, Darren [D-FL-9]
FL • D
Sponsored 1/16/2026
Rep. Bresnahan, Robert P. [R-PA-8]
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
Rep. Davis, Donald G. [D-NC-1]
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
Rep. Liccardo, Sam T. [D-CA-16]
CA • D
Sponsored 3/17/2026
Rep. Kennedy, Timothy M. [D-NY-26]
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
Rep. Kean, Thomas H. [R-NJ-7]
NJ • R
Sponsored 4/9/2026
Rep. Grothman, Glenn [R-WI-6]
WI • R
Sponsored 4/16/2026
Rep. Vasquez, Gabe [D-NM-2]
NM • D
Sponsored 4/16/2026
Rep. Landsman, Greg [D-OH-1]
OH • D
Sponsored 4/16/2026
Rep. Bean, Aaron [R-FL-4]
FL • R
Sponsored 4/15/2026
Rep. Mills, Cory [R-FL-7]
FL • R
Sponsored 4/16/2026
Rep. Miller, Max L. [R-OH-7]
OH • R
Sponsored 4/27/2026
Rep. Bishop, Sanford D. [D-GA-2]
GA • D
Sponsored 4/27/2026
Rep. Stevens, Haley M. [D-MI-11]
MI • D
Sponsored 6/23/2026
Rep. Thanedar, Shri [D-MI-13]
MI • D
Sponsored 6/23/2026
Rep. Neguse, Joe [D-CO-2]
CO • D
Sponsored 6/23/2026
Rep. Suozzi, Thomas R. [D-NY-3]
NY • D
Sponsored 6/23/2026
Rep. Schmidt, Derek [R-KS-2]
KS • R
Sponsored 7/13/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov