S802119th CongressWALLET

Pay Our Coast Guard Act

Sponsored By: Senator Ted Cruz

Introduced

Summary

This bill would create a temporary authority that keeps Coast Guard pay and benefits flowing during a targeted funding lapse. It ties that authority to the timing of Department of Defense appropriations and ends when Coast Guard funding is enacted or DoD funding availability ends.

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  • Military members: Active-duty and reserve Coast Guard personnel performing active service or inactive-duty training would continue to receive pay and allowances during a Coast Guard-specific lapse.
  • Civilian and contract workers: The Commandant could designate certain Coast Guard civilian employees and contract staff as qualified to receive pay and benefits during the lapse.
  • Families and death-related costs: The bill covers death gratuities, funeral and dignified-transfer travel, unit memorial travel, and temporary continuation of housing allowance for dependents of members who die on active duty.
  • How it works administratively: Payments follow the same rates and manner as the regular appropriation, are charged to the eventual appropriation when enacted, and may be used without normal apportionment timing rules.

Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

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

Keep Coast Guard pay during lapse

If enacted, the bill would let the government appropriate such sums as may be necessary to keep Coast Guard pay flowing during a Coast Guard funding lapse. It would continue pay and allowances for active-duty members and reservists who perform service or training during the lapse. The Commandant would decide which civilian employees and contractors are "qualified" to get pay and benefits during the lapse. The authority would also cover death gratuities, funeral and dignified-transfer travel, and temporary housing allowance for dependents of members who die on duty. The pay authority would only trigger when Coast Guard funding is not enacted before the fiscal year but Department of Defense funding or a DoD continuing resolution is in effect, and funds would be charged to the proper appropriation once Congress later enacts funding.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Ted Cruz

TX • R

Cosponsors

  • Maria Cantwell

    WA • D

    Sponsored 2/27/2025

  • Dan Sullivan

    AK • R

    Sponsored 2/27/2025

  • Roger Wicker

    MS • R

    Sponsored 2/27/2025

  • Tammy Baldwin

    WI • D

    Sponsored 2/27/2025

  • Lisa Blunt Rochester

    DE • D

    Sponsored 2/27/2025

  • Lisa Murkowski

    AK • R

    Sponsored 3/11/2025

  • Angus King

    ME • I

    Sponsored 3/11/2025

  • Rick Scott

    FL • R

    Sponsored 6/12/2025

  • Richard Blumenthal

    CT • D

    Sponsored 6/12/2025

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

View on Congress.gov

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