S. 3001: Shutdown Fairness Act (119th Congress) Bill Summary

This bill, known as the Shutdown Fairness Act, is designed to ensure that federal employees who are required to work during a government shutdown still receive their pay and benefits. Here’s a breakdown of its key components:

Definitions

The bill defines some important terms:

Agency: Refers to any authority within the executive, legislative, or judicial branches of the U.S. Government.
Excepted Employee: This is an employee who has been designated by their agency as essential or one who is performing emergency work. It also includes certain contractors who support these employees during times when the government is shut down.

Appropriations for Pay

The bill authorizes funding for the pay and allowances of excepted employees in the event of a government shutdown. Specifically, it provides that:

For the fiscal year 2026 and beyond, if there is a period when there is no budget in place or appropriations for an agency, funds will be appropriated to pay those required to work.
This funding will come from the U.S. Treasury and is available until a budget or specific appropriations for the agency are enacted into law.

Termination of Appropriations

The bill outlines when the appropriations will end. The funding will cease when either of the following occurs:

A budget that includes appropriations for the agency for that fiscal year is passed.
A budget is passed for the agency that does not include appropriations for the purposes set out in this bill.

Subsequent Lapses

The bill states that the appropriations made under this act cannot be used during any period when there are existing continuing appropriations for the agency.

Charging to Full-Year Appropriations

Any expenditures made under the provisions of this bill must be accounted for and charged to the agency's budget once a regular or continuing appropriation law is enacted.

Implications

The intent of the bill is to provide financial certainty to federal workers deemed essential during a government shutdown, thereby ensuring they are compensated for their work despite the lack of a federal budget. This could help alleviate uncertainty for employees who may otherwise face financial difficulties due to delays in receiving their paychecks during such periods.