Bills · HR 5542
IN COMMITTEE· 119TH CONGRESS
House BillHR 5542Economics and Public Finance
End Government Shutdowns Act
INTRO SEP 23· LAST ACTION SEP 23
READING
4MIN
COSPONSORS
0
READER REACTIONS0 TOTAL
NO VOTES YET · BE THE FIRST
- Introduced only
LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS
STEP 2 / 8Introduced
In Committee
Reported
Passed House
Passed Senate
Conference
To President
Became Law
WHAT THE BILL DOES
AI-writtenThis bill addresses a major problem in American politics: frequent government shutdowns. These shutdowns disrupt essential services, cause financial hardship for federal workers, and create uncertainty for businesses and the public. If this bill becomes law, it would ensure that the government continues to operate even if Congress fails to pass its budget on time, providing stability and preventing the chaos that often accompanies funding gaps.
Without this bill, the risk of shutdowns remains, leaving critical government functions vulnerable to political disagreements. The bill creates a strong incentive for Congress to pass appropriations by reducing funding every 30 days the government operates on automatic funding, potentially forcing quicker agreement. This aims to prevent the repeated, costly standoffs over government funding that have become common in recent decades.
KEY PROVISIONS
5AI-extractedPROVISION 01
Automatically provides funding for government programs if regular appropriation bills are not passed by the start of a fiscal year.
Prevents government shutdowns and ensures continuous operation of essential services.
PROVISION 02
Sets the initial automatic funding rate at 99% of the previous year's funding levels.
Provides a baseline for operations while also creating a slight reduction from previous funding.
PROVISION 03
Reduces the automatic funding rate by an additional 1% for each subsequent 30-day period that Congress fails to pass regular appropriations.
Creates a strong financial incentive for Congress to agree on and pass full budget bills quickly.
PROVISION 04
Specifies that automatic funding continues into the next fiscal year if a lapse extends beyond the end of the current fiscal year.
Ensures uninterrupted government operations even in cases of prolonged budget disagreements.
PROVISION 05
States that the automatic funding does not apply if other laws already provide or explicitly prohibit funding for a program.
Maintains the authority of specific, targeted legislation regarding funding for particular programs.
SPONSORSHIP
1 + 0
R· Kentucky
YRS IN OFFICE
13
BILLS LED
60
ACTION TIMELINE
2 EVENTSSEP 23
Introduced in House
SEP 23
Referred to the House Committee on Appropriations.
BILL INFO
TypeHouse Bill
NumberHR 5542
Congress119th
StatusIn Committee
IntroducedSep 23, 2025
Last actionSep 23, 2025
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IN COMMITTEE· 119TH CONGRESS · APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE · INTRODUCED SEP 23, 2025
House BillHR 5542Economics and Public Finance
End Government Shutdowns Act
INTRODUCED SEP 23, 2025· LAST ACTION SEP 23, 2025
PASSAGE CHANCES
—%
READING
4 min
COSPONSORS
0
COMPLEXITY
Moderate
