Bills · HR 7137
IN COMMITTEE· 119TH CONGRESS
House BillHR 7137Economics and Public Finance
Shutdown Fairness Act
INTRO JAN 16· LAST ACTION JAN 16
READING
8MIN
COSPONSORS
37BIPARTISAN
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-writtenGovernment shutdowns can cause significant financial hardship for hundreds of thousands of federal employees and military families, leading to stress, delayed bill payments, and disruptions to their lives. This bill aims to remove that uncertainty and prevent such hardship, ensuring these individuals can meet their financial obligations even when Congress is unable to pass a budget on time.
If this bill becomes law, federal workers and military members will gain crucial financial stability, and disruptions to critical government services due to unpaid labor or widespread absenteeism could be reduced. If it doesn't, these individuals and the public services they provide will remain vulnerable to the financial and operational chaos caused by future government shutdowns.
KEY PROVISIONS
5AI-extractedPROVISION 01
Automatically makes money available from the U.S. Treasury to pay federal employees, military members, and covered contractors during a government shutdown.
This prevents financial distress for government workers and avoids disruptions to essential public services during budget disagreements.
PROVISION 02
Ensures that all federal employees (whether working or furloughed) and active-duty military/reservists receive their full pay and benefits, provided they were employed before the shutdown started.
It offers comprehensive financial protection to almost all individuals who perform government work, including those serving in the Armed Forces.
PROVISION 03
Requires payments to be made on regularly scheduled pay dates for future shutdowns, or within seven days if a shutdown is ongoing when the bill becomes law.
This provides critical financial predictability and stability, directly addressing the immediate impact of missed paychecks.
PROVISION 04
Specifies that the funds provided can only be used for employee compensation and contractor payments, and cannot be transferred or used for other purposes.
This prevents the emergency funding from being diverted for uses other than its intended purpose.
PROVISION 05
Mandates that expenditures made using these emergency funds will be charged back to the regular appropriations once those are passed by Congress.
This ensures proper accounting and integration of the emergency spending into the regular budget process once normal operations resume.
SPONSORSHIP
1 + 37
R· South Dakota
YRS IN OFFICE
7
BILLS LED
39
COSPONSOR BREAKDOWNBIPARTISAN · 86%
DEM 21 REP 16 IND 0
ACTION TIMELINE
2 EVENTSJAN 16
Introduced in House
JAN 16
Referred to the Committee on Appropriations, and in addition to the Committees on Armed Services, Oversight and Government Reform, House Administration, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
BILL INFO
TypeHouse Bill
NumberHR 7137
Congress119th
StatusIn Committee
IntroducedJan 16, 2026
Last actionJan 16, 2026
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IN COMMITTEE· 119TH CONGRESS · OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM COMMITTEE · INTRODUCED JAN 16, 2026
House BillHR 7137Economics and Public Finance
Shutdown Fairness Act
INTRODUCED JAN 16, 2026· LAST ACTION JAN 16, 2026
PASSAGE CHANCES
—%
READING
8 min
COSPONSORS
37
COMPLEXITY
Moderate
