A Republican bill with 6 Republican cosponsors · See all 6 cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Appropriations.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Shutdown Fairness Act aims to appropriate funds for the pay and allowances of excepted Federal employees. This applies to any period where full-year or interim appropriations are not in effect for an agency. The bill covers employees determined by agency heads to be performing emergency work. It also includes certain contractors who support these employees and are required to work during a lapse in appropriations. These funds are meant to ensure pay continues during periods without regular funding.
Yes· 3 of 4
- Scored +1
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?
The bill protects the income of federal employees and contractors who may be subject to financial instability during a shutdown.
- Scored +1
Would middle-income households be better off under this?
The bill ensures pay continuity for many federal employees who fall within middle-income brackets.
- Scored +1
Would union members be better off under this?
The bill protects the wages of federal employees who are often represented by labor unions.
The opposite
- Scored -1
Does this reduce what the federal government spends?
The bill authorizes new appropriations for pay and allowances during periods when regular funding is not in effect.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Pay for excepted employees: The bill provides necessary sums to ensure that excepted employees receive pay and allowances even when full-year appropriations are not in effect (Section 2(b)).
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Support for contractors: Contractors who provide support to excepted employees and are required to perform work during a lapse in appropriations can receive pay through these provisions (Section 2(a)(2)(B)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No specific negative impacts are listed in the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The bill protects the income of federal employees and contractors who may be subject to financial instability during a shutdown. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — The bill ensures pay continuity for many federal employees who fall within middle-income brackets. Would union members be better off under this? — The bill protects the wages of federal employees who are often represented by labor unions.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this reduce what the federal government spends? — The bill authorizes new appropriations for pay and allowances during periods when regular funding is not in effect.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill provides a mechanism for the continuous operation of agency functions through funded excepted employees.
- 10/15/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 10/14/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 10/9/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Appropriations.
- 4 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
2 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Mike CrapoRepublican · Idaho
Bill CassidyRepublican · Louisiana
Tom CottonRepublican · Arkansas
James RischRepublican · Idaho
Dan SullivanRepublican · Alaska
Todd YoungRepublican · Indiana