Sponsors (2)
The bill prevents pay, benefits, and border-security disruptions for frontline DHS personnel during funding gaps, at the cost of reducing shutdown leverage on Congress and increasing taxpayer obligations and oversight risks for contractor payments.
Border and immigration components (CBP, ICE—Air and Marine, OFO, Border Patrol, HSI, ERO) would maintain operational continuity during DHS funding lapses, keeping frontline border-security activities running.
Excepted DHS employees (and designated contractors) would continue to be paid during funding lapses, preventing immediate lost pay for frontline border and immigration personnel.
Excepted DHS employees would retain employment protections and benefits (e.g., leave and workers' compensation under title 5) during a shutdown, preserving access to pay protections and benefits.
Taxpayers could face increased federal spending during shutdowns because automatic Treasury payments would continue, which may reduce political and budgetary pressure on Congress to pass timely appropriations.
Taxpayers and oversight bodies may incur greater fiscal risk because extending pay to covered contractors during lapses obligates funds without the usual appropriations timing and raises accountability and contract oversight concerns.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Introduced January 15, 2026 by Richard Lynn Scott · Last progress January 15, 2026
Creates a statutory continuing appropriation so that certain Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employees and specified contractors who must work during a lapse in DHS appropriations continue to be paid and receive specified pay-related benefits. It applies only to designated Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) components and requires that any payments made during a lapse be charged later to the applicable regular appropriation when that appropriation is enacted. Defines which CBP and ICE components are covered, which contractors qualify, and adopts the existing federal definition of "excepted employees"; it also makes a narrow exception to normal apportionment timing rules and updates the Homeland Security Act table of contents to add the new provision.
Establishes a temporary statutory appropriation to pay specified CBP and ICE excepted employees and certain contractors and maintain certain pay-related benefits during DHS funding lapses.