Sponsors (74)
The bill protects federal employees' jobs, pay, and financial security during funding lapses—supporting workforce continuity—but does so at the cost of higher taxpayer-funded payroll expenses, added administrative/legal burdens, and reduced agency flexibility to manage personnel during shutdowns.
Federal employees who would be removed or furloughed during an agency funding lapse keep their jobs or can be reinstated with back pay when appropriations resume, reducing income loss and financial uncertainty.
Federal agencies retain more experienced staff because employees face less pressure to leave during shutdowns, supporting workforce continuity and preservation of institutional knowledge.
All taxpayers may face higher costs because agencies must pay reinstated employees and back pay after shutdowns, increasing federal payroll expenses funded by taxpayers.
Agencies could have reduced flexibility to restructure, furlough, or reallocate staff during prolonged funding lapses, which may hamper mission operations or resource management.
Agencies and taxpayers may incur additional administrative and legal costs to implement or defend reinstatement claims, complicating post-shutdown workforce management.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Bars agencies from removing career civil service employees during a shutdown and allows reinstatement with back pay if a removal occurs in violation of the rule.
Introduced September 26, 2025 by Johnny Olszewski · Last progress September 26, 2025
Prohibits a federal agency from removing career civil service employees during a lapse in discretionary appropriations that causes a government shutdown. If an agency violates that prohibition and removes an employee, the employee can choose reinstatement and back pay under the existing federal remedy statute (5 U.S.C. §5596) once appropriations resume.