Sponsors (38)
Introduced February 2, 2026 by James R. Walkinshaw · Last progress February 2, 2026
The bill protects federal employees and contractors from pay loss and job cuts and helps keep government services running during FY2026 funding lapses, but does so by increasing federal spending, reducing pressure to resolve funding disputes, and adding administrative and contracting complexities.
Federal employees (including furloughed staff) would receive full standard pay and benefits during any FY2026 funding lapse, reducing immediate financial hardship.
Federal workers are protected from permanent workforce cuts and from being placed on extended administrative leave (capped at 10 work days), lowering the risk of sudden job loss or prolonged unpaid sidelining.
Government contractors would be reimbursed for reasonable costs to maintain contractor employee pay (including restoring paid leave), helping contractors avoid layoffs and preserve payrolls.
Taxpayers would bear additional costs because the Treasury is appropriated 'such sums as necessary' to pay employees and contractors during FY2026 lapses, increasing federal outlays.
Covering payrolls during lapses may reduce urgency to pass timely appropriations, potentially prolonging funding impasses and weakening congressional pressure to resolve funding disputes.
Limits on agency staffing actions and caps on administrative leave could reduce agencies' flexibility to manage personnel, hampering mission-critical adjustments and operational decision-making.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Requires pay for covered federal employees and many contractors during any FY2026 funding lapse, reimburses contractors, and bars layoffs or long administrative leave during such lapses.
Requires agencies to continue paying covered federal employees and many contract workers if regular FY2026 appropriations lapse, and authorizes Treasury to provide whatever sums are necessary to make those payments. It also allows agencies to adjust contract prices to reimburse reasonable contractor costs caused by prior funding lapses. Prohibits use of funds made available by this or any other statute during a FY2026 appropriations lapse to carry out workforce reductions or to place an agency employee on administrative leave for more than 10 work days in any calendar year; it includes employees across the executive, legislative, and judicial branches and certain D.C. public employers, and it includes some members of the Armed Forces if they were employed or had accepted an offer before the lapse began.