S. 3066 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the Senate, Oct 28, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryEnsures federal employees get paid during shutdowns
When the federal government shuts down because Congress hasn't approved a budget, federal agencies often can't pay their workers. This bill sets aside money specifically to keep paying federal employees, contractors, and active duty military members their regular salaries, benefits, and other compensation during shutdown periods. The money can only be used when there's no temporary or full budget in place.
How it affects you
If you're a federal employee, contractor, or on active duty in the military, this means you'd continue receiving your paychecks even if a government shutdown happens. For the broader public, it ensures essential federal services and military operations keep running with their full workforce paid and ready.
Read the official summary (Introduced in Senate, Oct 28, 2025)
Pay the People Act
This bill provides appropriations to pay federal employees during a government shutdown due to a lapse in appropriations.
Specifically, the bill provides appropriations for federal agencies to provide standard rates of pay, allowances, pay differentials, benefits, and other payments to agency employees (including contractors and members of the Armed Forces on active duty) during any period in which interim continuing appropriations or full-year appropriations are not in effect for a fiscal year (i.e., a government shutdown).
A federal agency may not use the funds provided by this bill during any period in which continuing appropriations are in effect for the purpose of paying employees of the agency.
The bill must take effect as if it had been enacted on September 30, 2025.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionS. 3066
A BILL
Pay the People Act
Sponsor: Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) · Introduced Oct 28, 2025 · Government Operations and Politics · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Oct 28, 2025: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Appropriations.”