HR 5628
Pay Workers What They’ve Earned Act
Take action
Record your position on this measure.
Sign in to record your position, submit testimony, or contact your legislator.
Sign in to take action- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To President
- Became Law
Bill overview
The Pay Workers What They’ve Earned Act aims to reimburse employees of the federal government, federal contractors, and employees of the District of Columbia, as well as states, for costs incurred due to government shutdowns. Specifically, it outlines procedures for reimbursing employees for expenses like loans and fees resulting from lost pay during shutdowns, and for states to receive funding for assistance programs that would otherwise be federally provided during a lapse in appropriations lasting at least 14 days. Reimbursements are subject to the availability of appropriations.
Key provisions
- Reimburses employees of the federal government, contractors, and the District of Columbia for ‘shutdown costs’ like loan fees and interest.
- States are reimbursed for assistance programs interrupted by lapses in appropriations lasting at least 14 days.
- Reimbursements for the October 1, 2025 shutdown must occur within a year of the bill’s enactment, contingent on appropriations.
- Subsequent lapses lasting 14 days or longer trigger reimbursement upon the lapse’s end, subject to appropriations.
- Employees and states must submit applications to the Secretary of the Treasury to receive reimbursement.
- A ‘Reserve Fund’ is established to cover these reimbursements.
- The fund is replenished through appropriations.
- Exemptions exist for states already receiving reimbursement under other federal laws.
Who is affected
- Federal Government Employees
- Federal Contractors
- District of Columbia Employees
Sponsors
Official sponsors from legislative records.
Primary sponsor
Cosponsors
Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] Norton
Arguments in favor
Reasons to support this legislation.
No arguments in favor have been submitted.
Submit yoursArguments opposed
Reasons to oppose this legislation.
No arguments opposed have been submitted.
Submit yoursRead the latest version inline or switch to a previous version.
119th CONGRESS — 1st Session
H. R. 5628
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
A BILL
To amend title 31, United States Code, to reimburse employees of the Federal Government and the District of Columbia, Federal contractors, and the States for certain costs incurred as a result of a Government shutdown, and for other purposes.
This Act may be cited as the Pay Workers What They’ve Earned Act
.
Section 1341 of title 31, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
the term covered employee
means—
the term shutdown cost
means any cost incurred by a covered employee as a direct result of a lapse in appropriations, including expenses for loans and credit cards, and any fees, fine, or interest resulting from the employees inability to make payments as a direct result of a loss in salary due to such lapse;
the terms District of Columbia public employer
, employee
, and excepted employee
have the meaning given those terms in subsection (c); and
Statemeans any of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and any territory or possession of the United States, and includes Indian Tribes.
With respect to any other lapse in appropriations of a duration of 14 days or longer occurring after the lapse in appropriations described in subparagraph (A), any covered employee shall, subject to the availability of appropriations, be paid for any shutdown cost at the earliest date possible after the lapse in appropriations ends.
Any State that makes an expenditure of State funds for payments for assistance programs that would be, but for a lapse in appropriations of a duration of 14 days or longer (including the lapse described in subparagraph (A)), provided by the Federal Government shall be reimbursed for such payments not later than 90 days after the lapse in appropriations ends.
This paragraph shall not apply to any State expenditure with respect to which reimbursement is provided by the Federal Government under any other provision of law, including unemployment compensation.
In order to receive reimbursement under paragraph (2) or (3), a covered employee or State (as the case may be) shall submit an application to the Secretary of the Treasury, in such form and manner as the Secretary deems appropriate, not later than 1 year after the applicable lapse in appropriations ends.
The Secretary shall determine what documentation shall be included with such an application to verify the shutdown costs or expenditure submitted by a covered employee or a State, respectively.
Upon approval by the Secretary, reimbursement shall be provided to the covered employee or State, consistent with the requirements of this subsection.
There is established in the general fund of the Treasury a fund, to be known as the Reserve Fund for Employees Affected By Government Shutdowns
(in this paragraph referred to as the Fund
), which shall consist of amounts appropriated into the Fund after the date of enactment of this subsection.
Subject to the availability of appropriations, amounts in the Fund shall be available for purposes of paying the shutdown costs of any covered employee during a lapse in appropriations beginning after the lapse referred to in paragraph (2)(A).