Bill · S. 4174· Senate(119-S-4174)
A bill to provide a premium payment to employees who worked without receiving pay during the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security of 10 percent of the pay the employees should have received during the shutdown.
- Introduced
- 3/24/2026
- Last activity
- 3/24/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
- Sponsored by
- Ruben Gallego
- Cosponsors
- None
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill aims to provide a premium payment to employees of the Department of Homeland Security who worked during a specific shutdown. The shutdown period is defined as the lapse in appropriations that began on February 14, 2026. The payment is calculated as 10 percent of the employee's basic pay for the hours they worked without receiving pay. This is a one-time payment to be issued to all qualifying unpaid employees. The head of each agency must ensure these payments are made shortly after the shutdown ends.
Yes
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?+2
The bill provides a small financial premium to unpaid government employees who were working without wages.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Financial compensation for labor performed without pay: The bill provides a premium payment to employees who worked during the shutdown period without receiving their regular wages. This is intended to reward those who performed work during the "covered lapse in appropriations" that began on February-14, 2026. (Section 1(a) and Section 1(b))
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Timely payment of funds: The bill mandates that the payment must be made no later than 1 day after the end of the covered lapse in appropriations. This ensures employees receive the additional funds quickly once the shutdown period concludes. (Section 1(b))
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Limited financial uplift: The premium payment is set at only 10 percent of the pay the employees should have received for the hours worked during the shutdown. (Section 1(b))
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Low Income Households+2
- 3/24/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
- Introduced in Senate