Prevent Government Shutdowns Act of 2025

Bill Number: H.R. 5130
Origin Chamber: House
Congress: 119th Congress, Session 1
Policy Area: Economics and Public Finance
Status: Introduced
Latest Action: 2025-09-04: Referred to the Committee on Appropriations, and in addition to the Committees on Rules, House Administration, Oversight and Government Reform, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Last Updated: 2026-06-05T15:29:01Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose of the Legislation

The "Prevent Government Shutdowns Act of 2025" aims to avoid disruptions from government shutdowns by automatically providing short-term funding for federal programs during lapses in appropriations (when Congress fails to pass full-year spending bills on time). It also sets up rules to encourage timely passage of budgets, including restrictions on travel and congressional procedures during these periods.

Key Provisions

Automatic Continuing Appropriations (Section 2):
If full-year funding isn't enacted by the start of a fiscal year (October 1), programs that received prior funding get automatic short-term appropriations at the previous year's levels.
Funding lasts for initial 14-day periods, automatically extending in additional 14-day increments until a new appropriations bill is passed.
Covers ongoing programs, mandatory payments (like entitlements), and certain nutrition programs, but limits high initial spending (e.g., no full grants to states or others early in the fiscal year).
Allows limited fund transfers (up to 5%) between agency accounts with OMB approval, for higher-priority needs, and requires notification to congressional committees.
Does not apply if other laws already provide or block funding for a program.

Restrictions During Funding Lapses (Section 3):
Travel Limits: Bans official travel (using government funds) for certain officials (OMB staff, Members of Congress, and their staff) during automatic funding periods, with exceptions for returning to Washington, D.C., local D.C.-area travel, or national security emergencies.
Campaign Fund Restrictions: Amends election laws to prohibit using campaign donations for official travel during these periods (except for returning to D.C.).
Congressional Procedures: During lapses:
Limits debate and votes to appropriations bills, budget reconciliation, debt limit measures, emergencies, or (after 30 days) certain high-level nominations and program extensions.
Prohibits recesses or adjournments longer than 23 hours.
Requires daily quorum checks in the Senate.
Waivers need a two-thirds vote in each chamber and can't exceed 7 days.

Budgetary and Enforcement Rules (Section 4):
Treats automatic funding as short-term discretionary spending for budget enforcement purposes (under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act).
Adjusts reporting deadlines for budget reports during lapses.

Effective Date (Section 5): Starts on September 30, 2025 (end of fiscal year 2025).

Significant Changes to Existing Law

Adds a new section (31 U.S.C. § 1311) to automatically trigger continuing resolutions (CRs), shifting from the current system where lapses lead to shutdowns unless Congress passes a manual CR.
Modifies the Federal Election Campaign Act (52 U.S.C. § 30114) to restrict campaign funds for official travel during lapses.
Introduces new congressional rules (via points of order) to prioritize budget work, overriding normal floor procedures without changing standing rules directly.
Classifies automatic funding as "part-year" appropriations for spending caps, potentially easing enforcement of budget limits compared to full shutdowns.

Potential Impacts

Government Agencies: Ensures minimal operations continue without shutdowns, reducing administrative burdens from furloughs (temporary unpaid leave for non-essential staff). However, funding is capped at prior levels, limiting new initiatives or adjustments for inflation.
Citizens: Prevents interruptions in services like Social Security payments, national parks access, or food assistance, minimizing economic harm from shutdowns (e.g., delayed pay for 2 million+ federal workers and contractors).
International Relations: Indirectly supports stable U.S. foreign aid and diplomacy by maintaining funding for programs like international grants, avoiding signals of domestic dysfunction that could affect alliances or negotiations.

Main Stakeholders Affected

Federal Agencies and Employees: Benefit from continued pay and operations but face funding constraints.
Members of Congress and Staff: Restricted in travel and scheduling, pressuring focus on budgets; affects about 30,000 legislative branch employees.
Office of Management and Budget (OMB): Gains role in approving fund transfers.
Citizens and Businesses: Rely on uninterrupted government services; contractors (e.g., in defense or IT) avoid payment delays.
Voters and Campaigns: Limited use of campaign funds for official duties during lapses.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

Legal: Codifies automatic funding as law, potentially reducing reliance on ad-hoc CRs (temporary funding bills), but includes safeguards against overreach (e.g., no impinging on congressional final decisions). Fund transfers add flexibility but require oversight to avoid misuse.
Constitutional: Raises questions about separation of powers, as it pressures Congress (Article I's spending authority) through procedural limits and automatic funding, possibly seen as executive encroachment. Daily quorum requirements and recess bans could challenge chamber autonomy.
Political: Encourages bipartisan budget discipline by making delays personally inconvenient (e.g., travel bans), but may spark partisan fights over waivers. Could reduce shutdown frequency (historically 20+ since 1976), stabilizing governance but criticized as bypassing negotiation. For budget baselines, it treats short-term funding leniently, potentially easing deficit control.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. Arrington, Jodey C. [R-TX-19]

Cosponsors (6)

Rep. Malliotakis, Nicole [R-NY-11], Rep. Bresnahan, Robert P. [R-PA-8], Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17], Rep. Schmidt, Derek [R-KS-2], Rep. Langworthy, Nicholas A. [R-NY-23], Rep. Fleischmann, Charles J. "Chuck" [R-TN-3]

Recent Actions

2025-09-04: Referred to the Committee on Appropriations, and in addition to the Committees on Rules, House Administration, Oversight and Government Reform, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
2025-09-04: Referred to the Committee on Appropriations, and in addition to the Committees on Rules, House Administration, Oversight and Government Reform, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
2025-09-04: Referred to the Committee on Appropriations, and in addition to the Committees on Rules, House Administration, Oversight and Government Reform, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
2025-09-04: Referred to the Committee on Appropriations, and in addition to the Committees on Rules, House Administration, Oversight and Government Reform, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
2025-09-04: Referred to the Committee on Appropriations, and in addition to the Committees on Rules, House Administration, Oversight and Government Reform, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
2025-09-04: Introduced in House
2025-09-04: Introduced in House

Bill Versions

Prevent Government Shutdowns Act of 2025 — issued 2025-09-04 — PDF (17 pages)