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H.R. 1255: Government Shutdown Prevention Act of 2011

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H.R. 1255: Government Shutdown Prevention Act of 2011

112th Congress · introduced 2011-03-30 · Economics and Public Finance · Latest: Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 29.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2011-03-30 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Womack, Steve [R-AR-3] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: 2 recorded votes in our records. Latest: House roll call 223 (2011): On Motion to Recommit with Instructions, HR1255 (2011-04-01), Failed. See all
  4. Where it stands now: Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 29. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Government Shutdown Prevention Act of 2011

Plain summary

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.) Government Shutdown Prevention Act of 2011 - Enacts into law the provisions of H.R. 1 (Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011), as passed by the House on February 19, 2011, if the House has not received a message from the Senate before April 6, 2011, stating that it has passed a measure providing for the appropriations for the federal departments and agencies for the remainder of FY2011. Prohibits the Secretary of the Senate and the Chief Administrative Officer of the House, respectively, from disbursing to each Member or Delegate the amount of his or her salary for each day that: (1) there is more than a 24-hour lapse in appropriations for any federal agency or department for failure to enact a regular appropriations bill or continuing resolution, or (2) the federal government is unable to make payments or meet obligations because the public debt limit has been reached. Imposes the same restrictions on the President with respect to receiving a disbursement of basic pay during such period.

Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House without amendment), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Government Shutdown Prevention Act of 2011

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House without amendment)

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The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Womack, Steve [R-AR-3] · 41 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

David Schweikert (R-AZ), Joe Wilson (R-SC), Tim Scott (R-SC), Scott DesJarlais (R-TN), Robert E. Latta (R-OH), Eric A. "Rick" Crawford (R-AR)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Womack, Steve [R-AR-3] reported raising $2.4 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

Recorded votes

Words on this page, explained (4)
Appropriation
Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Bill
A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Continuing resolution
A temporary law that keeps government agencies funded, usually at the previous year's levels, when the regular yearly spending bills are not finished by the start of the fiscal year.
Obligation
A binding promise by a government agency to pay money, for example by signing a contract or awarding a grant. Spending data such as USAspending.gov counts money when it is obligated, which can be before it is actually paid out.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong112-hr1255 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong112 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong112