S. 83: Government Shutdown Prevention Act of 2013

113th Congress · introduced 2013-01-23 · Economics and Public Finance · Latest: Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 5.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2013-01-23 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Paul, Rand [R-KY] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 5. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
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 2013

Plain summary

Government Shutdown Prevention Act of 2013 - Declares that, if any regular appropriation bill for a fiscal year does not become law before the beginning of the fiscal year, or a joint resolution making continuing appropriations (continuing resolution) is not in effect: (1) the Secretary of the Treasury shall fully pay principal and interest on the federal debt held by the public; and (2) Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid benefits shall be fully paid and new enrollees shall be accepted. Declares also that, if the defense appropriations bill has not been enacted, the Department of Defense (DOD) shall operate at 90% of the level of funding for the preceding fiscal year, except for funding for overseas contingencies in Iraq and Afghanistan, which shall be funded at 100% of the preceding fiscal year levels. Authorizes DOD to pay all military personnel at the full level of pay. Requires federal employees of unfunded agencies to: (1) report for business as normal; and (2) be paid, when funding is provided, at 75% of their salaries for the time worked while under the requirements of this Act. Requires DOD civilian employees based in the United States also to be paid at 75% for the same period. Limits Congress and the Executive Office of the President to operation at 50% of the level of funding for the preceding fiscal year during a period that any agency is not funded. Prohibits Members of Congress and the President from receiving salaries or back pay during the period an agency is not funded. Requires all other non-personnel accounts not funded by a regular appropriations bill or a continuing resolution to operate at 2/3 of the level of the preceding fiscal year. Dedicates the use of savings from this reduction to reduce the federal budget deficit. Prohibits expenditure of any funds during such a period to: (1) carry out the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, (2) pay for any abortion, or (3) be provided to any nongovernmental organization that promotes or performs abortion.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), 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 2013

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Paul, Rand [R-KY] · 0 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Paul, Rand [R-KY] reported raising $4.6 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (6)

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.
Fiscal year: The 12-month period a government uses for its budget. The federal fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30 and is named for the calendar year in which it ends. Most states use July 1 to June 30.
Joint resolution: In Texas, the type of measure the Legislature uses to propose a constitutional amendment (marked HJR or SJR). The governor does not sign or veto it; the voters decide. In Congress a joint resolution can also be used like a bill. In Florida, a joint resolution passed by three-fifths of the members of each chamber puts a constitutional amendment on the ballot.
Securities: Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-113s83.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/113/s>

Record fed-us-cong113-s83 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong113 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong113