S. 2939: State, Territory, and Local Government Bailout Prevention Act

114th Congress · introduced 2016-05-17 · Economics and Public Finance · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2016-05-17 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Vitter, David [R-LA] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. 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

State, Territory, and Local Government Bailout Prevention Act

Plain summary

State, Territory, and Local Government Bailout Prevention Act This bill prohibits the use of federal funds to purchase or guarantee obligations of, issue lines of credit to, or provide direct or indirect grants-in-aid to any state (defined to include Puerto Rico and any other U.S. territory or possession), municipal, local, or county government that, on or after May 1, 2016, has defaulted on its obligations, is at risk of defaulting, or is likely to default, without such federal assistance. The Departrment of the Treasury is prohibited from using general fund revenues or borrowed funds to purchase or guarantee any asset or obligation of, or to otherwise assist, any such state, municipal, local, or county government. The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System is prohibited from: (1) providing or extending to, or authorizing with respect to, such a state, municipal, local, or county government or other entity with taxing authority or bonding authority, any funds, loan guarantees, credits, or any other financial instrument or other authority, including bond purchases; or (2) otherwise assisting such a government entity under any Board authority. Such prohibitions: (1) shall not apply to federal assistance provided in response to a declared disaster, (2) include debt restructuring or any other related activity, and (3) exclude any discretionary appropriations or direct spending and any grant awarded by the United States to the state, municipal, local, or county government.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

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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.

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

State, Territory, and Local Government Bailout Prevention Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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Alternatives

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Vitter, David [R-LA] · 0 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

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 (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).
Bond: A way to borrow money. A government sells bonds to raise money now and promises to pay it back with interest over time. Bonds repaid from taxes often need voter approval.
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

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-114s2939.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/114/s>

Record fed-us-cong114-s2939 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114