PSI Sci
New here? Follow the money and the votes · Not sure of your district? Find your U.S. House member · Find your state legislators

H.R. 4961: Federal Employee Retroactive Pay Fairness Act

Before you vote › Federal bills

H.R. 4961: Federal Employee Retroactive Pay Fairness Act

115th Congress · introduced 2018-02-07 · Government Operations and Politics · Latest: Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2018-02-07 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Beyer, Donald S., Jr. [D-VA-8] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. 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

Federal Employee Retroactive Pay Fairness Act

Plain summary

Federal Employee Retroactive Pay Fairness Act This bill requires federal employees furloughed due to a lapse in appropriations that begins on or about February 8, 2018, to be compensated at their standard rate of compensation for the period of such lapse as soon as practicable after such lapse ends.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), 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

Federal Employee Retroactive Pay Fairness Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

AI explanation – may be wrong, check the official text

No AI explanation yet. It takes up to a minute to write and is then saved for everyone.

Limited to a few requests an hour per person.

The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Arguments against (opponents)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Alternatives

Needs sources: no published alternatives yet (for example a different bill, a law instead of an amendment, or keeping current law). We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Beyer, Donald S., Jr. [D-VA-8] · 95 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Robert J. Wittman (R-VA), John Garamendi (D-CA), Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-CA), Katherine M. Clark (D-MA), Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-VA), Grace Meng (D-NY), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Mark Takano (D-CA), Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA), Juan Vargas (D-CA), Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY), Rosa L. DeLauro (D-CT), Marc A. Veasey (D-TX), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Tom Cole (R-OK), Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY), Peter Welch (D-VT), Gwen Moore (D-WI), Darren Soto (D-FL), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Brendan F. Boyle (D-PA), James P. McGovern (D-MA), Bill Foster (D-IL), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) and 35 more.

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Beyer, Donald S., Jr. [D-VA-8] reported raising $2.5 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 (2)
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).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong115-hr4961 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong115 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong115