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S. 186: No Budget, No Recess Act

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S. 186: No Budget, No Recess Act

116th Congress · introduced 2019-01-17 · Congress · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2019-01-17 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Sen. Ernst, Joni [R-IA] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. 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

No Budget, No Recess Act

Plain summary

No Budget, No Recess Act This bill prohibits a recess or adjournment of Congress for more than eight hours (1) on and after April 15 of each year, if Congress has not adopted a concurrent resolution on the budget for the next fiscal year; and (2) on and after August 1 of each year, if Congress has not passed all the regular appropriations bills for the next fiscal year. No amount may be obligated or expended for official travel by a Member of Congress while the prohibition applies, unless the Member is returning to the seat of government after being away when the prohibition began. In addition, the bill sets forth procedures governing a daily quorum in each chamber while the prohibition applies.

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

No Budget, No Recess Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

AI explanation – may be wrong, check the official text

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The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

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Arguments against (opponents)

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Alternatives

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Ernst, Joni [R-IA] · 4 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

James Lankford (R-OK), Margaret Wood Hassan (D-NH)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Ernst, Joni [R-IA] reported raising $2.0 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).
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.
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.
Quorum
The minimum number of members who must be present for a body to do official business.
Resolution
A formal statement or decision by a legislative body. Simple resolutions often only express an opinion or set rules for one chamber; they do not become law.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong116-s186 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116