S. 464: A bill to require the treatment of a lapse in appropriations as a mitigating condition when assessing financial considerations for security clearances, and for other purposes.

116th Congress · introduced 2019-02-12 · Government Operations and Politics · Latest: Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 23.

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Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2019-02-12 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Cardin, Benjamin L. [D-MD] · 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. 23. 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

A bill to require the treatment of a lapse in appropriations as a mitigating condition when assessing financial considerations for security clearances, and for other purposes.

Plain summary

Protecting Employees' Security Clearances Act of 2019 This bill requires an agency, when determining whether to grant or continue a security clearance, to consider a lapse in appropriations (i.e., government shutdown) as a condition that could mitigate a security concern related to financial considerations. An agency is prohibited from revoking a security clearance because of a reduction in credit score or negative information in a consumer credit file due to disrupted income payments arising from a lapse in appropriations.

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

A bill to require the treatment of a lapse in appropriations as a mitigating condition when assessing financial considerations for security clearances, and for other purposes.

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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The strongest published arguments

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Cardin, Benjamin L. [D-MD] · 12 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Richard J. Durbin (D-IL), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Margaret Wood Hassan (D-NH), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)

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 (3)

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).
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-116s464.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/116/s>

Record fed-us-cong116-s464 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116