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S. 3066: Pay the People Act

119th Congress · introduced 2025-10-28 · Government Operations and Politics · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Appropriations.

federal

What does this mean?

Official title

Pay the People Act

Plain summary

Pay the People Act This bill provides appropriations to pay federal employees during a government shutdown due to a lapse in appropriations. Specifically, the bill provides appropriations for federal agencies to provide standard rates of pay, allowances, pay differentials, benefits, and other payments to agency employees (including contractors and members of the Armed Forces on active duty) during any period in which interim continuing appropriations or full-year appropriations are not in effect for a fiscal year (i.e., a government shutdown). A federal agency may not use the funds provided by this bill during any period in which continuing appropriations are in effect for the purpose of paying employees of the agency. The bill must take effect as if it had been enacted on September 30, 2025.

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

Pay the People Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Kennedy, John [R-LA] · 0 cosponsors

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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-cong119-s3066 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong119 · updated 2026-11-03 by psicol fed-bills