119-hr1988

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1988 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 1988

 To amend chapter 85 of title 5, United States Code, to clarify that 
Federal civilian and military personnel excepted from a furlough during 
 a Government shutdown are eligible for unemployment compensation, and 
 for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 March 10, 2025

 Mrs. Dingell (for herself, Ms. DelBene, Ms. Tlaib, Mrs. McIver, Ms. 
 Velazquez, and Ms. Sewell) introduced the following bill; which was 
 referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To amend chapter 85 of title 5, United States Code, to clarify that 
Federal civilian and military personnel excepted from a furlough during 
 a Government shutdown are eligible for unemployment compensation, and 
 for other purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Pay Federal Workers and 
Servicemembers Act''.

SEC. 2. ELIGIBILITY FOR UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION FOR FEDERAL CIVILIAN 
 AND MILITARY PERSONNEL EXCEPTED FROM FURLOUGH DURING 
 GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN.

    (a) Federal Civilian Employees.--

    (1) In general.--Subchapter I of chapter 85 of title 5, 
 United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
 following:
``

Sec. 8510. Eligibility for unemployment compensation for Federal 
 personnel excepted from furlough during Government 
 shutdown
 ``

    (a) In General.--With respect to any lapse in appropriations 
beginning on or after March 14, 2025, each covered employee shall be, 
solely for the purpose of determining eligibility for unemployment 
compensation under this subchapter or subchapter II (as the case may 
be), deemed for the duration of the lapse in appropriations to be--
 ``

    (1) totally separated from Federal service; and
 ``

    (2) eligible for unemployment compensation benefits under 
 the applicable subchapter with no waiting period for such 
 eligibility to accrue.
 ``

    (b) Covered Employee Defined.--In this section, the term `covered 
employee' means any of the following Federal personnel who are excepted 
from furlough and are not being paid due to a lapse in appropriations:
 ``

    (1) Any member of the Armed Forces or the Commissioned 
 Corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
 ``

    (2) Any Federal civilian employee who is an excepted 
 employee or an employee performing emergency work, as such 
 terms are defined by the Office of Personnel Management.''.

    (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections for such 
 subchapter is amended by adding at the end the following:

``8510. Eligibility for unemployment compensation for Federal personnel 
 excepted from furlough during Government 
 shutdown.''.

    (a) Application.--The amendment made by subsection

    (a) shall apply 
to weeks of unemployment beginning on or after March 14, 2025.
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