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United States · Bill · S

S. 640 (118th)

Federal Employees Civil Relief Act

referredUnited States· United States Congress· EN

Introduced

2 March 2023

Last action

2 March 2023 · Introduced

Status

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Sponsors

Sen. Schatz, Brian [D-HI], Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT], Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH], Sen. Cardin, Benjamin L. [D-MD], Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV], Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL], Sen. Feinstein, Dianne [D-CA], Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI], Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA], Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN], Sen. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ], Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR], Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA], Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT], Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD], Sen. Warner, Mark R. [D-VA], Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA]

Subjects

Taxation

Source updated

5 December 2025

Taxation

Summary

Federal Employees Civil Relief Act This bill establishes a framework to temporarily suspend certain judicial and administrative proceedings against a federal employee or contractor during a shutdown. Under the bill, a shutdown is a period in which (1) there is more than a 24-hour lapse in appropriations for any federal agency or department because a regular appropriations bill or a continuing resolution has not been enacted, or (2) the debt of the federal government is greater than the statutory limit. A federal worker (i.e., an employee of a government agency or contractor) who is furloughed or required to work without pay during a shutdown may apply to a court for a temporary stay, postponement, or suspension with respect to any payment of rent, mortgage, tax, fine, penalty, insurance premium, student loan repayment, or other civil obligation or liability that the worker owes or would owe during the duration of the shutdown. The bill includes related provisions that restrict evictions, foreclosures, the enforcement of liens, and the termination of insurance policies during a shutdown. It also provides for the deferral of federal income taxes and student loan payments during a shutdown. The Department of Justice may commence a civil action against any person who engages in (1) a pattern or practice of violating the requirements of this bill, or (2) a violation that raises an issue of significant public importance. A person aggrieved by a violation of this bill's requirements may also bring a private right of action.

This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.

Timeline

  1. 2 March 2023

    Introduced

    Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

    Source: IntroReferral

  2. 2 March 2023

    Introduced

    Introduced in Senate

    Source: IntroReferral

Votes

No vote records are attached yet.

Versions

Documents

3 official files

Introduced in Senate (text)

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  • Introduced in Senate (text)

    Introduced in Senate · EN · 2 March 2023

    ViewDownloadOpen at official source

  • Introduced in Senate (PDF)

    Introduced in Senate · EN · 2 March 2023

    ViewDownloadOpen at official source

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  • Introduced in Senate

    summary · EN · 2 March 2023

    Open at official source

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Sponsors

Related records

Sources

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