Military and Federal Employee Protection Act
Sen. Peters Introduces Bill to Provide Back Pay for Federal Workers and Military After Shutdown
This bill is currently in the early stages of the legislative process. It has been sent to the Senate Committee on Appropriations for review. There are no upcoming votes scheduled at this time.
Passage Likelihood
Legislative Progress
Key Points
- This bill guarantees back pay for federal employees, military members (including reservists), and certain government contractors who missed pay during the government shutdown that started October 1, 2025. It covers anyone who lost a portion or all of their normal compensation.
From policy text
“a member of the Armed Forces (including a member of a reserve component who performs active service or inactive-duty training) who, during the covered period, did not receive a portion or all of the standard employee compensation”
View in full text - The back pay covers all regular compensation, not just base salary. This includes basic pay, allowances, pay differentials, benefits, and other routine payments workers would normally receive.
From policy text
“the term ``standard employee compensation'' means, with respect to a covered individual, the standard rate of basic pay, allowances, pay differentials, benefits, and other payments otherwise payable on a regular basis to the covered individual.”
View in full text - Agencies must deliver back pay within 7 days of the bill becoming law. Workers who were furloughed (sent home) would be paid as if they had worked the entire shutdown period.
From policy text
“as soon as practicable, but not later than 7 days after the date of enactment of this Act”
View in full text - The bill applies to every branch of government -- executive, legislative, and judicial -- plus the District of Columbia's public workforce. There is no cap on spending; the Treasury would pay whatever is needed to make workers whole.
From policy text
“there are appropriated to the head of each agency with respect to which there was a lapse in appropriations during the covered period, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, such sums as are necessary”
View in full text - The funds are strictly locked down and cannot be redirected. The money can only be used for employee compensation and cannot be transferred, reprogrammed, or spent on anything else.
Impact Analysis
Personal Impact
State Impacts
Milestones
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Appropriations.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Related News
2 articles
Senate to vote on paying 'essential' workers as shutdown hits Day 23
The bill, dubbed by Sen. Gary Peters as the “Military and Federal Employee Protection Act,” would retroactively pay federal employees from Oct. 1 through the date the bill would take effect. It stands as a Democratic alternative to the Republican-backed Shutdown Fairness Act.
Senate moves shutdown-ending deal that would ensure backpay and unwind some federal layoffs
A bipartisan agreement to end the longest-ever government shutdown would fund agencies through January and guarantee backpay for furloughed workers. The measure ensures the administration follows a 2019 law that guarantees back pay, despite earlier threats to withhold it.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Military and Federal Employee Protection Act
Data Sources
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