The "Coast Guard Sustained Funding Act of 2025" ensures continuous pay and allowances for Coast Guard personnel and essential civilian and contract employees during funding lapses.
Mark Green
Representative
TN-7
The "Coast Guard Sustained Funding Act of 2025" ensures that Coast Guard military personnel, civilian employees, and contract employees continue to receive their pay and allowances even during lapses in government appropriations. It designates necessary funding for these individuals during periods when a general appropriation bill for the Coast Guard has not been enacted before the start of a fiscal year. This act clarifies the circumstances under which funds are available and defines which civilian and contract employees are qualified to receive pay during funding lapses.
Coast Guard Pay Secured: New Bill Aims to Prevent Missed Paychecks During Funding Gaps
This bill, the "Coast Guard Sustained Funding Act of 2025," tackles a recurring problem: Coast Guard members working without pay when Congress can't agree on their specific budget. It essentially sets up an automatic funding stream just for pay and allowances for military personnel (including active reserves), certain civilian employees, and designated contract workers if a "Coast Guard-specific funding lapse" occurs – meaning their regular appropriation bill isn't passed before the new fiscal year starts.
No More Paycheck Roulette?
The core idea is straightforward: guarantee the paychecks keep coming. The bill appropriates the necessary funds to cover salaries and allowances for Coast Guard personnel during these specific funding gaps. This applies to uniformed members, civilian staff defined as "qualified" (those supporting military operations or deemed essential during a shutdown by OPM), and even "qualified contract employees" (those supporting personnel or required to work during a lapse). These funds remain available until Congress either passes the Coast Guard's regular budget or another funding measure.
Keeping Critical Operations Running
Beyond pay, the bill acknowledges that the Coast Guard can't just stop working. It allows continued operations during a funding lapse by making specific exceptions to the Anti-Deficiency Act (the law that generally prohibits spending money the government hasn't appropriated). These exceptions cover essential activities like operations involving human safety or property protection – think search and rescue or environmental response – and functions needed for the President's duties related to Congress. This aims to ensure mission continuity even when the main budget is stalled.
What This Means in Practice
For Coast Guard families, this could mean avoiding the financial stress and uncertainty experienced during past shutdowns. For the rest of us, it means critical services like maritime safety, security patrols, and rescue operations are less likely to be disrupted by funding delays specifically affecting the Coast Guard. The definitions of "qualified" civilian and contract employees are key here, determining exactly who continues to get paid and work under this provision. While designed to prevent hardship and maintain readiness, the practical application of these definitions and the scope of the Anti-Deficiency Act exceptions will be important details to watch if this becomes law.