US Federal Senate Bill SB4075

US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/12/26
• Refer: 3/12/26

Caption

A bill to make continuing appropriations for Federal Emergency Management Agency pay and operations in the event of a Federal Government shutdown, and for other purposes.

Summary

SB4075, titled the Pay FEMA Personnel Act of 2026, would provide a temporary funding mechanism for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) during a federal government shutdown or other lapse in appropriations. The bill authorizes continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2026 beginning February 14, 2026, to cover the regular pay and benefits of FEMA employees whose work is needed to carry out disaster relief and emergency assistance functions under the Stafford Act, as well as employees needed to administer FEMA grant, contract, and cooperative agreement programs not tied to the Stafford Act. The bill also allows funding for other activities necessary to administer FEMA grant programs and states that nothing in the measure should be read to prevent FEMA from awarding or disbursing grant funds. Any spending made under the act would be charged against the applicable future appropriation once enacted. The authority would end when a relevant appropriation is enacted, when a regular or continuing appropriations measure is enacted without the covered funding, or on September 30, 2026, whichever comes first. The act would take effect retroactively as if enacted on February 13, 2026.

Impact

If enacted, SB4075 would amend federal appropriations practice by creating a targeted, temporary funding stream for FEMA personnel and related administrative operations during a shutdown. It would help ensure continuity of disaster response, emergency management, and FEMA grant administration even when broader federal funding is unavailable, while preserving the requirement that the costs be reconciled against later appropriations. The bill would directly affect FEMA, its employees, disaster relief operations, and recipients of FEMA-administered grants and assistance.

Sentiment

The available record shows no committee transcript or recorded votes, so there is no documented debate or formal partisan split in the materials provided. Based on the bill’s purpose, the measure appears designed as a continuity-of-operations and public-safety proposal, likely to be viewed favorably by those concerned with keeping FEMA functioning during a shutdown. The absence of recorded opposition or amendments in the provided context means sentiment cannot be assessed beyond the bill’s protective, operational focus.

Contention

No specific points of contention are documented in the provided committee materials or voting history. Potential areas of debate, based on the text, could include whether FEMA should receive a shutdown-specific funding carveout, how broad the covered activities should be, and whether the bill creates precedent for funding individual agencies during appropriations lapses. However, the record supplied does not identify any members or stakeholders taking opposing positions.