H.R. 429 – No Budget, No Pay Act

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Updated April 15, 2026 at 11:29 AM UTC

The No Budget, No Pay Act would require that the salaries of all members of a House of Congress be placed in an escrow account if that chamber has not adopted a concurrent budget resolution for fiscal year 2018 by April 15, 2017. The withheld pay would be released only when the budget is finally approved or when the 115th Congress ends, affecting Representatives, Senators, Delegates and Resident Commissioners.

Key Provisions

If a House of Congress fails to pass a FY 2018 budget resolution by April 15, 2017, the payroll administrator must deposit members' pay into an escrow account.
The escrow period runs from April 16, 2017 until either the budget is approved or the last day of the 115th Congress, whichever comes first.
All normal tax withholdings and deductions continue to be applied to the escrowed amounts.
Any remaining escrowed funds are released to members on the final day of the 115th Congress.
The Treasury Secretary must assist the House and Senate payroll administrators in carrying out the escrow process.
The term “Member of Congress” includes Delegates and Resident Commissioners.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action

HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.

Committee on House Administration

January 10, 2017

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

January 10, 2017

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.

Committee on House Administration

January 10, 2017

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued January 10, 2017

I

115th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 429

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

January 10, 2017

Mr. Wittman introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration

A BILL

To provide that the salaries of Members of a House of Congress will be held in escrow if that House has not agreed to a concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018 by April 15, 2017.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the No Budget, No Pay Act.

2.

Holding salaries of Members of Congress in escrow upon failure to agree to budget resolution

(a)

Holding salaries in escrow

(1)

In general

If by April 15, 2017, a House of Congress has not agreed to a concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018 pursuant to section 301 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, during the period described in paragraph (2) the payroll administrator of that House of Congress shall deposit in an escrow account all payments otherwise required to be made during such period for the compensation of Members of Congress who serve in that House of Congress, and shall release such payments to such Members only upon the expiration of such period.

(2)

Period described

With respect to a House of Congress, the period described in this paragraph is the period which begins on April 16, 2017 and ends on the earlier of—

(A)

the day on which the House of Congress agrees to a concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018 pursuant to section 301 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974; or

(B)

the last day of the One Hundred Fifteenth Congress.

(3)

Withholding and remittance of amounts from payments held in escrow

The payroll administrator shall provide for the same withholding and remittance with respect to a payment deposited in an escrow account under paragraph (1) that would apply to the payment if the payment were not subject to paragraph (1).

(4)

Release of amounts at end of the Congress

In order to ensure that this section is carried out in a manner that shall not vary the compensation of Senators or Representatives in violation of the twenty-seventh article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States, the payroll administrator of a House of Congress shall release for payments to Members of that House of Congress any amounts remaining in any escrow account under this section on the last day of the One Hundred Fifteenth Congress.

(5)

Role of Secretary of the Treasury

The Secretary of the Treasury shall provide the payroll administrators of the Houses of Congress with such assistance as may be necessary to enable the payroll administrators to carry out this section.

(b)

Treatment of Delegates as Members

In this section, the term Member of Congress includes a Delegate or Resident Commissioner to the Congress.

(c)

Payroll Administrator Defined

In this section, the payroll administrator of a House of Congress means—

(1)

in the case of the House of Representatives, the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives, or an employee of the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer who is designated by the Chief Administrative Officer to carry out this section; and

(2)

in the case of the Senate, the Secretary of the Senate, or an employee of the Office of the Secretary of the Senate who is designated by the Secretary to carry out this section.