S.Res. 110Senate115th Congress (2017-2019)In Committee

Shutdown Accountability Resolution

AI-Generated Summary

Updated April 15, 2026 at 2:20 PM UTC

The Shutdown Accountability Resolution would make a standing order that forces the Senate to meet each day at 8 a.m. during any partial or full government shutdown and to keep the chamber open unless a two‑thirds vote allows adjournment. It adds automatic quorum checks every hour and creates a step‑by‑step process for the Sergeant‑at‑Arms to compel attendance, even authorizing arrest warrants for senators who refuse to appear without a valid excuse. The rule applies to all senators and changes how the Senate can pause or end its business during a shutdown.

Key Provisions

Defines a "government shutdown" as a lapse in appropriations for one or more federal agencies.
Requires the Senate to convene at 8:00 a.m. each day during a shutdown, with no ability to change that time by unanimous consent.
Mandates an immediate roll call to confirm a quorum, and repeats the roll call every hour while a quorum is present.
If a quorum is lacking, the Senate must vote to have the Sergeant‑at‑Arms request attendance; if still absent after 15 minutes, a further vote directs the Sergeant‑at‑Arms to compel attendance, and after an hour, to issue arrest warrants for unexcused senators.
The Sergeant‑at‑Arms must report hourly on absent senators, noting who is excused, who is not, and their locations.
Adjournment or recess motions during a shutdown require a yea‑or‑nay vote and, if made between 8 a.m. and 11:59 p.m., need a two‑thirds majority of those present.
The standing order cannot be suspended by unanimous consent or any other motion.

Legislative Activity

Stay on top of the latest movement without scrolling through every action

1 earlier action

SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration. (text of measure as introduced: CR S2218)

Rules and Administration Committee

April 4, 2017

View full timeline

SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

April 4, 2017

SenateIntro Referral

Referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration. (text of measure as introduced: CR S2218)

Rules and Administration Committee

April 4, 2017

Floor Debate

5 members

What members said about S.Res. 110 on the floor

3 Republicans2 Democrats

Sen. James M. InhofeR-OK · Jun 11, 2018

Mr. President, I call up amendment No. 2282. I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the amendment be dispensed with. I send a modification to amendment No. 2282 to the desk. Mr. President, for…

Sen. Christopher A. CoonsD-DE · Feb 28, 2017

Mr. President, in accordance with rule XXVI, paragraph 2, of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I ask unanimous consent on behalf of Senator Isakson, chairman of the Select Committee on Ethics, and…

Sen. Mitch McConnellR-KY · Jun 11, 2018

Mr. President, I call up amendment No. 2700 on behalf of Senator Toomey. I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Sen. Mike LeeR-UT · Jun 11, 2018

Mr. President, I call up amendment No. 2366 to the underlying bill. I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Sen. Jack ReedD-RI · Jun 11, 2018

I call up amendment No. 2756 to amendment No. 2700. I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Bill Text

Latest available legislative text

Reading Mode

Raw Text PDF XML

Introduced in SenateIssued April 4, 2017

III

115th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. RES. 110

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

April 4, 2017

Mr. Bennet (for himself and Mr. Gardner) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration

RESOLUTION

Relating to proceedings of the Senate in the event of a partial or full shutdown of the Federal Government.

Short title

This resolution may be cited as the Shutdown Accountability Resolution.

Proceedings of the Senate during a full or partial government shutdown

(a)

Definition

In this section, the term Government shutdown means a lapse in appropriations for 1 or more agencies of the Federal Government.

(b)

Convening of the Senate

(1)

In general

Notwithstanding any rule or order of the Senate, during the period of a Government shutdown—

(A)

the Senate shall convene at 8:00 a.m. each day, unless the body is in continuous session; and

(B)

it shall not be in order to ask for, and the Presiding Officer shall not entertain a request for, unanimous consent to change the hour or day on which the Senate shall convene under subparagraph (A).

(2)

Senate not in session

If the Senate is not in session on the first calendar day of a Government shutdown, the majority leader, after consultation with the minority leader, shall notify Members of the Senate that, pursuant to this standing order, the Senate shall convene at 8:00 a.m. on the next calendar day of the Government shutdown.

(c)

Presence of a quorum

(1)

In general

During the period of a Government shutdown, and notwithstanding any provision of the Standing Rules of the Senate—

(A)

immediately after the Presiding Officer takes the chair in accordance with rule IV of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the Presiding Officer shall direct the Clerk to call the roll to ascertain the presence of a quorum; and

(B)

1 hour after the presence of a quorum has last been demonstrated, the Presiding Officer shall direct the Clerk to call the roll to ascertain the presence of a quorum.

(2)

Lack of quorum

(A)

In general

If, upon a calling of the roll under paragraph (1), it shall be ascertained that a quorum is not present—

(i)

the Presiding Officer shall direct the Clerk to call the names of any absent Senators; and

(ii)

following the calling of the names under clause (i), the Presiding Officer shall, without intervening motion or debate, submit to the Senate by a yea-and-nay vote the question: Shall the Sergeant-at-Arms be directed to request the attendance of absent Senators?.

(B)

Direction to compel attendance

If a quorum is not present 15 minutes after the time at which the vote on a question submitted under subparagraph (A)(ii) starts, the Presiding Officer shall, without intervening motion or debate, submit to the Senate by a yea-and-nay vote the question: Shall the Sergeant-at-Arms be directed to compel the attendance of absent Senators?.

(C)

Arrest of absent Senators

Effective 1 hour after the Sergeant-at-Arms is directed to compel the attendance of absent Senators under subparagraph (B), if any Senator not excused under rule XII of the Standing Rules of the Senate is not in attendance, the Senate shall be deemed to have agreed an order that reads as follows: Ordered, That the Sergeant-at-Arms be directed to arrest absent Senators; that warrants for the arrests of all Senators not sick nor excused be issued under the signature of the Presiding Officer and attested by the Secretary, and that such warrants be executed without delay..

(D)

Reports

Not less frequently than once per hour during proceedings to compel the attendance of absent Senators, the Sergeant-at-Arms shall submit to the Senate a report on absent Senators, which shall—

(i)

be laid before the Senate;

(ii)

identify each Senator whose absence is excused;

(iii)

identify each Senator who is absent without excuse; and

(iv)

for each Senator identified under clause (iii), provide information on the current location of the Senator.

(3)

Regaining the floor

If a Senator had been recognized to speak at the time a call of the roll to ascertain the presence of a quorum was initiated under paragraph (2)(A), and if the presence of a quorum is established, that Senator shall be entitled to be recognized to speak.

(d)

Adjourning and recessing

During the period of a Government shutdown—

(1)

a motion to adjourn or to recess the Senate shall be decided by a yea-or-nay vote;

(2)

if a quorum is present, the Presiding Officer shall not entertain a request to adjourn or recess the Senate by unanimous consent or to vitiate the yeas and nays on such a motion by unanimous consent;

(3)

a motion to adjourn or a motion to recess made during the period beginning at 8:00 a.m. and ending at 11:59 p.m., shall only be agreed to upon an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the Senators present and voting, a quorum being present; and

(4)

if the Senate must adjourn due to the absence of a quorum, the Senate shall reconvene 2 hours after the time at which it adjourns and ascertain the presence of a quorum in accordance with subsection (c)(1).

(e)

No suspension of requirements

The Presiding Officer may not entertain a request to suspend the operation of this standing order by unanimous consent or motion.

(f)

Consistency with senate emergency procedures and practices

Nothing in this standing order shall be construed in a manner that is inconsistent with S. Res. 296 (108th Congress) or any other emergency procedures or practices of the Senate.

(g)

Standing order

This section shall be a standing order of the Senate.