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H.R. 5738House119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

No Budget, No Pay Act

Sponsored by Tim MooreRep. Tim Moore (R-NC)
Introduced October 10, 2025

AI-Generated Summary

Updated November 23, 2025 at 8:08 PM UTC

The No Budget, No Pay Act ties members’ salaries to timely budget action. It requires both chambers to approve a budget resolution and pass all regular appropriations by October 1 each year; otherwise, members lose pay from that date onward, with no retroactive compensation. The bill sets up a certification process by the budget and appropriations committee chairs to enforce the rule, and it becomes effective in late 2027.

Key Provisions

  • Congress must approve a budget concurrent resolution and pass all regular appropriations bills by October 1 of each fiscal year.
  • If Congress fails to meet that deadline, no Treasury funds may be used to pay any Member of Congress for any period after October 1, and they cannot receive retroactive pay for that period.
  • The House and Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee chairs must certify on October 1 whether the deadline was met and determine the exact days members will be unpaid, responding to requests from the respective chamber’s administrative officials.
  • The law takes effect on September 29, 2027.

Legislative Activity

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HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.

Committee on House Administration

October 10, 2025

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

October 10, 2025

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.

Committee on House Administration

October 10, 2025

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued October 10, 2025

I

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 5738

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

October 10, 2025

Mr. Moore of North Carolina (for himself, Ms. Malliotakis, Mr. Onder, and Mrs. Miller-Meeks) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration

A BILL

To provide that Members of Congress may not receive pay after October 1 of any fiscal year in which Congress has not approved a concurrent resolution on the budget and passed the regular appropriations bills.

1.

Short title

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

2.

Definitions

In this Act—

(1)

the term Budget and Appropriations Chairs means the House Budget and Appropriations Chairs and the Senate Budget and Appropriations Chairs;

(2)

the term House Budget and Appropriations Chairs means the Chair of the Committee on the Budget of the House of Representatives and the Chair of the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives;

(3)

the term Member of Congress—

(A)

has the meaning given that term under section 2106 of title 5, United States Code; and

(B)

does not include the Vice President; and

(4)

the term Senate Budget and Appropriations Chairs means the Chairman of the Committee on the Budget of the Senate and the Chairman of the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate.

3.

Timely approval of concurrent resolution on the budget and the appropriations bills

Not later than October 1 of each fiscal year, both Houses of Congress shall—

(1)

approve a concurrent resolution on the budget as described under section 301 of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 632) for that fiscal year; and

(2)

pass all the regular appropriations bills for that fiscal year.

4.

No pay without concurrent resolution on the budget and the appropriations bills

(a)

In general

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no funds may be appropriated or otherwise be made available from the Treasury of the United States for the pay of any Member of Congress with respect to any period during which Congress is not in compliance with section 3, as determined by the Budget and Appropriations Chairs under section 5.

(b)

No retroactive pay

A Member of Congress may not receive pay with respect to any period during which Congress was not in compliance with section 3, as determined by the Budget and Appropriations Chairs under section 5, at any time after the end of that period.

5.

Determinations

(a)

Senate

(1)

Request for certifications

On October 1 of each year, the Secretary of the Senate shall submit to the Senate Budget and Appropriations Chairs a request for certification of determinations made under subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (2).

(2)

Determinations

The Senate Budget and Appropriations Chairs shall—

(A)

on October 1 of each fiscal year, make a determination of whether Congress is in compliance with section 3 with respect to that fiscal year and whether Senators may not be paid under section 4;

(B)

determine the period of days following each October 1 that Senators may not be paid under section 4; and

(C)

provide timely certification of the determinations under subparagraphs (A) and (B) upon the request of the Secretary of the Senate.

(b)

House of Representatives

(1)

Request for certifications

On October 1 of each fiscal year, the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives shall submit to the House Budget and Appropriations Chairs a request for certification of determinations made under subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (2).

(2)

Determinations

The House Budget and Appropriations Chairs shall—

(A)

on October 1 of each fiscal year, make a determination of whether Congress is in compliance with section 3 with respect to that fiscal year and whether Members of the House of Representatives may not be paid under section 4;

(B)

determine the period of days following each October 1 that Members of the House of Representatives may not be paid under section 4; and

(C)

provide timely certification of the determinations under subparagraphs (A) and (B) upon the request of the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives.

6.

Effective date

This Act shall take effect on September 29, 2027.