HR1542-119

What This Bill Does

The Pay Our Coast Guard Parity Act addresses the recurring problem that the Coast Guard can miss pay during a funding lapse even though it is a military service. The bill adds a new title 14 section appropriating such sums as necessary during a Coast Guard-specific funding lapse. Covered payments include pay and allowances for active and reserve Coast Guard members performing active service or inactive-duty training, pay and benefits for qualified civilian employees, pay and benefits for qualified Coast Guard contract employees, death gratuities, authorized funeral travel and dignified-transfer travel, unit memorial service travel, and temporary continuation of basic allowance for housing for dependents of Coast Guard members who die on active duty. It tries to put Coast Guard families on a more equal footing with other armed services during shutdowns.

Who Benefits and How

Coast Guard military members benefit because their pay and allowances continue during a Coast Guard-specific funding lapse. Coast Guard civilian employees benefit because qualified pay and benefits are covered by the permanent appropriation. Coast Guard contract employees benefit because qualifying contract pay and benefits continue during the lapse. Families of fallen Coast Guard members benefit because death gratuities, funeral travel, dignified-transfer travel, and housing continuation remain funded.

Who Bears the Burden and How

The Treasury must make payments under an open-ended appropriation when a covered funding lapse occurs. Coast Guard payroll offices must identify covered members, civilians, contractors, and survivor benefits during a lapse. Federal taxpayers bear the cost of continuing pay and benefits without annual appropriations being in place. Appropriations committees lose shutdown leverage over covered Coast Guard pay categories during a specific lapse.

Key Provisions

• Appropriates necessary sums for Coast Guard pay during a Coast Guard-specific funding lapse.
• Provides pay coverage for military members, reserve components, civilian employees, and qualified contract employees.
• Funds death gratuities, funeral travel, dignified-transfer travel, memorial-service travel, and temporary housing continuation.
• Creates a covered lapse trigger based on the absence of Coast Guard appropriations.