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<bill bill-stage="Introduced-in-Senate" dms-id="A1" public-private="public" slc-id="S1-OLL25B15-917-LD-44V"><metadata xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">
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<dc:title>119 S2966 IS: Emergency Relief for Federal Workers Act of 2025</dc:title>
<dc:publisher>U.S. Senate</dc:publisher>
<dc:date>2025-10-01</dc:date>
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<dc:language>EN</dc:language>
<dc:rights>Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.</dc:rights>
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<distribution-code display="yes">II</distribution-code><congress>119th CONGRESS</congress><session>1st Session</session><legis-num>S. 2966</legis-num><current-chamber>IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES</current-chamber><action><action-date date="20251001">October 1, 2025</action-date><action-desc><sponsor name-id="S362">Mr. Kaine</sponsor> (for himself, <cosponsor name-id="S385">Ms. Cortez Masto</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="S386">Ms. Duckworth</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="S327">Mr. Warner</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="S428">Ms. Alsobrooks</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="S247">Mr. Wyden</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="S369">Mr. Markey</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="S324">Mrs. Shaheen</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="S408">Mr. Hickenlooper</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="S353">Mr. Schatz</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="S341">Mr. Blumenthal</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="S361">Ms. Hirono</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="S390">Mr. Van Hollen</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="S337">Mr. Coons</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="S253">Mr. Durbin</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="S413">Mr. Padilla</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="S370">Mr. Booker</cosponsor>, and <cosponsor name-id="S402">Ms. Rosen</cosponsor>) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the <committee-name committee-id="SSFI00">Committee on Finance</committee-name></action-desc></action><legis-type>A BILL</legis-type><official-title>To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to waive certain penalties for affected Federal employees receiving a distribution from the Thrift Savings Plan during a lapse in appropriations, and for other purposes.</official-title></form><legis-body display-enacting-clause="yes-display-enacting-clause"><section section-type="section-one" id="idD2378AC2214E4804BA2E344C56162DA9"><enum>1.</enum><header>Short title</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">This Act may be cited as the <quote><short-title>Emergency Relief for Federal Workers Act of 2025</short-title></quote>.</text></section><section section-type="subsequent-section" id="id85A96C73556F4D7CAAD120AAA6F697A4"><enum>2.</enum><header>Waiver of 10-percent additional tax on certain financial hardship distributions from Thrift Savings Plan</header><subsection id="idBA4612618E4A4ADA8155A87AB136B2B2"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Paragraph (2) of <external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/26/72">section 72(t)</external-xref> of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idE792418BA95D474C91BEF925407AB6ED"><subparagraph id="id0D541FDEC9C0438A8BD4F9ADED423FDE"><enum>(O)</enum><header>Distributions to Federal employees affected by a qualified lapse in appropriations</header><clause id="id114C4C2C247049DCACD36C0901D27658"><enum>(i)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Distributions made from the Thrift Savings Plan under subchapter III of <external-xref legal-doc="usc-chapter" parsable-cite="usc-chapter/5/84">chapter 84</external-xref> of title 5, United States Code, to an individual who is a Federal employee and who is on furlough or who is working without pay due to a qualified lapse in appropriations, if such distributions are made during the period of such qualified lapse in appropriations (including distributions which are in process as of the end of such lapse).</text></clause><clause id="id7BDD03628DA845BDA448FCB43946FCB7"><enum>(ii)</enum><header>Limitation</header><text>Subclause (i) shall apply to any distributions only to the extent the aggregate of such distributions does not exceed $30,000 with respect to any qualified lapse in appropriations.</text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id7a3553b36b64477daeb0cd6bd942a20e"><enum>(iii)</enum><header>Adjustment for inflation</header><text>In the case of a taxable year beginning after December 31, 2025, the $30,000 amount in clause (ii) shall be increased by an amount equal to—</text><subclause id="id7592bdcb5f6140b68a7e7b260861ce92"><enum>(I)</enum><text>such dollar amount, multiplied by</text></subclause><subclause id="id9466cc178ccc409f83e26eec2f969ead"><enum>(II)</enum><text>the cost-of-living adjustment determined under section 1(f)(3) for the calendar year in which the taxable year begins, determined by substituting <quote>calendar year 2024</quote> for <quote>calendar year 2016</quote> in subparagraph (A)(ii) thereof.</text></subclause><continuation-text continuation-text-level="clause">If any amount after adjustment under the preceding sentence is not a multiple of $100, such amount shall be rounded to the next lower multiple of $100.</continuation-text></clause><clause id="idC1C978E547784C20B395DFE75DD963AB"><enum>(iv)</enum><header>Qualified lapse in appropriations</header><text>For purposes of this subparagraph, the term <term>qualified lapse in appropriations</term> means a period of continuous lapse in Federal appropriations (including a partial lapse) of at least 2 weeks.</text></clause><clause id="idD1BA43BC42174F35AA7756FE0BDE0285"><enum>(v)</enum><header>Other terms</header><text>For purposes of this subparagraph, the terms <term>furlough</term> and <term>pay</term> have the respective meanings given such terms by section 7511 of title 5, United States Code.</text></clause></subparagraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id8BD04DA594614AF584CD43B6766E48DA"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Effective date</header><text>The amendment made by this section shall apply to distributions made after September 30, 2025.</text></subsection></section><section id="idF47AFFFF30E94D5CB5970933880BC277"><enum>3.</enum><header>Thrift Savings Plan provisions</header><subsection id="id07807D81DA9E48998C36F895C487F81E"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In-Service withdrawals</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 8433(h) of title 5, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idE75EB4F130C44B5C856AAB4A3B9CD33C"><paragraph id="idD87DB53D03CC41C28F3D552057972B03" indent="up1"><enum>(5)</enum><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="yes-display-inline" id="idE99BF2374A894BFAAEC113DC08FE2432"><enum>(A)</enum><text>In this paragraph—</text><clause id="id9E2C13EEAEDE43B88AC1A705EF603A09" indent="up1"><enum>(i)</enum><text>the term <term>applicable date</term>, with respect to a covered age-based withdrawal or covered hardship withdrawal made during a qualified lapse in appropriations, means the date that is 120 days after the last day of the qualified lapse in appropriations;</text></clause><clause id="idADB0D9B6007F43AF8EC70460921199FF" indent="up1"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>the term <term>covered age-based withdrawal</term> means a withdrawal under paragraph (1)(A) made during the period of a qualified lapse in appropriations;</text></clause><clause id="id304192AEE84D4934B60CD37C3DF7C790" indent="up1"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>the term <term>covered hardship withdrawal</term> means a withdrawal described in subparagraph (B);</text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" indent="up1" id="id7bc6180f04c046d8b34fbec871d36f56"><enum>(iv)</enum><text>the term <term>furlough</term> has the meaning given the term in section 7511;</text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" indent="up1" id="id7A43E97AD7AF4E509FBC4A8343383329"><enum>(v)</enum><text>the term <term>pay</term> has the meaning given the term in section 7511; and </text></clause><clause id="id5B4A4809F2C14CC699C2D075BA9D7462" indent="up1"><enum>(vi)</enum><text>the term <term>qualified lapse in appropriations</term> has the meaning given the term in <external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/26/72">section 72(t)(2)(O)</external-xref> of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id1035DCB4D4C24DFBAAAD8AEC9C0FCBB6" indent="up1"><enum>(B)</enum><text>The Board shall permit an employee who is on furlough or working without pay due to a qualified lapse in appropriations to make a withdrawal based upon financial hardship under paragraph (1)(B) if—</text><clause id="idBBE0D652A622446BB36943B900E52F11"><enum>(i)</enum><text>the withdrawal is made during the period of such qualified lapse in appropriations (including withdrawals which are in process as of the end of such lapse); and</text></clause><clause id="idBC5B14C9B38340F5AE839CB600C62569"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>the aggregate amount of any such withdrawals during the period described in clause (i) does not exceed $30,000, subject to adjustments for inflation under subparagraph (E).</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idB5282653709A427388832271DE93DFE3" indent="up1"><enum>(C)</enum><text>The Board may not limit the number of covered hardship withdrawals that an employee may make during the period of a qualified lapse in appropriations, subject to the dollar limitation under subparagraph (B)(ii).</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idCB12D3BD1FF04CCC9D57882D46EB7E58" indent="up1"><enum>(D)</enum><clause commented="no" display-inline="yes-display-inline" id="id35E19779454449659EC3DFD084AFBF79"><enum>(i)</enum><text>An individual who makes 1 or more covered hardship withdrawals or 1 or more covered age-based withdrawals during the period of a qualified lapse in appropriations may, before the applicable date, make 1 or more contributions to the Thrift Savings Fund in an aggregate amount not to exceed the lesser of—</text><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" indent="up1" id="id44d15195cf114149b48cb40119ea2652"><enum>(I)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">the aggregate amount of the withdrawals; or</text></subclause><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" indent="up1" id="id06c8f0ea326b461ba519d4fca51210d4"><enum>(II)</enum><text>$30,000, subject to adjustments for inflation under subparagraph (E).</text></subclause></clause><clause id="id5cf39b11bebd47808da33b80210eea29" indent="up1"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>An individual who makes a contribution to the Thrift Savings Fund under clause (i) shall, to the extent of the contribution, be treated as having received the covered age-based withdrawal or covered hardship withdrawal, as applicable, in an eligible rollover distribution (as defined in <external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/26/402">section 402(c)(4)</external-xref> of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986) and as having transferred the amount to the Thrift Savings Fund in a direct trustee to trustee transfer within 60 days of the distribution.</text></clause><clause id="idc04a57e73c3d4c4fa93dd4f2a7aea730" indent="up1"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>For purposes of sections 401(a)(31), 402(f), and 3405 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, a covered age-based withdrawal or covered hardship withdrawal shall not be treated as an eligible rollover distribution. </text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" indent="up1" id="idc47d8a192cfd48afa5494ff5e595af61"><enum>(E)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The dollar limitation under subparagraphs (B)(ii) and (D)(i)(II) shall be adjusted for inflation in the same manner as under <external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/26/72">section 72(t)(2)(O)(iii)</external-xref> of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id49B9D1459902450A9D5A318E98075BC3" indent="up1"><enum>(F)</enum><text>The Board may rely on a written representation from an employee to determine, for purposes of this paragraph, whether the employee has been furloughed or is working without pay due to a qualified lapse in appropriations.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id1EF3F37DF58A4CDD8B4A99CF7254E650" indent="up1"><enum>(G)</enum><text>The Director may require each agency affected by a qualified lapse in appropriations, as part of the shutdown procedures of the agency, to submit to the Executive Director a list with the name and social security number of each employee of the agency who will be furloughed or will work without pay due to the qualified lapse in appropriations.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection><subsection id="id9C5D12EBD8B34881802DE6A0FD61EA9A"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Loans</header><text>Section 8433(g) of title 5, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id98192C3497D2471ABE6B0F8839D9607E"><paragraph id="id992EB89CCF6C4423970D17E4CB72FB05" indent="up1"><enum>(5)</enum><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="yes-display-inline" id="id145fdea649404cc1af4dfc42812a654d"><enum>(A)</enum><text>The Board shall prescribe rules allowing loans to be made under this subsection to employees who are furloughed or working without pay due to a lapse in appropriations, without regard to the period of the lapse in appropriations.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" indent="up1" id="idc6d7f652189441c087c7f6b03f5df9a8"><enum>(B)</enum><text>For purposes of subparagraph (A), the terms <term>furlough</term> and <term>pay</term> have the meanings given those terms in section 7511.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id7F4A8E42ECA74F2D96A42ABF87795D25" indent="up1"><enum>(6)</enum><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="yes-display-inline" id="id2D092BFC31614A1A9705453D300BFC0D"><enum>(A)</enum><text>In this paragraph—</text><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" indent="up1" id="id89E36524620D41C8B9BB295F22156060"><enum>(i)</enum><text>the term <term>furlough</term> has the meaning given the term in section 7511;</text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" indent="up1" id="id0CC549E4E89B43DDB3D190CF78D45F74"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>the term <term>pay</term> has the meaning given the term in section 7511; </text></clause><clause id="id2C54F1AF5AE2437D8E45FD0175A4A9B7" indent="up1"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>the term <term>payment missed because of a shutdown</term> means a payment—</text><subclause id="id01130B6C2D244EDFB5DC2A5A967137F4"><enum>(I)</enum><text>on a loan under this subsection made to an employee who is on furlough or working without pay due to a qualified lapse in appropriations;</text></subclause><subclause id="id19936FCAC8FB41DBBBD8CF73522CF48D"><enum>(II)</enum><text>that is due during the qualified lapse in appropriations; and</text></subclause><subclause id="id7746EEC23EF14A0EB3CCA20878E81D8A"><enum>(III)</enum><text>that was not paid by the employee; and</text></subclause></clause><clause id="id84B5868B790B4043B6930D47A312C93A" indent="up1"><enum>(iv)</enum><text>the term <term>qualified lapse in appropriations</term> has the meaning given the term in <external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/26/72">section 72(t)(2)(O)</external-xref> of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id93433EAD96BB4966B84C6DCAA6A549E7" indent="up1"><enum>(B)</enum><text>The Board shall prescribe rules providing that the full amount due for outstanding payments missed because of a shutdown by an employee shall be deducted and withheld from the pay provided to the employee for the period of the qualified lapse in appropriations.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection></section><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id14200DF1407D4766AF7C248983BDC4BD"><enum>4.</enum><header>Missed loan payments not to be treated as taxable distribution during a qualified lapse in appropriations</header><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id24A08A08554849CC930D15364A8E2855"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Paragraph (2) of <external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/26/72">section 72(p)</external-xref> of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by redesignating subparagraph (E) as subparagraph (F) and by inserting after subparagraph (D) the following new subparagraph:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idC4DCAD307B0F45BB8D87B7460B6ACD36"><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idE12AF89EB48C40A39E89C8F83788EE6D"><enum>(E)</enum><header>Special rule for missed loan repayment during a qualified lapse in appropriations</header><text>Subparagraph (A) shall not fail to apply to any loan from the Thrift Savings Plan under subchapter III of <external-xref legal-doc="usc-chapter" parsable-cite="usc-chapter/5/84">chapter 84</external-xref> of title 5, United States Code, solely because there is a payment missed because of a shutdown (as defined in section 8433(g)(6)(A)(i) of title 5, United States Code) with respect to such loan, and such loan (or any portion of such loan) shall not be treated as a taxable distribution solely because of such missed payment.</text></subparagraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idB3F9AC12A87C4DDF8E5DDCE85B290E5F"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Effective date</header><text>The amendment made by this section shall apply to missed loan payments the due date for which is after September 30, 2025.</text></subsection></section></legis-body></bill> 

