[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1551 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1551

 To prioritize certain Government obligations for continued payment in 
  the event that the statutory debt limit is reached, to appropriate 
 funds for the pay and allowances of all members of the Armed Forces, 
 and for those civilian employees of the Department of Defense and the 
     Coast Guard serving in a combat zone, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 14, 2011

  Mr. Hunter introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
   Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on 
   Appropriations, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To prioritize certain Government obligations for continued payment in 
  the event that the statutory debt limit is reached, to appropriate 
 funds for the pay and allowances of all members of the Armed Forces, 
 and for those civilian employees of the Department of Defense and the 
     Coast Guard serving in a combat zone, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Guarantee Paychecks for America's 
Military Families Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this section:
            (1) The term ``Armed Forces'' means the Army, Navy, Air 
        Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, including reserve 
        components thereof.
            (2) The term ``combat zone'' has the meaning given that 
        term in section 112(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
            (3) The term ``contingency operation'' has the meaning 
        given that term in section 101(a)(13) of title 10, United 
        States Code.
            (4) The term ``military personnel accounts'' mean the 
        military personnel, reserve personnel, and National Guard 
        personnel accounts of the Department of Defense, generally 
        title I of an annual Department of Defense appropriations Act, 
        and the corresponding accounts for the Department of Homeland 
        Security used to provide pay and allowances for members of the 
        Coast Guard.
            (5) The term ``pay and allowances'' means basic pay, 
        bonuses and special pay, allowances and any other forms of 
        compensation available for members of the Armed Forces under 
        title 37, United States Code, or otherwise paid from military 
        personnel accounts.
            (6) The term ``period of lapsed appropriations'' means any 
        period during which appropriations are not available due to the 
        absence of the timely enactment of any Act or joint resolution 
        (whether a general appropriations Act or and Act or joint 
        resolution making continuing appropriations) appropriating 
        funds for the payment of the pay and allowances of members of 
        the Armed Forces or civilian employees of the Department of 
        Defense and the Coast Guard.

SEC. 3. PRIORITY GIVEN TO PAYMENT OF CERTAIN GOVERNMENT OBLIGATIONS IN 
              EVENT DEBT LIMIT IS REACHED.

    In the event that the debt of the United States Government, as 
defined in section 3101 of title 31, United States Code, reaches the 
statutory limit, the following obligations shall take priority over all 
other obligations incurred by the Government of the United States:
            (1) The obligation of the Secretary of the Treasury 
        provided in section 3123 of title 31, United States Code, to 
        pay with legal tender the principal and interest on debt held 
        by the public.
            (2) The obligation of the Secretary of Defense (and the 
        Secretary of Homeland Security in the case of the Coast Guard) 
        to pay members of the Armed Forces the pay and allowances 
        earned under title 37, United States Code, and other 
        compensation paid from the military personnel accounts.
            (3) The obligations incurred by the Secretary of Defense 
        (and the Secretary of Homeland Security in the case of the 
        Coast Guard) to carry out a contingency operation (as defined 
        in section 101(a)(13) of title 10, United States Code), 
        including the pay earned by civilian employees of the 
        Department of Defense and the Coast Guard serving in a combat 
        zone (as defined in section 112(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue 
        Code of 1986).

SEC. 4. PERMANENT APPROPRIATION OF FUNDS TO PROVIDE PAY AND ALLOWANCES 
              FOR MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES AND CERTAIN CIVILIAN 
              EMPLOYEES DURING PERIOD OF LAPSED APPROPRIATIONS.

    For any period of lapsed appropriations, there are appropriated, 
out of any moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to the 
Secretary of Defense (and the Secretary of Homeland Security in the 
case of the Coast Guard) such amounts as may be necessary to allow the 
Secretary of Defense (and the Secretary of Homeland Security in the 
case of the Coast Guard) to provide, during the period of lapsed 
appropriations and without interruption--
            (1) pay and allowances to members of armed forces, 
        including reserve components thereof, who perform active 
        service during the period of lapsed appropriations; and
            (2) pay to civilian employees of the Department of Defense 
        and the Coast Guard serving in a combat zone.
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