UPDATED: December 2020

Federal Election Commission Plan for

Agency Operations in the Absence of the Fiscal Year 2021 Appropriation

This plan is pursuant to the requirements defined by the Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB), Circular A-11, Section 124, “Agency Operations in the Absence of an Appropriation.”

Lapse Plan Summary Overview

Estimated time (to nearest half day) required to complete shutdown activities: 1 days

Total number of agency employees expected to be on board before implementation 

of the plan: 315 FTEs

Total number of employees to be retained under the plan for each of the following categories:

Compensation is financed by a resource other than annual appropriations: 0 FTEs

Necessary to perform activities expressly authorized by law: 0 FTEs

Necessary to perform activities necessarily implied by law: 13 FTEs

Necessary to the discharge of the President's constitutional duties and powers: 0 FTEs

Necessary to protect life and property: 21 FTEs

Brief summary of significant agency activities that will continue during a lapse:

Website will remain online but not updated. Electronic filing of campaign finance reports 

will continue; however, no user assistance available. Protection against imminent threats 

to Commission property, principally in electronic form. Management, legal, financial and 

HR functions related to continuation of permissible operations during furlough. Assistance 

to Office of the Solicitor General, U.S. Department of Justice, on Commission cases 

pending in U.S. Supreme Court. Evaluation of applications for public funding by 

candidates for President of the United States. Ethics advice to employees considering 

outside employment during furlough.

Brief summary of significant agency activities that will cease during a lapse:

Virtually all core agency functions, including: review of campaign finance disclosure 

reports; enforcement of Federal Election Campaign Act; rendering of advisory opinions; 

rulemaking; all non-Supreme Court litigation (unless specifically ordered by court). 

Release of enforcement files to public record. Processing of Freedom of Information Act 

requests. All management, legal, HR, financial and IT functions not related to continuation 

of permissible operations during furlough. Assistance to campaign and political committee 

treasurers and members of the public regarding application of campaign finance laws.
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I. Introduction

Legal opinions issued by the Attorney General and the Justice Department’s Office of Legal 

Counsel since 1980 have made clear that the Anti-Deficiency Act, 31 U.S.C. § 1341,

unambiguously prohibits Federal officials from incurring obligations in the absence of 

appropriations except in extremely limited circumstances.

Based on these opinions, it is clear that in the absence of appropriations for the new fiscal year 

the Federal Election Commission (FEC) may neither expend any additional funds nor incur 

any additional obligations except for those that:

*Are implicitly authorized by some other law. 

*Are necessary to the prevention of imminent threats to human life or property, including the 

government’s property. The government’s property includes electronically stored data.

*Are necessary to the orderly termination of agency operations in the absence of 

appropriations. 

*Are necessary incident to execution of one of the President’s specified powers under Article 

II of the Constitution.

*Are funded by a multi-year, a “no-year” (i.e., remaining available until expended), or a 

permanent appropriation.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) defines a shutdown or “emergency furlough” as 

the placing of employees in a temporary non-duty, non-pay status due to the agency no longer 

having the necessary funds to operate. 

This plan outlines the process and the guidance for actions to be taken by the FEC when 

Congress fails to enact regular appropriations, a continuing resolution, or a needed 

supplemental, resulting in an interruption of fund availability. 

This section does not apply to specific appropriations action by the Congress to deny program 

funding. 

In the absence of appropriations: 

Federal officers may not incur any obligations that cannot lawfully be funded from prior 

appropriations unless such obligations are otherwise authorized by law. 

Federal officers may incur obligations as necessary for orderly termination of an agency's 

functions, but funds may not be disbursed. 

The FEC will be officially notified by the OMB in the event of a government shutdown.
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II. Affected Employees

All FEC employees are covered by the furlough action, including temporary employees, unless 

otherwise identified in Attachment A. As of September 28, 2020, the FEC has 311 employees 

on-board prior to any furlough actions. After all shutdown activities are completed, the FEC 

expects to have 273 employees furloughed. 

III. Preliminary Activities

A. Upon notification by OMB that the agency should review its shutdown plan, the 

Shutdown Team1 will review this plan.

B. If any changes to this plan are deemed necessary, they will be shared with OMB 

pursuant to OMB Circular A-11.

C. If any changes to this plan are deemed necessary, and the changes would affect the 

working conditions of bargaining unit employees, the Staff Director or his/her designee 

will notify NTEU and, if necessary and if practical given the time involved, will 

conduct bargaining over the impact and implementation of the changes.

D. The Staff Director, the GC, and the CFO shall ensure that their subordinate employees 

holding positions on Attachment A are reminded or notified that they hold such 

positions, and that they should begin preparations to carry out the functions for which 

they would be retained on duty during a shutdown.

E. The Press Office and Information Division, in consultation with the Office of General 

Counsel (OGC), the Office of Compliance, and the Commission, will prepare 

notifications for the public concerning Commission operating status and the effect of a 

shutdown on filing requirements for disclosure reports, Matters Under Review, 

administrative fines matters, and alternative dispute resolution matters. These 

notifications will be held ready for use in the event a shutdown actually occurs. Other 

divisions should make plans for directly contacting outside stakeholders to advise them 

of the shutdown.

F. The Administrative Services Manager will coordinate with the General Services 

Administration (GSA), the Federal Protective Service (FPS), and the building manager 

to determine all necessary arrangements for the physical security of the FEC 

headquarters building in the event of a funding lapse.

G. Not later than the third business day before funding is to lapse, the Staff Director will 

provide a notice to all employees via email that a funding lapse is possible. This 

message should, at a minimum:

 1 The FEC Shutdown Team consists of the Staff Director, General Counsel, Chief Financial Officer, Deputy Staff 

Director for Management & Administration, Deputy General Counsel for Administration, Assistant General Counsel 

for Administrative Law, Special Counsel to the General Counsel, Management & Program Analyst to the Staff 

Director, and anyone added for specific reasons as necessary. 
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1. Provide information about the likelihood of a shutdown, to the extent information 

is known.

2. Inform all employees that, except as noted below, they should carefully monitor 

news media accounts of the government’s operating status and should not report to 

work or offsite training, or engage in telework, in the event of a shutdown. 

3. Inform all employees that if the funding lapse is not resolved, they will receive a 

furlough notice the morning of the first business day of the shutdown. 

4. Inform all employees that if they wish to receive updates of important information 

from FEC management via personal email during the furlough, they should ensure 

they have provided their personal email addresses to the Management and Program 

Analyst in the immediate office of the Staff Director. See part III.9 below.

5. Encourage all employees who are certain that, within 30 days of the anticipated 

furlough, they will have a “qualifying life event” that permits an out-of-season 

change to FEHBP (health insurance) coverage, to immediately submit the change 

to FEHBP for processing. 

6. Remind all employees that those who are furloughed during a lapse in funding are 

prohibited from using their agency-provided transit subsidy (“TRANServe”) 

benefits during a government shutdown.2

H. Contracts 

1. The Contracting Officer will be responsible for contacting all Contracting Officer's 

Representatives (CORs). Employees assigned as a COR must immediately provide 

by return email to the Contracting Officer and their own supervisors: the most 

current status of the contract(s) for which they are responsible; the last identifiable 

deliverables, including dates and any other pertinent information regarding the 

status of the contract; and any outstanding or expected invoices for work already 

performed.

2. Using the information provided by the CORs to the CO, the Staff Director, CFO, 

Contracting Officer, and key CORs will hold a pre- shutdown meeting to 1) 

identify those contracts that are necessary to continuation of the agency’s excepted 

functions during the shutdown, and make sure all actions necessary are taken to 

ensure continued performance of those contracts during the shutdown (subject to

the availability of funds); and 2) identify all contracts near expiration, whether or 

not they are for excepted services, with an eye towards taking all practicable actions 

towards renewal of those contracts as may be possible in the time remaining before

shutdown; and 3) ensure that the Staff Director, as Furlough Manager, has copies 

 2 On the last business day before funding is to lapse, the Office of Human Resources (OHR) will also send a 

standalone email reminder to all employees regarding the prohibition on furloughed employees using TRANServe 

benefits during a government shutdown. 
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of all directions to contractors to continue work during the lapse, stop work 

immediately upon the lapse, or to stop work once they need to interact with a 

furloughed FEC employee.

3. All FEC contracts shall be divided into the following four groups:

a. Contracts that are necessary to continuation of the agency’s excepted 

functions during shutdown (subject to availability of funds). Notices shall 

be prepared for these contractors directing them to continue work during the 

shutdown.

b. Contracts for which funds have already been obligated and for which the 

agency receives some benefit from continued performance during the 

shutdown, but which are not necessary for continuation of excepted 

functions. Notices shall be prepared for these contractors indicating that 

they may continue to work during the shutdown up until the point at which 

they need to communicate with a furloughed FEC employee, at which point 

they should suspend performance.

c. Contracts for which funds have already been obligated, but for which the 

agency receives no benefit from continued performance during the 

shutdown. (Example: IT support for the Office of Compliance and the 

Office of General Counsel’s Enforcement Division.) Suspend work notices 

shall be prepared for these contractors.

d. Contracts for which funds have not yet been obligated for continued 

performance during the shutdown, and which are not necessary for 

continuation of excepted functions. Suspend work notices shall be 

prepared for these contractors.

4. Copies of each notice prepared pursuant to part III.H.3.c. shall be provided 

to the Staff Director.

I. All employees are responsible for ensuring up-to-date personal contact information 

(preferably an email address) has been provided to their supervisors. During a 

shutdown, FEC employees may receive periodic updates from the Staff Director or 

his/her designee on their personal email accounts. Updates will also be posted on the 

FEC website. See part III.7.d. above.

IV. Activities on the Business Day Before a Possible Funding Lapse

A. All employees must update their hours worked and leave taken in WebTA for a period 

through the last day prior to the potential furlough. 

B. All employees will be responsible for taking the necessary steps, under supervisory 

direction, to cancel meetings, hearings, and other previously arranged business, and 
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appropriately notifying parties such as other Federal agencies, State governments, and 

private entities involved in agency matters of the cessation of normal business.

C. The Press Office and the Information Division will release through the website and 

other appropriate means the previously prepared information about operating status and 

filing requirements in the event of a furlough.

D. The Office of Human Resources will ensure all employees are provided information 

regarding the eligibility and application procedures for furloughed employees for 

unemployment compensation. This message must also advise employees that any 

unemployment compensation received will have to be paid back once the furlough 

ends.

E. The Administrative Services Division will notify the United States Postal Services and 

other delivery services that the FEC will be closed and unable to accept mail. All mail 

will be held offsite and delivered upon the agency reopening. The notice to the public 

referred to in part III.5 will encourage members of the public who cannot wait until the 

end of the shutdown to send us hard copy documents to use a service that has tracking 

capability, and should note that private services are likely to return any mail or 

packages to the sender if the shutdown lasts more than five days.

V. Activities on the First Day of the Funding Lapse and Thereafter

A. Notice to Furloughed Employees. At 7 a.m. on the first business day of the funding 

lapse, the Staff Director will issue a “Furlough Decision Notice Due to Lapse of 

Appropriations” (5 C.F.R. Part 752). Notice by agency-wide email, will be sufficient. 

Staff receiving their notice by email must respond to the email acknowledging that they 

have received and read it. 

This notice must at a minimum:

1. Inform recipients that, unless they have been notified otherwise, they are in a 

furlough (non-pay, non-duty) status effective upon the completion of their duties 

related to the orderly shutdown of the agency, and at that time must engage in no 

further work, including telework, until recalled to duty. 

2. Inform recipients that the furlough is not expected to last in excess of 30 days.

3. Inform recipients that the furlough action is being taken because of a sudden 

emergency requiring immediate curtailment of the agency’s activities, and that 

therefore, the customary 30-day advance notice period and opportunity to answer 

are suspended under the provisions of 5 C.F.R. 752.404(d)(2). 

4. Inform recipients, pursuant to 5 C.F.R. 752.404(b)(2), that if any employees of their 

same grade and job title are not furloughed, the reason is that those employees are 

required to complete orderly suspension of agency operations, will be performing 
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functions essential to the protection of life or property, or will be performing 

functions the continuation of which is otherwise authorized by law. 

5. Inform recipients of their rights to appeal the furlough to the Merit Systems 

Protection Board or, if they are bargaining unit employees, their right to grieve the 

furlough pursuant to the FEC-NTEU Labor Management Agreement.

6. Inform recipients that they are prohibited from performing voluntary services for 

the federal government and therefore, until specifically recalled to work, they are 

prohibited from performing any work functions while on furlough status, even on 

a voluntary basis. 

7. Inform recipients that while the agency will make its best efforts to formally notify 

them when they are recalled to work, they are instructed to monitor developments 

in the news media. Absent contrary guidance from OMB or OPM, employees will 

be expected to resume work on the first business day after the President has signed 

legislation resolving the funding lapse or after Congress has overridden a 

Presidential veto of funding legislation. 

8. Inform recipients that they are not to attempt to access the FEC building during the 

furlough without the prior approval of the Furlough Manager (Staff Director). 

For employees not listed on the attached Schedule A, the completion of shutdown 

functions entails only completing any activities listed in Section IV above, and 

receiving, reading, and replying to the furlough notice. 

Furlough notices will be sent to employees through their FEC email accounts. In the 

event that a second furlough notice is required, it will be sent to personal email 

addresses from the emergency contact list. Employees will be instructed to receive their 

furlough notices remotely by logging into their FEC email accounts using VPN, an 

FEC-provided mobile device, or Outlook (Cloud), at the hour when their normal tour 

of duty begins. Employees who cannot receive their furlough notices remotely will 

coordinate with their supervisors to receive the notice. 

B. Effects of the Furlough

1. Effect of Furlough on Pay, and on Leave Accrual. The FEC will not process 

payroll during a funding lapse for any period of time covered by the funding lapse. 

Pursuant to the Government Employees Fair Treatment Act, Pub. L. 116-1, back 

pay for the period of any funding lapse, including the accrual of leave and 

restoration of leave that was scheduled but cancelled during the furlough, will be 

accomplished as rapidly as possible following the end of the funding lapse. 

2. Effect of Furlough on Scheduled Leave. For furloughed employees, all 

previously scheduled paid leave during a furlough is cancelled, because the 

necessity to furlough supersedes leave rights. The Anti-Deficiency Act (31 U.S.C. 
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1341 et seq.) does not allow authorization of any expenditure or obligation before 

an appropriation is made, unless authorized by law. Paid leave creates a debt on the 

part of the Government that is not authorized by the Act. Therefore, the FEC must 

cancel all previously scheduled paid leave for furloughed employees. Pursuant to 

the Government Employees Fair Treatment Act and OPM guidance thereunder, 

employees who are on duty full-time performing excepted activities but who must 

be absent from duty for personal reasons during a portion of the funding lapse may 

choose between using previously accrued leave (in which case they will incur a 

charge to leave) or going on furlough status during their absence and being recalled 

to duty at the end of their absence (in which case they will incur no charge to leave). 

Those who choose to go on furlough status with a subsequent recall to duty shall 

receive a furlough notice that documents their choice, states the period of time for 

which they are to be furloughed, and provides the same information described in 

parts V.A.3 through V.A.5 above. 

3. Effect of Furlough on Training. Employees scheduled for any online training by 

third-party providers that is paid for by the Commission must be advised that they 

will be placed on furlough for the duration of the funding hiatus. Such employees 

must stop participation in the training and notify the Contracting Officer to 

determine if the class can be rescheduled at a later date after the resolution of the 

furlough. 

4. Effect of Furlough on Details to Other Agencies. Employees on details to other 

agencies may continue to work if their function at the other agency will continue 

during the shutdown. Otherwise, they are on furlough and must check their FEC 

email on the first day of the shutdown for their furlough notice. 

5. Effect of Furlough on Employee Benefits

a. Federal Employees’ Health Benefits Plan. Pursuant to direction from 

OPM, the health coverage of all employees shall continue. The employer’s 

portion of the premium will continue to be paid by the government. 

However, employees shall be personally liable for their share of premiums. 

Because an employee’s share of premiums cannot be deducted from the 

employee’s paycheck when the employee is in a non-pay status, each 

employee shall incur a debt to the Government equal to the amount of the 

employee’s share of premiums for each pay period in which no deductions 

are made. Once returned to a pay status, the delinquent amount will be 

automatically deducted from the bi-weekly gross pay, in addition to other 

authorized deductions, until the debt is liquidated. 

b. Federal Employees’ Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP)

Dental and vision insurance program coverage will continue during the 

lapse in appropriations. If the lapse period is less than three consecutive pay 

periods, employees’ premiums will accumulate and be withheld later when 

the lapse ends. However, if employees do not receive pay for three or more 
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consecutive pay periods, BENEFEDS will begin to bill employees directly 

for their premium payments. To ensure continued coverage, employees 

should pay those bills on a timely basis.

c. Leave Accrual

As a result of the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act (Public Law 

116-1), which was enacted during the recent shutdown, you will accrue 

leave during the furlough period as if it were a regular pay period.

d. Retirement and Life Insurance

For most employees, retirement and life insurance benefits remain 

unaffected by the furlough period. However, OHR will follow OPM 

guidance for employees who are on a leave without pay (LWOP) status 

before the furlough. OHR is also responsible for notifying the National 

Finance Center of the furlough actions on employees receiving military 

retired or retainer pay.

6. Effect of Furlough on pending new hires. 

The “entry on duty” date of any individuals who have a scheduled start date of FEC 

employment during the shutdown will be changed to a date as soon as practicable 

after the end of the funding lapse. The Staff Director or his/her designee will contact 

new employees to notify them of the funding lapse.

C. The CFO will contact OMB immediately upon initiation of shutdown operations.

D. The Administrative Services Manager or her designee will inform GSA, FPS and the 

building manager that the agency has initiated shutdown operations, and will 

coordinate the execution of any necessary actions determined according to III.B.6 

above. 

E. The Staff Director shall:

1. Remain on duty, as Furlough Manager, throughout the furlough.

2. Be authorized to recall to duty any employees necessary to meet unanticipated 

contingencies related to imminent threats to life or property, including electronic 

records or data.

3. Initiate resumption of operations (see below) immediately upon the signing by the 

President of legislation ending the funding lapse.

4. Receive and take appropriate action on all communications from OMB during the 

funding lapse. 

E. The Litigation Division of OGC will ensure that notices are filed with appropriate 

courts in which the Commission has pending litigation matters informing the courts 
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that Commission employees have been furloughed and that the agency is closed for the 

duration of the funding lapse. The amount of time necessary for this function may vary 

depending on the Commission’s litigation docket at the time of the lapse but is not 

anticipated to take longer than the close of business on the first business day following 

the funding lapse. Employees carrying out this function will be furloughed upon its 

completion. The General Counsel is authorized to recall to work such Litigation 

Division personnel as may be necessary solely to file any additional notices that may 

become necessary during the furlough, to engage in the normal conduct of litigation in 

cases where the court so orders notwithstanding the furlough, or to provide assistance 

(if requested) to the Office of the Solicitor General in Supreme Court cases in which 

the Commission is a party. Upon the completion of these tasks, any recalled personnel 

shall be returned to a furlough status.

F. The Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO) will perform the fiscal and 

accounting tasks required to maintain accountability and report obligations and 

expenditures of all funds. It is anticipated that the amount of time necessary for this 

function may be up to a full business day. Employees carrying out this function will be 

furloughed once the excepted functions are completed. 

G. The Contracting Officer (or designee) will disseminate the notices to contractors 

described in part III.H.3.c above. The amount of time necessary for the Contracting 

Officer to issue stop work notices may be more than one business day depending on 

when the funding lapse begins. The Contracting Officer may be recalled to work, on 

either a full-time or intermittent basis, if necessary.

H. The Office of Human Resources (OHR) will ensure any HR actions necessary to shut

down the agency are completed, including the delivery of hard copy furlough notices 

to employees who are unable or unwilling to receive their furlough notices by email or 

other arrangements. The amount of time necessary for this function is estimated to be 

no more than a full business day. The OHR personnel necessary to this function will 

be furloughed upon its completion. Currently, per guidance from the OPM, it is 

anticipated that all furlough actions to be processed through the National Finance 

Center will be retroactively conducted at the end of the furlough.

I. The Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) will perform the tasks required to 

guard against imminent threats to Commission data, and will continue to perform this 

task throughout the shutdown. OCIO employees necessary for this function are listed 

on Appendix A and shall not be furloughed. 

J. The Administrative Services Manager (or designee) will be responsible for notifying 

all appropriate Federal and non-Federal parties who have roles relating to the physical 

security of the FEC building that the agency is shut down. The Administrative Services 

Manager or their delegate shall also remain in a telework status throughout the 

completion of all other activities on the first day of the shutdown in order to be available 

to resolve building issues that arise while those activities are being completed. The 

Administrative Services Manager will then be on intermittent duty for the remainder of 
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the furlough. During this time, the Administrative Services Manager shall be notified 

by Kastle Systems of, and shall respond appropriately to, all reports of physical entry 

into FEC facilities. The Administrative Services Manager shall physically inspect the 

physical security of FEC facilities not less than weekly during the shutdown. As part 

of these duties, he or she shall ensure the physical securing of all mail or packages that, 

notwithstanding the shutdown, were delivered to the FEC. 

K. The General Counsel (or designee(s)) shall not be furloughed. The OGC personnel not 

furloughed shall provide advice and legal support to the Staff Director and Commission 

as necessary concerning shutdown-related legal questions during the funding lapse. 

The specific personnel who will not be furloughed are listed by name on Appendix A.

L. Functions that may or may not occur during a lapse, depending on the specific 

situation:

a. If, at the time of the lapse, the Ethics Office has under its review financial 

information provided by a potential nominee to the Commission, the 

Deputy Ethics Officer may remain on duty during the furlough solely for 

the purpose of carrying out functions related to that review. This is 

permissible as an incident to the President’s power of nomination under 

Article II of the Constitution. The Ethics Officer may also be recalled to 

provide guidance to agency employees with respect to outside employment.

b. If a lapse occurs during the calendar year in which a presidential election 

occurs or the calendar year immediately preceding the presidential election 

year, the Staff Director and the General Counsel shall jointly determine the 

number and identity of Audit Division and OGC employees necessary, if 

any, to carry out functions during the lapse related to the eligibility and 

entitlement of presidential candidates to public funding. This is permissible 

as implicitly authorized by the permanent, indefinite appropriation of funds 

to the Presidential Election Campaign Fund at 26 U.S.C. § 9006(a).

M. Additional Considerations

1. Intermittent employees. Certain employees on Attachment A, or other employees 

recalled to work during a shutdown to meet unexpected contingencies, may be 

designated as “intermittent employees.” “Intermittent employees” are those whose 

services are required for excepted purposes during a shutdown, but on less than a 

full-time basis. Intermittent employees shall receive furlough notices that 1) notify 

them of their status as intermittent employees, 2) explain what duties they are 

expected to perform while on duty during a funding lapse, 3) explain that they are 

to be considered in a furlough status while not performing their excepted duties, 

and 4) provides the information described in parts V.A.3 through V.A.5 above.

2. Building access; telework by excepted and intermittent employees. FEC 

facilities at 1050 First Street, N.E. are CLOSED during a shutdown. After the first 
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day of a furlough, entry into the building by any FEC employee or contractor other 

than a Commissioner, the Staff Director, or the Administrative Services Manager 

shall require the express prior approval of the Staff Director, as Furlough Manager. 

Entry without such approval shall be subject to administrative or disciplinary action 

upon the conclusion of the furlough. Those employees excepted from the furlough 

on either a full-time or intermittent basis, or who are recalled to duty during the 

furlough, will be expected to continue to telework under the same terms and 

conditions they have been teleworking under the Commission’s evacuation order 

during the COVID-19 pandemic, unless the Staff Director specifically approves onsite work. 

3. Daily conference calls. The Staff Director, Chief Financial Officer, Deputy Staff 

Director for Management and Administration, and at least one out of the General 

Counsel, the Deputy General Counsel for Administration, the Assistant General 

Counsel for Administrative Law, and the Special Counsel to the General Counsel 

shall meet via conference call each business day during the lapse to discuss 

developments relevant to the management of agency operations during the lapse. 

The Staff Director will ensure relevant staff are on any scheduled calls with OPM, 

OMB, and NFC. The Staff Director may designate other excepted or intermittent 

personnel to participate in a particular daily call as necessary.

VI. Responsibilities of Component Offices to Complete Shutdown Activities

Responsibilities of the OSD:

Publishes pre-furlough and furlough notices.

Provides a furlough plan.

Notifies appropriate bargaining agents of any proposed shutdown due to a lack of funds as 

soon as feasible after the decision has been made and prior to delivery of furlough notices 

to employees.

Notifies employees of any rights and benefits they will have while they are in furlough 

status.

Negotiates, when and where practicable, the impact and implementation of the shutdown of 

operations in accordance with FEC policy and the Federal Labor Management Relations 

statute (5 U.S.C., Chapter 71). The decision to shut down operations due to a lack of funds 

is not negotiable; therefore, negotiations will not preempt that decision.

Maintain and update list of personal contact information for all FEC employees. 

Responsibilities of the OCFO:
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Tracks all obligations incurred in maintaining essential activities and terminating agency 

operations. 

Suspends acquisition and assistance awards pending validation of program award decisions.

Facilitates the de-obligation of funds for unused appropriation through contract 

modifications to maximize funds availability for essential activities, if appropriate.

Ensures measures are in place to guard against accidental obligations or payments that 

would violate the Anti-Deficiency Act or would otherwise be improper payments, including 

notifying FEC’s payroll processor that no further actions should be processed until 

resumption of agency operations

Monitors guidance from the agency’s payroll provider and resolves issues arising therefrom.

Upon information that restoration of funding is imminent, takes all actions necessary to 

ensure payment of back pay and accrual of leave at the earliest possible time, consistent 

with the Government Employee Fairness Act (Pub. L. 116-1).

Responsibilities of the OGC:

Assists the Commission, the Staff Director, the CFO and the IG in identifying both the 

essential functions performed by the FEC and the emergency personnel required to perform 

these functions to ensure compliance with OMB guidance and opinions of the Attorney 

General.

VII. Resumption of Operations

Upon the end of the furlough, employees are expected to resume work the next business day, 

unless otherwise authorized by the Staff Director. Employees will be notified via personal 

email and by the placement of a message on the FEC web site.. Employees will be notified 

with reopening instructions via personal email from the Staff Director or his designee. 

Employees that do not have a personal email on file in the emergency contact database will be 

contacted by a supervisor. Employees are responsible for monitoring the media regarding 

updates to the government’s funding status.

VIII. Relation to OMB Guidance 

To the extent any provision of this plan is inconsistent with written guidance from the OMB

regarding the specific times of furlough or the scope of permissibly exempt activities, the 

OMB guidance shall govern. 
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Federal Election Commission Interim Plan for Agency Operations 

in the Absence of an Appropriation – Appendix A

I. Commissioners

Commissioners, like all Presidential appointees subject to Senate confirmation, are not subject 

to the time and attendance procedures of Federal personnel law. Therefore, their continued 

work during a funding lapse creates no new financial obligation for the government to pay 

them, and they are exempt from furlough. However, their pay will be processed in arrears once 

the furlough is over. Commissioners who choose to work during the furlough may not take any 

actions, singly or collectively, that would have the effect of creating any financial obligation 

on the part of the government. 

These considerations apply to Commissioners only. Commissioners’ personal staff members 

are subject to furlough due to lapsed appropriations.