I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1542 
To amend title 14, United States Code, to make appropriations for Coast 
Guard pay in the event an appropriations Act expires before the enact-
ment of a new appropriations Act, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 24, 2025 
Ms. SCHOLTEN (for herself and Mr. BARRETT) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To amend title 14, United States Code, to make appropria-
tions for Coast Guard pay in the event an appropriations 
Act expires before the enactment of a new appropriations 
Act, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Pay Our Coast Guard 
Parity Act of 2025’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:46 Mar 13, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1542.IH
H1542
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
(1) The Coast Guard is a military service and 
a branch of the Armed Forces of the United States 
at all times regardless of whether it operates as a 
service in the Department of Homeland Security or 
as a service in the Navy. 
(2) Notwithstanding respective appropriations 
and except as otherwise provided in law, members of 
the Coast Guard should receive treatment equitable 
to that of other members of the Armed Forces with 
regard to pay and benefits. 
SEC. 3. COAST GUARD PAY; CONTINUATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 27 of title 14, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘§ 2780. Pay; continuation during lapse in appropria-
tions 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—In the case of any period in 
which there is a Coast Guard-specific funding lapse, there 
are appropriated such sums as may be necessary— 
‘‘(1) to provide pay and allowances to military 
members of the Coast Guard, including the reserve 
component thereof, who perform active service or in- 
active-duty training during such period; 
‘‘(2) to provide pay and benefits to qualified ci-
vilian employees of the Coast Guard; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:46 Mar 13, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1542.IH
H1542
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
‘‘(3) to provide pay and benefits to qualified 
contract employees of the Coast Guard; and 
‘‘(4) to provide for— 
‘‘(A) the payment of a death gratuity 
under sections 1475 through 1477 and 1489 of 
title 10, with respect to members of the Coast 
Guard; 
‘‘(B) the payment or reimbursement of au-
thorized funeral travel and travel related to the 
dignified transfer of remains and unit memorial 
services under section 481f of title 37, with re-
spect to members of the Coast Guard; and 
‘‘(C) the temporary continuation of a basic 
allowance of housing for dependents of mem-
bers of the Coast Guard dying on active duty, 
as authorized by section 403(l) of title 37. 
‘‘(b) COAST GUARD-SPECIFIC FUNDING LAPSE.— 
For purposes of this section, a Coast Guard-specific fund-
ing lapse occurs in any case in which— 
‘‘(1) a general appropriation bill providing ap-
propriations for the Coast Guard for a fiscal year is 
not enacted before the beginning of such fiscal year 
(and no joint resolution making continuing appro-
priations for the Coast Guard is in effect); and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:46 Mar 13, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1542.IH
H1542
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
‘‘(2) a general appropriation bill providing ap-
propriations for the Department of Defense for such 
fiscal year is enacted before the beginning of such 
fiscal year (or a joint resolution making continuing 
appropriations for the Department of Defense is in 
effect. 
‘‘(c) TERMINATION.—Appropriations and funds made 
available and authority granted for any fiscal year for any 
purpose under subsection (a) shall be available until 
whichever of the following first occurs: 
‘‘(1) The enactment into law of an appropria-
tion (including a continuing appropriation) for such 
purpose. 
‘‘(2) The enactment into law of the applicable 
regular or continuing appropriations resolution or 
other Act without any appropriation for such pur-
pose. 
‘‘(3) The termination of availability of appro-
priations for the Department of Defense. 
‘‘(4) The date that is 2 weeks after the begin-
ning of the Coast Guard-specific funding lapse. 
‘‘(d) RATE FOR OPERATIONS; APPLICABILITY TO AP-
PROPRIATIONS ACTS.—Appropriations made pursuant to 
this section shall be at a rate for operations and to the 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:46 Mar 13, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1542.IH
H1542
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
extent and manner that would be provided by the perti-
nent appropriations Act. 
‘‘(e) CHARGE TO FUTURE APPROPRIATIONS.—Ex-
penditures made pursuant to this section shall be charged 
to the applicable appropriation, fund, or authorization 
whenever a bill in which such applicable appropriation, 
fund, or authorization is enacted into law. 
‘‘(f) APPORTIONMENT.—Appropriations and funds 
made available by or authority granted under this section 
may be used without regard to the time limitations for 
submission and approval of apportionments set forth in 
section 1513 of title 31, but nothing in this section may 
be construed to waive any other provision of law governing 
the apportionment of funds. 
‘‘(g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) QUALIFIED
CIVILIAN
EMPLOYEE.—The 
term ‘qualified civilian employee’ means a civilian 
employee of the Coast Guard whom the Com-
mandant determines is— 
‘‘(A) providing support to members of the 
Coast Guard or another Armed Force; or 
‘‘(B) performing work as an excepted em-
ployee or an employee performing emergency 
work, as such terms are defined by the Office 
of Personnel Management. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:46 Mar 13, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1542.IH
H1542
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
‘‘(2) QUALIFIED CONTRACT EMPLOYEE OF THE 
COAST
GUARD.—The term ‘qualified contract em-
ployee of the Coast Guard’ means an individual per-
forming work under a contract whom the Com-
mandant determines is— 
‘‘(A) providing support to military mem-
bers or qualified civilian employees of the Coast 
Guard or another Armed Force; or 
‘‘(B) required to perform work during a 
lapse in appropriations.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The analysis for chap-
ter 27 of title 14, United States Code, is amended by add-
ing at the end the following: 
‘‘2780. Pay; continuation during lapse in appropriations.’’. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:46 Mar 13, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H1542.IH
H1542
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB