[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 342 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 342
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
January 22, 2013
Mr. Hunter (for himself, Mr. Thompson of Pennsylvania, Mr. Franks of
Arizona, Mr. Turner, Mr. Jones, Mr. Yoder, Mr. Brady of Pennsylvania,
Mr. Conaway, Mrs. Hartzler, Mr. Coble, Mr. Culberson, Mr. Benishek, Mr.
Gowdy, Mr. Kinzinger of Illinois, Mr. Rooney, Mr. Nugent, Mr.
Westmoreland, Mr. Grimm, Mr. Griffin of Arkansas, Mr. Wilson of South
Carolina, Mr. Palazzo, and Mr. Coffman) 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 an 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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