Keep America Flying Act of 2026

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5851 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 5851

    Making continuing appropriations for essential Federal Aviation 
   Administration and Transportation Security Administration pay and 
operations in the event of a Federal Government shutdown, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 28, 2025

  Mr. James introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Appropriations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    Making continuing appropriations for essential Federal Aviation 
   Administration and Transportation Security Administration pay and 
operations in the event of a Federal Government shutdown, 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 ``Keep America Flying Act of 2026''.

SEC. 2. CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS FOR AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS AND 
              TRANSPORTATION SECURITY PERSONNEL.

    (a) In General.--There are hereby appropriated for fiscal year 
2026, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for 
the period beginning October 1, 2025, during which interim or full-year 
appropriations for fiscal year 2026 are not in effect--
            (1) such sums as are necessary to provide standard rates of 
        pay, allowances, pay differentials, benefits, and other 
        payments otherwise payable on a regular basis to air traffic 
        controllers and other essential operational personnel of the 
        Federal Aviation Administration whose services are required for 
        the safe and orderly operation of the national airspace system;
            (2) such sums as are necessary to provide standard rates of 
        pay, allowances, pay differentials, benefits, and other 
        payments otherwise payable on a regular basis to employees of 
        the Transportation Security Administration engaged in screening 
        operations, aviation security duties, or related mission-
        support functions necessary to carry out security screening 
        under chapter 449 of title 49, United States Code;
            (3) such sums as are necessary to provide for payments to 
        contractors of the Federal Aviation Administration whom the 
        Secretary of Transportation determines are providing support to 
        the personnel described in paragraph (1); and
            (4) such sums as are necessary to provide for payments to 
        contractors of the Transportation Security Administration whom 
        the Administrator or Acting Administrator of the Transportation 
        Security Administration determines are providing support to the 
        personnel described in paragraph (2).
    (b) Charge to Future Appropriations.--Expenditures made pursuant to 
subsection (a) shall be charged to the applicable appropriation, fund, 
or authorization whenever an Act in which such applicable 
appropriation, fund, or authorization is included is enacted into law.

SEC. 3. TERMINATION.

    Appropriations and funds made available and authority granted 
pursuant to this Act shall be available until whichever of the 
following first occurs:
            (1) The enactment into law of an appropriation (including a 
        continuing appropriation) for any purpose for which amounts are 
        made available in section 2.
            (2) The enactment into law of the applicable regular or 
        continuing appropriations resolution or other Act without any 
        appropriation for such purpose.
            (3) September 30, 2026.

SEC. 4. RETROACTIVE EFFECTIVE DATE.

    This Act shall take effect as if enacted on September 30, 2025.
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