,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #dia  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of   
,,representatives  ,january #aa1        
#bjai,mr4 ,gohmert 7for himself1 ,mr4   
,mullin1 ,mr4 ,king of ,iowa1 ,mr4      
,gosar1 ,mr4 ,jones1 ,mr4 ,meadows1 ,mr4
 ,zeldin1 ,mr4 ,posey1 ,mr4 ,cole1 ,mr4 
,tipton1 ,mr4 ,grothman1 ,mr4 ,huizenga1
 ,mr4 ,weber of ,texas1 ,mr4 ,higgins of
 ,louisiana1 ,mr4 ,harris1 ,ms4         
,stefanik1 ,mr4 ,gianforte1 ,mr4        
,bergman1 and ,mr4 ,olson7 introduced   
the following bill2 which was referred  
to the ,committee on ,armed ,services   
,a ,,bill  ,to amend title #cg1 ,united 
,states ,code1 to provide for the       
continuance of pay and allowances for   
members of the ,armed ,forces1 including
 reserve components thereof1 during     
lapses in appropriations4  #a4 ,short   
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,armed ,services ,always ,paid ,act or  
the ,,asap ,act4  #b4 ,continuance of   
military pay and allowances during      
periods of lapsed appropriations  7a7   

,continuance of pay ,chapter #ai of     
title #cg1 ,united ,states ,code1 is    
amended by adding at the end the        
following new section3  #ajaf4          
,continuance of pay and allowances      
during periods of lapsed appropriations 
7a7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 
,the term military personnel accounts   
mean the military personnel1 reserve    
personnel1 and ,national ,guard         
personnel accounts of the ,department of
 ,defense1 generally title ,i of an     
annual ,department of ,defense          
appropriations ,act1 and the            
corresponding accounts for the          
,department of ,homeland ,security used 
to provide pay and allowances for       
members of the ,coast ,guard4  7#b7 ,the
 term pay and allowances means basic    
pay1 bonuses and special pay1 allowances
 and any other forms of compensation    
available for members of the armed      
forces under this title or otherwise    
paid from the military personnel        
accounts4  7#c7 ,the term period of     

lapsed appropriations1 when used with   
respect to members of the armed forces1 
means any period during which           
appropriations are not available due to 
the absence of the timely enactment of  
any ,act or joint resolution 7including 
any ,act or joint resolution making     
continuing appropriations7 appropriating
 funds for the payment of the pay and   
allowances of members of the armed      
forces4  7b7 ,appropriation of funds ,to
 continue payment of pay and allowances 
,for any period of lapsed               
appropriations1 there are appropriated1 
out of any moneys in the ,treasury not  
otherwise appropriated1 to the          
,secretary of ,defense 7and the         
,secretary of ,homeland ,security in the
 case of the ,coast ,guard7 to allow the
 ,secretary of ,defense 7and the        
,secretary of ,homeland ,security in the
 case of the ,coast ,guard7 to continue 
to provide pay and allowances 7without  
interruption7 to members of the ,united 
,states armed forces4  7c7 ,limitation  

on amounts paid ,this section only      
authorizes the expenditure of funds     
during a period of lapsed appropriations
 for the pay and allowances of a member 
of the armed forces at a rate that is   
equal to the rate in effect for that    
member immediately before the start of  
the period of lapsed appropriations4    
,the rate for a member may neither      
exceed the rate in effect immediately   
before the start of the period of lapsed
 appropriations nor be less than that   
rate1 unless reduced by disciplinary    
action under the ,uniform ,code of      
,military ,justice4  7d7 ,relation to   
other pay authorities ,this section     
shall not be construed to affect the    
entitlement of a member of the armed    
forces to an amount of pay and          
allowances that exceeds the amount of   
pay and allowances authorized to be paid
 under this section and to which the    
member becomes entitled under other     
applicable provisions of law4  7e7      
,effect of end of period of lapsed      

appropriations ,expenditures made for   
any fiscal year pursuant to this section
 shall be charged to the applicable     
appropriation1 fund1 or authorization   
whenever the regular appropriation bill 
7or other bill or joint resolution      
making continuing appropriations through
 the end of the fiscal year7 becomes    
law4  4  7b7 ,clerical amendment ,the   
table of sections at the beginning of   
such chapter is amended by adding at the
 end the following new item3  #ajaf4    
,continuance of pay and allowances      
during periods of lapsed appropriations4
  4