Congress ensures memorials stay open during shutdowns
H.R. 8613 — To providing access to certain memorials on Federal property during Government shutdown, and for other purposes. · Filed by Maggie Goodlander (D-NH) · 1 cosponsor · Introduced Apr 30, 2026 · Referred to committee
Your members of Congress
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What it does
This bill requires federal agencies to keep memorials and cemeteries on federal property open to the public during government shutdowns, even if the agency itself is not funded. It classifies employees who manage public access to these memorials as essential personnel performing emergency services, so they continue working and get paid during shutdowns.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole operative mechanism is a mandate to keep memorials open during government shutdowns by designating access staff as emergency personnel. It is a straightforward public-access protection measure with no hidden provisions or narrow beneficiaries.
What the text implies
- Establishes a precedent that certain public-facing services (memorial access) are essential during shutdowns, potentially expanding the scope of what agencies must keep operational in future shutdowns.
- Reclassification of memorial-access staff as emergency personnel may create budgetary pressure on agencies to absorb these wages during shutdowns, potentially reducing funds available for other essential services.
- The bill applies only to memorials 'not funded by the Federal Government'—privately funded or state-funded memorials on federal property—which may create ambiguity about mixed-funding or co-managed sites.
Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.
Who it affects
Citizens gain uninterrupted access to memorials and cemeteries during shutdowns, removing a barrier to honoring the deceased and exercising civic participation. The bill imposes minimal cost—only the wages of a small number of memorial-access staff—and serves a clear public interest in maintaining dignified access to sites of commemoration.
Named in the bill
Federal agencies, 31 U.S.C. § 1342 (emergency services provision), Ms. Goodlander (sponsor), Ms. Fedorchak (cosponsor)
Where it stands
1 cosponsor: 1 Republicans.
- Apr 30, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
- Apr 30, 2026 — Referred to House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the bill text published by Congress.gov (1,532 characters) on Jun 3, 2026. Section numbers in the findings refer to that text, linked below; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 16,222 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
As of — page rendered 2026-10-20.
“Congress ensures memorials stay open during shutdowns” QuorumCivic. https://share.quorumcivic.app/bill/119/hr8613 Report an error
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