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HR 2180
Introduced Re-checks Congress.gov for new actions and updates the bill's status, and fills in any sponsors, committees, or related bills that are missing. It does not re-pull sponsors/cosponsors/committees/related — those rarely change — and it skips all work if nothing has changed upstream, so it's cheap to click.

Keep the Watchdogs Running Act

To authorize Inspectors General to continue operations during a lapse in appropriations, and for other purposes.

Introduced Mar 18, 2025

Latest action (Nov 20, 2025) ASSUMING FIRST SPONSORSHIP - Mr. Walkinshaw asked unanimous consent that he may hereafter be considered as the first sponsor of H.R. 2180, a bill originally introduced by Representative Connolly, for the purpose of adding cosponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII. Agreed to without objection.

Referred to
Oversight and Government Reform Committee
Policy area
Government Operations and Politics
Legislative subjects (3)
AppropriationsExecutive agency funding and structureGovernment studies and investigations

Summary

This bill amends federal law to authorize Inspectors General to continue operations during a lapse in appropriations, such as a government shutdown. The bill allows Inspectors General to incur obligations in advance of appropriations in the amounts necessary to operate at the rates and under conditions established in the most recently enacted appropriations acts. The bill also enables Inspectors General to perform their oversight duties with respect to programs and operations of their agencies that continue during an appropriations lapse.

AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.

Sponsor (1)
16 cosponsors

Actions (3)
  1. Nov 20, 2025 ASSUMING FIRST SPONSORSHIP - Mr. Walkinshaw asked unanimous consent that he may hereafter be considered as the first sponsor of H.R. 2180, a bill originally introduced by Representative Connolly, for the purpose of adding cosponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII. Agreed to without objection. · house
  2. Mar 18, 2025 Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. · house
  3. Mar 18, 2025 Introduced in House

More bills on these subjects (8)

Other bills that carry the most legislative subjects in common with this one (topical discovery — distinct from the procedural related bills above).

  • HR 9770 — Continuing Appropriations Act, 2027 (shares 3 subjects)
  • HR 7147 — Homeland Security and Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2026. (shares 3 subjects)
  • S 91 — Western Wildfire Support Act of 2025 (shares 3 subjects)
  • HR 7148 — Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 (shares 3 subjects)
  • HR 7006 — Financial Services and General Government and National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2026 (shares 3 subjects)
  • S 1071 — National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 (shares 3 subjects)
  • HR 5782 — Western Wildfire Support Act of 2025 (shares 3 subjects)
  • HR 5167 — Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 (shares 3 subjects)

Similar bills (6)

Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.

  • HR 2181 — Protect Our Watchdogs Act of 2025 · Introduced Sep 8, 2025 · Cong. 119 77%
  • HR 1591 — Security Clearance Review Act · Introduced Feb 26, 2025 · Cong. 119 56%
  • HR 7744 — Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026 · Passed House Mar 9, 2026 · Cong. 119 56%
  • HR 2421 — Protecting Taxpayer Resources Act · Introduced Mar 27, 2025 · Cong. 119 56%
  • HR 6483 — NeighborWorks Accountability Act · Introduced Dec 4, 2025 · Cong. 119 56%
  • HR 2602 — Defending American Diplomacy Act · Introduced Apr 2, 2025 · Cong. 119 56%

Text versions (1)
  • Introduced in House · Mar 18, 2025

Only one text version is on file, so there’s no earlier version to compare against yet.

Full text

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

March 18, 2025

Mr. Connolly introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

A BILL

To authorize Inspectors General to continue operations during a lapse in appropriations, 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 the Watchdogs Running Act”.

SEC. 2. INSPECTOR GENERAL OVERSIGHT DURING LAPSE IN APPROPRIATIONS.

Section 406(g) of title 5, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(4) Oversight during lapse in appropriations.— Notwithstanding any other provision of law and in addition to any other authority, during a lapse in appropriations, an Inspector General may incur obligations in advance of appropriations—

“(A) for such amounts as may be necessary and at a rate for operations and under the authority and conditions as provided in the most recently enacted appropriations Acts; and

“(B) to perform the duties of the Office with respect to any program and operation of the establishment that continues during the lapse in appropriations.”. <all>

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