Lapse Plan as of September 30, 2025
The following summarizes the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum lapse plan consistent with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-11.
Lapse Plan Summary Overview
Estimated time (to nearest half day) required to complete shutdown activities: ½ day
Total number of agency federal employees expected to be on board before implementation of the plan: 102
Total number of agency federal employees expected to be furloughed under the plan (unduplicated count): 69
Total number of employees to be retained under the plan for each of the following categories (may include duplicated counts): 33
Compensation is financed by a resource other than annual appropriations: 15
Necessary to perform activities expressly authorized by law: 14
Necessary to perform activities necessarily implied by law: 0
Necessary to the discharge of the President's constitutional duties and powers: 0
Necessary to protect life and property: 4
Brief summary of significant agency activities that will continue during a lapse:
The Museum building may be open to the public for some period of time. Once balances are no longer available, most operations funded by federal appropriations will cease except for those are necessary to prevent imminent harm to lives and the Museum's property. Non-appropriated fund staff will continue working. The Museum’s website will continue operating. Non-appropriated funds will be used for website operational costs during a shutdown.
Federal employees will remain who are needed because of their responsibilities related to the safety of human life, the protection of property. If the Museum building remains open, Federal employees may continue as excepted personnel in order to keep the building open.
Brief summary of significant agency activities that will cease during a lapse:
Federal staff may not perform any services other than those involved in the orderly suspension of non-excepted activities; excepted activities that may be continued are generally those that are authorized by law, or those that protect life and property in accordance with OMB guidance.
Administrative operations and programs funded with annual appropriations will be suspended or canceled.
Major Activities Impacted During Shutdown
Museum building may be open to the public.*
All publicly funded programs with appropriated funds will be canceled.
Museum will conform to normal shutdown procedures.
Shutdown Highlights
Most operations funded by federal appropriations will cease except for those deemed essential to protect lives and the Museum's property.
The Museum building may be open to the public for some period of time. When the Museum building is open to the public, some federal employees are necessary to keep the Museum open. It will be determined closer to the potential lapse whether or not the Museum can stay open, and for how long, using no-year funds.
Non-appropriated funded staff will continue working.
The Museum’s website will continue operating. Non-appropriated funds will be used to pay for website operational costs during a shutdown.
The Museum will need one-half day to complete orderly shutdown operations.
Employees on board before implementation of this plan:
Non-appropriated = 373
Federal = 102
Employees retained under this plan:
All non-appropriated funded employees.
Federal employees who are deemed essential because of responsibilities related to the safety of human life, the protection of property, and to keep the Museum building open to the public.
The following federal management personnel will be retained during the furlough for decisions affecting the safety of human life and the protection of property or handling emergencies, and are responsible for implementing and adjusting the plan to respond to the length of the lapse in appropriations and changes in external circumstances:
Chief Museum Operations Officer
Director, Operations
During a short-term lapse, the Museum may remain open and there may be no change in operations visible to the public.
During an extended lapse, the decision to keep the Museum building open to the public will be re-evaluated depending on the duration of the shutdown and the availability of non-appropriated funds and other no-year funds not impacted by the lapse in appropriation.
Staff Status
Annual Federal Funds
Federal staff may not perform any services other than those involved in the orderly suspension of non-excepted activities; excepted activities that may be continued are generally those that are authorized by law, or those that protect life and property in accordance with OMB guidance, including planning and preparation of the Fiscal Year 2027 Budget.
In accordance with guidance provided by the Office of Personnel Management, federal benefits will continue as usual. Federal employees who are furloughed will not be paid during the shutdown and will be paid retroactively in accordance with the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019. Excepted federal employees, who work during the shutdown, will receive pay for their services once the shutdown expires.
No-year Federal Funds
Federal staff using no-year federal funds, carried over from prior fiscal years and not impacted by the lapse in appropriation, may continue to work so long as funds are available.
Non-Appropriated Funds
Non-appropriated fund staff will report for work as usual.
Non-appropriated fund pay and benefits will continue as usual.
The Museum Director (agency head) will remain on duty (Director is 100% funded with non-appropriated funds).
Buildings Status
Museum – May be open to the public. Open to all non-appropriated fund staff, excepted federal staff, and designated contractors.
Administrative Offices – Open to non-appropriated fund staff, retained federal staff, and designated contractors.
Collections Conservation and Research Center – Open to non-appropriated fund staff and designated contractors.
Regional Offices – Open. These are entirely non-appropriated fund operations.
Operational Status by Unit
Visitor Services
Non-appropriated positions will work.
Excepted federal staff: 15 staff (if the Museum building is going to remain open to the public) may be paid with no-year, carryover funds.
Retained federal contractors: None
Operations / Facilities Management
Operations staff consisting of excepted federal employees and contractors deemed essential to prevent imminent harm to Museum property/the physical plant will remain on site. There will be minimum operational support for items/services such as housekeeping, phones, and copy/fax machines.
Excepted federal staff and contractors: 8 staff
General Counsel
Non-appropriated positions will work.
Excepted federal staff and contractors: None.
Human Resources
Non-appropriated positions will work.
Excepted federal staff and contractors: None.
Information Technology
There will be minimal staffing and contractor support paid with non-appropriated funds unless required by the excepted activities needed to prevent imminent harm to human life or property, including safeguarding IT systems.
The Museum’s website will continue operations, as it includes capabilities related to Congressionally-authorized, non-appropriated fund activities, including fundraising. Non-appropriated funds will pay for operational costs.
Excepted federal staff and contractors: 3 staff
Security
Security staff consisting of retained federal employees and contractors deemed essential to ensure the safety of the non-appropriated fund staff and necessary to safeguard Museum property will remain on site.
Excepted federal staff and contractors: 4 staff
Collections
Non-appropriated fund staff will continue to work and are adequate to properly safeguard the collection.
Excepted federal staff and contractors: None.
Financial Management
Non-appropriated fund payments will be processed and non-appropriated audit work will be processed.
Excepted federal staff and contractors: 3 staff
Additional Operational Items
Travel
Federal staff on travel will be recalled where reasonable and practicable. Non-appropriated staff travel will continue, if funded by non-appropriated funds. During a shutdown, donated staff can use the travel arranger contractor to make travel arrangements (charged to non-appropriated funds). Travel expenses for federal staff are subject to normal government travel regulations.
Press
All inquiries and official media relations will be handled by non-appropriated staff in Communications.
Contractors
Subject to the listed exceptions, contracts that are funded and contractors can continue working without supervision by Federal employees may continue to work. Federal contractors whose responsibilities include the safety of human life and the protection of property. Those contractors have been identified by the appropriate units (Operations, Protection Services, IT, and Financial Management). Contracts paid with non-appropriated funds can continue.
Volunteers
Museum volunteer assignments will be determined on a case-by-case basis depending on the unit’s needs and the availability of non-appropriated staff to support them.
Paid Interns
All non-appropriated paid interns will continue to work.
Fellows / Researchers / Visiting Scholars
These guests will be allowed to continue their work within the constraints of shutdown operations including limited access to Museum resources. Final working status/conditions will be determined by each Division or Office to whom they report.
General
All federal staff will be informed that they are prohibited by law from continuing work during the shutdown (no telework, work at home, or use of Museum resources or equipment). This does not apply to excepted employees.
*The decision to keep the Museum building open to the public will be re-evaluated depending on the duration of the shutdown and the availability of non-appropriated funds and other no-year funds not impacted by the lapse in appropriation.