diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index c4a8a7fd82c..031b882e1d2 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -175,12 +175,9 @@ test-yaml-structural-heavy-shard-4:
 test-yaml-structural-other:
 	# Per-subdir so every remaining contrib folder runs in its own subprocess,
 	# instead of stacking ~20 light files into one ~13-min catch-all batch that
-	# risked the 30-min per-batch timeout on slow runners. SSA runs separately
-	# per-file below because its reform combinations retain large model copies.
+	# risked the 30-min per-batch timeout on slow runners. SSA runs per-file in
+	# shard 3 because its reform combinations retain large model copies.
 	$(BATCH) $(TESTS)/policy/contrib --exclude states,ctc,ubi_center,federal,harris,treasury,crfb,congress,refundable_credit_conversion,ssa --mode per-subdir --workers 1
-	# SSA's COLA file measured about 11 GB locally. Override CI's worker setting
-	# as well as the CLI default so each file exits before the next one starts.
-	POLICYENGINE_BATCH_WORKERS=1 $(BATCH) $(TESTS)/policy/contrib/ssa --mode per-file --workers 1
 test-yaml-structural-other-shard-2a:
 	# ctc is microsim-heavy: per-file isolation frees each ~5 GB peak between
 	# files, and --workers 1 keeps only one peak resident at a time.
@@ -201,6 +198,12 @@ test-yaml-structural-other-shard-3:
 	# file). Per-file isolation frees each peak between files; --workers 1 keeps
 	# one peak resident at a time.
 	$(BATCH) $(TESTS)/policy/contrib/refundable_credit_conversion --mode per-file --workers 1
+	# SSA's COLA file measured about 11 GB locally. Override CI's worker setting
+	# as well as the CLI default so each file exits before the next one starts.
+	# SSA moved here from shard 1, which also runs the contrib Python tests:
+	# with 12 files it took 27 min there, and the shard hit CI's 60-min timeout
+	# (release run 41123038987).
+	POLICYENGINE_BATCH_WORKERS=1 $(BATCH) $(TESTS)/policy/contrib/ssa --mode per-file --workers 1
 test-yaml-structural-congress:
 	# One subprocess per congress proposal, split when a proposal's reform
 	# combos exceed the batcher's budget; new proposals auto-route.
diff --git a/changelog.d/ci-move-contrib-ssa-to-shard-3.fixed.md b/changelog.d/ci-move-contrib-ssa-to-shard-3.fixed.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7b1c2d013cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/ci-move-contrib-ssa-to-shard-3.fixed.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Run the contrib SSA YAML tests in Contrib shard 3 instead of shard 1, which also runs the contrib Python tests and was hitting CI's 60-minute timeout.
diff --git a/policyengine_us/tests/code_health/test_make_test_matches_ci.py b/policyengine_us/tests/code_health/test_make_test_matches_ci.py
index 68437fd99b5..4cf4b8fb683 100644
--- a/policyengine_us/tests/code_health/test_make_test_matches_ci.py
+++ b/policyengine_us/tests/code_health/test_make_test_matches_ci.py
@@ -119,28 +119,42 @@ def test_contrib_ssa_yaml_has_a_dedicated_single_file_serial_route():
 
     Its large reform combinations need separate files and an effective
     one-worker limit even when CI exports POLICYENGINE_BATCH_WORKERS=2.
+    The route runs in shard 3, not shard 1, which also runs the contrib Python
+    tests: with 12 files SSA took 27 minutes there, and shard 1 hit CI's
+    60-minute timeout (release run 41123038987).
     """
     root = "policyengine_us/tests/policy/contrib"
     ssa = f"{root}/ssa"
+    shared, shard = "test-yaml-structural-other", "test-yaml-structural-other-shard-3"
     assert any((REPO_ROOT / ssa).rglob("*.yaml")), "SSA YAML coverage is absent"
-    commands = make_commands("test-yaml-structural-other")
     batcher = "policyengine_us/tests/test_batched.py"
-    batch_commands = [
-        shlex.split(command) for command in commands if batcher in command
-    ]
-    dedicated = [arguments for arguments in batch_commands if ssa in arguments]
+
+    def batch_commands(target):
+        return [
+            shlex.split(command)
+            for command in make_commands(target)
+            if batcher in command
+        ]
+
+    assert not [
+        arguments for arguments in batch_commands(shared) if ssa in arguments
+    ], "SSA must not share shard 1 with the contrib Python tests"
+    dedicated = [arguments for arguments in batch_commands(shard) if ssa in arguments]
     assert len(dedicated) == 1, "SSA must have one dedicated YAML invocation"
     (arguments,) = dedicated
     assert arguments[arguments.index("--mode") + 1] == "per-file"
     assert arguments[arguments.index("--workers") + 1] == "1"
     assert "POLICYENGINE_BATCH_WORKERS=1" in arguments
 
-    generic = [arguments for arguments in batch_commands if root in arguments]
+    generic = [arguments for arguments in batch_commands(shared) if root in arguments]
     assert len(generic) == 1
     (arguments,) = generic
     excluded = arguments[arguments.index("--exclude") + 1].split(",")
     assert "ssa" in excluded, "SSA YAML must not also enter a shared subdir batch"
-    assert commands <= make_commands("test"), "The full suite must retain SSA's route"
+    assert shard in ci_suites()[0], "CI must run SSA's route"
+    assert make_commands(shard) <= make_commands("test"), (
+        "The full suite must retain SSA's route"
+    )
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("workflow_name", ("python-tests.yaml", "push.yaml"))