Numerous bills have been introduced in the new session of Congress that directly impact federal employees. These are the latest ones and summaries of what they would do.
SHOW UP Act
The Stopping Home Office Work’s Unproductive Problems (SHOW UP) Act (H.R. 473) introduced by Congressman James Comer (R-KY) would do the following:
- Require federal agencies to reduce telework to not more than 2019 levels within 30 days;
- Require federal agencies to submit to Congress retrospective studies within six months detailing how pandemic-era telework levels impacted their missions—including adverse effects on services, network security, and costs for real property and locality pay; and
- Prevent federal agencies from expanding telework without submitting to Congress plans certified by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) that detail how such policies will:
- Substantially improve agency mission-performance;
- Substantially lower agency costs for real property and locality pay;
- Ensure security for agency networks, data and records;
- Accelerate the dispersal of federal jobs across the nation and outside the Beltway.
Saving the Civil Service Act
The Saving the Civil Service Act, introduced in the Senate (S. 134) by Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) and the House (H.R. 492) by Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-VA), would prevent Schedule F from being enacted by the Trump administration. Specifically, it does the following:
- Prevents any position in the federal competitive service created after September 30, 2020, from being reclassified outside of merit system principles without the express consent of Congress
- Installs a cap on the number of conversions to the frozen excepted service schedule (Schedule C). The cap cannot exceed more than 1% of the total number of employees at such agency as of the first day of such term, or five employees, whichever is greater.
- Requires that anyone who is converted provide consent for that conversion, and a report to Congress on any conversions
Telework Reform Act
The Telework Reform Act (S. 82) was introduced by Senator James Lankford (R-OK) and would enhance telework and remote work requirements for federal employees by modifying the definition, management, and implementation of telework across federal agencies.
Among the provisions of the bill are:
- Telework Agreement Duration: Annual agreements with a maximum duration of one year.
- Telework Restrictions: Limitations may apply to employees with disciplinary records or performance issues related to telework.
- Remote Work Requirements: Occasional office visits may be required, and travel reimbursement is not provided for remote workers living within 75 miles of the office.
Federal Agency Sunset Commission Act
The Federal Agency Sunset Commission Act (H.R. 489), introduced by Congressman Michael Cloud (R-TX), is intended to assist with the efforts of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to bolster efforts to cut government waste and inefficiency.
It would do the following:
- Establish a 13-member bipartisan commission to review the efficiency, necessity, and public need for every federal agency
- Create a 12-year review schedule in which the commission would develop a timeline, ratified by Congress, ensuring every federal agency undergoes regular review
- Provide annual recommendations as to whether reviewed agencies should be abolished, reorganized, continued, or have their responsibilities consolidated or transferred
- Review legislation proposing new agencies or programs, ensuring they cannot be handled by existing entities
- Require Congress to take expedited on the commission’s recommendations, and any agencies that fail reauthorization would be abolished automatically
SWAMP Act
The Strategic Withdrawal of Agencies for Meaningful Placement (SWAMP) Act, introduced by Congresswoman Ashley Hinson (R-IA) in the House (H.R. 514) and Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) in the Senate (S. 22), would require federal agencies to be strategically moved out of Washington, D.C., relocating them closer to the communities they serve. Senator Joni Ernst introduced companion legislation in the Senate.
It prohibits new constructions, major renovations, leases, or renewal of leases of non-national security-related agencies’ headquarters located in the greater D.C. area and also establishes a competitive bidding processes to move agency headquarters out of the DC metro area.
ROOMIE Act
Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) introduced the Reinforce Occupancy Obligations for Maximized Interagency Efficiency (ROOMIE) Act (S. 102) to establish in-person work requirements for employees.
It would:
- Require each federal agency to make sure that at least 80% of its employees work in-person from Monday through Friday of each week.
- Direct federal agencies to use at least 60% of their office space or give up that space so that a private business could purchase or re-lease it for more efficient purposes.
MERIT Act
Congressman Barry Loudermillk (R-GA) introduced the Modern Employment Reform, Improvement, and Transformation (MERIT) Act (H.R. 687) to make it easier to fire federal employees for performance reasons.
The bill would do the following:
- Repeals the Chapter 43 special process for action against poor performers and bad actors and streamlines the Chapter 75 process for removal or suspension of employees and supervisors
- Permits agencies to remove a senior executive for performance reasons rather than just demoting him or her to a non-SES position
- Authorizes agencies to order recoupment of bonuses or awards when performance or conduct problems are discovered and it is determined that the bonus or award would not have been paid had the problems been known at the time
- Reduces retirement benefits for employees removed based on a felony conviction for actions taken in furtherance of official duties. The period of service during which the felonious activities occurred will be eliminated for purposes of any annuity computation.
Codify Schedule F in Law
Congressman Andy Ogles (R-TN) introduced legislation (H.R. 697) to codify Schedule F into law.
Free Speech Protection Act
Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) introduced the Free Speech Protection Act (S. 188) to prohibit federal employees and contractors from using their positions to censor and otherwise attack speech protected by the First Amendment.
The legislation would:
- Mandate frequent publicly accessible reports from the heads of executive branch agencies detailing the communications between an executive branch agency and a content provider, as well as prevent agencies from employing any FOIA exemption to prevent disclosure of prohibited communications.
- Ensure that federal grant money is not received by any entity that seeks to label media organizations as sources of misinformation or disinformation.
- Terminate several programs and authorities that threaten free speech and other constitutionally protected rights.
- Impose penalties including disciplinary action consisting of removal, reduction in grade, suspension, or debarment from federal employment, a civil penalty of at least $10,000, stripping eligibility for retirement annuities, and permanent revocation of any applicable security clearance of employees found to be in violation.
Equal COLA Act
Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-VA) introduced the Equal COLA Act (H.R. 491) to ensure that retired federal employees under both the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) always receive the same cost of living adjustments, regardless of the amount of the amount of the COLA in a given year. For details, see Legislation Would Boost COLAs for Some Federal Retirees.
Restore VA Accountability Act
The Restore VA Accountability Act was introduced in the House (H.R. 472) by Congressman Mike Bost (R-IL) and the Senate (S. 124) by Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS). It is designed to bolster the VA Accountability Act that became law in 2017 by closing “gaps that courts have created” and reinforcing the VA’s ability to remove employees for performance reasons when necessary.
It would authorize expedited disciplinary processes for Department of Veterans Affairs employees, ensuring that decisions backed by substantial evidence are upheld on appeal, removing the need for a performance improvement plan before disciplinary action, and aligning accountability processes for poor-performing managers with that of senior executives.