Overview

Title

To reduce the size of the Federal workforce through attrition, and for other purposes.

ELI5 AI

The bill wants to make the group of people who work for the government smaller by only hiring one new person for every three people who leave their jobs. This rule will start in 2028, but some special cases, like emergencies, may get different rules.

Summary AI

S. 5608, titled the "Reducing the Size of the Federal Government Through Attrition Act of 2024," aims to decrease the number of federal employees by requiring that, starting in fiscal year 2028, the total workforce be reduced to 90% of its size as of September 30, 2025. The bill outlines how each federal agency will determine their employee numbers and establishes maximum employee limits to comply with this target. Additionally, it mandates a replacement rate during a specified period, allowing the hiring of only one new employee for every three who leave federal service, and puts measures in place for monitoring and enforcing compliance. It also allows for exceptions in cases of emergencies or national security concerns.

Published

2024-12-19
Congress: 118
Session: 2
Chamber: SENATE
Status: Introduced in Senate
Date: 2024-12-19
Package ID: BILLS-118s5608is

Bill Statistics

Size

Sections:
2
Words:
1,386
Pages:
7
Sentences:
25

Language

Nouns: 408
Verbs: 98
Adjectives: 72
Adverbs: 16
Numbers: 55
Entities: 76

Complexity

Average Token Length:
4.36
Average Sentence Length:
55.44
Token Entropy:
4.93
Readability (ARI):
30.57

AnalysisAI

Overview of the Bill

The proposed bill, known as the "Reducing the Size of the Federal Government Through Attrition Act of 2024," aims to decrease the number of federal employees by 10% from the fiscal year 2025 to 2028. This reduction is to be achieved primarily by limiting the hiring of new employees to a ratio that allows for one new hire for every three employees who retire or leave government service. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is tasked with setting agency-specific caps and ensuring compliance. The bill accommodates exceptions in the event of national emergencies but enforces strict hiring and remote work limitations for agencies exceeding their employee limits.

Significant Issues

Several critical issues arise from the bill's language and intended implementation:

  • Ambiguity in Definitions: The definition of "Executive agency" is broad, potentially causing confusion about which specific agencies fall under the bill's requirements.

  • Transparency Concerns: The process for determining the "maximum allowable number" of employees at each agency lacks transparency, which might result in arbitrary or inconsistent decision-making.

  • Presidential Discretion: The bill grants significant discretion to the President to waive workforce reduction requirements during emergencies, raising concerns about potential favoritism or uneven application of these waivers.

  • Lack of Consequences for Non-Compliance: The bill does not specify clear consequences for agencies that fail to meet the workforce reduction goals, which may undermine accountability.

  • Undefined Terms: Terms related to employee separation and procurement of service contracts require clearer definitions to ensure consistent application and understanding.

Under these circumstances, potential issues in enforcement and clarity could hinder the bill's effectiveness and lead to administrative challenges.

Impact on the General Public

Broadly, this bill aims to streamline the federal government by reducing its size, which could lead to a more efficient use of taxpayer dollars. However, a reduction in workforce size could also impact the delivery of government services. With fewer employees, the capacity to provide timely and effective public services might be strained, affecting everything from social services to national security operations.

Impact on Specific Stakeholders

  • Federal Employees: Current federal employees may experience job uncertainty and increased workloads because of the hiring limitations. Moreover, the future workforce might face reduced opportunities for federal employment.

  • Government Agencies: Agencies will need to carefully manage retirements and separations to ensure they do not exceed their workforce caps. They may also face pressure to maintain productivity with fewer resources, impacting their operational effectiveness.

  • Contractors: The bill's stipulations could limit the scope for increased service contracts as a workaround for workforce reductions, potentially affecting those businesses that rely heavily on government contracts.

  • General Public: For individuals relying on government services, any decrease in service efficiency or availability due to reduced staff may negatively affect their interactions with federal agencies.

In conclusion, while the bill sets a clear goal of reducing the federal workforce, its lack of detailed implementation guidelines and potential for negative impacts on federal services and employees requires careful consideration and further clarification.

Issues

  • The broad definition of 'Executive agency' in Section 2 might create ambiguity about which agencies are specifically included, possibly leading to confusion or misinterpretation.

  • The methodology for establishing the 'maximum allowable number of Federal employees' by the Director of OMB in Section 2 lacks transparency and detail, which might result in arbitrary or unfair reductions.

  • In Section 2, the heavy reliance on presidential discretion for waiving the workforce reduction during emergencies could lead to uneven application and potential favoritism.

  • Section 2 lacks clear consequences for agencies that fail to meet workforce reduction targets, potentially undermining enforcement and accountability.

  • The limitation on appointing individuals during the compliance phase in Section 2 is not clearly defined, leading to potential confusion over what counts as 'separating from Government service'.

  • Section 2 does not provide clear guidelines for cost comparisons in the limitation on procurement of service contracts, risking inconsistencies in financial assessments.

  • The rule of construction regarding transfers in Section 2 is vague and does not address how compliance with workforce reduction will be ensured during inter-agency transfers.

Sections

Sections are presented as they are annotated in the original legislative text. Any missing headers, numbers, or non-consecutive order is due to the original text.

1. Short title Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The first section of the bill specifies that the official name of the legislation is the “Reducing the Size of the Federal Government Through Attrition Act of 2024”.

2. Reduction in Federal workforce Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The section outlines a plan to reduce the number of federal employees by 10% from 2025 to 2028, setting specific limits on hiring to encourage this reduction and monitoring agencies to ensure compliance. Exceptions can be made in cases of national emergencies, but agencies exceeding their employee limits face restrictions on hiring and remote work approvals until they are back in compliance.