SERVICE Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 2906
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Government Operations and Politics
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-04-10: Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
- Last Updated
- 2025-06-04T08:06:16Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The SERVICE Act (H.R. 2906) aims to prevent abrupt or large-scale reductions in the federal workforce by requiring federal agencies to conduct and submit detailed analyses of the impacts of such cuts before implementing them. This ensures that any workforce reduction exceeding 5% is carefully evaluated for financial and operational effects, with oversight from the Government Accountability Office (GAO).
Key Provisions
- Workforce Reduction Limit: Federal agencies (defined as executive departments or government corporations under 31 U.S.C. § 901(b)(1) or (2)) are prohibited from reducing their total employee numbers by more than 5% from the start of the fiscal year until 210 days after submitting a required report to the Comptroller General (head of the GAO) and Congress.
- Required Agency Report: Before any such reduction, agencies must submit a report analyzing:
- Financial Impacts: Estimates of net cost changes, including employee pay and benefits for those affected, administrative costs of the reduction, and any costs for hiring contractors to replace lost functions.
- Mission-Related Impacts: Descriptions of affected job functions, offices, and services (with details on any office facing over 5% staff cuts); current performance data; and projections on how the reduction would influence agency performance, service timeliness, and customer experience.
- Analytical Basis: The methods and reasoning used to reach conclusions about these impacts.
- GAO Review and Report: Within 180 days of receiving the agency report, the GAO must evaluate it for completeness, credibility, and support for the analyses. The GAO submits this evaluation to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees and relevant oversight committees, and publishes it on the GAO's public website.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
This bill introduces new procedural requirements for federal workforce reductions, which were not previously mandated by statute. Prior to this, agencies had broader discretion to manage staff levels without mandatory pre-action reporting or independent GAO review for cuts over 5%. It adds a mandatory delay and analytical framework to ensure reductions are justified, potentially overriding executive branch flexibility in budgeting and operations.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: Agencies may face delays in implementing cost-saving measures, increased administrative burdens from report preparation, and potential higher short-term costs due to the 210-day waiting period. This could slow responses to budget constraints but promote more sustainable planning.
- On Citizens: Public services might experience less disruption from sudden staff cuts, potentially maintaining service quality, timeliness, and accessibility. However, if reductions are needed for efficiency, delays could indirectly affect taxpayers through prolonged higher personnel costs.
- On International Relations: No direct impacts, as the bill focuses on domestic federal workforce management without addressing foreign policy or international agencies.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Federal Agencies and Employees: Agencies must comply with reporting and delays; employees gain protections against rapid layoffs, potentially stabilizing job security.
- Congress: Gains enhanced oversight through required reports and GAO evaluations, allowing committees to influence agency decisions.
- GAO and Comptroller General: Takes on new responsibilities for reviewing and publicly reporting on agency analyses, increasing its role in federal accountability.
- Taxpayers and Service Users: Indirectly affected through potential changes in government efficiency, costs, and service delivery.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal Implications: The bill imposes enforceable restrictions on agency actions, potentially leading to legal challenges if agencies attempt reductions without compliance. It relies on existing definitions in U.S. Code, ensuring clarity but requiring agencies to integrate this into personnel and budgeting laws.
- Constitutional Implications: Raises questions about separation of powers, as Congress is expanding its oversight of executive branch operations (e.g., workforce decisions traditionally under presidential authority via the Office of Management and Budget). This could be seen as a check on executive discretion without violating constitutional bounds.
- Political Implications: Bipartisan sponsorship (from Democrats and some Republicans) suggests appeal across aisles for protecting federal services, but it may spark debates on government size, efficiency, and fiscal responsibility. Implementation could influence future budget negotiations, favoring deliberate over hasty reforms.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Williams, Nikema [D-GA-5]
Cosponsors (20)
Rep. Raskin, Jamie [D-MD-8], Rep. McClain Delaney, April [D-MD-6], Rep. McClellan, Jennifer L. [D-VA-4], Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large], Rep. Tonko, Paul [D-NY-20], Rep. Carter, Troy A. [D-LA-2], Rep. Wasserman Schultz, Debbie [D-FL-25], Rep. Ivey, Glenn [D-MD-4], Rep. McCollum, Betty [D-MN-4], Rep. Pettersen, Brittany [D-CO-7], Rep. Titus, Dina [D-NV-1], Rep. Garcia, Sylvia R. [D-TX-29], Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12], Rep. McIver, LaMonica [D-NJ-10], Rep. Carson, André [D-IN-7], Rep. Torres, Norma J. [D-CA-35], Rep. Bonamici, Suzanne [D-OR-1], Rep. Pingree, Chellie [D-ME-1], Rep. Stansbury, Melanie A. [D-NM-1], Rep. Lieu, Ted [D-CA-36]
Recent Actions
- 2025-04-10: Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
- 2025-04-10: Introduced in House
- 2025-04-10: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Stopping to Efficiently Review Varying Impacts of Cuts to Employment Act — issued 2025-04-10 — PDF (4 pages)