Commission to Relocate the Federal Bureaucracy Act
- Bill Number
- S. 353
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Government Operations and Politics
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-02-03: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
- Last Updated
- 2025-06-20T18:47:08Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The legislation, titled the "Commission to Relocate the Federal Bureaucracy Act," aims to create a temporary commission to examine and recommend moving certain non-security-related federal agencies from the Washington, DC metropolitan area to other parts of the United States. The goal is to promote efficiency, economic development, and decentralization of the federal government workforce.
Key Provisions
- Establishment of the Commission: A bipartisan commission is formed to study the relocation of "covered agencies" (federal agencies not involved in national security, as determined by the President) currently based in the DC area.
- Membership: The commission includes 16 high-level federal officials, such as:
- Directors of the White House Presidential Personnel Office, Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
- Comptroller General of the United States.
- Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, Transportation, and Veterans Affairs.
- Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
- Commissioner of Food and Drugs.
- Report Requirements: Within one year of enactment, the commission must submit a report to Congress with recommendations for agency relocations. The report considers factors including:
- Financial efficiency: Prioritizing areas with a cost of living below the national average.
- Infrastructure: Availability of existing facilities, private land, and technology to support operations.
- Economic alignment: Proximity to relevant industries for partnerships.
- Telework readiness: Agencies where at least 50% of the workforce has teleworked in the past five years (telework means working remotely, as defined in federal law).
- Development incentives: Targeting "qualified opportunity zones" (economically distressed areas eligible for tax benefits) or regions meeting criteria for economic distress under the Public Works and Economic Development Act.
- Community Engagement: The commission must consult local stakeholders, including state and local officials, business leaders, economic development representatives, and residents in potential relocation sites.
- Relocation Goal: Recommendations should aim to move at least 100,000 federal employees out of the DC area.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
This bill introduces a new entity (the commission) and process for studying federal agency relocations, which does not amend or reference prior laws directly beyond incorporating standard definitions (e.g., "agency" from federal personnel law and telework from OPM guidelines). It builds on existing concepts like opportunity zones from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act but creates a novel, targeted study without mandating immediate action.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: Could lead to recommendations for relocating offices, potentially reducing operational costs in high-cost DC but requiring investments in new sites; security-related agencies (e.g., defense or intelligence) are exempt.
- On Citizens: May create jobs and economic growth in underserved or rural areas through agency moves, while displacing employment and services from the DC region; telework provisions could ease transitions for employees.
- On International Relations: Minimal direct impact, as the focus is domestic relocation of non-security agencies; however, it might indirectly affect agency efficiency in handling global matters if relocations disrupt operations.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Federal Employees and Agencies: Covered agencies and their roughly 100,000+ targeted employees could face relocation, affecting career paths and daily operations.
- Local Governments and Communities: Potential host areas (e.g., opportunity zones or economically distressed regions) stand to gain infrastructure and jobs; DC-area jurisdictions may lose economic activity.
- Businesses and Economic Developers: Industries aligned with agencies (e.g., agriculture or health) could benefit from partnerships; regional agencies may influence site selections.
- Congress and the Executive Branch: Receives the report and could act on recommendations, with the President defining exemptions.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: The bill relies on executive discretion (e.g., Presidential determination of security agencies) and standard federal definitions, ensuring compliance with existing statutes; no enforcement mechanism beyond the report, leaving implementation to future legislation or executive action.
- Constitutional: Aligns with Congress's authority over federal operations (Article I) and does not infringe on separation of powers, though relocations could raise practical questions about agency independence.
- Political: Promotes decentralizing the "federal bureaucracy" from DC, potentially appealing to efforts to reduce urban concentration and boost regional economies; as an introduced bill (S. 353, 119th Congress), it reflects bipartisan sponsorship but may spark debates on costs, employee rights, and equity in site selection.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (3)
Sen. Cassidy, Bill [R-LA], Sen. Tillis, Thomas [R-NC], Sen. Ricketts, Pete [R-NE]
Recent Actions
- 2025-02-03: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
- 2025-02-03: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Commission to Relocate the Federal Bureaucracy Act — issued 2025-02-03 — PDF (6 pages)