Bill Details
View committees (1)
AI Summary This summary was generated by AI from the bill text. AI can get information wrong.
This bill would put a one-year freeze on hiring and pay growth at federal agencies. During that year, agencies generally could not add more workers than they had when the law took effect, and they could not raise employees’ basic pay. After that, the bill would push agencies to shrink their staff over time, with certain safety, security, and emergency-related jobs left out of the cuts.
- For one year, agencies could not increase their total number of employees above their current level.
- There are exceptions for hires that are needed for law enforcement, public safety, national security, or to respond to a declared emergency.
- During that same one-year period, agencies could not raise an employee’s basic pay rate.
- By 2 years after the law takes effect, each agency would need to have 2% fewer employees than its starting level, and by 3 years after enactment, 5% fewer, not counting exempt workers in the areas above.
Official Summaries
Federal Freeze Act
This bill bars pay raises for federal employees for one year and requires reductions in the number of employees at each federal agency.
The bill prohibits agencies from increasing the basic pay of any employee for one year after enactment. Also in that first year, the bill prohibits each federal agency from increasing the number of its employees beyond the number employed on the date of the bill's enactment, except that the agency may increase such number (1) when making appointments to positions related to law enforcement, public safety, or national security; or (2) if the individual so appointed is essential to emergency response under the Stafford Act. (The Stafford Act authorizes the President to issue declarations that provide states, tribes, and localities with a range of federal assistance in response to natural disasters and man-made incidents).
Additionally, the bill requires reductions in force such that within three years of the bill's enactment the number of employees at each agency is 5% lower than it was on the date of the bill's enactment. Employees that serve the interest of law enforcement, public safety, or national security or are essential to emergency response under the Stafford Act are not counted for the purposes of determining the number of employees at each agency.
Current Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 357 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 357
To impose restrictions on Federal agencies with respect to
appointments, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 3, 2025
Mrs. Blackburn introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To impose restrictions on Federal agencies with respect to
appointments, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Federal Freeze Act''.
SEC. 2. FREEZE ON FEDERAL HIRING AND SALARIES.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Agency.--The term ``agency'' has the meaning given the
term in section 551 of title 5, United States Code.
(2) Baseline number.--The term ``baseline number'' means,
with respect to an agency, the number of employees employed by
the agency (including individuals occupying full-time
equivalent positions in the agency), as of the date of
enactment of this Act.
(3) Employee.--The term ``employee'' means an employee of
an agency.
(b) General Prohibitions.--Notwithstanding any other provision of
law or regulation, during the 1-year period beginning on the date of
enactment of this Act, the following shall apply:
(1)(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the head of
an agency may not increase the number of employees employed by
the agency beyond the baseline number.
(B) During the 1-year period beginning on the date of
enactment of this Act, the head of an agency may appoint an
individual to a position within the agency, even if appointing
that individual would increase the number of employees employed
by the agency beyond the baseline number, if the agency head
determines that--
(i) making that appointment serves the interest of
law enforcement, public safety, or the national
security of the United States; or
(ii) the individual so appointed is essential to
respond to an emergency declared under section 501 of
the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5191).
(2) The annual rate of basic pay of an employee, as in
effect on the date of enactment of this Act, may not be
increased.
(c) Reduction in Force.--
(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), the head of each
agency shall take such measures, without regard to any other
provision of law or regulation, to ensure that--
(A) as of the date that is 2 years after the date
of enactment of this Act, the number of employees
employed by the agency is 2 percent less than the
baseline number; and
(B) as of the date that is 3 years after the date
of enactment of this Act, the number of employees
employed by the agency is 5 percent less than the
baseline number.
(2) Exemption.--An employee who the head of the employing
agency determines serves the interest of law enforcement,
public safety, or the national security of the United States,
or who is essential to respond to an emergency declared under
section 501 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5191) (as determined by
that agency head), shall not apply for the purposes of
determining the number of employees employed by that agency
under subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (1).
<all>