Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
Introduced
In Committee
On Floor
Passed Chamber
Enacted
This bill, titled the "Reducing the Federal Workforce Through Attrition Act," seeks to significantly reduce the overall size of the Federal workforce. Its primary goal is to ensure that, by fiscal year 2028 , the total number of Federal employees across all agencies does not exceed 90 percent of the number employed as of September 30, 2025. This reduction is to be achieved mainly through attrition, meaning employees are not replaced when they leave. To facilitate this reduction, the bill establishes a specific replacement rate: from the second quarter of fiscal year 2026 through September 30, 2027, agencies may appoint only one individual for every three Federal employees who retire or otherwise separate from Government service. The Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), in consultation with the Office of Personnel Management, is responsible for setting agency-specific employee caps and continuously monitoring compliance. Agencies found to exceed their maximum allowable employee numbers will face immediate restrictions, including a freeze on new appointments , prohibitions on increasing remote work, and limitations on official time for employees. The bill also includes provisions for waivers in cases of national security concerns or extraordinary emergencies, and aims to prevent an increase in service contracts as a substitute for Federal employees.
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Timeline
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Government Operations and Politics
Executive agency funding and structureGovernment employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Reducing the Federal Workforce Through Attrition Act
USA119th CongressS-295| Senate
| Updated: 1/29/2025
This bill, titled the "Reducing the Federal Workforce Through Attrition Act," seeks to significantly reduce the overall size of the Federal workforce. Its primary goal is to ensure that, by fiscal year 2028 , the total number of Federal employees across all agencies does not exceed 90 percent of the number employed as of September 30, 2025. This reduction is to be achieved mainly through attrition, meaning employees are not replaced when they leave. To facilitate this reduction, the bill establishes a specific replacement rate: from the second quarter of fiscal year 2026 through September 30, 2027, agencies may appoint only one individual for every three Federal employees who retire or otherwise separate from Government service. The Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), in consultation with the Office of Personnel Management, is responsible for setting agency-specific employee caps and continuously monitoring compliance. Agencies found to exceed their maximum allowable employee numbers will face immediate restrictions, including a freeze on new appointments , prohibitions on increasing remote work, and limitations on official time for employees. The bill also includes provisions for waivers in cases of national security concerns or extraordinary emergencies, and aims to prevent an increase in service contracts as a substitute for Federal employees.