DRAIN THE SWAMP Act Decentralizing and Reorganizing Agency Infrastructure Nation-wide To Harness Efficient Services, Workforce Administration, and Management Practices Act
Impact
The proposed legislation has significant implications for federal employee management and operational structures within government agencies. By altering the permanent duty stations of a substantial portion of employees, agencies would be necessitated to reassess their staffing policies and logistical frameworks. Furthermore, the bill directly impacts salary calculations, mandating that employee pay rates reflect the locality of their new duty stations, which could lead to pay increases or decreases depending on the geographical region.
Summary
SB23, also known as the 'DRAIN THE SWAMP Act', mandates that at least 30% of employees at the headquarters of each Executive agency must be relocated to duty stations outside the Washington metropolitan area. The bill aims to decentralize agency operations and promote a more dispersed workforce across the country. By requiring this relocation, the bill is positioned as a means to improve accountability and service delivery while also addressing concerns about the concentration of government jobs and influence in the capital region.
Logistics
Implementation of the act will require comprehensive reporting from agency heads, detailing the number of employees affected and the rationale behind their relocation. As part of the required management changes, agencies must also evaluate and reduce office space at headquarters by at least 30%, aligning with the overarching goal of organizational efficiency. The bill emphasizes the importance of ensuring that relocated employees engage in services that promote in-person customer engagement while enhancing operational efficacy.
Contention
Challenges associated with SB23 include potential pushback from government employees who may face relocation. Critics argue that the bill undermines the flexibility provided by current telework policies, especially for those who rely on remote work arrangements due to personal circumstances or disabilities. Additionally, the implementation timeline poses practical difficulties; agencies must adapt to this significant change within a stipulated one-year period, which some may view as unrealistic given the size and complexity of federal operations.
Same As
DRAIN THE SWAMP Act Decentralizing and Reorganizing Agency Infrastructure Nation-wide To Harness Efficient Services, Workforce Administration, and Management Practices Act
A bill to require the head of each Executive agency to relocate 30 percent of the employees assigned to the headquarters of the Executive agency to duty stations outside the Washington metropolitan area, and for other purposes.
To require the head of each Executive agency to relocate 30 percent of the employees assigned to the headquarters of the Executive agency to duty stations outside the Washington metropolitan area, and for other purposes.
A bill to require the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to relocate 30 percent of the employees assigned to headquarters to duty stations outside the Washington metropolitan area, and for other purposes.
To facilitate efficient investments and financing of infrastructure projects and new job creation through the establishment of a National Infrastructure Development Bank, and for other purposes.
A bill to require the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to relocate 30 percent of the employees assigned to headquarters to duty stations outside the Washington metropolitan area, and for other purposes.
To require the head of each Executive agency to relocate 30 percent of the employees assigned to the headquarters of the Executive agency to duty stations outside the Washington metropolitan area, and for other purposes.
A bill to require the head of each Executive agency to relocate 30 percent of the employees assigned to the headquarters of the Executive agency to duty stations outside the Washington metropolitan area, and for other purposes.
DRAIN THE SWAMP Act Decentralizing and Reorganizing Agency Infrastructure Nation-wide To Harness Efficient Services, Workforce Administration, and Management Practices Act
Requiring Effective Management and Oversight of Teleworking Employees Act or the REMOTE ActThis bill directs executive agencies to track employees' computer network activity, compare the activity of teleworking and on-site employees, and report on any deficiencies in the performance of teleworking employees.First, the bill requires each agency to establish policies to track for every employee (1) the average number of daily logins, (2) the average daily duration of the network connection, and (3) the network traffic generated while the employee works. This information must be collected from employees working primarily on-site within 180 days after the bill's enactment and from teleworking employees within one year after the bill's enactment. The bill also directs each agency to publish this data in the agency’s fiscal year budget justification materials, including a comparison of the average login rates of on-site and teleworking employees.Next, the bill directs any manager who revokes a teleworking employee's authorization to telework (due to a reason specific to that employee) to document for the employee and the agency's Human Capital Office (1) the total number of days that the employee teleworked in the six work periods immediately preceding the revocation, (2) a narrative summary of the circumstances giving rise to the revocation, and (3) any steps the manager took to discipline the employee before revoking the employee's telework authorization. Finally, agencies must report to the Chief Human Capital Officers Council about any adverse effects of telework policies on the performance of the executive agency.