Plain Language Summary
# REDUCE Act Summary **What It Does:** The REDUCE Act would significantly shrink the federal workforce by restricting how many new employees federal agencies can hire. Specifically, for every four federal employees who leave (through retirement, transfer, or separation), agencies could only replace one. This hiring freeze would continue until each agency reduces its total workforce by 20%. Additionally, every federal agency would be required to identify redundant or unnecessary positions and develop plans to eliminate or combine departments, then report their findings to Congress. **Who It Affects:** This bill would primarily impact current and prospective federal employees across most government agencies.
However, it explicitly exempts positions deemed critical to national security, public safety, law enforcement, and immigration enforcement—meaning agencies like the military, FBI, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement would be largely unaffected. The bill could also indirectly affect Americans who use federal services, depending on which positions agencies decide to cut. **Current Status:** The bill is currently in committee and has not yet been voted on by the full House of Representatives. It was introduced by Representative Beth Van Duyne (R-TX).
CRS Official Summary
Reducing Expensive Departments & Unnecessary Civil Employees Act or the REDUCE ActThis bill limits federal hiring and requires each federal agency to establish plans to eliminate or combine components of the agency. The bill does not apply to positions or agency components that are critical to national security, public safety, law enforcement, or immigration enforcement.Specifically, a federal agency may not appoint more than one employee for every four employees that retire, transfer, or separate from such agency. This limitation does not apply after the agency has reduced the number of its employees by 20%.The bill also requires each agency to determine which agency components should be eliminated or combined and develop a plan to bring this into effect through reorganization or reduction in force. Each agency must conduct a review of each position within the agency to identify positions that are redundant or unnecessary and report the results of this review to Congress.
Latest Action
Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.