Ensuring Accountability and Dignity in Government Contracting Act of 2025
Ensuring Accountability and Dignity in Government Contracting Act of 2025
Plain Language Summary
# Summary of S. 426: Ensuring Accountability and Dignity in Government Contracting Act of 2025 **What the Bill Does** This bill strengthens anti-human trafficking requirements for companies and organizations that receive federal money through contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements. Currently, federal law requires recipients of large contracts (worth over $500,000) to certify they have plans to prevent human trafficking, but the actual plan documents don't have to be shared with the government.
This bill would require recipients to submit their trafficking prevention plans to the federal agency overseeing the contract or grant, and would require them to report any trafficking activity they discover to that same agency. **Who It Affects** The bill primarily affects businesses and nonprofit organizations that bid for or receive federal contracts and grants valued above $500,000, particularly those doing work outside the United States. It also indirectly affects federal agencies responsible for monitoring these contracts and grants, as they would gain oversight responsibilities. The ultimate intent is to protect vulnerable workers from trafficking and exploitation. **Current Status** The bill was introduced by Senator James Lankford (R-OK) in the 119th Congress and is currently in committee, meaning it has not yet been debated or voted on by the full Senate.
CRS Official Summary
Ensuring Accountability and Dignity in Government Contracting Act of 2025This bill expands executive agency requirements to counter human trafficking connected to recipients of federal contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements.Federal law currently prohibits an executive agency from entering into a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement if the estimated value of the services to be performed outside the United States exceeds $500,000 unless a designated representative of the recipient certifies that the recipient has taken certain actions, including implementing a plan to prevent human trafficking.This bill requires that the recipient provide a copy of such plan to the contracting or grant office at the time of certification.The designated representative of the recipient must report to the contracting or grant office if the recipient or the recipient's subcontractor, subgrantee, or agent engages in trafficking activities. The report must include the circumstances surrounding such activities and any remedial actions taken. The agency's office of the inspector general must conduct an investigation of the reported activities and remedial actions and must also notify the agency head office and the agency suspension and debarment office if an investigation was not completed because the recipient acknowledged the activity and took appropriate remedial action.Additionally, the bill specifies that (1) the recipient's failure to take appropriate remedial action constitutes grounds for imposing certain penalties, and (2) the agency must suspend grant, contract, or cooperative agreement payments to the recipient until the recipient takes appropriate remedial action (under current law, suspending payments is optional).
Latest Action
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.