Sponsors (4)
The bill seeks to spread federal jobs and improve agency efficiency by relocating operations outside Washington, DC, but it risks disrupting federal workers, reducing DC-area economic activity, and imposing transition costs on taxpayers.
Residents and businesses in non-DC communities (including local governments, small businesses, and rural areas) could gain jobs, contracting opportunities, and increased economic activity when federal agencies relocate.
Federal employees in the DC area could have access to relocation opportunities and lower local living costs if their agencies move to lower-cost regions.
Agencies and taxpayers could see improved operational efficiency by colocating agencies near relevant industries and stronger technology infrastructure.
Federal employees and their families may incur moving costs, family disruption, or longer commutes if they are forced to relocate or change jobs.
Workers, businesses, and local governments in the Washington, DC metropolitan area could lose customers, jobs, and tax revenue as agencies and federal employees leave.
Taxpayers could bear substantial federal transition and setup costs for large-scale relocations, which may offset any projected savings.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Creates a federal commission to study relocating non-security federal agencies out of the DC metro area and report recommendations, prioritizing a 100,000-employee relocation target.
Official title: Establish a commission to study the relocation of certain agencies outside of the Washington, DC metropolitan area, and for other purposes.
Introduced February 3, 2025 by Marsha Blackburn · Last progress February 3, 2025
Creates a 16-member federal commission made up of senior Executive Branch officials to study relocating non-security federal agencies headquartered in the Washington, DC metropolitan area and to report recommendations to Congress within one year. The commission must evaluate financial, infrastructure, workforce, technology, and community factors and prioritize options that would relocate at least 100,000 covered-agency employees out of the DC area. The commission's report must consult local stakeholders, analyze telework history, assess opportunity zone and other statutory criteria, and present recommended locations and rationales; the measure itself does not appropriate funds or require immediate relocations, but sets a one-year timeline for reporting recommendations to Congress.