DRAIN THE SWAMP Act

Summary

Requires federal agencies to move a large share of their Washington-area headquarters staff and to shrink Washington-area headquarters real estate. Agencies must relocate at least 30% of their headquarters employees to work sites outside the Washington metropolitan area, set pay according to the new locality, and limit full-time telework for affected staff. The Office of Management and Budget must direct agencies to reduce owned or leased headquarters space by at least 30% and complete property reductions on a set timetable. The bill also creates new reporting requirements for agency budget justifications, prohibits certain relocation incentives, overrides conflicting laws or collective bargaining provisions, and bars private lawsuits challenging actions taken under the law. ADA telework accommodations for qualified individuals are preserved and excluded from relocation eligibility but still counted toward required percentages.

• Agencies must relocate at least 30% of their Washington-area headquarters employees to offices outside the Washington metropolitan area within one year.
• Relocated employees receive pay tied to their new locality and are not allowed full-time telework.
• OMB must direct agencies to reduce federal-owned or -leased headquarters property by at least 30% and set deadlines for disposal and co-location.
• Agencies must report workforce counts in budget justifications, including HQ staff, field staff, full-time teleworkers, and ADA telework recipients.
• The law forbids payment of relocation incentives when an employee's official worksite changes from their residence to a headquarters location under this policy.
• The statute expressly supersedes conflicting federal/state laws and collective bargaining agreements and bars private lawsuits challenging actions under the law.
• Qualified individuals with ADA telework accommodations are excluded from relocation eligibility but still count toward the relocation percentage.
• Multiple cross-referenced definitions (Title 5 and others) govern who is covered and how telework and pay locality are determined.
• Timelines: OMB memo in 60 days, agency reports in 180 days, property reductions begun in 180 days and completed in 2 years, employee relocations effective ~90 days after notice.
• No new appropriations are provided; agencies bear implementation and property-transition costs while potentially reducing long-term real property footprint.