Sponsors (11)
The bill creates a regular, centralized review process and an independent commission to find and eliminate duplicative or ineffective federal programs—potentially saving taxpayer dollars and improving planning—while creating significant job uncertainty, transition costs, service‑disruption risks, and political tensions over which agencies should continue to exist.
Taxpayers and the federal government may see reduced waste and lower long‑term spending because regular reviews and commission recommendations can eliminate or consolidate inefficient or duplicative agencies and programs.
Congress, agencies, and stakeholders get a predictable, standardized timetable and clear rules for reviews and sunset decisions, improving planning and accountability for reauthorizations and consolidations.
An independent, bipartisan Commission with expert members and subpoena/information‑gathering powers can produce thorough reviews and actionable recommendations to identify inefficiencies.
Federal employees face significant job uncertainty, reassignments, or layoffs because agencies may be reviewed and abolished or reorganized on a recurring timetable.
Critical public programs and services could lapse or be disrupted if Congress fails to act before abolishment dates or consolidation is implemented, threatening state/local service continuity and services relied on by the public.
Agencies and taxpayers may incur substantial additional administrative, legal, and compliance costs to prepare inventories, respond to reviews and subpoenas, and manage transitions—even if some long‑term savings occur.
Based on analysis of 10 sections of legislative text.
Establishes a commission to review all federal agencies on a regular schedule, recommend abolishment/reorganization, and fast‑track congressional consideration of those recommendations.
Introduced January 16, 2025 by Michael Cloud · Last progress January 16, 2025
Creates an independent Federal Agency Sunset Commission to review every federal agency on a recurring schedule and recommend whether agencies should be continued, reorganized, or abolished. The Commission must produce an annual report and a joint resolution with its recommendations; Congress gets expedited procedures to accept or reject those recommendations. The law requires a program inventory prepared by GAO/CBO/CRS, gives the Commission subpoena and oversight powers, and sets rules for winding down abolished agencies. The schedule must include an abolishment date for each agency at least once every 12 years, with limited extensions only by a two‑thirds supermajority in both chambers. The process creates deadlines and constrained floor debate for the implementing joint resolutions and establishes administrative rules for Commission membership, staffing, information-sharing, and agency cooperation during reviews and agency wind-downs.