Sponsors
Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Requires a set of government operations reforms to speed payments, tighten rulemaking, modernize publication of federal rules, and change hiring practice. It orders the Federal Executive Institute to close quickly, sets a one‑year probationary period for many competitive‑service hires, forbids agencies from issuing regulations that create criminal penalties unless a statute clearly authorizes that penalty, and directs the Archivist to digitize and automate Federal Register publication with deadlines and annual congressional reports. Also directs the Treasury to adopt new technology and partnerships to make Treasury payments faster, more secure, and less paper‑based, and gives OMB authority to oversee implementation and require quarterly agency updates and a full implementation report to Congress within 180 days.
Close the Federal Executive Institute in Charlottesville, Virginia, permanently and prohibit obligation or expenditure of Federal funds for any activities of the Institute beginning on the date of closure.
Make the first year of service a probationary period for employees given career or career‑conditional appointments in the competitive service, when the employee was appointed from a competitive list of eligibles or was reinstated (with exceptions for prior completed probationary service).
Require the employing agency to certify, within the 30‑day period prior to the conclusion of the probationary period, that continued employment is in the public interest; if certification is not made, the employee must be separated from the civil service.
If a person required to serve a probationary period is transferred, promoted, demoted, or reassigned before completing the period, that person must complete the remainder of the probationary period in the new position.
Upon noncompetitive appointment to the competitive service under title 39, an employee of the Postal Career Service who has not completed 1 year of Postal service shall serve the remainder of a 1‑year probationary period in the new agency.
Who is affected and how:
Federal agencies and executives: Agencies must change hiring procedures, stop issuing certain rule‑based criminal penalties, identify existing problematic regulations, and meet new reporting and compliance obligations. Agency legal and rulemaking offices will see increased workload to review regulations and adjust rulemaking practices.
Federal workforce and new hires: Many competitive‑service employees will serve a new 1‑year probationary period with certification requirements; the Federal Executive Institute’s closure affects training and professional development for managers and executives who used that program.
Archivist / Office of the Federal Register (National Archives): Must digitize and automate the publication process, meet short‑term benchmarks, and produce annual progress reports — requiring IT projects, staff time, and possible contractor support.
Treasury, payment processors, and financial technology vendors: Treasury must adopt and deploy new payment technologies and partnerships, replace legacy systems, and reduce paper transactions. This creates procurement, integration, and cybersecurity work and opportunities for vendors.
Congress and oversight officials: OMB must collect quarterly updates from agencies and report to Congress within 180 days, increasing congressional oversight data flow and potential follow‑up inquiries.
Public, businesses, and payment recipients: Expect faster, more transparent, and more secure federal payments over time if Treasury modernization succeeds; transition could cause temporary disruptions where legacy systems are retired.
Potential benefits:
Potential risks and costs:
Operational impacts:
Last progress June 9, 2025 (8 months ago)
Introduced on June 9, 2025 by W. Greg Steube