No Violent Criminals in the Federal Workforce Act

Summary

Bars any person who has been finally convicted of a "crime of violence" from accepting or holding federal civil service jobs and requires removal if a covered employee’s conviction becomes final. It also forbids the federal government from contracting with covered individuals or with entities in which a covered individual holds certain leadership, ownership, or working roles, while allowing OMB to grant limited waivers. Agencies must add a contract clause excluding covered individuals and the FAR must be updated within six months; the contracting ban is explicitly retroactive to contracts entered before, on, or after enactment. The bill defines key terms (including "finally convicted" and using the statutory definition of "crime of violence") and gives OMB waiver authority for unique or undue burdens on the government.

• Final-conviction ban: anyone finally convicted of a federal, state, or local "crime of violence" is ineligible for federal civil service jobs and must be removed if already employed when the conviction becomes final.
• Contract ban: agencies may not contract with covered individuals or with entities where a covered individual holds certain working, leadership, or controlling ownership roles.
• Definitions: "crime of violence" uses the statutory definition in 18 U.S.C. § 16 (excluding subsection (b) offenses); "finally convicted" covers convictions with no available appeals or completed appeals.
• Retroactivity: contracting prohibitions apply retroactively to contracts entered before, on, or after enactment.
• OMB waiver: OMB can grant waivers where excluding a covered individual or terminating a contract would impose a unique or undue burden on the federal government.
• Implementation: agencies must add an exclusion clause to contracts and the FAR must be updated within six months.
• Administrative burden: increased vetting, background checks, contract reviews, and potential reorganizations by contractors.
• No new funding: the bill does not appropriate funds; agencies must carry out changes with existing resources.
• Potential litigation risk: conviction-based employment and retroactive contract exclusions may lead to legal challenges on constitutional or statutory grounds.