SEER Act 2025

Summary

Tightens ethics and transparency rules for special Government employees (SGEs) by expanding disclosure, public posting of waivers, limits on contacts with large companies, and a publicly searchable SGE database. It also subjects SGEs who serve past set day thresholds to the same ethics rules as regular employees and requires agencies and the Office of Government Ethics to adopt implementing rules. The bill defines who counts as a "large company," requires public posting of certain conflict waivers within 14 days, changes who must file public financial disclosures or be reviewed when claiming exemptions, and imposes administrative requirements (regulations and a searchable database) to track SGE service days and explain SGE designations.

• Requires public posting in a searchable database of certain conflict-of-interest waivers for SGEs within 14 days.
• Creates a public, searchable database of covered SGEs with name, rolling tally of SGE days, and explanation for SGE designation.
• Defines "large company" and bans non-advisory SGEs who own or lead such companies from communicating with agencies that contract with, regulate, or are enforcing against those companies.
• Subjects SGEs to the same federal ethics rules as regular employees after 60 days of service in a 365-day period; adds post-employment restrictions after 130 days.
• Expands public financial disclosure rules and requires agency ethics officers to review exemption claims by SGEs.
• Directs OGE to issue implementing regulations, including how ownership and monopolistic control are defined.
• Targets SGEs not serving on advisory committees or those serving as advisory chairs/vice chairs differently than other SGEs.