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Limits who can access Department of the Treasury public money receipt and payment systems (including Bureau of the Fiscal Service systems) to specified employees, contractors, and other users who meet defined security, ethics, service, and training conditions. Requires investigation and a congressional report within 30 days when access is unauthorized. Treats non‑government users who access those systems as if they were government employees for conflict‑of‑interest rules, and clarifies that certain actions on payments qualify as "personal and substantial participation," expanding how ethics rules apply to payment-related decisions.
Adds a new subsection (e) to section 321 of title 31, United States Code, establishing limits on who may use, exercise administrative control over, or otherwise access any Department of the Treasury public money receipt or payment system (including any payment system of the Bureau of the Fiscal Service) or data from such systems.
Prohibits the Secretary from allowing any individual to access the specified systems or data unless the individual meets either the criteria in subparagraph (A) (Treasury officer/employee/contractor conditions) or subparagraph (B) (other individuals' conditions).
Subparagraph (A): The individual must be an officer, employee, or contractor of the Department of the Treasury who (i) is otherwise eligible to access the system or data; (ii) had a most recent performance rating at the fully successful level or higher (or equivalent); and (iii) as of the date of access has occupied a civil service position or, if a contractor, has been performing under a Department contract for at least one year.
Subparagraph (B): For individuals not covered by (A), all of the following are required: (i) an appropriate security clearance granted pursuant to procedures under section 801 of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3161); (ii) the access must not constitute a violation of section 208 of title 18 (after applying paragraph (2)); (iii) the individual is not a special Government employee as defined in section 202 of title 18; (iv) current continuous civil service (as defined in 5 U.S.C. 2101) of at least one year as of the access date; (v) completion of any required privacy, cybersecurity, and national security training or compliance procedures; and (vi) a signed written ethics agreement with the Department of the Treasury or the Office of Government Ethics.
Paragraph (2)(A) provides that any individual who accesses these systems or data and is not otherwise an officer or employee of the executive branch shall be treated as an executive branch employee for purposes of section 208 of title 18.
Primary affected entities are the Department of the Treasury and the Bureau of the Fiscal Service, which operate and secure the public money receipt and payment systems. They will need to implement or update user‑access policies, security vetting, training curricula, monitoring, and incident‑reporting procedures. Federal agencies that interact with Treasury payment systems must ensure their employees and contractors meet the statute’s eligibility, security, and ethics conditions. Contractors, third‑party vendors, and other non‑government users who require system access will face new compliance burdens: enhanced background checks or security clearances, mandatory training, ethics disclosures, and limits on outside activities because they will be treated as government employees for conflict‑of‑interest purposes. Agency ethics offices and legal counsels will have increased workload to interpret the new definitions (for example, what counts as "personal and substantial participation" in payment decisions), advise affected personnel and vendors, and process recusal or restriction actions. The 30‑day reporting deadline for unauthorized access increases oversight and transparency but also requires rapid investigative capacity and standardized reporting procedures. Overall, the bill strengthens control and oversight of a critical financial infrastructure but imposes operational, training, and compliance costs on Treasury, other federal agencies, contractors, and ethics/compliance offices.
Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, 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.
Introduced February 6, 2025 by Haley Stevens · Last progress February 6, 2025
Expand sections to see detailed analysis
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H625-626)
Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, 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.
Introduced in House
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H536)