The Appropriations Compliance and Training Act

This bill would require many federal workers to take yearly training on the rules for spending federal money. The goal is to make sure staff know what they can and cannot do with taxpayer dollars, and to prevent costly mistakes. The training can use a course from the Government Accountability Office or another approved course, and it must cover key rules like proper use of funds, limits on overspending, and when money can be spent during the year.

If someone doesn’t finish the training on time, there are real consequences. After 45 days late, they lose budget decision power and can’t get a bonus or pay raise; after 60 days late, they can be blocked from agency email and finance systems until they finish. Agencies must track completions, note them in personnel files, report to the Office of Management and Budget, and post yearly compliance stats on their website.

• Who is affected: Executive branch employees at GS-11 and above, political appointees, and Senior Executive Service members.
• What changes: Required annual training on federal spending rules; approved course content and providers; agency reporting and public compliance stats; penalties for late completion.
• When: Current covered employees must finish within 1 year of enactment and then yearly; new covered hires must finish within 60 days and then yearly. Implementation guidance comes within 90 days, and each agency must submit a plan within 120 days.