Ensuring Agency Service Quality Act
This bill, the Ensuring Agency Service Quality Act (H.R. 2905), would require Executive agencies and military departments to maintain staffing levels in line with the amounts Congress appropriates for them. It would override certain existing statutory provisions (sections 3104 and 5108) to impose a hard link between appropriation levels and the number of employees across the grades specified in the federal classification system (chapter 51 of Title 5). If an agency determines it cannot meet these staffing requirements, the head of the agency must issue a noncompliance notice within seven days to the appropriations committees in both chambers and to every committee with jurisdiction over the agency, including an explanation of the reasons. The bill as written covers only staffing levels and related notification; it does not specify penalties beyond the reporting requirement. In short, the bill seeks to tightly tie federal staffing to Congress’s appropriations decisions and increase congressional visibility when agencies cannot meet those staffing levels.
Key Points
- 1Mandatory staffing tied to appropriations: Agencies must employ the number of employees and the distribution across job grades as determined by the appropriation amounts, rather than relying on broader statutory allowances.
- 2Overrides certain laws: The bill states “Notwithstanding sections 3104 and 5108,” effectively superseding those provisions to enforce its staffing requirement.
- 3Classification and grade structure: The reference to “the number of employees of the various classes recognized by chapter 51 of such title in accordance with section 3101” means staffing must align with the federal position classification system (e.g., General Schedule grades).
- 4Noncompliance notice within seven days: If an agency head determines it cannot comply with the staffing requirement, they must promptly notify Congress—within seven days—explaining why and including a detailed rationale.
- 5Reporting to Congress: The notice must go to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees and to each committee with jurisdiction over the agency or military department.