The REDUCE Act would require every federal executive agency to act quickly to identify and eliminate redundant positions, cap hiring, and force a plan to reorganize or reduce staff. Specifically, agencies must complete a 30-day review of all positions and report to Congress on which roles are redundant or unnecessary. It then imposes a hiring cap: no more than 1 new hire for every 4 employees who retire, transfer, or separate, until agency headcount falls to 80% or less of the number at enactment. In addition, agency leaders must determine which components to eliminate or consolidate and establish a plan to implement reductions in force or a reorganization. An exception applies to positions considered critical to national security, public safety, law enforcement, or immigration enforcement, as determined by the agency head. The bill is intended to reduce costs and streamline operations, but could affect service capacity, institutional knowledge, and morale within the federal workforce, at least until reductions take effect.
Key Points
- 130-day agency review: Heads of executive agencies must identify redundant and unnecessary positions and report to Congress.
- 2Hiring limitation: Agencies may hire no more than 1 new employee for every 4 employees who retire, transfer, or separate, until staffing is 80% or less of the enactment-day level.
- 3Reduction plan: Agencies must decide which components to eliminate or combine and develop a plan to do so via reductions in force or reorganizations.
- 4Non-applicable positions: The restrictions do not apply to positions deemed critical to national security, public safety, law enforcement, or immigration enforcement, as determined by the agency head.
- 5Oversight mechanism: The bill requires reporting to Congress but does not specify funding or penalties tied to noncompliance.