H.R. 2297: Taxpayer-Funded Union Time Transparency Act

This bill is called the Taxpayer-Funded Union Time Transparency Act and aims to improve transparency regarding the use of official time by federal employees for union activities. Official time refers to the time when employees are allowed to perform work related to their union responsibilities while still being paid by the government. Here are the key aspects of what the bill would do:

Annual Reporting Requirements

• Each federal agency would be required to submit an annual report to Congress by June 30 of every year after the bill becomes law.
• These reports must also be posted publicly on the agency's website.

Contents of the Reports

• The total cost of official time authorized for union activities.
• A thorough explanation of the reasons for each authorization of official time.
• For each employee who used official time, agencies must report:
  • The employee's position and salary.
  • Any bonuses awarded to the employee.
  • The costs of benefits provided to the employee (such as health insurance and retirement contributions).
  • The total hours spent on union activities using official time.
  • The percentage of total work hours that official time constituted for that employee.
• The total compensation paid to employees engaged in various union-related negotiations and dispute resolutions.
• The fees paid to arbitrators for grievance hearings.
• The expenses for travel and lodging for agency representatives related to negotiations.
• The costs associated with hiring experts for negotiations.
• The costs related to retaining mediators or arbitrators for settling disputes.
• The total hours that labor organizations were allowed to use agency property without cost or at a reduced rate.
• The amount of real estate made available to labor organizations and its valuation.
• The total expenses incurred by the agency for activities related to official time.
• An explanation of any increases in official time authorized compared to the previous year.
• The total amount of any penalties the agency faced regarding collective bargaining activities.

Auditing Requirements

• The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is mandated to audit the accounting practices of each agency every four years to ensure they are correctly documenting the required information.
• If an agency is found not to be following generally accepted accounting principles, the GAO must inform Congress about the specifics of the failure.

Relevant Companies