H.R. 824: Government Office Realignment And Closure Act of 2025

This bill, known as the Government Office Realignment And Closure Act of 2025 (GORAC Act of 2025), aims to evaluate federal agencies and programs to identify those that may be redundant, wasteful, or outdated, with the goal of recommending their elimination or realignment. Below are the key components of the proposed legislation:

Evaluation of Federal Programs

The bill mandates an evaluation of each federal program conducted by the Comptroller General, starting one year after the bill is enacted and repeating every ten years. The evaluation will focus on:

• Identifying programs that have overlapping functions.
• Assessing programs that have wasted federal funds due to poor management or misuse of resources.
• Evaluating programs that are no longer relevant or have completed their intended purpose.

The Comptroller General must hire a non-federal auditor to conduct these evaluations and make recommendations regarding potential consolidations or eliminations of federal programs and agencies.

Reporting Requirements

After completing the evaluations, the non-federal auditor will submit a report to the Comptroller General, who will then report to Congress. This report must include recommendations for either the realignment or elimination of programs, along with supporting documentation.

Implementation of Recommendations

Based on the auditor's report, the Comptroller General will propose legislation needed to implement these recommendations. A notable provision of this proposed legislation is:

• Any savings from eliminated programs would be directed to pay down the national debt.
• Efforts will be made to relocate any affected federal employees to other positions within the federal government.

Authority and Powers

The non-federal auditor will have certain authorities to ensure compliance during evaluations:

• The ability to request testimonies and documents as needed for the audit.
• Direct access to information from federal agencies to facilitate the evaluation process.

Procedures for Congressional Action

The bill outlines specific procedures for how Congress will handle the recommendations once they are received:

• A single implementation bill will be introduced in both the Senate and House of Representatives.
• If a committee does not report the bill within a certain timeframe, it will be discharged for consideration by the full chamber.
• The floor consideration of the bill will be expedited, limiting amendments and debates to ensure swift action.

Definitions

The bill also provides definitions for terms such as "entitlement program," "federal agency," and "non-federal auditor" to ensure clarity in its provisions.

Relevant Companies

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