S. 3005: Non-Essential Workers Transparency Act

This bill, known as the Non-Essential Workers Transparency Act, aims to create transparency regarding the employees of Executive agencies who are furloughed during times when there are lapses in government funding (known as appropriations). Here’s how it would function:

Overview of the Bill

The legislation mandates that Executive agencies must report specific information about their employees who are furloughed during any covered period, which is defined as a time when funding has lapsed for that agency. The reporting requirements are aimed at providing Congress and the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) with detailed information regarding these employees.

Key Provisions

1. Definitions

The bill establishes definitions for several terms, including:

• Appropriate Congressional Committees: Refers to the committees in Congress that have jurisdiction over the Executive agency, primarily the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House.
• Covered Employee: An employee of an Executive agency who is furloughed during a covered period.
• Covered Period: A timeframe in which there is a lapse in appropriations for the Executive agency.

2. Reporting Requirements

Executive agencies are required to submit reports to the specified congressional committees and the OPM Director, within 30 days after a covered period ends. These reports must include:

• The total number of employees (including contract employees) employed by the agency just before the covered period started.
• The total amount spent on employee salaries during the previous fiscal year.
• The number of employees who were furloughed during the covered period.
• The total annual salary of those furloughed employees.
• The number of employees who were not furloughed during the covered period.
• The total annual salary of those non-furloughed employees.

3. Procedures for Reporting

The bill outlines specific procedures for how these reports should be submitted:

• Reports must be submitted in an unclassified format, although agencies may include a classified annex if necessary.
• Once an appropriate congressional committee receives the report, they must publish it on their website within 30 days.
• The OPM Director must consolidate all reports from different agencies related to the same covered period into one report and publish it on the OPM website within 60 days after the covered period ends.

Purpose of the Bill

The purpose of the Non-Essential Workers Transparency Act is to enhance accountability and transparency regarding the status and treatment of government employees during funding lapses. The reports aim to provide insight into how many employees were adversely affected by furloughs, the financial implications of these furloughs, and the overall stability of the agency's workforce during such times.

Relevant Companies

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