[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3853 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3853
To eliminate wasteful bureaucracies, modernize government operations,
reduce regulatory overreach, and strengthen accountability and
efficiency across the Federal workforce, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 9, 2025
Mr. Steube introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the
Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined
by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as
fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To eliminate wasteful bureaucracies, modernize government operations,
reduce regulatory overreach, and strengthen accountability and
efficiency across the Federal workforce, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Federal Government Reform Act of
2025''.
SEC. 2. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS.
(a) Elimination of the Federal Executive Institute.--Not later than
90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director of
the Office of Personnel Management shall permanently close the Federal
Executive Institute located in Charlottesville, Virginia, and beginning
on the date of such closure, no Federal funds may be obligated or
expended for any activities of the Institute.
(b) Probationary Period.--
(1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of
law, rule, or regulation, the first year of service of an
employee who is given a career or career-conditional
appointment in the competitive service under the Civil Service
Regulations is a probationary period when the employee--
(A) was appointed from a competitive list of
eligibles; or
(B) was reinstated (including reinstatement from a
Reinstatement Priority List), unless during any period
of service that affords a current basis for
reinstatement the employee completed a probationary
period of at least 1 year or served with competitive
status under an appointment that did not require a
probationary period; provided that the date of
reinstatement begins a new 12-month probationary period
if one is required under this subsection.
(2) Certification.--An individual shall not complete any
probationary period under this subsection unless the employing
agency certifies, within the 30-day period prior to the
conclusion of period, that the continued employment of the
individual is in the public interest. If such certification is
not made, the employee shall be separated from the civil
service.
(3) New position.--A person who is required to go through a
probationary period and then is transferred, promoted, demoted,
or reassigned in accordance with the Civil Service Regulations
before he or she completes such period is required to complete
the remainder of the probationary period in the new position.
(4) USPS.--Upon noncompetitive appointment to the
competitive service under title 39, United States Code, an
employee of the Postal Career Service (including a substitute
or part-time flexible employee) who has not completed 1 year of
Postal service shall serve the remainder of a 1-year
probationary period in the new agency.
(5) Special appointing authority or conversion.--A person
who is appointed to the competitive service either by a special
appointing authority or by conversion to a career or career-
conditional appointment under the Civil Service Regulations
must serve a 1-year probationary period unless specifically
exempt from such period by the special appointing authority
itself.
(6) Supervisors and managers.--Employees promoted,
transferred, or otherwise assigned, for the first time, to
supervisory or managerial positions shall be required to serve
a probationary period under terms and conditions prescribed by
the Office of Personnel Management. If an employee is required
to concurrently serve both a probationary period in a
supervisory or managerial position under subpart I of part 315
of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, and a probationary or
trial period following initial appointment or reinstatement
under this Civil Service Rule, the latter takes precedence and
fulfills the requirements of this paragraph.
(c) Reducing Overcriminalization in Federal Regulations.--
(1) Agency reports to oira.--Not later than one year after
the date of the enactment of this Act, the head of each agency
shall submit to the Administrator of the Office of Information
and Regulatory Affairs a report that--
(A) identifies any regulation that imposes a
criminal penalty without clear statutory authority; and
(B) makes recommendations about the repeal or
revision of any such regulation.
(2) Restriction on criminal penalties in regulations.--The
head of an agency may not issue any regulation that includes a
criminal penalty unless that same penalty or the specifics of
that penalty has been described in statute.
(d) Efficiency in Rule Publication and Digital Modernization.--
(1) Digitization and automation of systems required.--The
Archivist of the United States, acting through the Director of
the Federal Register, shall digitize and automate internal
processes to reduce publication delays and dependence on
outdated systems. In this paragraph, the term ``outdated
system'' means a system that another agency has demonstrated
the ability to perform digital and automated services in a
timely manner.
(2) Benchmarks.--Not later than 90 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Archivist of the United States,
acting through the Director of the Federal Register, shall
establish performance benchmarks to ensure publication of any
proposed or final rule within the applicable statutory deadline
or within 24 hours after the date on which any such rule is
received by the Director.
(3) Annual compliance report.--Not later than one year
after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually
thereafter, the Archivist of the United States, acting through
the Director of the Federal Register, shall submit to Congress
a report on compliance with this subsection that includes
average processing times and modernization progress.
SEC. 3. MODERNIZING PAYMENTS TO AND FROM THE TREASURY.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of the Treasury shall develop and
implement new technologies and partnerships to improve the speed,
security, and transparency of payments made to and from the Treasury.
(b) Requirements.--The new technologies and partnerships developed
and implemented under subsection (a) shall--
(1) reduce reliance on paper-based transactions and
information technology systems created before the year 2000;
and
(2) provide secure digital payment infrastructure for
persons, businesses, and agencies.
SEC. 4. IMPLEMENTATION AND OVERSIGHT.
(a) Oversight by OMB.--The Director of the Office of Management and
Budget shall oversee agency implementation of this Act.
(b) Agency Compliance Updates.--The head of each agency affected by
this Act shall submit to the Director of the Office of Management and
Budget a quarterly update on any update, reform, and efficiency as a
result of this Act.
(c) Implementation Report Required.--Not later than 180 days after
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of
Management and Budget shall submit to Congress a comprehensive
implementation report on each agency affected by the requirements of
this Act.
SEC. 5. AGENCY; RULE DEFINED.
In this Act, the terms ``agency'' and ``rule'' have the meaning
given those terms in section 551 of title 5, United States Code.
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