[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1170 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1170
To require the heads of Federal agencies to submit to Congress an
annual report regarding official time authorized under title 5, United
States Code, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 27, 2025
Ms. Ernst (for herself and Mrs. Blackburn) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland
Security and Governmental Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the heads of Federal agencies to submit to Congress an
annual report regarding official time authorized under title 5, United
States Code, 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 ``Taxpayer-Funded Union Time
Transparency Act''.
SEC. 2. ANNUAL REPORT REGARDING LABOR MATTERS.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Agency; collective bargaining agreement; employee;
labor organization.--The terms ``agency'', ``collective
bargaining agreement'', ``employee'', and ``labor
organization'' have the meanings given those terms in section
7103 of title 5, United States Code.
(2) Section 7131.--The term ``section 7131'' means section
7131 of title 5, United States Code.
(b) Annual Report.--Not later than June 30 of each year that begins
after the year in which this Act is enacted, the head of each agency
shall submit to Congress, and post on the public website of the agency,
a report that details the following for the year covered by the report:
(1) The total cost to the agency of official time
authorized under section 7131.
(2) A detailed explanation of the purpose for which the
agency made each authorization of official time under section
7131.
(3) With respect to each employee of the agency for whom
official time was authorized under section 7131--
(A) the position and annual rate of basic pay of
the employee;
(B) the value of any bonus awarded to the employee;
(C) the cost to the agency of providing benefits
(including health insurance, retirement contributions,
and any other financial benefit other than basic pay
and a bonus) to the employee;
(D) the total number of hours the employee spent on
activities for which the official time was authorized;
and
(E) the exact percentage that the number of hours
described in subparagraph (D) represented with respect
to the total number of hours worked by the employee for
the applicable year.
(4) The total amount of compensation paid to employees of
the agency to--
(A) negotiate collective bargaining agreements;
(B) negotiate agreements between the agency and a
labor organization to address matters of employment
with respect to which a collective bargaining agreement
does not apply;
(C) process grievances pursuant to procedures
established under a collective bargaining agreement;
and
(D) engage in mediation, arbitration, or impasse
resolution in connection with collective bargaining
disputes.
(5) The total amount of fees paid by the agency to
arbitrators hearing grievances pursuant to procedures described
in paragraph (4)(C).
(6) The total amount paid by the agency for travel and
lodging expenses incurred by agency staff (including employees
for whom official time was authorized under section 7131 and
representatives of the agency) who were traveling for the
purposes of negotiating a collective bargaining agreement.
(7) The total amount of expenses paid the agency (or with
respect to which a labor organization has requested
reimbursement from the agency) for retaining experts to assist
in the negotiation of a collective bargaining agreement.
(8) The total amount of expenses paid by the agency (or
with respect to which a labor organization has requested
reimbursement from the agency) for retaining factfinders,
mediators, or arbitrators to settle a dispute arising under a
collective bargaining agreement.
(9) The total number of hours for which the agency
permitted labor organizations, or employees of the agency for
whom official time was authorized under section 7131, to use
agency property at no cost or at a discounted rate.
(10) The amount of real estate made available by the agency
to labor organizations, which shall be measured by square
footage and in consultation with the Administrator of General
Services.
(11) The total monetary value of the uses described in
paragraphs (9) and (10), which shall include--
(A) the cost of maintaining real estate made
available to a labor organization; and
(B) the cost of acquiring each asset made available
to a labor organization.
(12) The amount of each reimbursement collected by the
agency with respect to a use described in paragraph (9) or
(10).
(13) The total amount of the expenses (including the cost
of administrative support and the cost of acquiring technology)
incurred by the agency for purposes of activities conducted by
a labor organization or a private individual with respect to
official time authorized by the agency under section 7131.
(14) An explanation of any increase, as compared to the
report submitted in the previous year, in the amount of
official time authorized by the agency under section 7131.
(15) The total amount of penalties levied against the
agency relating to collective bargaining with a labor
organization, including the value of arbitration awards paid
to, or monetary settlements with, a labor organization or a
member of a labor organization.
(c) GAO Audits.--The Comptroller General of the United States
shall, not less frequently than once every 4 years--
(1) audit the accounting practices that each agency uses to
document the items described in subsection (b); and
(2) if the Comptroller General finds, in carrying out
paragraph (1), that an agency is not using generally accepted
accounting principles, at minimum, brief the relevant
authorizing committees of Congress regarding that failure by
the agency.
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