I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3939 

To require that the workforce of the Environmental Protection Agency be 

reduced by 15 percent. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 5, 2015 

Mr. GRIFFITH (for himself, Mr. ROE of Tennessee, Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania, Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia, Mr. GOODLATTE, and Mr. JENKINS

of West Virginia) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees 

on Transportation and Infrastructure, Agriculture, and Science, Space, 

and Technology, 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 require that the workforce of the Environmental 

Protection Agency be reduced by 15 percent. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘EPA Maximum 

5 Achievable Contraction of Technocrats Act of 2015’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds as follows: 


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1 (1) During the Government shutdown of 2013, 

2 the Environmental Protection Agency deemed 95 

3 percent of its employees as ‘‘non essential’’. 

4 (2) The Environmental Protection Agency occu5 pies space in eight different buildings in the District 

6 of Columbia. 

7 (3) From 1975 to 2014 the number of Environ8 mental Protection Agency employees increased by 48 

9 percent while the number of total Federal personnel 

10 decreased by 17 percent. 

11 (4) In 2015, according to one study, complying 

12 with Environmental Protection Agency regulations 

13 will cost the U.S. economy $386 billion. 

14 (5) From 2009 to 2014, according to the Fed15 eral Register, the Environmental Protection Agency 

16 has published and put into effect 2,475 rules. 

17 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

18 For purposes of this Act— 

19 (1) the term ‘‘Administrator’’ means the Ad20 ministrator of the Environmental Protection Agency; 

21 (2) the term ‘‘employee’’ has the meaning given 

22 such term by section 2105 of title 5, United States 

23 Code; 


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1 (3) the term ‘‘baseline date’’ means the last day 

2 of the second month beginning on or after the date 

3 of the enactment of this Act; and 

4 (4) the term ‘‘workforce reduction target date’’ 

5 means the date occurring 3 years after the baseline 

6 date. 

7 SEC. 4. MANDATORY WORKFORCE REDUCTION. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall take such 

9 actions as may be necessary to ensure that— 

10 (1) the total number of employees in the Envi11 ronmental Protection Agency on the workforce re12 duction target date, does not exceed 

13 (2) the total number of employees in the Envi14 ronmental Protection Agency on the baseline date, 

15 reduced by 15 percent. 

16 (b) REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.—In order to carry 

17 out this Act, the Administrator shall submit to Congress 

18 a written determination of— 

19 (1) the total number of employees in the Envi20 ronmental Protection Agency on the baseline date, 

21 not later than 30 days after such date; and 

22 (2) the total number of employees in the Envi23 ronmental Protection Agency on the workforce re24 duction target date, not later than 30 days after 

25 such date. 


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1 (c) EXTENSION AUTHORITY.— 

2 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator may, if 

3 necessary because timely compliance with subsection 

4 (a) is impracticable, delay the deadline for compli5 ance for a period not to exceed 1 year. 

6 (2) NOTIFICATION.—If the authority under 

7 paragraph (1) is exercised, the Administrator shall 

8 submit a written report to Congress not later than 

9 30 days after the date on which such authority is so 

10 exercised. Such report shall include— 

11 (A) notification that the authority under 

12 paragraph (1) has been exercised; 

13 (B) the reasons why the exercise of author14 ity was necessary; and 

15 (C) the new deadline for compliance. 

16 (3) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than 30 days 

17 after the date referred to in paragraph (2)(C), the 

18 Administrator shall submit to Congress— 

19 (A) a written determination of compliance 

20 with the limitation specified in subsection 

21 (a)(2), including the total number of employees 

22 in the Environmental Protection Agency as of 

23 the date referred to in paragraph (2)(C); or 

24 (B) a written determination of noncompli25 ance with the limitation specified in subsection 


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1 (a)(2), including the extent of and the reasons 

2 for the noncompliance. 

Æ 


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