II 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 5608 

To reduce the size of the Federal workforce through attrition, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 19 (legislative day, DECEMBER 16), 2024 

Mr. JOHNSON (for himself, Mr. SCOTT of Florida, and Mr. LEE) introduced 

the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee 

on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 

A BILL 

To reduce the size of the Federal workforce through attrition, 

and for other purposes. 

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 ‘‘Reducing the Size of 

5 the Federal Government Through Attrition Act of 2024’’. 

6 SEC. 2. REDUCTION IN FEDERAL WORKFORCE. 

7 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section— 

8 (1) the term ‘‘agency’’ means an Executive 

9 agency, as defined in section 105 of title 5, United 

10 States Code; 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
2 

•S 5608 IS

1 (2) the term ‘‘Director’’ means the Director of 

2 the Office of Management and Budget; and 

3 (3) the term ‘‘Federal employee’’ means an em4 ployee, as defined in section 2105 of title 5, United 

5 States Code, except that the term does not include 

6 a political appointee, as defined in section 709(d)(3) 

7 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 

8 349(d)(3)). 

9 (b) LIMITATION.—The President, through the Direc10 tor (in consultation with the Director of the Office of Per11 sonnel Management), shall take appropriate measures to 

12 ensure that, effective beginning in fiscal year 2028, the 

13 total number of Federal employees in all agencies (as de14 termined under subsection (c)) shall not exceed 90 percent 

15 of the total number of Federal employees in all agencies 

16 as of September 30, 2025 (as so determined). 

17 (c) AGENCY-SPECIFIC CAPS.— 

18 (1) AGENCY IDENTIFICATION OF NUMBER OF

19 EMPLOYEES.—Not later than October 31, 2025, the 

20 head of each agency shall submit to the Director a 

21 report identifying the total number of Federal em22 ployees employed by that agency, as of September 

23 30, 2025. 

24 (2) OMB ESTABLISHMENT OF MAXIMUM AL25 LOWABLE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES.—Not later than 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
3 

•S 5608 IS

1 the last day of the first quarter of fiscal year 2026, 

2 the Director shall submit to the head of each agency 

3 a report that establishes the maximum allowable 

4 number of Federal employees that the agency may 

5 employ for the purposes of complying with sub6 section (b). 

7 (d) REPLACEMENT RATE.—During the period begin8 ning on the first day of the second quarter of fiscal year 

9 2026 and ending on September 30, 2027, in order to 

10 achieve the workforce reduction required by subsection 

11 (b), the Director (in consultation with the Director of the 

12 Office of Personnel Management) shall take appropriate 

13 measures to ensure that an agency may not appoint more 

14 than 1 individual for every 3 Federal employees retiring 

15 or otherwise separating from Government service. 

16 (e) MONITORING AND NOTIFICATION.—The Director 

17 (in consultation with the Director of the Office of Per18 sonnel Management) shall take the following actions: 

19 (1) During the period beginning on the first 

20 day of the second quarter of fiscal year 2026 and 

21 ending on the last day of fiscal year 2027, continu22 ously monitor each agency to determine whether 

23 each agency is on track to be in compliance with the 

24 requirement under subsection (c)(2) for that agency, 

25 as of the first day of fiscal year 2028. 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
4 

•S 5608 IS

1 (2) Beginning on the first day of fiscal year 

2 2028, continuously monitor each agency and make a 

3 determination regarding whether the total number of 

4 Federal employees employed by each agency exceeds 

5 the maximum number of Federal employees allow6 able for that agency under subsection (c)(2). 

7 (3) Whenever the Director makes a determina8 tion under paragraph (2) that the total number of 

9 Federal employees employed by an agency exceeds 

10 the maximum number allowable for that agency 

11 under subsection (c)(2), provide written notice of 

12 that determination to the President and Congress 

13 not later than 14 days after the last day of the quar14 ter in which the Director makes the determination. 

15 (f) COMPLIANCE.— 

16 (1) IN GENERAL.—Whenever the Director pro17 vides written notice under subsection (e)(3) that the 

18 total number of Federal employees employed by an 

19 agency exceeds the maximum number allowable for 

20 that agency under subsection (c)(2), the following 

21 shall apply: 

22 (A) The Director shall also provide written 

23 notice to the head of the agency that the total 

24 number of Federal employees employed by the 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
5 

•S 5608 IS

1 agency exceeds the maximum number allowable 

2 for that agency under subsection (c)(2). 

3 (B) Until the Director provides written no4 tice to the President and Congress of a subse5 quent determination that the total number of 

6 Federal employees employed by that agency no 

7 longer exceeds the maximum number allowable 

8 under subsection (c)(2), the agency may not en9 gage in any of the following: 

10 (i) Appoint any individual to fill any 

11 vacancy within the agency. 

12 (ii) Appoint any individual to a posi13 tion for which any amount of the job re14 sponsibilities are expected to be performed 

15 in a remote location with respect to the 

16 duty station for the position. 

17 (iii) Issue any approval for an existing 

18 Federal employee to increase the number 

19 of hours for which the Federal employee 

20 could perform the job responsibilities for 

21 the position of the Federal employee in a 

22 remote location with respect to the duty 

23 station for the position. 

24 (iv) Issue any approval of an increase 

25 in the amount of official time authorized 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
6 

•S 5608 IS

1 for a Federal employee under section 7131 

2 of title 5, United States Code. 

3 (2) DEADLINE.—Any notice described in para4 graph (1)(B) with respect to a subsequent deter5 mination shall be provided not later than 14 days 

6 after the last day of the quarter in which the subse7 quent determination is made. 

8 (g) WAIVER FOR EMERGENCIES.—This section may 

9 be waived, with respect to a particular position or category 

10 of positions in an agency, upon a determination by the 

11 President that— 

12 (1) the existence of a state of war or other na13 tional security concern requires such a waiver; or 

14 (2) the existence of an extraordinary emergency 

15 threatening life, health, public safety, or property re16 quires such a waiver. 

17 (h) COUNTING RULE.—For purposes of this section, 

18 any determination of the number of Federal employees in 

19 an agency— 

20 (1) shall be expressed on a full-time equivalent 

21 basis; and 

22 (2) shall not be subject to any collective bar23 gaining agreement. 

24 (i) LIMITATION ON PROCUREMENT OF SERVICE CON25 TRACTS.—The President, through the Director (in conVerDate Sep 11 2014 19:27 Jan 25, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S5608.IS S5608

ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
7 

•S 5608 IS

1 sultation with the Director of the Office of Personnel Man2 agement), shall take appropriate measures to ensure that 

3 there is no increase in the procurement of service con4 tracts by reason of the enactment of this Act, except in 

5 cases in which a cost comparison demonstrates that those 

6 contracts would be to the financial advantage of the Gov7 ernment. 

8 (j) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION REGARDING TRANS9 FERS.—Nothing in this section may be construed to pro10 hibit the ability of a Federal employee to transfer from 

11 a position in an agency to a position in another agency 

12 if that other agency is in compliance with the requirements 

13 of this section, as of the date on which that Federal em14 ployee transfers positions. 

Æ 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS