II 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 5482 

To impose restrictions on Federal agencies with respect to appointments, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 11, 2024 

Mrs. BLACKBURN introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 

referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 

A BILL 

To impose restrictions on Federal agencies with respect to 

appointments, 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 ‘‘Federal Freeze Act’’. 

5 SEC. 2. FREEZE ON FEDERAL HIRING AND SALARIES. 

6 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

7 (1) AGENCY.—The term ‘‘agency’’ has the 

8 meaning given the term in section 551 of title 5, 

9 United States Code. 


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1 (2) BASELINE NUMBER.—The term ‘‘baseline 

2 number’’ means, with respect to an agency, the 

3 number of employees employed by the agency (in4 cluding individuals occupying full-time equivalent po5 sitions in the agency), as of the date of enactment 

6 of this Act. 

7 (3) EMPLOYEE.—The term ‘‘employee’’ means 

8 an employee of an agency. 

9 (b) GENERAL PROHIBITIONS.—Notwithstanding any 

10 other provision of law or regulation, during the 1-year pe11 riod beginning on the date of enactment of this Act, the 

12 following shall apply: 

13 (1)(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), 

14 the head of an agency may not increase the number 

15 of employees employed by the agency beyond the 

16 baseline number. 

17 (B) During the 1-year period beginning on the 

18 date of enactment of this Act, the head of an agency 

19 may appoint an individual to a position within the 

20 agency, even if appointing that individual would in21 crease the number of employees employed by the 

22 agency beyond the baseline number, if the agency 

23 head determines that— 


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1 (i) making that appointment serves the in2 terest of law enforcement, public safety, or the 

3 national security of the United States; or 

4 (ii) the individual so appointed is essential 

5 to respond to an emergency declared under sec6 tion 501 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Re7 lief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 

8 5191). 

9 (2) The annual rate of basic pay of an em10 ployee, as in effect on the date of enactment of this 

11 Act, may not be increased. 

12 (c) REDUCTION IN FORCE.— 

13 (1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), 

14 the head of each agency shall take such measures, 

15 without regard to any other provision of law or regu16 lation, to ensure that— 

17 (A) as of the date that is 2 years after the 

18 date of enactment of this Act, the number of 

19 employees employed by the agency is 2 percent 

20 less than the baseline number; and 

21 (B) as of the date that is 3 years after the 

22 date of enactment of this Act, the number of 

23 employees employed by the agency is 5 percent 

24 less than the baseline number. 


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1 (2) EXEMPTION.—An employee who the head of 

2 the employing agency determines serves the interest 

3 of law enforcement, public safety, or the national se4 curity of the United States, or who is essential to re5 spond to an emergency declared under section 501 

6 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emer7 gency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5191) (as deter8 mined by that agency head), shall not apply for the 

9 purposes of determining the number of employees 

10 employed by that agency under subparagraph (A) or 

11 (B) of paragraph (1). 

Æ 


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