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[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2532 Introduced in House (IH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2532

 To amend title 5, United States Code, to enhance the authority under 
which Federal agencies may pay cash awards to employees for making cost 
              saving disclosures, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 21, 2015

 Mr. Fleischmann introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
            the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
 To amend title 5, United States Code, to enhance the authority under 
which Federal agencies may pay cash awards to employees for making cost 
              saving disclosures, 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 ``Employees of America Streamlining 
for Your Savings Act of 2015'' or the ``EASY Savings Act of 2015''.

SEC. 2. ENHANCEMENT OF AUTHORITY TO MAKE CASH AWARDS TO EMPLOYEES FOR 
              COST SAVING DISCLOSURES.

    (a) In General.--Section 4512 of title 5, United States Code, is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by 
                inserting ``or identification of surplus funds or 
                unnecessary budget authority'' after ``mismanagement'';
                    (B) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``or 
                identification'' after ``disclosure''; and
                    (C) in the matter following paragraph (2), by 
                inserting ``or identification'' after ``disclosure''; 
                and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(c) The Inspector General of an agency or other agency employee 
designated under subsection (b) shall refer to the Chief Financial 
Officer of the agency any potential surplus funds or unnecessary budget 
authority identified by an employee under subsection (a), along with 
any recommendations of the Inspector General or other agency employee.
    ``(d)(1) If the Chief Financial Officer of an agency determines 
that rescission of potential surplus funds or unnecessary budget 
authority, identified by an employee under subsection (a), would not 
hinder the effectiveness of the agency, the head of the agency shall 
transfer the amount of the surplus funds or unnecessary budget 
authority from the applicable appropriations account to the general 
fund of the Treasury, except as provided in subsection (e).
    ``(2) Title X of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control 
Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 681 et seq.) shall not apply to transfers under 
paragraph (1).
    ``(3) Any amounts transferred under paragraph (1) shall be 
deposited in the Treasury and used for deficit reduction, except that 
in the case of a fiscal year for which there is no Federal budget 
deficit, such amounts shall be used to reduce the Federal debt, in such 
manner as the Secretary of the Treasury considers appropriate.
    ``(e)(1) The head of an agency may retain not more than 10 percent 
of amounts to be transferred to the general fund of the Treasury under 
subsection (d).
    ``(2) Amounts retained by the head of an agency under paragraph (1) 
may be--
            ``(A) used for the purpose of paying a cash award under 
        subsection (a) to 1 or more employees who identified the 
        surplus funds or unnecessary budget authority; and
            ``(B) to the extent amounts remain after paying cash awards 
        under subsection (a), transferred or reprogrammed for use by 
        the agency, in accordance with any limitation on such a 
        transfer or reprogramming under any other provision of law.
    ``(f)(1) The head of each agency shall submit to the Director of 
the Office of Personnel Management an annual report regarding--
            ``(A) each disclosure of fraud, waste, or mismanagement or 
        identification of surplus funds or unnecessary budget 
        authority, made under subsection (a) by an employee of the 
        agency, which is determined by the agency to have merit;
            ``(B) the total savings achieved through disclosures and 
        identifications described in subparagraph (A); and
            ``(C) the number and amount of cash awards by the agency 
        under subsection (a).
    ``(2) The Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall 
submit to Congress and the Government Accountability Office an annual 
report on Federal cost saving and awards based on the reports under 
paragraph (1).
    ``(3) The Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall--
            ``(A) ensure that the cash award program of each agency 
        complies with this section; and
            ``(B) submit to Congress an annual certification indicating 
        whether the cash award program of each agency complies with 
        this section.
    ``(g)(1) The head of each agency shall include the information 
described in subsection (f)(1) in each budget request of the agency 
submitted to the Office of Management and Budget as part of the 
preparation of the budget of the President submitted to Congress under 
section 1105(a) of title 31.
    ``(2) Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of the 
EASY Savings Act of 2015, and every 3 years thereafter, the Comptroller 
General shall submit to Congress a report on the operation of the cost 
savings and awards program under this section, including 
recommendations for any legislative changes which the Comptroller 
General considers appropriate.''.
    (b) Prohibition.--
            (1) In general.--Section 4509 of title 5, United States 
        Code, is amended to read as follows:
``Sec. 4509. Prohibition of cash award to certain officers
    ``(a) Definition.--For purposes of this section, the term `agency' 
refers to any agency within the meaning of section 551(1) or 4501(1).
    ``(b) Prohibition.--An officer may not receive a cash award under 
this subchapter if such officer--
            ``(1) is the head of an agency;
            ``(2) serves in--
                    ``(A) a position under section 5312 (relating to 
                positions at level I of the Executive Schedule); or
                    ``(B) a position for which the compensation is set 
                in statute by reference to section 5312 or level I of 
                the Executive Schedule; or
            ``(3) is a voting member of an independent 
        establishment.''.
            (2) Clerical amendment.--The analysis for chapter 45 of 
        title 5, United States Code, is amended by striking the item 
        relating to section 4509 and inserting the following:

``4509. Prohibition of cash award to certain officers.''.
                                 <all>
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