I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 249 

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 

JANUARY 10, 2023 

Mr. FLEISCHMANN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Oversight and Accountability 

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. 

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 ‘‘Bonuses for Cost-Cut5 ters Act of 2023’’. 

6 SEC. 2. COST SAVINGS ENHANCEMENTS. 

7 (a) DEFINITIONS.—Section 4511 of title 5, United 

8 States Code, is amended— 


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1 (1) in the section heading, by striking ‘‘Defi2 nition’’ and inserting ‘‘Definitions’’; and 

3 (2) in subsection (a)— 

4 (A) by striking the period at the end and 

5 inserting ‘‘; and’’; 

6 (B) by striking ‘‘this subchapter, the 

7 term’’ and inserting the following: ‘‘this sub8 chapter— 

9 ‘‘(1) the term’’; and 

10 (C) by adding at the end the following: 

11 ‘‘(2) the term ‘wasteful expenses’ means 

12 amounts made available for salaries and expenses 

13 accounts, operations and maintenance accounts, or 

14 other equivalent accounts— 

15 ‘‘(A) that are identified by an employee of 

16 the agency under section 4512(a) as wasteful; 

17 and 

18 ‘‘(B) that the Chief Financial Officer of 

19 the agency determines are not required for the 

20 purpose for which the amounts were made 

21 available.’’. 

22 (b) AUTHORITY.—Section 4512 of title 5, United 

23 States Code, is amended— 

24 (1) in subsection (a)— 


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1 (A) by inserting ‘‘The head of an agency 

2 may pay a cash award to any employee of such 

3 agency whose identification of wasteful expenses 

4 to the Chief Financial Officer of the agency has 

5 resulted in cost savings for the agency.’’ after 

6 the first sentence; 

7 (B) in paragraph (1) by striking 

8 ‘‘$10,000’’ and inserting ‘‘$20,000’’; 

9 (C) in paragraph (2)— 

10 (i) by inserting ‘‘Chief Financial Offi11 cer,’’ after ‘‘Inspector General,’’; 

12 (ii) by striking ‘‘employee designated 

13 under subsection (b)’’ and inserting ‘‘des14 ignated employee’’; and 

15 (iii) by inserting ‘‘or identification’’ 

16 after ‘‘disclosure’’; and 

17 (D) in the matter following paragraph 

18 (2)— 

19 (i) by inserting ‘‘, Chief Financial Of20 ficer,’’ after ‘‘Inspector General’’; and 

21 (ii) by inserting ‘‘or identification’’ 

22 after ‘‘disclosure’’; 

23 (2) in subsection (b) by striking ‘‘awards per24 mitted under this section’’ and inserting ‘‘awards for 


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1 the disclosure of fraud, waste, or mismanagement 

2 under this section’’; and 

3 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

4 ‘‘(c)(1) If the Chief Financial Officer of the agency 

5 determines that potential wasteful expenses identified by 

6 an employee meet the requirements of section 

7 4511(a)(2)(B), the head of the agency shall notify the 

8 President for purposes of proposing the expenses for re9 scission under title X of the Congressional Budget and 

10 Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 681 et seq.). 

11 ‘‘(2) In the case of an agency for which there is no 

12 Chief Financial Officer, the head of the agency shall des13 ignate an agency employee who shall have the authority 

14 to make the determinations for identification of wasteful 

15 expenses under this section. 

16 ‘‘(d) The head of each agency shall make available, 

17 along with, and in the same manner and form as, the pro18 vision of information required under section 1116 of title 

19 31, information on disclosures of wasteful expenses under 

20 this section, including— 

21 ‘‘(1) a description of each disclosure of possible 

22 wasteful expenses identified by an employee and de23 termined by the agency to have merit; and 

24 ‘‘(2) the number and amount of cash awards 

25 provided by the agency under subsection (a). 


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1 ‘‘(e) An individual may not receive a cash award 

2 under this subchapter if the individual is— 

3 ‘‘(1) an officer or employee of the Office of the 

4 Inspector General of an agency; or 

5 ‘‘(2) ineligible for a cash award under section 

6 4509. 

7 ‘‘(f) The Director of the Office of Personnel Manage8 ment shall— 

9 ‘‘(1) ensure that the cash award program of 

10 each agency complies with this section; and 

11 ‘‘(2) submit to Congress an annual certification 

12 indicating whether the cash award program of each 

13 agency complies with this section. 

14 ‘‘(g) Not later than 3 years after the date of enact15 ment of the Bonuses for Cost-Cutters Act of 2023, and 

16 every 3 years thereafter for 6 years, the Comptroller Gen17 eral of the United States shall submit to Congress a report 

18 on the operation of the cost savings and awards program 

19 under this section, including any recommendations for leg20 islative changes.’’. 

21 (c) TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENT.— 

22 The table of sections for subchapter II of chapter 45 of 

23 title 5, United States Code, is amended by striking the 

24 item relating to section 4511 and inserting the following: 

‘‘4511. Definitions and general provisions.’’. 

Æ 


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