Bonuses for Cost-Cutters Act of 2017

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. Short title This Act may be cited as the Bonuses for Cost-Cutters Act of 2017 2. Cost savings enhancements (a) Definitions Section 4511 of title 5, United States Code, is amended— (1) in the section heading, by striking Definition Definitions (2) in subsection (a)— (A) by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and (B) by striking this subchapter, the term (1) the term ; and (C) by adding at the end the following: (2) the term wasteful expenses (A) that are identified by an employee of the agency under section 4512(a) as wasteful; and (B) that the Chief Financial Officer of the agency determines are not required for the purpose for which the amounts were made available. . (b) Authority Section 4512 of title 5, United States Code, is amended— (1) in subsection (a)— (A) by inserting The head of an agency may pay a cash award to any employee of such agency whose identification of wasteful expenses to the Chief Financial Officer of the agency has resulted in cost savings for the agency. (B) in paragraph (1) by striking $10,000 $20,000 (C) in paragraph (2)— (i) by inserting Chief Financial Officer, Inspector General, (ii) by striking employee designated under subsection (b) designated employee (iii) by inserting or identification disclosure (D) in the matter following paragraph (2)— (i) by inserting , Chief Financial Officer, Inspector General (ii) by inserting or identification disclosure (2) in subsection (b) by striking awards permitted under this section awards for the disclosure of fraud, waste, or mismanagement under this section (3) by adding at the end the following: (c) (1) If the Chief Financial Officer of the agency determines that potential wasteful expenses identified by an employee meet the requirements of section 4511(a)(2)(B), the head of the agency shall notify the President for purposes of proposing the expenses for rescission under title X of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 ( 2 U.S.C. 681 (2) In the case of an agency for which there is no Chief Financial Officer, the head of the agency shall designate an agency employee who shall have the authority to make the determinations for identification of wasteful expenses under this section. (d) The head of each agency shall make available, along with, and in the same manner and form as, the provision of information required under section 1116 of title 31, information on disclosures of wasteful expenses under this section, including— (1) a description of each disclosure of possible wasteful expenses identified by an employee and determined by the agency to have merit; and (2) the number and amount of cash awards provided by the agency under subsection (a). (e) An individual may not receive a cash award under this subchapter if the individual is— (1) an officer or employee of the Office of the Inspector General of an agency; or (2) ineligible for a cash award under section 4509. (f) The Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall— (1) ensure that the cash award program of each agency complies with this section; and (2) submit to Congress an annual certification indicating whether the cash award program of each agency complies with this section. (g) Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of the Bonuses for Cost-Cutters Act of 2017 . (c) Technical and conforming amendment The table of sections for subchapter II of chapter 45 4511. Definitions and general provisions. . October 10, 2017 Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed

Summary: Bonuses for Cost-Cutters Act of 2017 This bill expands the awards program for cost-saving identifications by federal employees of fraud, waste, or mismanagement to include identifications of certain operational expenses that are wasteful. An agency must propose any such identified wasteful expenses for rescission. The bill also doubles the maximum cash award that may be made under the program.