I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 454 
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, 2019 
Mr. FLEISCHMANN (for himself and Mr. COOPER) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform 
A BILL 
To amend title 5, United States Code, to enhance the author-
ity 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 Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Bonuses for Cost-Cut-
ters Act of 2019’’. 
SEC. 2. COST SAVINGS ENHANCEMENTS. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—Section 4511 of title 5, United 
States Code, is amended— 
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(1) in the section heading, by striking ‘‘Defi-
nition’’ and inserting ‘‘Definitions’’; and 
(2) in subsection (a)— 
(A) by striking the period at the end and 
inserting ‘‘; and’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘this subchapter, the 
term’’ and inserting the following: ‘‘this sub-
chapter— 
‘‘(1) the term’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(2) the term ‘wasteful expenses’ means 
amounts made available for salaries and expenses 
accounts, operations and maintenance accounts, or 
other equivalent accounts— 
‘‘(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)— 
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(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.’’ after 
the first sentence; 
(B) 
in 
paragraph 
(1) 
by 
striking 
‘‘$10,000’’ and inserting ‘‘$20,000’’; 
(C) in paragraph (2)— 
(i) by inserting ‘‘Chief Financial Offi-
cer,’’ after ‘‘Inspector General,’’; 
(ii) by striking ‘‘employee designated 
under subsection (b)’’ and inserting ‘‘des-
ignated employee’’; and 
(iii) by inserting ‘‘or identification’’ 
after ‘‘disclosure’’; and 
(D) in the matter following paragraph 
(2)— 
(i) by inserting ‘‘, Chief Financial Of-
ficer,’’ after ‘‘Inspector General’’; and 
(ii) by inserting ‘‘or identification’’ 
after ‘‘disclosure’’; 
(2) in subsection (b) by striking ‘‘awards per-
mitted under this section’’ and inserting ‘‘awards for 
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the disclosure of fraud, waste, or mismanagement 
under this section’’; and 
(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 re-
scission under title X of the Congressional Budget and 
Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 681 et seq.). 
‘‘(2) In the case of an agency for which there is no 
Chief Financial Officer, the head of the agency shall des-
ignate 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 pro-
vision 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 de-
termined by the agency to have merit; and 
‘‘(2) the number and amount of cash awards 
provided by the agency under subsection (a). 
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‘‘(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 Manage-
ment 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 enact-
ment of the Bonuses for Cost-Cutters Act of 2019, and 
every 3 years thereafter for 6 years, the Comptroller Gen-
eral of the United States shall submit to Congress a report 
on the operation of the cost savings and awards program 
under this section, including any recommendations for leg-
islative changes.’’. 
(c) TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENT.— 
The table of sections for subchapter II of chapter 45 of 
title 5, United States Code, is amended by striking the 
item relating to section 4511 and inserting the following: 
‘‘4511. Definitions and general provisions.’’. 
Æ 
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