I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 417 
To reduce the total number of civil service employees in the executive branch 
of the Government through attrition, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 20, 2015 
Mrs. LUMMIS (for herself and Mr. MULVANEY) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform 
A BILL 
To reduce the total number of civil service employees in 
the executive branch of the Government through attri-
tion, 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 ‘‘Federal Workforce Re-
duction Through Attrition Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) AGENCY.—The term ‘‘agency’’ means an 
Executive agency as defined by section 105 of title 
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5, United States Code, excluding the Government 
Accountability Office. 
(2) BASELINE QUARTER.—The term ‘‘baseline 
quarter’’ means the quarter in which occurs the date 
of enactment of this Act. 
(3) FEDERAL EMPLOYEE.—The term ‘‘Federal 
employee’’ means an employee as defined by section 
2105 of title 5, United States Code. 
(4) QUARTER.—The term ‘‘quarter’’ means a 
period of 3 calendar months ending on March 31, 
June 30, September 30, or December 31. 
(5) TOTAL
NUMBER
OF
FEDERAL
EMPLOY-
EES.—The term ‘‘total number of Federal employ-
ees’’ means the total number of Federal employees 
in all agencies. 
SEC. 3. WORKFORCE LIMITS AND REDUCTIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The President, acting through the 
Office of Management and Budget (in consultation with 
the Office of Personnel Management), shall take appro-
priate measures to ensure that, effective with respect to 
each quarter beginning after the date of enactment of this 
Act, the total number of Federal employees determined 
for such quarter does not exceed the applicable maximum 
for such quarter. 
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(b) APPLICABLE MAXIMUM.—For purposes of this 
Act, the ‘‘applicable maximum’’ for a quarter is— 
(1) in the case of a quarter before the target- 
attainment quarter, the number equal to— 
(A) the total number of Federal employees 
determined for the baseline quarter, reduced by 
(B) 2⁄3 of the number of Federal employees 
separating from agencies during the period— 
(i) beginning on the first day fol-
lowing the baseline quarter; and 
(ii) ending on the last day of the 
quarter to which the applicable maximum 
is being applied; and 
(2) in the case of the target-attainment quarter 
and any subsequent quarter, the number equal to 90 
percent of the total number of Federal employees as 
of September 30, 2013. 
(c) TARGET-ATTAINMENT QUARTER.—For purposes 
of this Act, the term ‘‘target-attainment quarter’’ means 
the earlier of— 
(1) the first quarter (after the baseline quarter) 
for which the total number of Federal employees 
does not exceed 90 percent of the total number of 
Federal employees as of September 30, 2013; or 
(2) the quarter ending on September 30, 2016. 
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(d) METHOD FOR ACHIEVING COMPLIANCE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graph (2), any reductions necessary in order to 
achieve compliance with subsection (a) shall be made 
through attrition. 
(2) EXCEPTION.—If, for any quarter, the total 
number of Federal employees exceeds the applicable 
maximum for such quarter, then, until the first suc-
ceeding quarter for which such total number is de-
termined not to exceed the applicable maximum for 
such succeeding quarter, reductions shall be made 
through both attrition and a freeze on appointments. 
(e) COUNTING RULES.—For purposes of this Act— 
(1) any determination of the total number of 
Federal employees or the number of Federal employ-
ees separating from agencies shall be made— 
(A) on a full-time equivalent basis; and 
(B) under section 4; and 
(2) any determination of the total number of 
Federal employees for a quarter shall be made as of 
such date or otherwise on such basis as the Office 
of Management of Budget (in consultation with the 
Office of Personnel Management) considers to be 
representative and feasible. 
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(f) WAIVER AUTHORITY.—The President may waive 
any of the preceding provisions of this section, with re-
spect to an individual appointment, upon a determination 
by the President that such appointment is necessary due 
to— 
(1) a state of war or for reasons of national se-
curity; or 
(2) an extraordinary emergency threatening life, 
health, safety, or property. 
SEC. 4. REDUCTION IN PROCUREMENT OF SERVICE CON-
TRACTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—For each fiscal year beginning 
with the first fiscal year after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the President, acting through the Office of Man-
agement and Budget and subject to subsection (b), shall 
take appropriate measures to ensure that there is a reduc-
tion in the amount expended for the procurement of serv-
ice contracts for such fiscal year equal to the reduction 
in the amount expended for the Federal workforce in the 
previous fiscal year as a result of the requirements of sec-
tion 3. 
(b) WAIVER AUTHORITY.—The President may waive 
the requirements under subsection (a) upon a determina-
tion that such waiver is necessary due to— 
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(1) a state of war or for reasons of national se-
curity; or 
(2) an extraordinary emergency threatening life, 
health, safety, or property. 
SEC. 5. MONITORING AND NOTIFICATION. 
The Office of Management and Budget (in consulta-
tion with the Office of Personnel Management) shall— 
(1) continuously monitor all agencies and, for 
each quarter to which the requirements of section 
3(a) apply, determine whether or not such require-
ments have been met; and 
(2) not later than 14 days after the end of each 
quarter described in paragraph (1), submit to the 
President and each House of Congress, a written de-
termination as to whether or not the requirements of 
section 3(a) have been met. 
SEC. 6. REGULATIONS. 
Any regulations necessary to carry out this Act may 
be prescribed by the President or his designee. 
Æ 
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