for engaging in federally protected whistle-
blower activity, including for engaging in activ-
ity protected under section 2302(b)(8) of title 
5, United States Code, under section 78u- 
6(h)(1) of title 15, United States Code, under 
section 3730(h) of title 31, United States Code, 
or under any other similar whistleblower law. 
(b) ADVANCE AUTHORIZATION.—Employees may not 
use taxpayer-funded union time without advance written 
authorization from their agency, except where obtaining 
prior approval is deemed impracticable under regulations 
or guidance adopted pursuant to subsection (c). 
(c) ADMINISTRATION.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The requirements of this 
section shall become effective 45 days after the date 
of enactment of this Act. The Office of Personnel 
Management shall be responsible for administering 
the requirements of this section. Not later than 45 
days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Di-
rector shall examine whether existing regulations are 
consistent with the rules set forth in this section. If 
the regulations are not, the Director shall propose 
for notice and public comment, as soon as prac-
ticable, appropriate regulations to clarify and assist 
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agencies in implementing these rules, consistent with 
applicable law. 
(2) AGENCY COMPLIANCE.—The head of each 
agency is responsible for ensuring compliance by em-
ployees within such agency with the requirements of 
this section. Each agency head shall examine wheth-
er existing regulations, policies, and practices are 
consistent with the rules set forth in this section. If 
they are not, the agency head shall take all appro-
priate steps to bring them into compliance with this 
section as soon as practicable. 
(d) APPLICATION.—Nothing in this title shall be con-
strued to prohibit agencies from permitting employees to 
take unpaid leave to perform representational activities 
under chapter 71 of title 5, United States Code, including 
for purposes covered by section 7121(b)(1)(C) of such 
title. 
SEC. 306. PREVENTING UNLAWFUL OR UNAUTHORIZED EX-
PENDITURES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Any employee who uses taxpayer- 
funded union time without advance written agency author-
ization required by section 305(b), or for purposes not spe-
cifically authorized by the agency, shall be considered ab-
sent without leave and subject to appropriate disciplinary 
action. Repeated misuse of taxpayer-funded union time 
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may constitute serious misconduct that impairs the effi-
ciency of the Federal service. In such instances, agencies 
shall take appropriate disciplinary action to address such 
misconduct. 
(b) PROCEDURE FOR AUTHORIZING UNION TIME.— 
As soon as practicable, but not later than 180 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act, each agency shall de-
velop and implement a procedure governing the authoriza-
tion of taxpayer-funded union time under section 305(b). 
Such procedure shall, at a minimum, require a requesting 
employee to specify the number of taxpayer-funded union 
time hours to be used and the specific purposes for which 
such time will be used, providing sufficient detail to iden-
tify the tasks the employee will undertake. That procedure 
shall also allow the authorizing official to assess whether 
it is reasonable, necessary, and in the public interest to 
grant such amount of time to accomplish such tasks. For 
continuing or ongoing requests, each agency shall require 
requests for authorization renewals to be submitted not 
less than once per pay period. Each agency shall further 
require separate advance authorization for any use of tax-
payer-funded union time in excess of previously authorized 
hours or for purposes for which such time was not pre-
viously authorized. 
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(c) MONITORING USE OF UNION TIME.—As soon as 
practicable, but not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, each agency shall develop and im-
plement a system to monitor the use of taxpayer-funded 
union time to ensure that it is used only for authorized 
purposes, and that it is not used contrary to law or regula-
tion. In developing these systems, each agency shall give 
special attention to ensuring taxpayer-funded union time 
is not used for— 
(1) internal union business in violation of sec-
tion 7131(b) of title 5, United States Code; 
(2) lobbying activities in violation of section 
1913 of title 18, United States Code, or in violation 
of section 305(a)(1) of this title; or 
(3) political activities in violation of subchapter 
III of chapter 73 of title 5, United States Code. 
SEC. 307. AGENCY REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Each agency shall submit, by a 
date as determined by the Director, an annual report to 
the Director, the Committee on Oversight and Reform of 
the House of Representatives, and the Committee on 
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on the fol-
lowing: 
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(1) The purposes for which the agency has au-
thorized the use of taxpayer-funded union time, and 
the amounts of time used for each such purpose. 
(2) The job title and total compensation of each 
employee who has used taxpayer-funded union time 
in the fiscal year, as well as the total number of 
hours each employee spent on these activities and 
the proportion of each employee’s total paid hours 
that number represents. 
(3) If the agency has allowed labor organiza-
tions or individuals on taxpayer-funded union time 
the free or discounted use of government property, 
the total value of such free or discounted use. 
(4) Any expenses, including travel or per diem 
expenses, the agency paid for activities conducted on 
taxpayer-funded union time. 
(5) The amount of any reimbursement paid by 
the labor organizations for the use of government 
property. 
(b) NOTIFICATION; REPORT.— 
(1) NOTIFICATION.—Agencies shall notify the 
Interagency Labor Relations Working Group (estab-
lished under title IV of this Act) if a bargaining 
unit’s union time rate exceeds 1 hour. 
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protected by law, including personally identifiable in-
formation. 
(c) ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE.—The Director shall, 
after consulting with the Chief Human Capital Officers 
designated under chapter 14 of title 5, United States 
Code, promulgate any additional guidance that may be 
necessary or appropriate to assist the heads of agencies 
in complying with the requirements of this title. 
SEC. 309. IMPLEMENTATION AND RENEGOTIATION OF COL-
LECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Each agency shall implement the 
requirements of this title not later than 45 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, except for section 305(b), 
which shall be effective for employees at an agency when 
such agency implements the procedure required by section 
306(b). The head of each agency shall designate an official 
within the agency tasked with ensuring implementation of 
this title, and shall report the identity of such official to 
the Office of Personnel Management not later than 30 
days after the date of enactment of this Act. 
(b) CONSULTATION.—Each agency shall consult with 
employee labor representatives about the implementation 
of this title. On the earliest date permitted by law, and 
to effectuate the terms of this title, any agency that is 
party to a collective bargaining agreement that has at 
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least one provision that is inconsistent with any part of 
this title shall give any contractually required notice of its 
intent to alter the terms of such agreement and either re-
open negotiations and negotiate to obtain provisions con-
sistent with this title, or subsequently terminate such pro-
vision and implement the requirements of this title. 
(c) APPLICATION.—Nothing in this title shall abro-
gate any collective bargaining agreement in effect on the 
date of enactment of this title. 
TITLE IV—COST REDUCING IN 
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING 
SEC. 401. SHORT TITLE. 
This title may be cited as the ‘‘Developing Efficient, 
Effective, and Cost-Reducing Approaches to Federal Sec-
tor Collective Bargaining Act’’. 
SEC. 402. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Section 7101(b) of title 5, United States 
Code, requires the Federal Service Labor-Manage-
ment Relations Statute (in this section referred to as 
the ‘‘Statute’’) to be interpreted in a manner con-
sistent with the requirement of an effective and effi-
cient Government. Unfortunately, implementation of 
the Statute has fallen short of these goals. CBAs 
and other agency agreements with collective bar-
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gaining representatives often make it harder for 
agencies to reward high performers, hold low per-
formers accountable, or flexibly respond to oper-
ational needs. Many agencies and collective bar-
gaining representatives spend years renegotiating 
CBAs, with taxpayers paying for both sides’ nego-
tiators. Agencies must also engage in prolonged ne-
gotiations before making even minor operational 
changes, like relocating office space. 
(2) The Federal Government must do more to 
apply the Statute in a manner consistent with effec-
tive and efficient Government. 
(3) To fulfill this obligation, agencies should se-
cure CBAs that— 
(A) promote an effective and efficient 
means of accomplishing agency missions; 
(B) encourage the highest levels of em-
ployee performance and ethical conduct; 
(C) ensure employees are accountable for 
their conduct and performance on the job; 
(D) expand agency flexibility to address 
operational needs; 
(E) reduce the cost of agency operations, 
including with respect to the use of taxpayer- 
funded union time; 
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(F) are consistent with applicable laws, 
rules, and regulations; 
(G) do not cover matters that are not, by 
law, subject to bargaining; and 
(H) preserve management rights under 
section 7106(a) of title 5, United States Code. 
(4) Further, agencies that form part of an ef-
fective and efficient Government should not take 
more than a year to renegotiate CBAs. 
SEC. 403. DEFINITIONS. 
For purposes of this title: 
(1) CBA.—The term ‘‘CBA’’ means a collective 
bargaining agreement of a fixed or indefinite dura-
tion reached through substantive bargaining, as op-
posed to— 
(A) agreements reached through impact 
and implementation bargaining pursuant to sec-
tions 7106(b)(2) and 7106(b)(3) of title 5, 
United States Code; or 
(B) mid-term agreements, negotiated while 
the basic comprehensive labor contract is in ef-
fect, about subjects not included in such con-
tract. 
(2) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means 
the Director of the Office of Personnel Management. 
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(3) TAXPAYER-FUNDED
UNION
TIME.—The 
term ‘‘taxpayer-funded union time’’ means time 
granted to a Federal employee to perform non-agen-
cy business during duty hours pursuant to section 
7131 of title 5, United States Code. 
SEC. 404. INTERAGENCY LABOR RELATIONS WORKING 
GROUP. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There is hereby established an 
Interagency Labor Relations Working Group (referred to 
in this title as the ‘‘Labor Relations Group’’). 
(b) ORGANIZATION.—The Labor Relations Group 
shall consist of— 
(1) the Director of the Office of Personnel 
Management; 
(2) a representative who is a supervisor or a 
management 
official 
described 
under 
section 
7103(a)(2)(B)(iii) of title 5, United States Code, 
from each agency participating in the Labor Rela-
tions Group under subsection (d), as determined by 
the head of such agency in consultation with the Di-
rector; and 
(3) any employee who is such a supervisor or a 
management official within the Office of Personnel 
Management, as assigned by the Director. 
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