I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3171 
To amend title 5, United States Code, to provide that a rule relating to 
a reduction in force is subject to review under chapter 8 of that title, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 1, 2025 
Ms. WATERS (for herself, Mr. CONNOLLY, Mrs. MCIVER, Ms. BROWNLEY, Mr. 
FROST, Ms. MATSUI, Ms. NORTON, Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ, Ms. TLAIB, and 
Ms. TOKUDA) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Rules, 
for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case 
for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend title 5, United States Code, to provide that a 
rule relating to a reduction in force is subject to review 
under chapter 8 of that title, 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 ‘‘Reduction in Force 
Review Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL REVIEW OF AGENCY REDUCTIONS 
IN FORCE. 
Chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, is amend-
ed— 
(1) in section 801(a)(1)(A)— 
(A) in clause (ii), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
(B) in clause (iii), by striking the period at 
the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(iv) if the rule relates to a reduction in force 
at the Federal agency that is authorized under sub-
chapter I of chapter 35, a detailed justification for 
the reduction in force, which shall include— 
‘‘(I) the specific reasons for the reduction 
in force; 
‘‘(II) the anticipated impact of the reduc-
tion in force on the employees and operations of 
the Federal agency; 
‘‘(III) any alternatives to the reduction in 
force that the Federal agency considered, in-
cluding the reasons that the Federal agency re-
jected those alternatives; 
‘‘(IV) a summary of the consultations that 
the Federal agency has held with— 
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‘‘(aa) employees of the Federal agency 
who will be affected by the reduction in 
force; and 
‘‘(bb) representatives of the employees 
described in item (aa); and 
‘‘(V) a summary of how the reduction in 
force will impact employees of the Federal 
agency who are veterans.’’; and 
(2) by amending section 804(3) to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘(3) The term ‘rule’— 
‘‘(A) has the meaning given the term in 
section 551; and 
‘‘(B) includes— 
‘‘(i) a rule or order relating to a re-
duction in force at a Federal agency that 
is authorized under subchapter I of chap-
ter 35; and 
‘‘(ii) any significant action by a Fed-
eral agency that substantially affects the 
rights or obligations of non-Federal agency 
parties, such as a workforce restructuring, 
office closure, or other action by a Federal 
agency that has a material impact on the 
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employees or operations of the Federal 
agency.’’. 
Æ 
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