SERVICE Act

Increased Accountability for Workforce Reductions: By requiring a thorough analysis of the expected effects of reducing staff, the bill ensures agencies must account for their actions before they can significantly reduce their workforce (Sec. 2(a)).

Financial Transparency: The bill requires agencies to provide an estimate of the net increase or decrease in costs, including pay, benefits, and potential contracting costs, which provides clarity on the financial implications of staffing changes (Sec. 2(a)(1)).

Protection of Government Services: The requirement for agencies to analyze how staff reductions affect the performance of job functions, timeliness, and customer experience serves to monitor the potential decline in service availability (Sec. 2(a)(2)(C)).

Independent Oversight: The Comptroller General is tasked with reviewing agency reports to ensure they contain required elements and are supported by complete and credible information, with findings published on a public website (Sec. 2(b)).

Restrictions on Agency Workforce Adjustments: The bill prohibits an agency from removing or reducing its total number of employees by more than 5 percent until a report is submitted and processed, which limits an agency's ability to change its workforce size quickly (Sec. 2(a)).

Delayed Workforce Reductions: The process of submitting a report and waiting for the Comptroller General's review—which can take up to 180 days after the report is received—creates a timeline that must be followed before significant staff reductions can occur (Sec. 2(a) and Sec. 2(b)).