DRAIN THE SWAMP Act
Summary
H.R. 1280 would require the head of each executive agency to relocate at least 30 percent of employees currently assigned to agency headquarters to duty stations outside the Washington metropolitan area within one year of enactment. Relocated employees would have their pay adjusted based on the locality pay scale of their new location and would not be authorized to work full-time from home, with limited exceptions for employees with disabilities requiring telework accommodations.
The bill would also require agencies to reduce their headquarters office space by 30 percent within two years, either by selling or ceasing to lease the properties. Agencies must submit relocation plans to Congress within 180 days. The bill exempts certain essential employees in the Executive Office of the President, Department of Defense, intelligence agencies, Department of Energy, and Department of Homeland Security. If enacted, this would affect federal government operations and potentially impact federal employee compensation and work arrangements across the country.
