SERVICE Act

The "Stopping to Efficiently Review Varying Impacts of Cuts to Employment Act," or SERVICE Act, establishes new limitations on federal agencies seeking to reduce their workforce. It prohibits agencies from reducing their total number of employees by more than five percent in a fiscal year until specific conditions are met. Before implementing such a reduction, an agency must submit a detailed report to both the Comptroller General and Congress. This report must thoroughly analyze the expected financial impacts , including costs associated with employee termination, administration, and potential contracting to replace functions. It also requires an analysis of mission-related impacts , detailing affected job functions, offices, and services, current performance, and how the reduction would affect service availability, timeliness, and customer experience. A 210-day waiting period is imposed after the report's submission before any workforce reduction exceeding the five percent threshold can take place. Furthermore, the Comptroller General is mandated to review the agency's report within 180 days, assessing whether it contains all required elements and if the estimated impacts are supported by credible information. The Comptroller General's findings must then be reported to relevant congressional committees and publicly published.