H.R. 2532 — what changed

changed This Act may be cited as the “Employees of America Streamlining “Bonuses for Your Savings Act of 2015” or the “EASY Savings Cost-Cutters Act of 2015”.2016”.

added “(1) the term”

added “(2) the term surplus salaries and expenses funds means amounts made available for the salaries and expenses account, or equivalent account, of an agency—

added “(A) that are identified by an employee of the agency under section 4512(a) as unnecessary;

added “(B) that the Inspector General of the agency or other agency employee designated under section 4512(b) determines are not required for the purpose for which the amounts were made available;

added “(C) that the Chief Financial Officer of the agency determines are not required for the purpose for which the amounts were made available; and

added “(D) the rescission of which would not be detrimental to the full execution of the purposes for which the amounts were made available.”

added “(c)

added “(1) The Inspector General of an agency or other agency employee designated under subsection (b) shall refer to the Chief Financial Officer of the agency any potential surplus salaries and expenses funds identified by an employee that the Inspector General or other agency employee determines meets the requirements under subparagraphs (B) and (D) of section 4511(a)(2), along with any recommendations of the Inspector General or other agency employee.

added “(2)

added “(A) If the Chief Financial Officer of the agency determines that potential surplus salaries and expenses funds referred under paragraph (1) meet the requirements under section 4511(a)(2), except as provided in subsection (d), the head of the agency shall transfer the amount of the surplus funds or unnecessary budget authority from the applicable appropriations account to the general fund of the Treasury.

added “(B) Any amounts transferred under subparagraph (A) shall be deposited in the Treasury and used for deficit reduction, except that in the case of a fiscal year for which there is no Federal budget deficit, such amounts shall be used to reduce the Federal debt (in such manner as the Secretary of the Treasury considers appropriate).

added “(3) The Inspector General or other agency employee designated under subsection (b) for each agency and the Chief Financial Officer for each agency shall issues standards and definitions for purposes of making determinations relating to potential surplus salaries and expenses funds identified by an employee under this subsection.

removed “(c) The Inspector General of an agency or other agency employee designated under subsection (b) shall refer to the Chief Financial Officer of the agency any potential surplus funds or unnecessary budget authority identified by an employee under subsection (a), along with any recommendations of the Inspector General or other agency employee.

“(d)

added “(1) The head of an agency may retain not more than 10 percent of amounts to be transferred to the general fund of the Treasury under subsection (c)(2).

removed “(1) If the Chief Financial Officer of an agency determines that rescission of potential surplus funds or unnecessary budget authority, identified by an employee under subsection (a), would not hinder the effectiveness of the agency, the head of the agency shall transfer the amount of the surplus funds or unnecessary budget authority from the applicable appropriations account to the general fund of the Treasury, except as provided in subsection (e).

removed “(2) Title X of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 681 et seq.) shall not apply to transfers under paragraph (1).

removed “(3) Any amounts transferred under paragraph (1) shall be deposited in the Treasury and used for deficit reduction, except that in the case of a fiscal year for which there is no Federal budget deficit, such amounts shall be used to reduce the Federal debt, in such manner as the Secretary of the Treasury considers appropriate.

removed “(e)

removed “(1) The head of an agency may retain not more than 10 percent of amounts to be transferred to the general fund of the Treasury under subsection (d).

“(2) Amounts retained by the head of an agency under paragraph (1) may be—

added “(A) used for the purpose of paying a cash award under subsection (a) to 1 or more employees who identified the surplus salaries and expenses funds; and

removed “(A) used for the purpose of paying a cash award under subsection (a) to 1 or more employees who identified the surplus funds or unnecessary budget authority; and

“(B) to the extent amounts remain after paying cash awards under subsection (a), transferred or reprogrammed for use by the agency, in accordance with any limitation on such a transfer or reprogramming under any other provision of law.

added “(e)

added “(1) Not later than October 1 of each fiscal year, the head of each agency shall submit to the Secretary of the Treasury a report identifying the total savings achieved during the previous fiscal year through disclosures of possible fraud, waste, or mismanagement and identifications of surplus salaries and expenses funds by an employee.

added “(2) Not later than September 30 of each fiscal year, the head of each agency shall submit to the Secretary of the Treasury a report that, for the previous fiscal year—

added “(A) describes each disclosure of possible fraud, waste, or mismanagement or identification of potentially surplus salaries and expenses funds by an employee of the agency determined by the agency to have merit; and

added “(B) provides the number and amount of cash awards by the agency under subsection (a).

added “(3) The head of each agency shall include the information described in paragraphs (1) and (2) in each budget request of the agency submitted to the Office of Management and Budget as part of the preparation of the budget of the President submitted to Congress under section 1105(a) of title 31.

added “(4) The Secretary of the Treasury shall submit to the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives, and the Government Accountability Office an annual report on Federal cost saving and awards based on the reports submitted under paragraphs (1) and (2).

added “(f) The Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall—

added “(1) ensure that the cash award program of each agency complies with this section; and

added “(2) submit to Congress an annual certification indicating whether the cash award program of each agency complies with this section.

added “(g) Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of the Bonuses for Cost-Cutters Act of 2016, and every 3 years thereafter, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to Congress a report on the operation of the cost savings and awards program under this section, including any recommendations for legislative changes.”

removed “(f)

removed “(1) The head of each agency shall submit to the Director of the Office of Personnel Management an annual report regarding—

removed “(A) each disclosure of fraud, waste, or mismanagement or identification of surplus funds or unnecessary budget authority, made under subsection (a) by an employee of the agency, which is determined by the agency to have merit;

removed “(B) the total savings achieved through disclosures and identifications described in subparagraph (A); and

removed “(C) the number and amount of cash awards by the agency under subsection (a).

removed “(2) The Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall submit to Congress and the Government Accountability Office an annual report on Federal cost saving and awards based on the reports under paragraph (1).

removed “(3) The Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall—

removed “(A) ensure that the cash award program of each agency complies with this section; and

removed “(B) submit to Congress an annual certification indicating whether the cash award program of each agency complies with this section.

removed “(g)

removed “(1) The head of each agency shall include the information described in subsection (f)(1) in each budget request of the agency submitted to the Office of Management and Budget as part of the preparation of the budget of the President submitted to Congress under section 1105(a) of title 31.

removed “(2) Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of the EASY Savings Act of 2015, and every 3 years thereafter, the Comptroller General shall submit to Congress a report on the operation of the cost savings and awards program under this section, including recommendations for any legislative changes which the Comptroller General considers appropriate.”

“4509. Prohibition of cash award to certain officers

changed “(a) Definition—For purposes of Definitions—In this section, the term agency refers to any agency within the meaning of section 551(1) or 4501(1).agency—

changed “(b) Prohibition—An officer may not receive a cash award “(1) has the meaning given that term under this subchapter if such officer—section 551(1); but

changed “(1) is the head of “(2) includes an agency;entity described in subparagraphs (A) through (G) of section 4501(1).

changed “(2) serves in—“(b) Prohibition—An officer may not receive a cash award under this subchapter if the officer—

changed “(A) “(1) serves in a position under section 5312 (relating to positions at level I of the Executive Schedule); orSchedule;

changed “(B) a position for which the compensation “(2) is set in statute by reference to section 5312 or level I of the Executive Schedule; head of an agency; or

changed “(3) is a commissioner, board member, or other voting member of an independent establishment.”