Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “EPA Maximum Achievable Contraction of Technocrats Act of 2015”.
EPA Maximum Achievable Contraction of Technocrats Act of 2015
A BILL
To require that the workforce of the Environmental Protection Agency be reduced by 15 percent.
Sec. 2 Findings
Congress finds as follows:
During the Government shutdown of 2013, the Environmental Protection Agency deemed 95 percent of its employees as “non essential”.
The Environmental Protection Agency occupies space in eight different buildings in the District of Columbia.
From 1975 to 2014 the number of Environmental Protection Agency employees increased by 48 percent while the number of total Federal personnel decreased by 17 percent.
In 2015, according to one study, complying with Environmental Protection Agency regulations will cost the U.S. economy $386 billion.
From 2009 to 2014, according to the Federal Register, the Environmental Protection Agency has published and put into effect 2,475 rules.
Sec. 3 Definitions
For purposes of this Act—
the term Administrator means the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency;
the term employee has the meaning given such term by section 2105 of title 5, United States Code;
the term baseline date means the last day of the second month beginning on or after the date of the enactment of this Act; and
the term workforce reduction target date means the date occurring 3 years after the baseline date.
Sec. 4 Mandatory workforce reduction
In general— The Administrator shall take such actions as may be necessary to ensure that—
the total number of employees in the Environmental Protection Agency on the workforce reduction target date, does not exceed
the total number of employees in the Environmental Protection Agency on the baseline date, reduced by 15 percent.
Reporting requirements— In order to carry out this Act, the Administrator shall submit to Congress a written determination of—
the total number of employees in the Environmental Protection Agency on the baseline date, not later than 30 days after such date; and
the total number of employees in the Environmental Protection Agency on the workforce reduction target date, not later than 30 days after such date.
Extension authority—
In general— The Administrator may, if necessary because timely compliance with subsection (a) is impracticable, delay the deadline for compliance for a period not to exceed 1 year.
Notification— If the authority under paragraph (1) is exercised, the Administrator shall submit a written report to Congress not later than 30 days after the date on which such authority is so exercised. Such report shall include—
notification that the authority under paragraph (1) has been exercised;
the reasons why the exercise of authority was necessary; and
the new deadline for compliance.
Final report— Not later than 30 days after the date referred to in paragraph (2)(C), the Administrator shall submit to Congress—
a written determination of compliance with the limitation specified in subsection (a)(2), including the total number of employees in the Environmental Protection Agency as of the date referred to in paragraph (2)(C); or
a written determination of noncompliance with the limitation specified in subsection (a)(2), including the extent of and the reasons for the noncompliance.