Federal Government Reform Act of 2025

In general— Notwithstanding any other provision of law, rule, or regulation, the first year of service of an employee who is given a career or career-conditional appointment in the competitive service under the Civil Service Regulations is a probationary period when the employee—

Certification— An individual shall not complete any probationary period under this subsection unless the employing agency certifies, within the 30-day period prior to the conclusion of period, that the continued employment of the individual is in the public interest. If such certification is not made, the employee shall be separated from the civil service.

New position— A person who is required to go through a probationary period and then is transferred, promoted, demoted, or reassigned in accordance with the Civil Service Regulations before he or she completes such period is required to complete the remainder of the probationary period in the new position.

USPS— Upon noncompetitive appointment to the competitive service under title 39, United States Code, an employee of the Postal Career Service (including a substitute or part-time flexible employee) who has not completed 1 year of Postal service shall serve the remainder of a 1-year probationary period in the new agency.

Special appointing authority or conversion— A person who is appointed to the competitive service either by a special appointing authority or by conversion to a career or career-conditional appointment under the Civil Service Regulations must serve a 1-year probationary period unless specifically exempt from such period by the special appointing authority itself.

Supervisors and managers— Employees promoted, transferred, or otherwise assigned, for the first time, to supervisory or managerial positions shall be required to serve a probationary period under terms and conditions prescribed by the Office of Personnel Management. If an employee is required to concurrently serve both a probationary period in a supervisory or managerial position under subpart I of part 315 of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, and a probationary or trial period following initial appointment or reinstatement under this Civil Service Rule, the latter takes precedence and fulfills the requirements of this paragraph.

Agency reports to OIRA— Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the head of each agency shall submit to the Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs a report that—

Restriction on criminal penalties in regulations— The head of an agency may not issue any regulation that includes a criminal penalty unless that same penalty or the specifics of that penalty has been described in statute.

Digitization and automation of systems required— The Archivist of the United States, acting through the Director of the Federal Register, shall digitize and automate internal processes to reduce publication delays and dependence on outdated systems. In this paragraph, the term outdated system means a system that another agency has demonstrated the ability to perform digital and automated services in a timely manner.

Benchmarks— Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Archivist of the United States, acting through the Director of the Federal Register, shall establish performance benchmarks to ensure publication of any proposed or final rule within the applicable statutory deadline or within 24 hours after the date on which any such rule is received by the Director.

Annual compliance report— Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Archivist of the United States, acting through the Director of the Federal Register, shall submit to Congress a report on compliance with this subsection that includes average processing times and modernization progress.