S. 1196: Special Government Employees Transparency Act of 2025 (119th Congress) Bill Summary

This bill, called the Special Government Employees Transparency Act of 2025, aims to enhance the transparency and regulation of special Government employees (SGEs) within the United States government. Here are the main provisions:

Limitation on Special Government Employees

The bill establishes a limit on the use of special Government employees to a maximum of 130 days of service within any 365-day period. An SGE is defined as someone who qualifies under federal law and is employed in an executive branch agency. If an individual exceeds the 130-day threshold, the employing agency must:

Determine a new employment classification for the individual according to civil service laws.
Adhere to federal personnel frameworks for the individual's new role.
Notify the individual about the new classification and inform them of their right to appeal the decision.

Counting Days of Service

Days of service will be counted for various activities, such as:

Administrative tasks performed for more than one hour.
Any substantive work done, regardless of duration.
Days when the individual is compensated for their work as an SGE.

Transparency Measures

The bill requires the establishment of a public database that contains information about covered special Government employees. This database will include:

Name of the SGE
Job title
Basic pay rate
Employing agency
Organizational component within the agency
Appointment date
Termination date if applicable

This database will be available online at no cost, without the need for user registration. It will be searchable and sortable, and efforts will be made to ensure compliance with accessibility standards.

Financial Disclosure Reports

Under this bill, each executive agency must publicly make available financial disclosure reports filed by covered SGEs. However, certain reports are excluded from public availability, such as those containing national defense information or those filed by individuals not classified as covered SGEs.

Oversight and Accountability

The Director of the Office of Personnel Management will be responsible for ensuring that executive agencies maintain accurate information about SGEs and conduct periodic audits to verify compliance. A report on the database's accuracy will be submitted to Congress within three years of the bill's enactment.