Saving the Civil Service Act
Saving the Civil Service Act
Plain Language Summary
# Saving the Civil Service Act – Plain Language Summary **What the Bill Does:** This bill would prevent federal agencies from easily reclassifying civil service jobs without meeting specific conditions. It directly addresses a 2020 executive order by President Trump that created "Schedule F," which would have moved certain policy-focused federal positions from the competitive civil service (where employees have job protections and appeal rights) to the excepted service (where they have fewer protections). President Biden later reversed that order, but this bill would make such changes permanently harder to implement in the future. **Who It Affects:** The bill primarily affects federal employees in positions involving policy work, particularly those who currently have competitive service protections like notice and appeal rights if they're fired or demoted.
It also affects federal agencies' ability to reorganize their workforces and future administrations' flexibility in staffing decisions. **Current Status:** The bill was introduced in the 119th Congress by Representative Gerald Connolly (D-VA) and is currently in committee, meaning it has not yet been voted on by the full House. No action has been taken since introduction.
CRS Official Summary
Saving the Civil Service ActThis bill generally prohibits changes to the classification of positions in the competitive service and excepted service unless certain conditions are met. (Competitive service positions are subject to competitive examination while excepted service positions are appointed under one of five schedules. Competitive service positions have notice and appeal requirements for adverse actions that are not applicable to most excepted positions, including those of a confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character under Schedule C.)On October 21, 2020, President Donald Trump issued an executive order that placed executive agency positions that are of a confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character, and that are not normally subject to change as a result of a presidential transition, under a new Schedule F in the excepted service. The order was subsequently revoked by President Joe Biden.The bill prohibits executive agency positions in the competitive service from being placed in the excepted service, unless such positions are placed in a schedule in the excepted service as in effect on September 30, 2020. The bill also prohibits positions in the excepted service from being placed in any schedule other than the aforementioned schedules.Additionally, agencies may not (1) transfer occupied positions from the competitive or excepted service into Schedule C without the consent of the Office of Personnel Management, or (2) transfer employees in the excepted service to another schedule or transfer employees in the competitive service to the excepted service without employee consent.
Latest Action
ASSUMING FIRST SPONSORSHIP - Mr. Walkinshaw asked unanimous consent that he may hereafter be considered as the first sponsor of H.R. 492, a bill originally introduced by Representative Connolly, for the purpose of adding cosponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII. Agreed to without objection.