As the 119th Congress gets underway, U.S. Senator James Lankford is taking his role of founding member of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Caucus to heart. He has introduced an eight bill package meant to make government more efficient.
“The American people gave Washington a mandate in November—waste less, save more. Today I’m introducing a first set of bills to follow through on their mandate by prioritizing streamlined regulations, rulemaking, and record keeping. It’s time to put government waste in the doghouse and let DOGE get to work,” said Lankford.
This package of bills includes:
- The Guidance Clarity Act to mandate that all federal agencies include a statement clarifying that their guidance documents do not have legal force but are meant to clarify existing laws or policies.
- The STEP Act to enhance the transparency and efficiency of federal payments by requiring detailed reporting on improper payments and implementing stronger financial controls to reduce fraud.
- The Telework Reform Act to update federal telework policies by setting new requirements for telework agreements and introducing measures for monitoring, training, and noncompetitive appointments for remote work positions.
- The Early Participation in Regulations Act to mandate that federal agencies provide an advance notice of proposed rule making for “major rules,” which have significant economic or regulatory impact to encourage early public input.
- The SMART Act to require federal agencies to establish frameworks for retrospective reviews of major rules, assessing their effectiveness, costs, and benefits, with specific timelines and methodologies.
- The ACCESS Act to prohibit federal solicitations from mandating minimum education requirements for contractor personnel unless justified, promoting flexibility in contractor hiring based on skills and experience.
- The Improving Federal Financial Management Act to enhance the roles of Chief Financial Officers in federal agencies, mandate a comprehensive governmentwide four-year financial management plan, and strengthen financial reporting and internal control assessments.
- The TRUE Accountability Act to require the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to issue guidance for federal agencies to develop adaptable internal control plans for managing emergency funding, focusing on preventing improper payments and fraud.
