S. 27: Federal Employee Return to Work Act
A Senate bill (S.) in the 119th U.S. Congress.
Overview
| Congress | 119th U.S. Congress (2025–2026) |
|---|---|
| Type | Senate bill (S.) |
| Originating chamber | Senate |
| Introduced | 2025-01-07 |
| Sponsor | Sen. Cassidy, Bill [R-LA] |
| Policy area | Government Operations and Politics |
| Cosponsors | 0 |
| Latest action | 2025-01-07 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. |
| Last updated | 2025-05-14 |
Summary
Official summary (Introduced in Senate, 2025-01-07):
Federal Employee Return to Work Act
This bill prohibits providing certain annual or locality-based pay increases to teleworking federal employees.
Currently, federal law mandates annual adjustments to General Schedule (GS) pay rates according to (1) a formula based on the annual percentage change in the Employment Cost Index (a measure of labor costs in the private sector); and (2) the difference between public and private sector pay rates in an employee's locality, if that difference exceeds 5%. For example, in 2025, the default annual rate of pay for a GS-7 (step 1) employee is $49,960; the adjusted annual rate of pay for a GS-7 (step 1) employee in the locality pay area that includes Washington, DC, is $57,164.
The bill makes executive agency employees who telework at least one day each week (or, in the case of an alternative work schedule, 20% or more each week) ineligible for these payments.
The bill is effective on the first day of the fiscal year beginning after the bill's enactment.
Full text & official record
The official bill text, section-by-section summary, amendments, committee reports, and the complete legislative timeline for S. 27 are published by Congress on congress.gov.
Frequently asked questions
What is S. 27?
S. 27 is a Senate bill (S.) introduced in the 119th U.S. Congress, originating in the Senate. Official title: Federal Employee Return to Work Act.
Where can I read the full bill text?
The full text, cosponsors, amendments, and legislative status for S. 27 are available on congress.gov.
Bill data: congress.gov API (official congressional records).