PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Jan 7, 2025
Decentralizing and Reorganizing Agency Infrastructure Nation-wide To Harness Efficient Services, Workforce Administration, and Management Practices Act or the DRAIN THE SWAMP Act
This bill relocates 30% of employees of executive agencies who are based in the Washington, DC area and reduces the office headquarters of agencies by 30%. It also ends full-time telework for relocated employees and for those who remain based in the DC area.
Under the bill, each agency must relocate at least 30% of full-time employees based at the agency’s headquarters, including full-time telework employees who receive DC-area locality pay (unless telework is an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act). The bill does not apply to certain essential employees in the Executive Office of the President, the Department of Defense, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Homeland Security.
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
In determining the new duty stations, each agency must promote geographic diversity and ensure adequate staffing throughout the regions of the agency. Compensation for relocated employees must be according to the locality pay scale for their new duty station. Agencies must provide their reduction plans to Congress within 180 days and complete the relocations within one year after the bill's enactment.
Further, the Office of Management and Budget must identify at least 30% of agency headquarters' office space (i.e., real property) to sell or to cease leasing. Agency heads must complete the space reduction within two years after the bill's enactment.
People & committees
Sen. Ernst, Joni [R-IA] · R–IA
Legislative record
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Dec 5, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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