H.R. 492 – Saving the Civil Service Act

AI-Generated Summary

Updated November 24, 2025 at 3:31 AM UTC

The Saving the Civil Service Act aims to protect the competitive federal workforce by stopping the creation of a new Schedule F in the excepted service and tightening rules on moving jobs between competitive and excepted service. It sets strict limits on how many employees can be shifted, requires Office of Personnel Management approval for certain transfers, and makes employee consent mandatory for any such move. The bill applies to all federal agencies and their civil‑service positions.

Key Provisions

Bars the creation of a new Schedule F within the federal excepted service.
Limits any position in the competitive service from being moved to the excepted service unless it fits within existing schedules A‑E as defined in the 2020 regulations.
Requires the Director of the Office of Personnel Management’s consent before an agency can transfer a position into Schedule C of the excepted service.
During any four‑year presidential term, an agency may move no more than 1 % of its workforce (or five employees, whichever is greater) from the competitive to the excepted service.
Mandates written consent from the employee before any transfer of a competitive‑service employee to the excepted service, or between excepted‑service schedules.

Legislative Activity

Stay on top of the latest movement without scrolling through every action

2 earlier actions

HouseFloor 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.

September 16, 2025 • 5:16 PM

View full timeline

HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

January 16, 2025

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

Oversight and Government Reform Committee

January 16, 2025

HouseFloor

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.

September 16, 2025 • 5:16 PM

Floor Debate

1 member

What members said about H.R. 492 on the floor

1 Democrat

Rep. James R. WalkinshawD-VA-11 · Sep 16, 2025

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that I may hereafter be considered to be the first sponsor of H.R. 491, the Equal COLA Act; H.R. 492, the Saving the Civil Service Act; H.R. 493, the FAIR Act;…

Bill Text

Latest available legislative text

Reading Mode

Raw Text PDF XML

Introduced in HouseIssued January 16, 2025

I

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 492

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

January 16, 2025

Mr. Connolly (for himself, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Mfume, and Mr. Bacon) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

A BILL

To prohibit the establishment of schedule F of the excepted service, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Saving the Civil Service Act.

2.

Limitations on excepting positions from competitive service and transferring positions

(a)

In general

A position in the competitive service may not be excepted from the competitive service unless such position is placed—

(1)

in any of the schedules A through E as described in section 6.2 of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, as in effect on September 30, 2020; and

(2)

under the terms and conditions under part 6 of such title as in effect on such date.

(b)

Transfers

(1)

Within excepted service

A position in the excepted service may not be transferred to any schedule other than a schedule described in subsection (a)(1).

(2)

OPM consent required

An agency may not transfer any occupied position from the competitive service or excepted service into schedule C of subpart C of part 213 of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, without the prior consent of the Director of the Office of Personnel Management.

(3)

Limit during presidential term

During any four-year presidential term, an agency may not transfer from the competitive service into the excepted service a total number of employees that is more than one percent of the total number of employees at such agency as of the first day of such term, or five employees, whichever is greater.

(4)

Employee consent required

Notwithstanding any other provision of this section—

(A)

an employee who occupies a position in the excepted service may not be transferred to an excepted service schedule other than the schedule such position is located without the prior written consent of the employee; and

(B)

an employee who occupies a position in the competitive service may not be transferred to the excepted service without the employee’s prior written consent.

(c)

Other matters

(1)

Application

Notwithstanding section 7425(b) of title 38, United States Code, this section shall apply to positions under chapter 73 or 74 of such title.

(2)

Regulations

The Director shall issue regulations to implement this section.

(d)

Definitions

In this section—

(1)

the term agency means any department, agency, or instrumentality of the Federal Government;

(2)

the term competitive service has the meaning given that term in section 2102 of title 5, United States Code;

(3)

the term Director means the Director of the Office of Personnel Management; and

(4)

the term excepted service has the meaning given that term in section 2103 of title 5, United States Code.