Joni Ernst (R-IA)
Protecting Taxpayers’ Wallets Act of 2025
A Republican bill with 1 Republican cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The ``Protecting Taxpayers' Wallets Act of 2025'' seeks to amend how federal agencies interact with labor organizations. It requires agency heads to charge labor organizations fees for the use of agency resources and employee time spent on non-agency business. These fees are calculated based on the value of union time and the value of resources like office space, equipment, or parking. Payments must be made quarterly and are transferred to the Treasury's general fund. The bill establishes strict penalties for non-payment, which can include denying union time or terminating a labor organization's certification. Additionally, it mandates specific time-tracking requirements for labor representatives.
Yes
- Scored +3
Does this reduce what the federal government spends?
The bill recovers costs by charging labor organizations for the use of agency resources and transferring those fees to the Treasury's general fund.
- Scored +2
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?
The bill requires biennial evaluations by the Inspector General to ensure compliance with fee collection and time tracking.
The opposite
- Scored -8
Would union members be better off under this?
The bill imposes strict time-tracking requirements that can lead to adverse disciplinary actions for union representatives.
- Scored -2
Would business owners be better off under this?
The bill imposes new financial costs and administrative burdens on labor organizations.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Taxpayer Savings: The bill directs that all fees collected from labor organizations be transferred to the general fund of the Treasury (Section 2(b)(4)(B)), which aims to recover costs for the use of federal resources.
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Resource Accountability: Agencies are required to determine the value of resources used for union business using GSA rates or market rates (Section 2(c)(2)(B)), ensuring that labor organizations pay for the actual value of what they use.
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Enhanced Oversight: The bill mandates that the Inspector General of each agency conduct an evaluation every two years to check for compliance regarding fee promptness, resource valuation, and the accuracy of time tracking (Section 2(d)(4)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Financial Burden on Labor Organizations: Labor organizations must pay quarterly fees that include the value of "union time" and agency resources like office space or equipment (Section 2(b)(2)).
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Loss of Representation Rights: If a labor organization fails to pay its fees, the agency can deny them union time and resources after 90 days, terminate agency allotments after 180 days, and eventually terminate their certification as an exclusive representative after 365 days (Section 2(d)(1)(A)).
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Disciplinary Risks for Employees: Labor representatives who fail to record their use of union time in the agency's tracking system can be considered absent without leave and subjected to adverse actions (Section 2(d)(2)(B)(i)).
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Limited Recourse for Disputes: Determinations made by agency heads regarding the value of union time and resources cannot be contested through grievances, binding arbitration, or unfair labor practice complaints (Section 2(c)(3)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would union members be better off under this? — The bill imposes strict time-tracking requirements that can lead to adverse disciplinary actions for union representatives. Would business owners be better off under this? — The bill imposes new financial costs and administrative burdens on labor organizations.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this reduce what the federal government spends? — The bill recovers costs by charging labor organizations for the use of agency resources and transferring those fees to the Treasury's general fund.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill requires biennial evaluations by the Inspector General to ensure compliance with fee collection and time tracking.
- 2/11/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Rick ScottRepublican · Florida