Political Appointee Burrowing Prevention Act

Bill 115 hr 1132, also known as the Political Appointee Burrowing Prevention Act, aims to prevent political appointees from transitioning into career positions within the federal government. The bill was introduced in the House of Representatives on February 25, 2021, by Representative Elise Stefanik from New York.

The purpose of the bill is to address concerns about the potential for political appointees to use their positions to secure permanent jobs within the federal government, which could undermine the merit-based hiring process and lead to conflicts of interest. The bill seeks to increase transparency and accountability in the hiring process by requiring agencies to report to Congress on any political appointees who are hired into career positions within the agency.

Under the provisions of the bill, agencies would be required to submit a report to Congress within 30 days of hiring a political appointee into a career position. The report would include information on the appointee's previous political position, the position they were hired into, and an explanation of why the appointee was selected for the position. The bill also includes provisions to prevent political appointees from receiving preferential treatment in the hiring process, such as requiring agencies to publicly post job announcements and conduct competitive hiring processes for career positions. Overall, the Political Appointee Burrowing Prevention Act aims to promote fairness and integrity in the federal hiring process and prevent political appointees from using their positions to gain unfair advantages in securing permanent jobs within the government.