[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 127 (Thursday, July 24, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4705-S4706]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 3021. Mr. MERKLEY submitted an amendment intended to be proposed 
to amendment SA 2976 submitted by Ms. Collins and intended to be 
proposed to the bill H.R. 3944, making appropriations for military 
construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies 
for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, and for other purposes; 
which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the appropriate place, insert the following:
       Sec. ___.  Chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, is 
     amended--
       (1) in section 801(a)(1)(A)--
       (A) in clause (ii), by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (B) in clause (iii), by striking the period at the end and 
     inserting ``; and''; and
       (C) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(iv) if the rule relates to a reduction in force at the 
     Federal agency that is authorized under subchapter I of 
     chapter 35, a detailed justification for the reduction in 
     force, which shall include--
       ``(I) the specific reasons for the reduction in force;
       ``(II) the anticipated impact of the reduction in force on 
     the employees and operations of the Federal agency;
       ``(III) any alternatives to the reduction in force that the 
     Federal agency considered, including the reasons that the 
     Federal agency rejected those alternatives;
       ``(IV) a summary of the consultations that the Federal 
     agency has held with--
       ``(aa) employees of the Federal agency who will be affected 
     by the reduction in force; and
       ``(bb) representatives of the employees described in item 
     (aa); and
       ``(V) a summary of how the reduction in force will impact 
     employees of the Federal agency who are veterans.''; and
       (2) by amending section 804(3) to read as follows:
       ``(3) The term `rule'--
       ``(A) has the meaning given the term in section 551; and
       ``(B) includes--
       ``(i) a rule or order relating to a reduction in force at a 
     Federal agency that is authorized under subchapter I of 
     chapter 35; and

[[Page S4706]]

       ``(ii) any significant action by a Federal agency that 
     substantially affects the rights or obligations of non-
     Federal agency parties, such as a workforce restructuring, 
     office closure, or other action by a Federal agency that has 
     a material impact on the employees or operations of the 
     Federal agency.''.
                                 ______