H.R. 5908 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the House, sent to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Nov 4, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryRequires reports on furloughed federal workers
When the federal government shuts down due to a lapse in funding, federal agencies must report to Congress within 30 days with details about which employees were sent home without pay, how many stayed on the job, and what those salaries cost. Congress then has to publish these reports online. Additionally, the Congressional Budget Office must analyze and report on the economic effects of each shutdown.
How it affects you
This doesn't directly change anything in your daily life, but it does affect federal employees who get furloughed during shutdowns—they'll now have their situation formally documented and reported to Congress. The main impact is that Congress and the public will have clearer information about the scale and cost of government shutdowns, which you can access online.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Nov 4, 2025)
Non-Essential Workers Transparency Act
This bill requires federal agencies to submit reports to Congress regarding employees who were furloughed during a lapse in appropriations (i.e, government shutdown), the total number of employees, and the cost of salaries.
Specifically, each federal agency must submit a report to specified congressional committees within 30 days of the end of a lapse in appropriations. The report must include specified details regarding
• the total number of employees (including contract employees) employed by the agency before the lapse began,
• the total number of employees who were furloughed during the lapse,
• the total number of employees who were not furloughed during the lapse, and
• the total annual cost of the salaries for each group of employees.
The report must be submitted in an unclassified form, but it may include a classified annex. Each congressional committee that receives a report must publish the report on its website within 30 days.
The bill also requires the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to submit a report to Congress regarding the economic effects of each lapse in appropriations. CBO must submit the report within 30 days of the end of a lapse in appropriations and make the report available on its website.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 5908
A BILL
Non-Essential Workers Transparency Act
Sponsor: Rep. Scott Franklin (R-FL-18) · Introduced Nov 4, 2025 · Government Operations and Politics · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Nov 4, 2025: “Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.”