# Plain Language Summary: DRAIN THE SWAMP Act

This bill requires federal agencies to move at least 30 percent of their headquarters employees out of the Washington, D.C. area to other locations around the country within one year. For example, if the Department of Education has 1,000 people working at its main office in D.C., at least 300 of them would need to relocate to offices in other cities. When employees move, their pay will be adjusted based on the cost of living in their new location—so someone moving from D.C. to a lower-cost city would likely earn less. The bill also prohibits these relocated employees from working from home full-time, meaning they'd need to go into an office regularly.

At the same time, the bill directs federal agencies to reduce their headquarters office space by at least 30 percent. This could mean selling buildings, ending leases, or consolidating multiple agency offices into fewer locations. The goal is to save money on real estate while spreading federal jobs and services across different regions of the country, including rural areas. Agencies have up to two years to complete these office space reductions.

There are a few exceptions built into the bill. Employees with disabilities who have been approved to work from home as a reasonable accommodation under disability law can stay in D.C. and keep their current arrangement. Additionally, certain national security positions at the Pentagon, CIA, and similar agencies are exempt from relocation requirements. The bill also specifies that employees won't receive any special relocation bonuses or incentives to help them move, and it overrides any existing labor agreements that might protect employees from these changes.