# Plain Language Summary: Official Time Reporting Act

This bill requires the federal government to start tracking and publicly reporting how much time federal employees spend on union-related activities while on the clock. Right now, federal employees who are union representatives can use "official time" to do union work—like negotiating contracts, handling grievances, or representing coworkers—while still getting paid by their agency. The bill doesn't change whether employees can do this; it just requires the Office of Personnel Management to collect detailed information about it and report the findings to Congress every year.

The annual reports would include specific numbers: how much total official time was used government-wide, how much the average union employee used, what activities the time was spent on, and how many employees spent all their work hours on union activities rather than their regular job duties. The reports would also show how much money the government spent on employee compensation and benefits for people doing union work, and even describe any office space set aside for union activities. Each agency would have to provide this information to the government by the end of each year so it can be compiled into the report.

The practical effect is transparency. Right now, there's no comprehensive public accounting of official time use across the federal government. This bill would create that accounting and make it available to Congress and the public. Supporters argue this helps taxpayers understand how much government resources go toward union activities. Critics might worry it's designed to put pressure on federal unions by shining a spotlight on their activities. For most federal employees who aren't union representatives, this won't directly affect them, but it could influence future decisions about how much official time agencies allow for union work.

Official Time Reporting Act

Hice, Jody B.

Official Time Reporting Act This bill requires the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to report annually to Congress on the use of official time by federal employees. Official time is paid time off from assigned duties to perform labor-management relations activities. Among other things, the OPM must report on the following: <ul> <li>the total amount of official time granted to employees,</li> <li>the specific types of activities for which official time was granted, and</li> <li>the total amount of compensation provided to employees in connection with official time activities.</li> </ul>