S. 489: Federal Employees and Retirees with Delinquent Tax Debt Initiative (FERDI) Act

117th Congress · introduced 2021-02-25 · Government Operations and Politics · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2021-02-25 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Braun, Mike [R-IN] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Federal Employees and Retirees with Delinquent Tax Debt Initiative (FERDI) Act

Plain summary

Federal Employees and Retirees with Delinquent Tax Debt Initiative (FERDI) Act This bill disqualifies individuals with delinquent tax debt from federal employment and requires the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to regularly publish a report on the tax liabilities of federal employees. Specifically, the bill disqualifies both applicants and current employees with seriously delinquent tax debt from federal employment. The bill defines seriously delinquent tax debt as a federal tax liability that has been assessed by the Department of the Treasury and that may be collected via levy or court proceeding, with specified exceptions. Agencies must provide for appropriate review of public records to determine if there are any liens against applicants or current employees, and may take certain personnel actions against employees who willfully fail to file taxes or understate their liability. The bill also directs the IRS to submit to specified congressional committees and make public online an annual report on current and retired federal civilian and military employees who have delinquent tax debt or an unfiled tax return for the most recent fiscal year. (The IRS currently investigates and reports on similar information through its Federal Employee/Retiree Delinquency Initiative, or FERDI).

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Federal Employees and Retirees with Delinquent Tax Debt Initiative (FERDI) Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Braun, Mike [R-IN] · 1 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Joni Ernst (R-IA)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (4)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Ballot initiative: A proposed law or constitutional amendment that citizens place on the ballot by gathering enough voter signatures, so voters decide it directly. About half the states allow some form of it.
Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Fiscal year: The 12-month period a government uses for its budget. The federal fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30 and is named for the calendar year in which it ends. Most states use July 1 to June 30.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-117s489.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/117/s>

Record fed-us-cong117-s489 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong117 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong117