119-s2794

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2794 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 2794

To require the heads of agencies to establish a policy with respect to 
 the deactivation of charge cards of employees separating from the 
 agency, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 September 11, 2025

 Ms. Ernst (for herself, Mrs. Blackburn, and Mr. Lee) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
 Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

To require the heads of agencies to establish a policy with respect to 
 the deactivation of charge cards of employees separating from the 
 agency, and for other purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Deactivating and Eliminating Cards 
Linked to Inactive or Nonexistent Employees Act'' or the ``DECLINE 
Act''.

SEC. 2. DEACTIVATION OF CHARGE CARDS UPON EMPLOYEE SEPARATION.

    (a) 

=== Definitions. ===
-In this section:

    (1) Agency.--The term ``agency'' has the meaning given the 
 term in 

section 5701 of title 5, United States Code.

    (2) Charge card.--The term ``charge card'' means a purchase 
 card, travel card, or other form of Federal Government payment 
 card--
        (A) issued by an agency; and
        (B) assigned to an employee of an agency.

    (3) Covered individual.--The term ``covered individual''--
        (A) means an individual who is discharged, 
 separates, retires, or otherwise ceases employment with 
 an agency; and
        (B) includes an individual who, before the 
 discharge, separation, or cease of employment described 
 in subparagraph
        (A) , held--
            (i) a position described in 

section 5312, 
 5313, 5314, or 5315 of title 5, United States 
 Code;
            (ii) a noncareer Senior Executive Service 
 position, as defined in 

section 3132

    (a) of 
 title 5, United States Code; and
            (iii) a position in the executive branch of 
 a confidential or 

=== policy ===
determining character 
 described in schedule C of subpart C of part 
 213 of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations.

    (b) 

=== Policy ===
-Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the chief financial officer or the functional equivalent 
officer of each agency, in consultation with the chief human capital 
officer or the functional equivalent of each agency, shall establish 
and implement a policy requiring that, as part of the official 
separation process from the agency of a covered individual and with 
respect to any charge card assigned to the covered individual--

    (1) the covered individual returns the charge card to the 
 agency;

    (2) personnel of the agency physically secure the charge 
 card;

    (3) the covered individual remove the charge card from any 
 digital wallet or electronic device owned by the covered 
 individual or issued to the covered individual in connection 
 with the employment of the covered individual at the agency;

    (4) appropriate agency personnel immediately deactivate the 
 charge card and close or suspend the account associated with 
 the charge card in accordance with agency procedures; and

    (5) appropriate agency personnel report the charge card to 
 the issuing financial institution as no longer valid for use or 
 reissuance in connection with the covered individual.
            (c) GAO Review of Agency Compliance.--Not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the 
Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Committee 
on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the 
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of 
Representatives a report that includes--

    (1) the number of charge cards issued and deactivated by 
 each agency;

    (2) the extent to which agencies have established internal 
 controls to monitor charge card use and address misuse, fraud, 
 or redundant card issuance;

    (3) the status of the implementation of subsection

    (b) by 
 each agency;

    (4) the total amount each agency paid in charge card late 
 fees during the preceding 1-year period; and

    (5) the extent to which agencies submit required management 
 reports through the electronic access system of the bank with 
 which the agency has a contract, including a summary of the 
 report data of selected agencies, such as account activity, 
 disputes, and unusual spending patterns.
 <all>