Congress·Passed House·H.R. 428

Bonuses for Cost-Cutters and Fraud Preventers Act of 2026

Federal Employee Bonuses for Cutting Waste

Jun 8·View on Congress.gov·Read full text

Next up: The Senate

The House passed this bill in June 2026 and sent it to the Senate. It is now waiting for the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs to review it. Since the Senate often does not schedule House bills for a vote, it is unclear if this bill will move forward.

Legislative Progress

✓ House

Senate

President

Law

Unlikely to pass

While saving taxpayer money is a popular goal, most bills introduced at the start of a session fail to move past the committee stage without major leadership backing.

Key Points

This bill encourages federal workers to find and report unnecessary spending within their agencies by offering cash bonuses. If an employee points out money that is being wasted on things like salaries or office operations, they could receive a reward for helping the government save money.
The maximum reward for reporting waste would double from $10,000 to $20,000. To qualify for the bonus, the agency's Chief Financial Officer must agree that the identified money is not actually needed for its original purpose.
When waste is found, the head of the agency must tell the President so the money can be officially cut from the budget. Agencies would also have to release public reports showing how many employees reported waste and how much they were paid in bonuses.
Not everyone is eligible for these bonuses. People who work in an agency's Office of the Inspector General, whose job is already to find waste and fraud, cannot receive these specific cash awards.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.

Milestones

4 milestones13 actions

Jun 9, 2026Senate

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.

Jun 8, 2026House

The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.

Jun 8, 2026House

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

Jun 8, 2026House

On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H3936-3937)

The House fast-tracked this bill — limited debate, no amendments allowed, but needs two-thirds support to pass.

Jun 8, 2026

Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.

The House fast-tracked this bill — limited debate, no amendments allowed, but needs two-thirds support to pass.

No votes, news coverage, or related bills recorded for this bill yet.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Bonuses for Cost-Cutters and Fraud Preventers Act of 2026

Bill NumberHR 428

Congress119th Congress

ChamberHouse of Representatives

Latest ActionReceived in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Data Sources

Congress.gov

Official legislative information

Read Full Bill Text

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(2)

D: 1R: 1

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.