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Congress·In Committee·3 months ago

Congress Proposes Public Website Listing Federal Workers’ Jobs, Duty Stations, and Pay

Also known as: Where’s WALDO Act

Legislative Progress

✓ Filed
Review
Senate
House
President

Impacts

Mixed Impacts(3)
Federal Employee
Neutral
Gig Worker
Neutral
Small Business Owner
Neutral

Key Points

  • Would require the Office of Personnel Management to build a public, searchable website listing every federal civil service job and who holds it.
  • The site would show each worker’s job title, job duties, agency, main work location, pay (including bonuses), and appointment date.
  • The website would have to be up and running within 18 months after the bill becomes law, and then kept updated.
  • Would also require a yearly public report counting federal contract workers and the total cost, broken down by agency.
  • Supporters may say this increases transparency; critics may raise privacy and safety concerns for some federal workers.
Labor EmploymentConsumer Protection

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions
Dec 17, 2025Senate

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

Dec 17, 2025

Introduced in Senate

What Happens Next

Projected impacts based on AI analysis

After enactment, leading up to the 1-year deadline

OPM begins preparing the first annual public report on contract worker totals and costs by agency.

Contracting levels and costs become easier for the public and Congress to compare across agencies, which may increase pressure to explain or change contracting decisions.

No later than 1 year after the bill is enacted

OPM publishes the first annual public report on the number of contract employees and total contract labor cost, broken out by agency.

You can see, agency by agency, how much work is being done by contract workers and what it costs, which can affect public debate and oversight.

No later than 18 months after the bill is enacted

OPM launches the public searchable website listing federal civil service positions and related details.

Anyone can search for a federal civilian employee’s position title, duties, agency, primary duty station, pay (including bonuses), and appointment date.

Ongoing after the website goes live

OPM continues maintaining and updating the website as jobs, locations, and pay change.

Federal job and pay information stays current, but agencies and employees may deal with ongoing corrections, updates, and privacy/safety concerns if sensitive details are exposed.

Related News

3 articles
Fox News·2 months ago

EXCLUSIVE: Where’s WALDO Act aims to list every federal worker, job and salary

Covers Sen. Joni Ernst’s Where’s WALDO Act proposal requiring OPM to publish a searchable directory of federal employees with job info, duty station, pay (incl. bonuses), and start date; notes privacy concerns.

R~
FedSmith·2 months ago

New Bill Aims To Create Public Database Of Federal Employees And Their Salaries

Explains the Where’s WALDO Act (S. 3553): OPM would build a public searchable site listing federal employees’ titles, duties, agency, duty station, pay (incl. bonuses), and appointment date.

C=
Newsweek (Opinion)·almost 3 years ago

Where’s Waldo at Club Fed?

Historical context: opinion column using the “Where’s Waldo” framing to argue about transparency around federal workforce disclosures and redactions (not the 2025 bill itself).

C~

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Where’s WALDO Act

Bill NumberS 3553
Congress119th Congress
ChamberSenate
Latest ActionRead twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Sponsor

Analysis generated by AI. While we strive for accuracy, this should not be considered legal or professional advice. Always verify information with official government sources.