US Federal House Bill HB1460

US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/21/25
• Refer: 2/21/25

Caption

Drain the Swamp Act of 2025

Summary

HB1460, titled the “Drain the Swamp Act of 2025,” would require the head of every executive agency to develop a plan to move that agency’s headquarters out of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The bill repeals the existing statutory headquarters-location requirement in section 72 of title 4, U.S. Code, and replaces it with a mandate that agencies identify a new headquarters location outside the region, maximize cost savings, and ensure that no more than 10 percent of agency employees remain based in the Washington metropolitan area after relocation. The bill sets a two-step timeline: agency heads must submit relocation plans to Congress by September 30, 2026, and implement those plans by September 30, 2030. Before submission, the Office of Management and Budget and the General Services Administration must certify that the plan meets the bill’s requirements. The legislation defines the Washington metropolitan area narrowly to include the District of Columbia and specified counties and cities in Maryland and Virginia, and it excludes the Executive Office of the President from the relocation mandate.

Impact

If enacted, the bill would significantly alter federal administrative law by removing the current statutory preference for agency headquarters in the Washington, D.C. area and imposing a new nationwide relocation requirement on executive agencies. It would affect agency organization, federal real estate and leasing decisions, workforce distribution, and potentially appropriations and administrative planning across the executive branch. The measure would also require coordination by OMB and GSA and could have downstream effects on federal employees, contractors, and local economies tied to the Washington region.

Sentiment

The available record shows no committee transcript and no recorded votes, so there is no formal legislative debate or vote history to gauge support or opposition. Based on the bill’s title and structure, it appears to be framed as a reform measure aimed at decentralizing federal power and reducing Washington-centric bureaucracy. The absence of recorded discussion means sentiment can only be inferred from the bill’s intent rather than from documented legislative reaction.

Contention

The main points of contention are likely to be the practicality and cost of relocating large federal agencies, the impact on employee retention and recruitment, and whether moving headquarters would actually produce savings or instead create disruption. Another likely issue is national security and operational continuity, which the bill explicitly requires agencies to consider. Supporters would likely emphasize decentralization, cost savings, and reducing concentration of federal power in Washington, while opponents would likely focus on implementation burdens, transition costs, and the risk of reduced efficiency.