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

Introduced: February 25, 2021 See on congress.gov
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This bill died when the 117th Congress ended
It never became law before the 117th Congress (2021–2022) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Feb 25, 2021
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Feb 25, 2021
Introduced in Senate
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

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).

What's happening now February 25, 2021

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

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
 Cosponsors 1
All 1 Republican 1
R
Ernst, Joni
Iowa · Feb 25, 2021
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 489: Federal Employees and Retirees with Delinquent Tax Debt Initiative (FERDI) Act. 117th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/117-S-489/
MLA
"S. 489: Federal Employees and Retirees with Delinquent Tax Debt Initiative (FERDI) Act." 117th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/117-S-489/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 489, 117th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/117-S-489/.
Markdown link
[S. 489: Federal Employees and Retirees with Delinquent Tax Debt Initiative (FERDI) Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/117-S-489/)
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