August 5, 2025
Mr. Whitesides (for himself, Mr. Garcia of California, Mr. Horsford, Ms. Stevens, and Mr. Landsman) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on Oversight and Government Reform, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
To protect the integrity, impartiality, and independence of Federal statistical agencies by establishing fixed terms and for-cause removal protections for the heads of such agencies.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Statistical Agency Integrity and Independence Act of 2025
.
Sec. 2. Findings and purpose
(a) Findings
Congress finds the following:
(1)
The people of the United States, its financial markets, its businesses, and its policymakers rely on the timely, credible, and impartial data produced by Federal statistical agencies to make informed decisions.
(2)
The credibility of Federal statistics depends on public confidence that the data are produced by agencies that are free from political influence, manipulation, or censorship.
(3)
The heads of the principal Federal statistical agencies serve as the chief stewards of this public trust, and their professional independence is paramount.
(4)
Structures that grant operational and decisional independence, such as those established for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, provide a proven model for insulating critical government functions from short-term political pressures.
(b) Purpose
The purpose of this Act is to strengthen public trust in Federal statistics by insulating the leadership of principal statistical agencies from political interference through the establishment of fixed terms of office, staggered appointments, and clear, for-cause protections against arbitrary removal.
Sec. 3. Definitions
In this Act:
(1) Covered Statistical Agency
The term Covered Statistical Agency means each of the following:
(A)
The Bureau of the Census, Department of Commerce.
(B)
The Bureau of Labor Statistics, Department of Labor.
(C)
The National Center for Education Statistics, Department of Education.
(D)
The Bureau of Justice Statistics, Department of Justice.
(2) Head of a covered statistical agency
The term Head of a Covered Statistical Agency means the Director, Commissioner, or Administrator who is the highest-ranking official of a Covered Statistical Agency.
Sec. 4. Appointment and term of office of heads of covered statistical agencies
(a) Appointment
The Head of each Covered Statistical Agency shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.
(b) Term
The term of office for the Head of a Covered Statistical Agency shall be six years. The terms shall be staggered to ensure that no more than two such terms expire in any given calendar year.
(c) Service after expiration of term
The Head of a Covered Statistical Agency may continue to serve after the expiration of their term until a successor has been appointed and confirmed.
(d) Vacancy
Any individual appointed to fill a vacancy in the office of the Head of a Covered Statistical Agency occurring before the expiration of the term for which their predecessor was appointed shall be appointed for a full term of six years.
Sec. 5. Removal from office
(a) Standard for removal
The President may remove the Head of a Covered Statistical Agency only for cause.
(b) Definition of cause
For the purposes of this section, the term for cause
shall mean proven inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office. A determination of cause may not be based on the substance, conclusions, or timing of any statistical data, report, or release prepared by the agency.
Sec. 6. Guarantees of professional independence
(a) Final authority
The Head of a Covered Statistical Agency shall have final and unencumbered authority over the professional and technical decisions of the agency, including:
(1)
The methodologies, procedures, and scientific processes used to collect and analyze data.
(2)
The content of all statistical reports, press releases, and other official publications.
(3)
The timing and scheduling of the release of statistical data, which shall be made public in advance and may only be altered for technical, non-political reasons, with any such alteration being accompanied by a public, written explanation.
(b) Personnel
No political test or qualification shall be used in the appointment, evaluation, or promotion of any professionally qualified employee of a Covered Statistical Agency.
Sec. 7. Transition provisions
(a) Initial staggered terms
To establish the staggered terms required by section 4(b), the initial appointments made under this Act shall be for terms of varying lengths as determined by the President, provided that:
(1)
The first three appointments shall be for a term of six years.
(2)
The next four appointments shall be for a term of four years.
(3)
The remaining three appointments shall be for a term of two years.
(4)
All subsequent appointments shall be for a full term of six years as prescribed in section 4(b).
Sec. 8. Severability
If any provision of this Act, or the application of such provision to any person or circumstance, is held to be unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act and the application of the remaining provisions to any other person or circumstance shall not be affected.