September 11, 2025
Ms. Ernst (for herself, Mrs. Blackburn, and Mr. Lee) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
To require the heads of agencies to establish a policy with respect to the deactivation of charge cards of employees separating from the agency, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Deactivating and Eliminating Cards Linked to Inactive or Nonexistent Employees Act
or the DECLINE Act
.
Sec. 2. Deactivation of charge cards upon employee separation
(a) Definitions
In this section:
(1) Agency
The term agency has the meaning given the term in section 5701 of title 5, United States Code.
(2) Charge card
The term charge card means a purchase card, travel card, or other form of Federal Government payment card—
(A)
issued by an agency; and
(B)
assigned to an employee of an agency.
(3) Covered individual
The term covered individual—
(A)
means an individual who is discharged, separates, retires, or otherwise ceases employment with an agency; and
(B)
includes an individual who, before the discharge, separation, or cease of employment described in subparagraph (A), held—
(i)
a position described in section 5312, 5313, 5314, or 5315 of title 5, United States Code;
(ii)
a noncareer Senior Executive Service position, as defined in section 3132(a) of title 5, United States Code; and
(iii)
a position in the executive branch of a confidential or policy-determining character described in schedule C of subpart C of part 213 of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations.
(b) Policy
Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the chief financial officer or the functional equivalent officer of each agency, in consultation with the chief human capital officer or the functional equivalent of each agency, shall establish and implement a policy requiring that, as part of the official separation process from the agency of a covered individual and with respect to any charge card assigned to the covered individual—
(1)
the covered individual returns the charge card to the agency;
(2)
personnel of the agency physically secure the charge card;
(3)
the covered individual remove the charge card from any digital wallet or electronic device owned by the covered individual or issued to the covered individual in connection with the employment of the covered individual at the agency;
(4)
appropriate agency personnel immediately deactivate the charge card and close or suspend the account associated with the charge card in accordance with agency procedures; and
(5)
appropriate agency personnel report the charge card to the issuing financial institution as no longer valid for use or reissuance in connection with the covered individual.
(c) GAO review of agency compliance
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of Representatives a report that includes—
(1)
the number of charge cards issued and deactivated by each agency;
(2)
the extent to which agencies have established internal controls to monitor charge card use and address misuse, fraud, or redundant card issuance;
(3)
the status of the implementation of subsection (b) by each agency;
(4)
the total amount each agency paid in charge card late fees during the preceding 1-year period; and
(5)
the extent to which agencies submit required management reports through the electronic access system of the bank with which the agency has a contract, including a summary of the report data of selected agencies, such as account activity, disputes, and unusual spending patterns.