Streamlining the Presidential Transition Process (S. 1172)

What is S. 1172?

(Updated April 19, 2018)

This bill was enacted on March 18, 2016

This bill seeks to streamline the Presidential transition process by ensuring that a senior-level, White House-led interagency transition council is in place at least six months before Election Day. It also requires a working-level interagency group to develop an integrated transition strategy.

A career employee at the General Services Administration (GSA) would serve as a Federal Transition Coordinator, and the GSA would continue to provide office space and support to the major presidential candidates.

Federal agencies would be required designate employees to serve in an “acting” capacity in senior political positions during a transition before September 15 in a presidential election year.

Incoming presidential appointees would have expanded training made available to them.

Argument in favor

Anything to make the presidential transition process smoother should be done. The federal government is enormously complex, and this is a nonpartisan issue.

Argument opposed

Recent presidential transitions haven’t gone that badly without these councils and working groups -- is this really necessary?

Impact

Federal employees involved in the presidential transition process, presidential campaigns, the interagency transition council and working group, and voters.

Cost of S. 1172

A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.

Additional Info

In-Depth: A study done by the Partnership for Public Service found that preparing for the presidential transition needs to begin well before Election Day. It also suggested that a new President should have nominees for national security and economic positions vetted and ready for confirmation immediately after the election, and that political appointees need additional training.