# 119-s-357: Federal Freeze Act

119-s-357, Federal Freeze Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Blackburn, Marsha [R-TN] (R-TN); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-04-22).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-357
- As of: 2026-04-22
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-357
- Congress: 119
- Title: Federal Freeze Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-02-03
- Sponsor: Sen. Blackburn, Marsha [R-TN] (R-TN)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Policy area: unknown
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-04-22

## Summary

**Limits federal workforce growth and pay while forcing staged staff cuts.** The Federal Freeze Act would impose a one-year freeze on federal hiring and pay and require agencies to reduce their workforce over a three-year period, with narrow exceptions for security and emergency roles. - Federal employees and job seekers would face a one-year bar on pay increases and a tightened hiring climate. Agencies must shrink headcount to 2% below each agency's baseline by two years and to 5% below baseline by three years. - Agency leaders must plan and carry out mandatory reductions to meet those targets. They may exempt employees they determine are essential for law enforcement, public safety, or national security, or for responding to Stafford Act emergencies. - Workers in law enforcement, public safety, national security, and designated emergency responders could still be hired during the freeze and exempted from counting toward required reductions, preserving those roles despite broader cuts.

## Provisions PRIA read

- Federal hiring, pay freeze and cuts: cost, high. If enacted, this bill would stop most federal hiring and pay raises for one year starting on the enactment date. Agencies could still hire people needed for law enforcement, public safety, national security, or to respond to a Stafford Act emergency. Each agency must cut staff to 2% below its basel…

## Related bills

- 119-s-4744: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act
- 119-s-3597: National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act of 2026
- 119-s-2142: GOLDEN DOME Act of 2025
- 119-s-2438: Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act
- 119-s-4952: Protecting American Taxpayers Act
- 119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act

## Sources
- [119-s-357 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/357)

## Related
- [119-s-4744: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4744)
- [119-s-3597: National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3597)
- [119-s-2142: GOLDEN DOME Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2142)
- [119-s-2438: Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2438)
- [119-s-4952: Protecting American Taxpayers Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4952)
- [119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1748)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-357 (as of 2026-04-22).