Hatch Act Enforcement Transparency and Accountability Act

HR 7835, the Hatch Act Enforcement Transparency and Accountability Act, requires the Office of Special Counsel to increase transparency in enforcing the Hatch Act, which restricts political activities by federal employees. The bill mandates annual reports to Congress detailing covered allegations against noncareer employees (political appointees), including anonymized demographic data (race, sex, etc.) and explanations for decisions not to pursue enforcement actions. It also requires publishing on the Special Counsel’s website, for at least 10 years, anonymized statistics on enforcement actions against both career and noncareer employees, organized by fiscal year. The law directly affects federal noncareer employees, the Special Counsel, and Congress through new reporting obligations.