Bill Overview
Title: FAUCI Act
Description: This bill broadens the scope of executive branch employees and officers whose financial disclosures are subject to automatic electronic publication by including highly compensated executive branch officers and employees. The bill also requires the Office of Government Ethics to provide public access to a list of highly compensated executive branch officers and employees who file confidential financial disclosures under existing law, including the specific types of information disclosed in the confidential report.
Sponsors: Rep. Gooden, Lance [R-TX-5]
Target Audience
Population: Highly compensated executive branch officers and employees
Estimated Size: 5000
- The bill targets executive branch employees and officers who are highly compensated.
- Financial disclosures of these individuals will be made public electronically, thus directly impacting their privacy and transparency requirements.
- This population includes top officials and high-level employees across various federal agencies and departments.
Reasoning
- The policy directly impacts highly compensated executive branch employees who have significant disclosure obligations. Most of the general public will not be directly impacted, but public trust in government transparency might be marginally influenced.
- Within the target group, the policy may influence individuals' approach to financial management and privacy concerns.
- The budget constraints and scope suggest moderate implementation costs focused primarily on technical and administrative updates for compliance.
- Highly compensated individuals are a small fraction of government employees, potentially reducing the direct impact on the general population.
Simulated Interviews
Senior Executive Service member (Washington, D.C.)
Age: 55 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 2/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I've always been fairly private about my finances, so I'm concerned about increased exposure.
- Transparency is important to maintain public trust, but this seems a bit too invasive.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 4 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 4 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 3 | 6 |
Financial Analyst at a Federal Reserve Bank (New York, NY)
Age: 38 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy seems aligned with my values of transparency in government.
- I'm not directly impacted but welcome the increased accountability.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Retired Senior Director from a Federal Agency (Atlanta, GA)
Age: 60 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- While retirement shields me from direct effects, knowing that current employees face increased scrutiny worries me.
- I'm concerned about my friends still in service and how this impacts their personal life.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
Top Federal Environmental Administrator (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 50 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 2/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I have always advocated for transparency, but the way it's structured worries me about my staff's morale.
- Balancing accountability with personal privacy will be challenging.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 6 |
Federal Judge (Chicago, IL)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 9
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I find this policy a progressive move towards more transparency.
- My position demands an impartial perspective, so seeing executive accountability being pushed is positive to me.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 9 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 9 |
Policy Advisor at a Federal Agency (Dallas, TX)
Age: 33 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This is a useful addition to policy, though as an advisor, it doesn't impact me directly.
- It strengthens government-people trust.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
High-level Executive in a Political Appointment (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 41 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 8.0 years
Commonness: 2/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Navigating the increased complexity of our roles with this added scrutiny can be stressful.
- Many peers are adjusting to the idea of losing some financial privacy.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 4 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 4 | 6 |
Energy Sector Federal Officer (Houston, TX)
Age: 46 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 2/20
Statement of Opinion:
- My concerns revolve around the breadth of exposure without suitable protection of sensitive data.
- Accountability is necessary, but so is privacy.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 7 |
Government Contract Specialist (Miami, FL)
Age: 29 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Although I'm not directly affected, witnessing the policy's impact on my colleagues has elicited mixed feelings about fairness.
- It seems to add needed trust but raises discomfort among senior members.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
Federal Communications Director (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 52 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 7.0 years
Commonness: 2/20
Statement of Opinion:
- From a communications standpoint, the policy complicates narrative control and places additional burden on transparency management.
- While we've built these narratives around trust, this heightens personal vulnerability.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 4 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 4 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 4 | 5 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $25000000 (Low: $20000000, High: $30000000)
Year 2: $20000000 (Low: $15000000, High: $25000000)
Year 3: $20000000 (Low: $15000000, High: $25000000)
Year 5: $15000000 (Low: $10000000, High: $20000000)
Year 10: $8000000 (Low: $5000000, High: $12000000)
Year 100: $4000000 (Low: $2000000, High: $7000000)
Key Considerations
- The policy enhances transparency and accountability within the executive branch but involves significant privacy concerns for those affected.
- Technological infrastructure requires robust cybersecurity measures to prevent data breaches.
- Determining the threshold for 'highly compensated' is crucial, as it influences the scope and scale of the policy's implementation costs.