Federal Security Overhaul Mandates Quarterly 'Secret Shopper' Tests for Contract Guards and Requires System Modernization

The Personnel Oversight and Shift Tracking Act of 2025 (POST Act) is essentially a major performance review for the private security guards hired to protect federal buildings. This bill mandates that the Federal Protective Service (FPS) tighten up its oversight within the next year, focusing on making sure these contract guards are actually doing the job they are paid for.

The Security 'Secret Shopper' Program Goes Official

Section 2 of the POST Act is where the rubber meets the road on accountability. It requires the FPS Director to standardize data collection from "covert tests"—think of these as secret shopper exercises where someone tests the security guards’ vigilance. Starting soon, the FPS must not only conduct these tests but also standardize how they record why a guard failed and what specific security weaknesses were exposed. For you, the taxpayer and potential visitor to a federal building, this means the security protecting government facilities should become more data-driven and effective, moving beyond simple box-checking. The FPS must review this covert testing data every quarter to spot patterns and fix systemic issues, rather than just treating each failure as a one-off problem.

Mandatory Training and a Tight Leash on Contractors

If a contract guard fails one of these covert tests, the bill mandates that the security company provide specific, mandatory training aimed at correcting that exact failure. The FPS Director then gets to play quality control, reviewing the company’s training plan to ensure it’s "good enough to prevent future failures." This is a significant change: it puts the FPS in the driver's seat regarding contractor performance and training, forcing security companies to invest in targeted improvement rather than generic refresher courses. While this should boost security, it also means security companies face a new layer of scrutiny and cost, which could eventually filter down to contract pricing.

Modernizing the Shift Tracker

Section 3 addresses a common operational headache: knowing who is supposed to be where. The FPS Director has 180 days to evaluate the current system used to track contract security staff availability. They then have to decide whether to replace the old system entirely or fix it up. The goal is to create a reliable system that can quickly and accurately notify building tenants—the people who actually work in or manage these federal facilities—whenever there is a shortage of security staff or a gap in coverage. For building managers and agency staff, this means better transparency and less guessing about who is protecting the building, allowing them to adjust their own security protocols when necessary.

Status Check: Contractor vs. Employee

Finally, Section 4 includes a "savings clause" that clarifies a key point: none of this new oversight changes the employment status of the contract guards. Even with all the new rules, mandatory training, and performance tracking, these individuals remain contractors under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and are not reclassified as federal employees. This provision is important because it maintains the existing contracting structure while still demanding higher performance standards.