From the Hill

Recent legislative initiatives affecting federal employee rights, pay, benefits and retirement, as well as programmatic changes.
Title Published Date Author
Senate Passes Whistleblower Protection Bill 11 May 2012 FEDmanager
Senate Passes Resolution to Recognize Government Employees; Congressional Reception to be Held at Capitol this Wednesday 08 May 2012 FEDmanager
House Panel Approves Federal Pension Increase 01 May 2012 FEDmanager
House Panel Approves Partial Retirement for Feds 24 April 2012 FEDmanager
Legislators Return to Budget Agenda; Feds Continue to Face Proposed Pay Freeze, Cuts 17 April 2012 FEDmanager
Twenty Lawmakers Sign on to Domestic Partnership Benefits Bill 10 April 2012 FEDmanager
New Bill Features SES Reform, Improvements to SES Pay and Performance Management System 03 April 2012 FEDmanager
Congress Votes to Require Public Financial Disclosure for Top Federal Officials 27 March 2012 FEDmanager
Senate Passes Phased Retirement Legislation; Bill now heads to House 20 March 2012 FEDmanager
Senate Votes Down Amendment that would have Extended Pay Freeze through 2013 13 March 2012 FEDmanager
House Questions OPM on Fellows Program Mishap 06 March 2012 FEDmanager
House Severs Federal Pension Provisions from Highway Bill 28 February 2012 FEDmanager
Congress Votes to Extend Payroll Tax Holiday, Increase Pension Contributions for New Feds 21 February 2012 FEDmanager
Provisions in House Bill that would Increase Federal Employees’ Pension Contributions Heads to Floor this Week 14 February 2012 FEDmanager
OPM Introduces New Plans to Eliminate Retirement Processing Backlog in Senate Hearing 07 February 2012 FEDmanager
House Subcommittee Debates Federal Retirement Benefit Cuts 31 January 2012 FEDmanager
Congress Reaches Agreement on FAA Temporary Funding Extension 24 January 2012 FEDmanager
Congress in Recess 17 January 2012 FEDmanager
Obama Signs Law to Encourage Agencies to Hire More Federal Interns for Permanent Positions 10 January 2012 FEDmanager
House Passes Temporary Extension of Payroll Tax Cut 03 January 2012 FEDmanager
House to Vote on Senate-passed Bill Extending Payroll Tax Cut 20 December 2011 FEDmanager
Congress Passes Bill to Honor Fallen Feds with Flags 13 December 2011 FEDmanager
Senate Rejects Federal Pay Freeze Extension and Downsizing Bill 06 December 2011 FEDmanager
House to Vote on FECA Modification Bill 29 November 2011 FEDmanager
Lawmakers Question OPM on Meeting its Core Mission in Tuesday Hearing 22 November 2011 FEDmanager
Congress Could Approve FY12 Spending Measures for Several Agencies This Week 15 November 2011 FEDmanager
House Committee Approves Bill to Reduce Federal Workforce through Attrition 08 November 2011 FEDmanager
Flags for Fallen Federal Employees 01 November 2011 FEDmanager
Senate in Recess 25 October 2011 FEDmanager
Hatch Act Reforms Proposed 18 October 2011 FEDmanager
Sen. Introduces Bill Aimed at Reforming Federal Hiring Process 11 October 2011 FEDmanager
Legislation Introduced to Allow Sick Leave Transfer, Short Term Disability 04 October 2011 FEDmanager
Legislation Introduced to Cut Federal Workforce Through Attrition 27 September 2011 FEDmanager
Super Committee Continues To Look for Ways to Cut the Deficit 20 September 2011 FEDmanager
Civilian Service Recognition Bill Stalled in Congress 13 September 2011 FEDmanager
Congress Returns This Week, Super Committee Holds First Meeting 06 September 2011 FEDmanager
Congress in Recess Until September 23 August 2011 FEDmanager
Legislation Introduced to Cut Size of Federal Workforce 16 August 2011 FEDmanager
Workers Comp Reform Bill Discussed at Hearing 02 August 2011 FEDmanager
Debt Ceiling Legislation Introduced in House and Senate 26 July 2011 FEDmanager
House Committee Passes Federal Workers' Compensation Act 19 July 2011 FEDmanager
House Appropriations Committee Releases FY 2012 Commerce and Justice Budget 12 July 2011 FEDmanager
Legislation Promotes Rotational Assignments for DHS and Other Security Positions 05 July 2011 FEDmanager
Legislation Introduced to Reform Postal Service 28 June 2011 FEDmanager
Debt Ceiling Talks Continue with Lawmakers and the Administration 21 June 2011 FEDmanager
Lawmaker Holds Hearing on Federal Asset Management 14 June 2011 FEDmanager
GOP Introduces Plan to Cut Federal Workforce 07 June 2011 FEDmanager
House Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Size of Federal Workforce 31 May 2011 FEDmanager
"Rightsizing the Federal Workforce" Hearing Scheduled for Thursday 24 May 2011 FEDmanager
Bill Introduced to Cut $5 Billion in Duplicative and Overlapping Federal Programs 17 May 2011 FEDmanager

Have Some Fun Courtesy of GEICO!

Being a federal employee has its benefits, and GEICO is making it that much easier to love being a federal employee by bringing feds discounted Nationals tickets and the 2012 Funniest Fed Competition.

Join the Nationals on select dates for a $10.00 Nats Bucks food credit for attendees with a federal employee ID, courtesy of GEICO. (Limited to the first 150 who show their work ID at the GEICO Racing Presidents Photo Station Area).

PURCHASE NATS TICKETS

And for a few laughs, join GEICO at the 2012 Funniest Fed Competition, a series of comedy shows where federal employees and members of the military perform original standup routines in front of live, voting audiences in an effort to nab the title of "D.C.'s Funniest Federal Employee." 

PURCHASE FUNNIEST FED TICKETS

FLTCIP Open Season Results

More than 48,000 Apply

Federal Long Term Care Partners has released the results of the 2011 Open Season for the Federal Long Term Insurance Program (FLTCIP), Long Term Care Partners recently said, which has been heralded “a complete success.” More than 45,000 individuals were approved for enrollment during the 2011 FLTCIP Open Season, bringing FLTCIP’s total enrollment to more than 270,000, an increase of 20 percent.

The majority of 2011 applicants ultimately opted for one of FLTCIP’s pre-packaged plans. The most popular plans were those with a Daily Benefit Amount of $150 or $200 per day and a Benefit Period of three years – a good match for the average national cost and duration of long term care services, Long Term Care said.

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From the Hill

Senate Passes Whistleblower Protection Bill

The U.S. Senate unanimously approved last week the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2011 (S.743), which would strengthen protections for government whistleblowers.

The legislation was introduced by Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce and the District of Columbia.

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Educate Yourself

Bring an OmniGov Course to Your Agency

There are numerous discussions taking place on Capitol Hill regarding federal employees and cuts to agency budgets. Federal employees have more pressure to deliver an effective and efficient government and do more with less. Federal employees need the training and tools to do their jobs well or they won't be able to meet this demand.

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Case Law Update

Reliance on Charge not Contained in Notice of Proposed Removal Constitutes Due Process Violation, Board Rules

An agency violated an employee’s due process rights when the deciding official relied on the recommended penalty for a charge not contained in the notice of proposed removal, the Merit Systems Protection Board (“the Board”) recently ruled.

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Coached

Dealers in Hope

No matter your opinion of Napoleon Bonaparte, he was, without question, one of the best motivational leaders in the last 500 years. After destroying his army in Russia and being exiled to Elba he was able to raise a new army that threatened European Nobility for a second time. Even his enemies admired his ability to see beyond the moment and inspire the minds of those who would follow him. When Lord Wellington was asked who the best general of all time was, he responded, “undeniably, Napoleon Bonaparte.” To this day, we are still influenced by his genius in small and large ways. The suit coats men and women put on every day have buttons at the end of their sleeves. This superfluous item of fashion, invented by Napoleon, was designed to prevent troops from wiping their nose with their sleeve. And yet this minor invention of hygiene remains with us today. But our greatest lesson from Napoleon Bonaparte was his skill in leadership, a word not yet invented.

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This Week on FEDTalk

A 101 on Retirement Benefits and Insurance Options for Federal Employees

With all the talk on the Hill and at the Office of Personnel Management on federal workers’ insurance and retirement benefits options, it could be hard to understand how the different initiatives or legislative proposals will affect federal employees.

This Friday, host Bill Bransford will be joined by Joan Melanson from Long Term Care Partners and federal retirement benefits specialist James Marshall for an in-depth look at and breakdown of the various retirement and insurance options out there for federal employees.

 

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