Issue Briefs 2010

2010 Legislative Recommendations

Below is a copy of FMA's 2010 legislative Issue Briefs, divided into Investing in the Federal Workforce and Federal Workforce Management, along with a copy of the Association's Department of Defense specific issue brief. Please click on the titles for a full description of the issue. If you have any questions, please contact your chapter president or FMA Government Affairs Representative Karl Gruss at kgruss@fedmanagers.org. Thank you very much, and we look forward to continuing our commitment to provide you with the highest level of advocacy on Capitol Hill.

Investing in the Federal Workforce

• Congress should stand by the principle of pay parity in the 2011 pay raise.

• Congress should require that all non-General Schedule employees receive at least the average annual pay raise if they meet or exceed performance standards.

• Congress should require the Office of Personnel Management to offer a Federal Employee Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) enrollment type of “Self Plus One” which would cover the enrollee plus one eligible family member.

• Congress should preserve the integrity of the FEHBP during any and all attempts to reform the nation’s health care system.

• Congress should pass legislation, H.R. 1203/S. 491, to establish equity by allowing federal retirees to pay their health insurance premiums out of pre-tax dollars.

• Congress should pass legislation that provides the same tax benefits to federal civilian employees serving in combat zones as those given to military personnel and federal contractors.

• Congress should pass legislation, H.R. 235/S. 484, to repeal the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP).

Federal Workforce Management

• Congress should pass legislation, S. 674, to establish initial and ongoing mandatory training requirements for all supervisors across the federal government.

• Congress should not allow continuing resolutions to become standard by which it operates, and all appropriations bills should be passed in a timely manner.

• Congress should pass legislation to provide tax-free student loan repayments to federal employees in an effort to recruit and retain a highly skilled civil service workforce.

• Congress should act to reform the current General Schedule (GS) pay system to prevent federal employees from continuing to hit the pay cap.

• Congress should continue to oversee agencies’ usage of new management tools and should approve legislation to facilitate the recruitment and retention of talented employees, including the Telework Enhancement Act, S. 707.

• Congress should pass legislation that permanently ends the Federal Prison Industries’ (FPI) mandatory-sourcing status across the federal government.

National Security Personnel System Recommendations

For more information, contact Jessica Klement at (703) 683-8700 – jessica@fedmanagers.org