2011 Issue Briefs

2011 Legislative Recommendations

Below is a copy of FMA's 2011 legislative Issue Briefs, divided into Federal Workforce Management and Investing in the Federal Workforce. 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 Assistant Katie Maddocks at kmaddocks@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.

Federal Workforce Management

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

• Congress should provide adequate funding to allow agencies to procure the resources and staffing levels necessary to serve the American public based on each agency’s established mission.

• Congress should pass all appropriations bills in a timely manner, enabling federal agencies and departments to provide the American public consistent service throughout the year.

• Congress should pass legislation allowing federal agencies to extend the probationary period for employees entering the civil service to two years.

• Congress should reform the current Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA) benefits structure to reduce the burden on agency budgets.

• To ensure federal agencies are able to procure supplies in a cost effective manner, Congress should permanently end the Federal Prison Industries’ (FPI) mandatory-sourcing status.

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

Investing in the Federal Workforce

• Congress should restore the practice of evaluating civil service pay adjustments on a yearly basis to account for evolving economic conditions, and should not extend the current pay freeze.

• Congress should consider establishing a Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) enrollment type of “Self Plus One” while preserving the core tenets of the FEHBP during any attempts to reform our health care system.

• 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 to establish equity by allowing federal retirees to pay their health insurance premiums out of pre-tax dollars.

• Congress should direct the Office of Personnel Management to offer a Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) Program with additional insurance options to cover the enrolled employee in retirement.

• Congress should pass legislation to repeal the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP).