Issues Agenda

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
2009 Legislative Recommendations

Investing in the Federal Workforce

• Congress should require that all employees receive at least the average annual pay raise if they meet or exceed performance standards, while supporting the principle of pay parity.

• Congress should pass legislation, S. 507, which extends the same benefits to employees in Alaska, Hawaii, and the U.S. Territories as other federal workers in the continental United States receive.

• Congress should pass legislation which would allow federal retirees to return to service part time without penalizing their pension.

• 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 to increase the federal government’s share of FEHBP premiums.

• 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, H.R. 958, reforming the current sick leave policy for federal employees enrolled in the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) to offer a credit for sick leave time accrued during service.

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

• Congress should act to reform the current General Schedule (GS) pay system to prevent GS-15s from continuing to hit the pay cap.

• Congress should continue to oversee agencies’ usage of new management tools, including telework initiatives, to facilitate the recruitment and retention of talented employees.

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

• 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.

Should you have any questions, please contact FMA's Government Affairs Department at 703-683-8700, or email FMA Government Affairs Assistant 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.