New House bill aims to improve federal firefighters’ retirement benefits

To listen to the Federal Newscast on your phone or mobile device, subscribe on PodcastOne or iTunes.

• Two lawmakers said federal firefighters should be able to have mandatory overtime hours count toward their retirement. Reps. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) and Jackie Walorski (R-Ind.) introduced the Federal Firefighter Pay Equity Act. They said the bill would give about 15,000 firefighters pay and benefits comparable to state and local firefighters. The bill would include overtime hours in the formula used to calculate a federal firefighter’s annuity. (Rep. Gerry Connolly)

• Today is the day the Senate is set to vote on the 2018 Defense Authorization bill. It would authorize nearly $700 billion in military spending. The House version of the bill is already passed. Both bills still need to be reconciled in conference and then signed by the president if the Senate version passes. (Federal News Radio)

• Today is also a big day on Capitol Hill for a significant IT modernization bill. The Senate will decide today the immediate future of the bill to modernize federal technology. Senate lawmakers will determine if they will allow a third set of amendments to be attached to the Defense Authorization bill. If so, the Modernizing Government Technology (MGT) Act is expected to be one of those amendments. At the heart of the MGT Act is the ability of every agency to establish working capital funds to retain money saved from getting rid of legacy IT systems. The House passed the MGT Act as a standalone bill in May. (Federal News Radio)

• In an effort to boost cyber hiring, the government will be hosting its first-ever governmentwide federal tech-and-cyber hiring and recruitment event. The General Services Administration announced it will take place Nov. 6-7 at the Silver Spring Civic Building in Maryland. Over 20 agencies will be there looking to fill a wide range of positions, including data architects, computer scientists, cyber analysts, engineers, mathematicians, and project managers. (Federal News Radio)

• A proposed bipartisan bill would require the Defense Department to assess the security of the nation’s electrical grid. Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass. ) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) introduced the Securing the Electric Grid to Protect Military Readiness Act. Under the legislation, DoD would have to issue a one-time report on significant security risks to the national electric grid and the effects of those risks on military readiness. Along with the report, the secretary of defense would have to work with the heads of other agencies to recommend solutions for any security risks the report identifies. (Sen. Elizabeth Warren)

• The Homeland Security Department is opening up its Surge Capacity Force to federal employees at other Cabinet agencies. Acting DHS Secretary Elaine Duke issued an internal memo to Cabinet secretaries, asking agencies spread the word. The Surge Capacity Force lets non-FEMA employees volunteer for a maximum of 45 days during declared disasters.

• More help is needed by the Small Business Administration for its continued hurricane response. SBA has put out the call for temporary positions including loan specialists, IT specialists, damage verifiers and lawyers. Locations include Dallas, Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; and Buffalo, New York. The temporary employment ends Dec. 31. (Small Business Administration)

• The Do Not Pay List has gotten longer. The Office of Management and Budget has proposed adding six databases to the list, which is part of the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Improvement Act. The proposed designations include the IRS’ Automatic Revocation of Exemption List, Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control’s Specially Designated Nationals List and some data from registration records under GSA’s System for Award Management. (Federal Register)

• The Justice Department cuts back a program for local police departments. Attorney General Jeff Sessions called it a course correction. The COPS-Office program was designed to improve relations between local police and the people in their jurisdictions. Under the Obama administration, it expanded the number of departments under investigation, and requiring a court-appointed monitor. Sessions said significant changes will return more control to local police, while ensuring Justice Department support for violent crime control. (Department of Justice)

Copyright © 2024 Federal News Network. All rights reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.