Federal Daily News
Union calls for restoration of full mass transit benefit
A federal employee union ramped up calls for Congress to approve a legislation that would establish parity between the parking and mass transit portions of the employee transportation subsidy benefit. The benefit allows commuters to set aside pre-tax dollars to pay for those commuting expenses.
In testimony submitted to the Senate Finance Committee, National Treasury Employees Union President Colleen Kelley told lawmakers that “it makes no sense for the government to provide workers using environmentally helpful mass transit a lesser benefit than those driving and parking their personal vehicles.”
The union supports S. 1034, the Commuter Benefits Equity Act (S. 1034), introduced by Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), which would establish parity between the two portions of the commuter benefit. NTEU said it also would support inclusion of such a measure as part of any other package of tax extension legislation.
Parity between the two parts of the benefit ended Dec. 31 when Congress failed to continue the mass transit portion at $230 per month, reverting instead to a $125 per month maximum. At the same time, the parking benefit increased from $230 to $240 per month on Jan. 1.