Federal Daily - September 16, 2009

OPM Publishes Draft Rules Expanding Benefits for Domestic Partners

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) published two sets of draft rules in the Sept. 14 Federal Register that would extend to same-sex and opposite-sex domestic partners more of the benefits and privileges currently accorded to traditional opposite-sex married couples. Under one set of draft rules, OPM would change the definition of “qualified relative” in order to extend to same-sex domestic partners of federal employees eligibility for coverage under the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program. Under another set of draft rules, OPM would broaden the definition of “family member” and “immediate relative” to give federal employees with same-sex or opposite-sex domestic partners the use of sick leave, funeral leave, voluntary leave transfer, the voluntary leave bank and emergency leave transfer. Both sets of draft rules are the result of President Obama’s June 17 memorandum to OPM on federal benefits and nondiscrimination. OPM noted that the expanded benefits should make the federal government more competitive in recruiting and retaining highly qualified employees. “A majority of Fortune 500 companies and thousands of smaller companies already provide the same-sex domestic partners of their employees with access to a variety of insurance benefits that are available to other family members,” the notice said. Public comment deadline for both sets of proposed rules is Nov. 13. To see more, go to: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-22028.pdf (FLTCIP) or http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-22030.pdf (sick leave).

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TSOs Pitch Workplace Rights to Labor Secretary

Two American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) members met this week with Labor Secretary Hilda Solis and urged her to provide union rights for Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Transportation Security Officers (TSO), according to AFGE. TSOs Shawn Williams and Kim Kraynak shared with Solis their workplace experiences at TSA and stressed the need for collective bargaining rights for employees at the agency. AFGE said the meeting took place at the AFL-CIO convention, which is being held this week in Pittsburgh. TSOs currently are denied collective bargaining rights. “We only want what other federal employees—including those in the rest of the Department of Homeland Security—already have,” Williams said she told Solis. “We are not looking for special treatment.” Kraynak is AFGE Local 332 president and Williams is the chapter’s women’s coordinator. To see more, go to: www.afge.org/Index.cfm?Page=PressReleases&PressReleaseID=1043.

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VA to Conduct New Vietnam-Era Health Study

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) on Sept. 14 announced it will be launching a new study of the long-term health of servicemembers who served in the Vietnam War. The National Vietnam Veterans Longitudinal Study will examine the Vietnam generation’s physical and psychological health. The new study will supplement research already underway at VA, including studies on post-traumatic stress disorder and on the health of women Vietnam Veterans.  This study is a follow-up to a previous one that concluded in 1988, VA said. The agency already has begun work to solicit bids to conduct the study, which is expected to run from 2011 through 2013. “The insight we gain from this study will help give us an understanding of how to better serve America’s veterans.” said VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki. To see more, go to: http://www1.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=1766. 

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