Federal Daily - October 26, 2009

Senate Passes Defense Bill that Eliminates NSPS

The Senate on Oct. 22 passed and sent to President Obama the Fiscal Year 2010 National Defense Authorization Act, which includes a range of major provisions affecting federal pay and benefits. The Senate passed the bill, H.R. 2647, on a 68-29 vote. Among other things, the bill requires all employees under the National Security Personnel System to be transitioned back to the General Schedule by Jan. 1, 2012, and authorizes a 3.4 percent pay raise for troops. In addition, the bill contains provisions to allow federal agencies to re-employ federal retirees on a limited, part-time basis without penalty; to permit Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) workers to credit their unused sick leave toward retirement; to remove provisions in the Civil Service Retirement System which penalize employees who work part-time toward the end of their careers; and to extend locality pay to federal employees working in Alaska, Hawaii and the U.S. territories. The FERS sick-leave provision will be phased in over four years, with a 50 percent credit through Dec. 31, 2013, and a 100 percent credit beginning Jan. 1, 2014. National Treasury Employees Union President Colleen Kelley applauded the Senate vote and urged Obama to quickly sign the measure. To see more, go to: www.nteu.org/PressKits/PressRelease/PressRelease.aspx?ID=1493.

:: Back to Top ::

VA Expands Veterans Appeals Board

The Department of Veterans Affairs on Oct. 21 announced the addition of four new veterans law judges to the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (BVA), which is intended to help the board increase the number of cases it reviews. The board currently has 60 such judges. BVA hears complaints from veterans, dependents and survivors who are not satisfied with decisions about claims for benefits administered by VA. BVA reviews decisions on benefit claims made by local VA offices and issues decisions on appeals. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2008, the board decided 43,757 appeals; in FY 2009, it heard 48,804 cases. Most cases involve claims for disability compensation and pensions. “We must foster a responsive approach when we consider veterans,” VA Secretary Eric  Shinseki said. “Reducing the backlog of benefits decisions and waiting times is essential to providing our veterans and their families with the service they deserve.” To see more, go to: http://www1.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=1802.

:: Back to Top ::