I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 6462 
To retain Federal employees who are spouses of a member of the Armed 
Forces or the Foreign Service when relocating due to an involuntary 
transfer, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 21, 2023 
Ms. CROCKETT (for herself, Mr. BACON, Ms. HOULAHAN, Mr. WITTMAN, Mr. 
RASKIN, Mr. BERGMAN, Ms. ESCOBAR, Mr. HUDSON, Mr. PANETTA, Mr. 
NEWHOUSE, Ms. JACOBS, Mr. GALLAGHER, Mr. TRONE, and Mrs. 
KIGGANS of Virginia) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Oversight and Accountability 
A BILL 
To retain Federal employees who are spouses of a member 
of the Armed Forces or the Foreign Service when relo-
cating due to an involuntary transfer, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Resilient Employment 
and Authorization Determination to Increase the National 
Employment of Serving Spouses Act’’ or the ‘‘READI-
NESS Act’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:12 Nov 28, 2023
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6462.IH
H6462
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with BILLS
SEC. 2. FLEXIBILITIES FOR FEDERAL EMPLOYEES WHO 
ARE ARMED FORCES OR FOREIGN SERVICE 
SPOUSES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 30 calendar days 
after receiving a request from a covered individual, the 
head of the agency or instrumentality of the Federal Gov-
ernment employing such covered individual shall— 
(1) authorize such covered individual to work 
remotely full-time if the head determines that the 
duties of such covered individual do not require reg-
ular physical presence of the covered individual in 
the workplace; 
(2) transfer the covered individual to a position 
of equal grade, as qualified, in the agency or instru-
mentality in the commuting area of the new perma-
nent duty location of the spouse of such covered in-
dividual; 
(3) transfer the covered individual to a remote 
position of equal grade, as qualified, in the agency 
or instrumentality; or 
(4) in the case of a covered individual who is 
not authorized or able to be transferred under para-
graph (1), (2), or (3), place the covered individual 
into a nonpay status for the greater of— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:12 Nov 28, 2023
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6462.IH
H6462
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with BILLS
(A) the duration of the service of the 
spouse of the covered individual at such perma-
nent duty location; or 
(B) the period of 36 consecutive months 
following the permanent change of station. 
(b) NON-ENCUMBERED NONPAY STATUS.—A posi-
tion held by a covered individual placed into nonpay status 
under this section shall not be considered encumbered, and 
may be backfilled by a permanent employee. 
(c) REPORTS.— 
(1) AGENCY REPORTS TO OPM.—Not later than 
October 1 of each of the first five fiscal years after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the head of 
each agency or instrumentality of the Federal Gov-
ernment shall submit to the Director of the Office 
of Personnel Management— 
(A) a list of each request received by such 
head under subsection (a) during the imme-
diately preceding fiscal year; and 
(B) which action was taken by the head 
under such subsection with respect to such a re-
quest. 
(2) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than Oc-
tober 15 of each of the first five fiscal years after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:12 Nov 28, 2023
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6462.IH
H6462
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with BILLS
shall provide a report to Congress detailing the in-
formation received under paragraph (1), sorted by 
agency or instrumentality. 
(d) COVERED INDIVIDUAL DEFINED.—In this sec-
tion, the term ‘‘covered individual’’ means an individual— 
(1) who is the spouse of a member of the 
Armed Forces (as defined in section 2101 of title 5, 
United States Code) or the Foreign Service; 
(2) who is an employee of an agency or instru-
mentality of the Federal Government; and 
(3) who relocates because such member receives 
a permanent change of station or change in home-
port of a vessel, ship-based squadron or staff, or mo-
bile unit. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:12 Nov 28, 2023
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H6462.IH
H6462
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with BILLS