Federal Workers' Compensation Modernization and Improvement Act

Bill: 112-hr-2465
Sponsor: Rep. Kline, John [R-MN-2]
Introduced: 2011-07-08 in the House
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Allied health services
Conflicts and wars
Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad
Disability assistance
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Government trust funds
Health personnel
Nursing
Terrorism

Summary:
action_date: 2011-07-08
text: 
Federal Workers' Compensation Modernization and Improvement Act - Modifies the definition of &quot;medical, surgical, and hospital services and supplies&quot; under the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA) to include physician assistants and advanced practice nurses and to provide for the reimbursement for services provided by such assistants and nurses. Permits such assistants and nurses to certify disability due to traumatic injury during a continuation of pay period. 
 
Extends eligibility for compensation under FECA for disability or death resulting from an attack by a terrorist or terrorist organization.
 
Increases benefit amounts for funeral expenses and for workers who sustain an injury that results in a serious disfigurement of the face, head, or neck.
 
Authorizes the Secretary of Labor to require, as a condition of receiving compensation under FECA, a claimant to consent to the release by the Social Security Administration (SSA) of such claimant's social security earnings information. 
 
Provides for the continuation of pay of an employee who has filed a claim for wage loss due to a traumatic injury in a zone of armed conflict.

action_date: 2011-11-29
text: 
Federal Workers' Compensation Modernization and Improvement Act - Modifies the definition of "medical, surgical, and hospital services and supplies" under the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA) to include physician assistants and advanced practice nurses and to provide for the reimbursement for services provided by such assistants and nurses. Permits such assistants and nurses to certify disability due to traumatic injury during a continuation of pay period.
 
Extends eligibility for compensation under FECA for disability or death resulting from an attack by a terrorist or terrorist organization.
 
Allows additional FECA benefits, up to $50,000, for workers who sustain an injury that results in a serious disfigurement of the face, head, or neck.
 
Authorizes the Secretary of Labor to require, as a condition of receiving compensation under FECA, a claimant to consent to the release by the Social Security Administration (SSA) of such claimant's social security earnings information. 
 
Provides for the continuation of pay, for up to 135 days, of an employee who has filed a claim for wage loss due to a traumatic injury in a zone of armed conflict. Requires a claim for wage loss to be filed not later than 45 days following termination of assignment to the zone of armed conflict or return to the United States, whichever occurs later. Grants a right of subrogation to the United States for the continuation of pay of a federal employee.
 
Allows payment of up to $6,000 of funeral and burial expenses for deaths of federal employees that result from an injury sustained in the performance of duty.
 
Allows payment of administrative expenses from the Employees' Compensation Fund.
 
Provides for compliance of the budgetary effects of this Act with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-11-30
text: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2011-11-29
text: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
action_date: 2011-11-29
text: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H7908-7909)
action_date: 2011-11-29
text: Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H7908-7909)
action_date: 2011-11-29
text: DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 2465.
action_date: 2011-11-29
text: Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H7908-7916)
action_date: 2011-11-29
text: Mr. Walberg moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
action_date: 2011-07-13
text: Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.
action_date: 2011-07-13
text: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2011-07-08
text: Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
action_date: 2011-07-08
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-07-08
text: Introduced in House