Federal Employee Return to Work Act

Bill: 119-s-27
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Cassidy, Bill [R-LA]
Introduced: 2025-01-07
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Commuting

Computers and information technology

Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Latest action: action_date: 2025-01-07
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Summaries:
action_date: 2025-01-07
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><strong>Federal Employee Return to Work Act</strong></p><p>This bill prohibits providing certain annual or locality-based&nbsp;pay increases to teleworking federal employees.</p><p>Currently, federal law mandates annual adjustments to General Schedule (GS) pay rates according to (1) a formula based on the annual percentage change in the Employment Cost Index (a measure of labor costs in the private sector); and (2) the difference between public and private sector pay rates in an employee's locality, if that difference exceeds 5%. For example, in 2025, the default annual rate of pay for a GS-7 (step 1) employee is $49,960; the adjusted annual rate of pay for a GS-7 (step 1) employee in the locality pay area that includes Washington, DC, is $57,164.&nbsp;</p><p>The bill makes executive agency employees who telework at least one&nbsp;day each week (or, in the case of an alternative work schedule, 20% or more each week) ineligible for these&nbsp;payments.</p><p>The bill is effective on the first day of the fiscal year beginning after the bill's enactment.&nbsp;</p>

tv_txt: II 119th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 27 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES January 7, 2025 Mr. Cassidy introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs A BILL To prohibit certain telework employees from receiving certain annual adjustments to pay schedules, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Federal Employee Return to Work Act . 2. Definitions In this Act: (1) Covered employee The term covered employee — (A) means an employee who teleworks not fewer than 1 day, or in the case of an alternative work schedule, not less than 20 percent, a week; and (B) does not include an employee who— (i) teleworks not fewer than 1 day a week; and (ii) is— (I) is disabled and receives reasonable accommodations; (II) a member of the Foreign Service of the United States; (III) a Federal law enforcement officer; (IV) a member of the Armed Forces on active duty; or (V) any other employee, the official worksite of whom is not described in section 531.605(a)(1) of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations (or any corresponding similar regulation or ruling). (2) Employee The term employee has the meaning given the term in section 2105 of title 5, United States Code. (3) Telework The term telework has the meaning given the term in section 6501 of title 5, United States Code. 3. Annual adjustments to pay schedules No covered employee may receive an annual adjustment under section 5303 of title 5, United States Code. 4. Pay localities Each covered employee shall be paid at the rate of basic pay under the applicable grade and step for that employee under the locality pay area designated as Rest of U.S. — (1) as of the date on which the employee becomes a covered employee; and (2) which shall not be adjusted under section 5304 of title 5, United States Code. 5. Effective date This Act shall take effect on the first day of the first full fiscal year beginning after the date of enactment of this Act.