The Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA) is the workers' compensation system for federal employees. Every civilian employee of the federal government, including employees of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, is covered by FECA, as are several other groups, including federal jurors and Peace Corps volunteers. The FECA program is authorized in statute at 5 U.S.C. Sections 8101 et seq . Regulations implementing the FECA are provided at 20 C.F.R. Sections 10.00-10.826. The FECA program is administered by the Department of Labor (DOL), Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP). Benefits under FECA are paid out of the federal Employees' Compensation Fund. This fund is financed by appropriations from Congress that are used to pay current FECA benefits and that are ultimately reimbursed by federal agencies through the chargeback process. Each quarter OWCP provides to all federal agencies with employees receiving FECA benefits an estimate of the cost of these benefits to assist these agencies in preparing their budget requests. By August 15 of each year, OWCP sends each agency a statement of their FECA costs for the previous fiscal year. Each agency must include in its next budget request an appropriation to cover its FECA costs for the previous fiscal year. Upon receiving this appropriation, or if a non-appropriated entity of the government, by October 15, the agency must reimburse the Employees' Compensation Fund for the costs of the FECA benefits provided to its employees. Th e administrative costs associated with the FECA program are provided to the DOL through the appropriations process. In addition, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and certain other non-appropriated entities of the federal government are required to pay for the "fair share" of the costs of administering benefits for their employees. During the period between July 1, 2014, and June 30, 2015 (the chargeback year), the FECA program paid out $3.117 billion in benefits, including approximately $1.889 billion in disability benefits, $1.075 billion in medical benefits, and $156 million in benefits to the survivors of federal employees killed on the job. Table 1 provides data on FECA benefit costs. The FECA program covers all civilians employed by the federal government, including employees in the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the government. Both full-time and part-time workers are covered, as are most volunteers and all persons serving on federal juries. Coverage is also extended to certain groups, including state and local law enforcement officers acting in a federal capacity, federal jurors, Peace Corps volunteers, students participating in Reserve Officer Training Corps programs, and members of the Coast Guard Auxiliary and Civil Air Patrol. Under FECA, workers' compensation benefits are paid to any covered employee for any disability or death caused by any injury or illness sustained during the employee's work for the federal government. There is no list of covered conditions nor is there a list of conditions that are not covered. However, no injury, illness, or death may be compensated by FECA if the condition was caused by the willful misconduct of the employee; caused by the employee's intention to bring about the injury or death of himself or another person; or proximately caused by the intoxication of the employee. In addition, any person convicted of a felony related to the fraudulent application for or receipt of FECA benefits forfeits his or her rights to all FECA benefits for any injury that occurred on or before the date of conviction. The benefits of any person confined in jail, prison, or an institution pursuant to a felony conviction are suspended for the duration of the incarceration and may not be recovered. All FECA claims are processed and adjudicated by OWCP. Initial decisions on claims are made by OWCP staff based on evidence submitted by the claimant and his or her treating physician. The law also permits OWCP to order a claimant or beneficiary to submit to a medical examination from a doctor contracted to the federal government. An employee dissatisfied with a claims decision may request a hearing before OWCP or an OWCP review of the record of its decision. A final appeal can be made to the Employees' Compensation Appeals Board (ECAB). The decision of the ECAB is final, cannot be appealed, and is not subject to judicial review. In general, a claim for disability or death benefits under FECA must be made within three years of the date of the injury or death. In the case of a latent disability, such as a condition caused by exposure to a toxic substance over time, the three-year time limit does not begin until the employee is disabled and is aware, or reasonably should be aware, that the disability was caused by his or her employment. In the case of a traumatic injury, an employee is eligible for continuation of pay. Continuation of pay is paid by the employing agency and is equal to 100% of the employee's rate of pay at the time of the traumatic injury. Since continuation of pay is considered salary and not compensation, it is taxed and subject to any deductions normally made against the employee's salary. Any lost work time beyond 45 days, or lost time due to a latent condition, is considered either a partial or total disability under FECA. Employees of the USPS must satisfy a three-day waiting period before becoming eligible for continuation of pay. If an employee is unable to work full-time at his or her previous job, but is able to work either part-time or at a job in a lower pay category, then he or she is considered partially disabled and eligible for the following compensation benefits: if the employee is single, a monthly benefit equal to two-thirds of the difference between the employee's pre-disability and post-disability monthly wage or if the employee has at least one dependent, a monthly benefit equal to 75% of the difference between the employee's pre-disability and post-disability monthly wage. The compensation benefits paid for partial disability are capped at 75% of the maximum basic pay at rate GS-15 (GS-15, step 10), are not subject to federal taxation, and are subject to an annual cost-of-living adjustment. Benefits are paid for the duration of the disability or the life of the beneficiary. If an employee's actual wages do not accurately represent his or her true wage-earning capacity, or if he or she has no wages, then his or her partial disability benefit is based on his or her wage-earning capacity as determined by OWCP using a combination of vocational factors and "degree of physical impairment." In cases in which an employee suffers a permanent partial disability, such as the loss of a limb, he or she is entitled to a scheduled benefit. The scheduled benefit is in addition to any other partial or total disability benefits received. An employee may receive a scheduled award even if he or she has returned to full-time work. The list of scheduled benefits is provided in the Appendix A to this report and for each type of permanent partial disability, an employee receives the standard FECA benefits for the number of weeks indicated. If an employee suffers a disfigurement of the face, head, or neck that is of such severity that it may limit his or her ability to secure or retain employment, the employee is entitled to up to $3,500 in additional compensation. If an employee is unable to work at all, then he or she is considered totally disabled and eligible for the following compensation benefits: if the employee is single, a monthly benefit equal to two-thirds of the employee's pre-disability monthly wage or if the employee has at least one dependent (including a spouse), a monthly benefit equal to 75% of the employee's pre-disability monthly wage. The compensation benefits paid for total disability are capped at 75% of the maximum basic pay at rate GS-15 (GS-15, step 10), are not subject to federal taxation, and are subject to an annual cost-of-living adjustment. Benefits are payable until it is determined that the employee is no longer totally disabled and may continue until the employee's death. If an employee dies in the course of employment or from a latent condition caused by his or her employment, the employee's survivors are eligible for the following compensation benefits: if the employee had a spouse and no children, then the spouse is eligible for a monthly benefit equal to 50% of the employee's monthly wage at the time of death or if the employee had a spouse and one or more children, then the spouse is eligible for a monthly benefit equal to 45% of the employee's monthly wage at the time of death and each child is eligible for a monthly benefit equal to 15% of the employee's monthly wage at the time of death, up to a maximum family benefit of 75% of the employee's monthly wage at the time of death. Special rules apply in cases in which an employee dies without a spouse or children or with only children. If a spouse remarries before the age of 55, then he or she is entitled to a lump-sum payment equal to 24 months of benefits, after which all benefits cease. If a spouse remarries at the age of 55 or older, benefits continue for life. A child's benefits end at the age of 18, or age 23 if the child is still in school. A child's benefits continue for life if the child is disabled and incapable of self-support. The compensation benefits paid for death are capped at 75% of the maximum basic pay at rate GS-15, are not subject to federal taxation, and are subject to an annual cost-of-living adjustment. The personal representative of the deceased employee is entitled to reimbursement, up to $200, of any costs associated with terminating the deceased employee's formal relationship with the federal government.