Federal Manager's Daily Report

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Legislation (HR-7864) newly offered in the House would reauthorize and make several operating changes in the Merit Systems Protection Board, which has been largely sidelined throughout the Trump administration by a lack of a quorum—and since early 2019 the lack of any members—on its three-member governing board.

The backlog of employee appeals now is approaching 3,000, according to sponsor Reps. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., and Gerald Connolly, D-Va., who head the House Oversight and Reform Committee and its government operations subcommittee.

While the measure would not directly impact the status of the governing board—three nominees who cleared the Senate committee level a year ago still are waiting a floor vote, reportedly held up by objections from one or more Democrats there—the bill would reauthorize MSPB through 2026.

It also would expand the Board’s research and study authority, allowing it to conduct surveys of federal employees that can then be used to improve merit system principles and require administrative judges and other qualifying employees to undergo whistleblower engagement training.

The measure has the backing of numerous federal employee unions and good-government organizations.

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2022 Federal Employees Handbook