The Senate has voted unanimously in favor of the Hatch Act Modernization Act to provide more flexibility in how the government’s limits in politicking in the workplace are applied.
The bill, S-2170, introduced by federal workforce subcommittee chair Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, will allow most state and local employees to run for partisan elective office, place executive branch and District of Columbia employees under provisions of the Hatch Act that apply to employees in other states or localities, and amend the Hatch Act’s penalty provisions for federal employees to allow a broader range of penalties.
It also will allow federal employees residing in the District of Columbia to run as independent candidates in partisan local elections – something that is already is permitted for other federal employees.
The Office of Special Counsel enforces the Act and asked for the reforms. It praised Senate passage of the bill and noted that it has bipartisan support in the House, which will now take it up for consideration.
