Civil Service Reform Measure Advances

The House Government Reform Committee has approved a measure to expand agency use of certain monetary incentives for employees while also allowing employees to receive compensatory time off for travel during off-duty hours and making certain other reforms. The bill (S-129), which already has cleared the Senate, was altered somewhat during committee voting to make it conform to the Senate version. That could ease passage of the measure, which likely will be the most substantial civil service bill to move through Congress this year. Several provisions were dropped, including one that would have made FERS annuities begin immediately on retirement rather than a month later.