The bill is the host for multiple measures that Congress wants to complete before year’s end. Image: Frontpage/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffThe House has passed the final version of the annual DoD authorization bill, providing a 4.6 percent pay raise for military personnel and assumes that civilian employees of DoD will receive the same amount. The Senate is expected to pass it this week before sending to the White House for President Biden’s signature.
While that effectively is an endorsement of that figure for federal employees, the raise formally is determined through the appropriations process. Congress is on track to allow an average 4.6 percent raise, with some variation by locality, to take effect by default since it has remained silent on the issue throughout the year.
House language to provide an additional raise to both military and civilian personnel paid less than $45,000, which the Biden White House opposed, was dropped.
Also dropped was House language that would have put TSA screeners under standard civil service policies including for purposes of pay and union representation rights.
The bill meanwhile is the host for a number of other measures including a water policy bill and authorization measures for the intelligence community, State Department and Coast Guard.
It also would revoke the administration’s Coronavirus vaccine mandate for military personnel, but not the one for federal employees. That mandate is currently not being enforced due to a court injunction in a case still pending before a federal appeals court.
The bill also:
* Continues several long-running special pay authorities for civilian employees assigned to overseas areas of military operations;
* Requires creating a standardized set of credentials for law enforcement employees across the department;
* Enhances special pay authorities for certain research and technology positions in DoD’s science and technology reinvention laboratories and extends through 2027 certain other special personnel authorities in DoD laboratories;
* Requires DoD to issue guidance “to promote consistency in policies relating to flexible workplace programs”;
* Expands eligibility of employees serving under time-limited appointments to compete for competitive service positions;
* Makes permanent a special hiring authority for spouses of military personnel;
* Extends through 2026 a rotation program between DoD and the private sector for cyber and other IT personnel;
* Orders a review of DoD’s cyber excepted service program.
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