Spending Bills Have Personnel, Contracting Provisions

The Senate panel also has approved the Commerce-Justice-Science spending bill (S-3182), which urges EEOC to act more quickly in filling frontline investigator positions. The panel cited a GAO report finding a growing workload at the agency that it said threatens to compromise the agency’s work if enough staff is not in place. It directed EEOC to produce a report on what steps is taking to filling the positions, reasons for the delay in filling the positions and how these delays can be prevented in the future, and to better address future workforce needs in its strategic plan. The bill also would ban contracting-out studies at the Bureau of Prisons in the Justice Department. Meanwhile, the committee also has approved a spending bill (S-3230) covering the Labor Department that would continue a moratorium on contracting out studies there pending a GAO report on the department’s program.