Three Benefits Bills Completed

Just before adjourning the Senate approved a House-passed bill (HR-5771) that would increase the maximum subsidy many agencies pay for employees to use public transit in their commuting from $130 to $250 a month, retroactive to cover all of 2014 although allowing the figure to fall back to $130 again for 2015. That paves the way for back payments for federal employees who receive that subsidy, although the process could be a long one that in some cases will involve unions. Also passed by the Senate and sent to the White House was HR-4193, which will change the default investment option for future hirees who do not designate an investment fund for their automatic TSP investments. Currently, the default fund is the government securities G fund; the bill would change that to the lifecycle L fund appropriate for the person’s age. The change would apply only to those hired after implementing rules are issued, projected to be by next October. Also reaching final congressional approval was S-1691, under which Border Patrol agents would have the choice of working 100 hours each pay period with an increase in base salary of 25 percent; 90 hours with an increase of 12.5 percent; or 80 hours. Agents would not be eligible for administratively uncontrollable overtime or regular overtime pay and instead would receive compensatory time off for assigned working hours beyond their chosen total. The bill, seen as a precedent for other law enforcement agencies that also provide AUO pay, also won’t take effect until rules are put in place, with no projection of when that will be.