CONGRESS FOR VOTERS

RepublicanBill · H.R. 236· House(119-HR-236)

Federal Employee Return to Work Act

Rep. Newhouse
Age: 71 years
Washington
Introduced
1/7/2025
Last activity
1/7/2025 — Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
Sponsored by
Dan Newhouse
Cosponsors
Republican - 21Democrat - 0
Government Operations and Politics
  1. Introduced
  2. In Committee

What this bill would do

The ``Federal Employee Return to Work Act'' aims to prohibit specific telework employees from receiving certain annual pay adjustments. A "covered employee" is defined as someone who teleworks at least one day a week, or 20 percent of the time under an alternative work schedule. This definition excludes disabled employees receiving reasonable accommodations, members of the Foreign Service, Federal law enforcement officers, and members of the Armed Forces on active duty. Under this bill, covered employees are prohibited from receiving annual adjustments under section 5303 of title 5, United States Code. Instead, these employees must be paid at the rate of basic pay designated for the "Rest of U.S." locality pay area. The Act takes effect on the first day of the first full fiscal year after it is enacted.

Yes

  • Does this reduce what the federal government spends?+3

    The bill reduces federal payroll costs by prohibiting annual pay adjustments and capping pay at the 'Rest of U.S.' locality rate for teleworking employees.

  • Would people with disabilities be better off under this?+1

    The bill protects disabled employees from the pay reductions by exempting those receiving reasonable accommodations from the 'covered employee' definition.

  • Does this expand the rights of people with disabilities?+1

    The bill explicitly excludes disabled employees receiving reasonable accommodations from the pay reductions applied to other teleworkers.

The opposite

  • Would middle-income households be better off under this?-3

    Federal employees who telework will likely experience a reduction in income due to the loss of annual pay adjustments and lower locality pay rates.