FederalDaily - April 22, 2005
Timeline for Dental, Vision Benefits
In response to the Federal Employee Dental and Vision Benefits Enhancement
Act of 2004, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) will implement supplemental
dental and vision programs for federal employees, annuitants and their dependents,
beginning in July 2006, according to OPM Acting Director Dan Blair. In his
recent call letter to Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) insurance
companies, Blair said these will be voluntary programs for which the government
does not make a premium contribution. OPM plans to issue a request for proposals
by late summer, select dental and vision carriers by the end of the year, and
conduct an open season in spring 2006.
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Energy Contractors are Expensive, Untimely
“The Department of Energy (DOE) is dependent on contractors to run virtually
all of its operations. So it is particularly distressing that the department’s
acquisition management is on GAO’s high risk list,” said House
Government Reform Committee Chairman Tom Davis, R-Va., on April 19. He was
responding to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) report titled “Department
of Energy; Further Actions Are Needed to Strengthen Contract Management for
Major Projects.” Davis said that major projects continue to experience
substantial cost and schedule overruns. He added that in one case, a DOE contractor
earned an incentive fee, even though it had overrun estimated costs by $42
million on a major project.
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Harsher Punishment for Government Criminals
Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr., D-N.J., announced plans to introduce legislation
in the House instituting tougher penalties for government officials convicted
on federal corruption charges. The legislation excludes convicted officials
from receiving any federal pensions once they are found guilty in federal court,
and doubles the financial penalties corrupt officials are required to pay.
Under current federal law, governmental officials, whether elected, appointed
or hired, are still entitled to their federal pensions if they are convicted
of any crime, with the exception of treason, in a federal court. Also, under
current federal "anti-corruption" statutes, any government official
faces up to 15 years in prison, but cannot be fined more than $250,000 if they
are convicted of bribery in a federal court. Pallone's legislation doubles
those federal fines to $500,000.
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DOJ Attorneys Want Comp Time for Travel
The National Association of Assistant United States Attorneys (NAAUSA) opposes
the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) policy of prohibiting attorneys from
receiving comp time for official travel. In an April 13 letter to House Government
Reform Committee Chairman Tom Davis, R-Va., NAAUSA President Richard L. Delonis
asked Davis to write to DOJ to change the policy and allow all DOJ attorneys
to receive this benefit. The Federal Workforce Flexibility Act of 2004 authorizes
compensatory time off for time spent by federal employees traveling away from
their official duty stations. But in February, a DOJ bulletin said agency attorneys
are excluded from receiving such comp time because they are not allowed under
law to receive premium pay. “It is entirely unreasonable and unfounded
for [DOJ] to extend that limitation to other compensation, such as compensatory
time for time spent in travel status,” Delonis’ letter stated.
He said DOJ’s position negatively impacts the agency’s 9,000 attorneys.
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