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FederalDaily - May 2, 2006

Gas-Efficient Vehicles for Government

In the future, the government could have to take fuel efficiency into account when purchasing cars for the federal fleet. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., introduced a bill on April 27 that would require that new cars purchased for the federal fleet meet minimum fuel efficiency standards. In addition, state governments would receive incentives for following the federal standard. Boxer said that the Fuel-Efficient Fleets Act of 2006 would be a “big step toward decreasing our nation’s demand for oil” by having the government “lead by example.” Minimum miles per gallon (mpg) requirements for new federal fleet purchases would be: 46 mpg for cars, 32 mpg for sport utility vehicles, 24 mpg for pickup trucks, 20 mpg for minivans and 15 mpg for vans. The act would also provide up to $100 million in incentives over the next five years for states that adopt the program.

IRS Improves Tax Season Performance

A new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report says the IRS has improved its filing season performance so far in 2006. More refunds were directly deposited, which is faster and more convenient, GAO said. Electronic filing continued to grow, but at a slower rate than in previous years. IRS’ two most commonly used services—telephone and Web site assistance—continued to improve. IRS estimates that the accuracy rate for its telephone answers is now at 90 percent or more. GAO looked at the IRS’ budget request for 2007. For service, the budget proposes to cut staffing by 4 percent. For enforcing tax laws, the budget proposes to cut staffing by 2 percent. GAO said the IRS could save money by consolidating the agency’s 25 call sites. “IRS officials told us that the call sites have space that is not used for 850 staff,” the GAO report said, adding, “Call sites could be consolidated without affecting service to taxpayers.” To see the full report, go to www.gao.gov/new.items/d06499t.pdf.

Intrusion into TRICARE Computer Files

Last week the Department of Defense (DoD) discovered an intrusion into the TRICARE Management Activity (TMA) public servers. According to a statement from the department, investigators do not yet know the intent of the intrusion. Dr. William Winkenwerder, Jr., the assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, stated, “As a result of this incident, we immediately implemented enhanced security controls throughout the network and installed additional monitoring tools to improve security of existing networks and data files.” TMA has mailed letters to affected individuals to warn them that their personal information was compromised and suggest steps to take to prevent identity theft.

DoD to Convert Military Jobs to Civilians

The Department of Defense (DoD) is planning to convert thousands of military jobs to civilian positions, David Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, said last week. “The department is in the process of converting about 20,000 positions from military to civil status,” Chu said. “And there are plans to convert at least 10,000 more positions.” Chu also announced DoD’s intentions to base military promotions on performance instead of time in service, and focus on improving recruiting and retention. In other military news, the U.S. will move 8,000 Marines from Okinawa, Japan, to Guam by 2012, DoD officials said on April 26.

House Majority Supports FAA-NATCA Negotiation Reform

Legislation that would change the collective bargaining process between the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) now has majority support in the House, NATCA said last week. The bill—which would require mediation and binding arbitration in case of a bargaining impasse—has 229 co-sponsors in the 435-member legislative body, according to the union. Under current rules, if no collective bargaining agreement is reached and Congress does not choose to act, the FAA can unilaterally implement its own best offer.