FederalDaily - July 14, 2006
DoD to Launch Second Phase of NSPS
The Department of Defense (DoD) July 12 said it will implement
the next phase of the National Security Personnel System (NSPS).
DoD said more than 66,000 employees would enter the new civilian
human resources system during this phase, called Spiral 1.2, between
October 2006 and January 2007. Civilian workers from organizations
throughout DoD, including those overseas, are included in this
group, the department said. On their day of conversion, Spiral
1.2 employees will enter a performance appraisal cycle that ends
Sept. 30, 2007. During the first phase—Spiral 1.1—11,000
workers were converted to the system. The department said it will
continue to implement NSPS to its civilian work force in phases.
For information on affected organizations, go to:
www.cpms.osd.mil/nsps/docs/Spiral1.2.pdf
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Senate Bill Would Give CBP Officers
LEO Status
A bill introduced by Sens. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., and Paul Sarbanes, D-Md., would elevate
armed Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers to federal
law enforcement officer (LEO) status—a long-sought designation
that carries a 20-year retirement option, a benefit the officers
currently are denied. “We need to make sure all federal
law enforcement officers earn the pay and benefits they deserve,”
Mikulski said. The bill joins a similar House measure sponsored
by Rep. Bob Filner, D-Calif., and John McHugh, R-N.Y. National
Treasury Employees Union President Colleen Kelley offered support,
stating that CBP officers “put their lives on the line every
day in the course of their work” and deserve status and
benefits equal to those enjoyed by colleagues at other federal
agencies. “There is simply, and absolutely, no justification
for continuing to deny these employees LEO status,” she
said. For more information, go to mikulski.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=258565
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VA Inspector General Reports on Data
Theft
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) inspector general released
a report July 12 on the theft two months ago of computer equipment
containing the personal information—including Social Security
numbers—of more than 35 million veterans and their families.
The report advised VA Secretary Jim Nicholson to “take whatever
administrative action” he deems necessary to punish those
involved in the incident. The report assigned equal blame to senior
officials who delayed in advising Nicholson of the theft, and
the data analyst who transported the ill-fated laptop and external
drive to his Maryland home. The equipment was stolen in a break-in
on May 3, but in June investigators recovered the lost data and
said they were confident none of it had been accessed by the thieves.
For more information, go to: www.va.gov/oig.
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Legislation Passes to Remove TSA Hiring
Cap
The Senate passed an amendment July 12 attached to a major homeland
security funding bill that would remove Transportation Security
Administration (TSA) baggage screener hiring caps currently in
force. In 2003, the cap was set at 45,000 fulltime screeners,
a move that continues to cause baggage backups and security holes
due to understaffing. Backers of the measure, led by Sen. Frank
Lautenberg, D-N.J., say it could significantly reduce the delays.
Because it would completely remove the limit, TSA could hire as
many screeners as its budget would allow. “This will mean
shorter lines and safer skies for airline passengers,” said
Lautenberg. “Air security is too important to tie the hands
of the TSA with an arbitrary limit on the number of security screeners.”
For more, go to: lautenberg.senate.gov/.
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