FederalDaily - March 8, 2007
OPM: Retirement Claims Remain Priority in 2008
Key challenges the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) will face in the coming year include retaining
employees in the federal workforce and processing the claims of those who have retired, OPM Director
Linda Springer told a House Appropriations subcommittee on March 6. In testimony that touched on many
issues the federal workforce will face during the coming year, Springer said one of OPM’s highest
priorities in 2008 will continue to be its efforts to modernize the way it calculates and processes
federal retirement payments. One of OPM’s most recent accomplishments, Springer said, was the
launch of new dental and vision insurance programs that were chosen by over 700,000 enrollees. Other
high points, she said, included OPM’s issuance of new pandemic telework guidance and personnel
guidance; the opening of a new veterans career counseling center at the Brooke Army Medical Center
in Texas, and the efficiency with which the agency has made payments of $60 billion in retirement and
life insurance benefits. “OPM's responsibilities include every aspect of ensuring the federal
government has an effective civilian workforce.” said Springer. To see more, go to: www.opm.gov
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Lawmakers Seek Delay for Los Alamos Probe
Lawmakers are seeking a six-month delay in initiating a Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigation
into security matters at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) to give the lab’s new management
team time to make more progress. Sens. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., and Rep. Tom Udall,
D-Colo., on March 6 asked that the new team—Los Alamos National Security, LLC (LANS)—be
given more opportunity to implement operation and security reforms to correct problems. LANS began
operations at LANL in June 2006. The world-renowned facility has been beset with security breaches,
including missing computer data that turned up in an off-site police bust last year. The request was
sent to Reps John Dingell, D-Mich., and Joe Barton, R-Texas, who last month requested a GAO investigation
of LANL. Dingell and Barton are the chairman and ranking member, respectively, of the House Energy
and Commerce Committee. “We believe a six-month delay will provide a better baseline on which
we can judge the progress that has actually been made in improving the operation of the laboratory,” said
the request. To see more, go to: http://domenici.senate.gov/news/record.cfm?id=270220
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Bill Would Require Parental OK on Student Data
Under a new bill introduced in the House, military recruiters could not obtain data on high school
students unless parents specifically gave their written approval. That would be a complete turnaround
for recruiters, who now can obtain data on any high school student unless a parent files a written
objection with the school. The bill, the Student Privacy Protection Act, H.R. 1346, was introduced
by Rep. Michael Honda, D-Calif., on March 6. The bill would amend the federal No Child Left Behind
Act (NCLB) and mandate that local school districts release student information to military recruiters
only if a parent provides written consent. Currently, parents wishing to keep children’s information
private must opt-out of NCLB’s military recruitment provision; but many school districts have
not made parents aware of this option, Honda said. The bill is expected to be referred to the House
Committee on Education and Labor. “The right to privacy is one of America’s bedrock principles,” Honda
said. “But, as a former high school teacher and principal, I am concerned that parents’ and
children’s privacy is being compromised.” To see more, go to: http://honda.house.gov/list/press/ca15_honda/studentprivacy.html
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