With Approval of Tobacco Bill,
House Affirms Support for FERS Sick-Leave Credit

APWU Web News Article #039-09, April 2, 2009

For the second day in a row, the House of Representatives approved legislation that would provide sick-leave credit to employees covered by the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS).

The “Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act” (H.R. 1256), introduced by House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA), incorporates the provisions of H.R. 1804, which was adopted on April 1. The new bill also would provide the Food and Drug Administration with greater authority to regulate tobacco products. It passed 298-112, with 21 members not voting.

In addition to the tobacco provisions, the merged bill would:

• Give credit for unused sick leave to FERS employees;
  
  
• Provide automatic enrollment for new employees in the Thrift Savings Plan;
  
  
• Establish a “qualified” Roth contribution program, and
  
  
• Permit separated former employees to redeposit retirement contributions they withdrew in order to qualify for past service credit.

(For more information, see the article, “House Approves Bill to Give Sick-Leave Credit to FERS Employees).

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