Federal Employee Return to Work Act
Sponsored By: Representative Newhouse, Dan [R-WA-4]
Introduced
Summary
This bill would bar annual General Schedule pay increases and locality pay adjustments for federal employees who telework regularly. It would instead require covered teleworking employees to be paid at the basic rate for their grade and step in the "Rest of U.S." locality.
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- Teleworking federal employees who telework at least 1 day per week or 20% of the time on an alternative schedule would be ineligible for annual GS adjustments and locality pay increases. They would be paid at the basic pay rate for their grade and step in the Rest of U.S. locality as of the date they become covered.
- Certain teleworking employees remain excluded from coverage and keep current pay treatment. Exclusions include employees teleworking with a disability accommodation, Foreign Service members, federal law enforcement officers, active-duty Armed Forces, and employees whose official worksite is outside the specified regulation.
- Employees who are not covered by the bill would continue to receive existing annual and locality pay adjustments under current law.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
Teleworking feds blocked from raises and locality increases
If enacted, many federal employees who telework at least 1 day a week would face new pay limits. Covered workers would be those who telework 1+ day weekly, or at least 20% of the week on an alternate schedule. It would not apply to some groups, like workers with disability accommodations, Foreign Service, federal law enforcement, active-duty military, or those with certain official worksites. While covered, your pay would be set using the "Rest of U.S." locality rate for your grade and step on the day you become covered. That locality rate would not go up later, and you would not get the annual general pay raise while covered. These rules would start on the first day of the first full fiscal year after the bill is signed.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Newhouse, Dan [R-WA-4]
WA • R
Cosponsors
Rep. Nunn, Zachary [R-IA-3]
IA • R
Sponsored 1/7/2025
Rep. Meuser, Daniel [R-PA-9]
PA • R
Sponsored 1/7/2025
Rep. Weber, Randy K. Sr. [R-TX-14]
TX • R
Sponsored 1/7/2025
Rep. Boebert, Lauren [R-CO-4]
CO • R
Sponsored 1/7/2025
Timmons
SC • R
Sponsored 1/7/2025
Ellzey
TX • R
Sponsored 1/7/2025
Rep. Hinson, Ashley [R-IA-2]
IA • R
Sponsored 1/7/2025
Rep. Collins, Mike [R-GA-10]
GA • R
Sponsored 1/7/2025
Rep. Malliotakis, Nicole [R-NY-11]
NY • R
Sponsored 1/7/2025
Rep. Carter, Earl L. "Buddy" [R-GA-1]
GA • R
Sponsored 1/7/2025
Rep. Finstad, Brad [R-MN-1]
MN • R
Sponsored 1/7/2025
Rep. Fleischmann, Charles J. "Chuck" [R-TN-3]
TN • R
Sponsored 1/7/2025
Rep. Fallon, Pat [R-TX-4]
TX • R
Sponsored 1/9/2025
Ciscomani
AZ • R
Sponsored 1/9/2025
LaMalfa
CA • R
Sponsored 1/9/2025
Rogers (KY)
KY • R
Sponsored 1/9/2025
Rep. Barrett, Tom [R-MI-7]
MI • R
Sponsored 1/15/2025
Rep. Harris, Andy [R-MD-1]
MD • R
Sponsored 1/15/2025
Hudson
NC • R
Sponsored 1/15/2025
Kelly (PA)
PA • R
Sponsored 1/21/2025
Rep. Harrigan, Pat [R-NC-10]
NC • R
Sponsored 2/5/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov