To amend title 5, United States Code, to require that the Office of Personnel Management submit an annual report to Congress relating to the use of official time by Federal employees.

Requires the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), not later than March 31 of each year, to report to Congress on the use of official time by federal employees. Requires each federal agency, not later than December 31 of each year, to submit to OPM information required for OPM's report to Congress.

Defines "official time" as any period of time granted to a federal employee to perform representational or consultative functions in labor-management relations during which the employee would otherwise be in a duty status.

Requires OPM's report to Congress to include: (1) the total amount of official time granted to employees, (2) the average amount of official time expended per bargaining unit employee, (3) the specific types of activities or purposes for which official time was granted and the impact which the granting of such official time had on agency operations, (4) the total number of employees to whom official time was granted and the total number of such employees who were not engaged in any work activities or purposes except those involving the use of official time, and (5) the total amount of compensation (including fringe benefits) afforded to employees in connection with activities or purposes for which they were granted official time. Requires the information submitted by OPM to be shown both agency-by-agency and for all agencies and to be accompanied by corresponding information in previous reports, together with appropriate comparisons and analyses.

[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 568 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 568

  To amend title 5, United States Code, to require that the Office of 
 Personnel Management submit an annual report to Congress relating to 
             the use of official time by Federal employees.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 6, 2013

   Mr. Ross (for himself and Mr. Gingrey of Georgia) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and 
                           Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title 5, United States Code, to require that the Office of 
 Personnel Management submit an annual report to Congress relating to 
             the use of official time by Federal employees.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. REPORTING REQUIREMENT.

    (a) In General.--Section 7131 of title 5, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(e)(1) Not later than March 31 of each calendar year, the Office 
of Personnel Management, in consultation with the Office of Management 
and Budget, shall submit to each House of Congress a report on the 
operation of this section during the fiscal year last ending before the 
start of such calendar year.
    ``(2) Each report under this subsection shall include, with respect 
to the fiscal year described in paragraph (1), at least the following 
information:
            ``(A) The total amount of official time granted to 
        employees.
            ``(B) The average amount of official time expended per 
        bargaining unit employee.
            ``(C) The specific types of activities or purposes for 
        which official time was granted, and the impact which the 
        granting of such official time for such activities or purposes 
        had on agency operations.
            ``(D) The total number of employees to whom official time 
        was granted, and, of that total, the number who were not 
        engaged in any activities or purposes except activities or 
        purposes involving the use of official time.
            ``(E) The total amount of compensation (including fringe 
        benefits) afforded to employees in connection with activities 
        or purposes for which they were granted official time.
            ``(F) The dollar value of any office space, furnishings, 
        equipment, or supplies provided by the Government in connection 
        with activities or purposes for which employees were granted 
        official time.
    ``(3) All information included in a report under this subsection--
            ``(A) shall be shown both agency-by-agency and for all 
        agencies; and
            ``(B) shall be accompanied by the corresponding information 
        for the fiscal year before the fiscal year described in 
        paragraph (1), together with appropriate comparisons and 
        analyses.
    ``(4) For purposes of this subsection, the term `official time' 
means any period of time, regardless of agency nomenclature--
            ``(A) which may be granted to an employee under this 
        chapter (including a collective bargaining agreement entered 
        into under this chapter) to perform representational or 
        consultative functions; and
            ``(B) during which the employee would otherwise be in a 
        duty status.''.
    (b) Applicability.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall be 
effective beginning with the report which, under the provisions of such 
amendment, is first due by a date which occurs at least 6 months after 
the date of the enactment of this Act.
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