Introduction of the District of Columbia Courts and Public Defender Service Voluntary Separation Incentive Payments Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, today, I introduce the District of Columbia Courts and Public Defender Service Voluntary Separation Incentive Payments Act. The bill would make a minor change to the authorities of the District of Columbia Courts (D.C. Courts) and the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia (PDS), placing these entities in the same position as their federal counterparts for more effective management and operation.

The bill would give the D.C. Courts and PDS the same authority federal agencies and federal courts already have to offer voluntary separation incentive payments, or buyouts, to their employees. The fiscal year 2016 omnibus bill already gives D.C. Courts buyout authority--but my bill would make this authorization permanent, and would extend it to PDS in addition to the courts. Buyouts would allow the D.C. Courts and PDS to respond to their future administrative and budget needs, and would provide the flexibility to extend buyout offers to their employees.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has determined that voluntary separation incentive payments may be made only where statutorily authorized. While federal agencies and federal courts have the statutory authority to offer buyouts, PDS and the D.C. Courts have not been expressly permitted to permanently provide them to their employees. PDS and the D.C. Courts seek the same buyout authority in order to manage their workforce as budget conditions and needs change.

I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.

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