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

Floor Speech

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Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, today, I introduce the District of Columbia Courts and Public Defender Service Voluntary Separation Incentive Payments Act. This bill, which passed the House in the 114th Congress, would make a small but important change to the authorities of the District of Columbia Courts (D.C. Courts) and the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia (PDS), giving them the same authority federal agencies and federal courts already have to offer voluntary separation incentive payments, or buyouts, to their employees.

Congress has provided this authority to the D.C. Courts and PDS on an annual basis in the last several appropriations bills. However, my bill is necessary to make this authority permanent. This authority would allow the D.C. Courts and PDS to respond to future administrative and budgetary needs, and would provide the flexibility to extend buyout offers to their employees.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office has opined that voluntary separation incentive payments may be made only where statutorily authorized. Federal agencies and federal courts already have permanent statutory authority to offer buyouts, and there is no reason why the D.C. Courts and PDS, which are both federally funded entities, should not have the same permanent authority to manage their workforce as budget conditions and needs change.

I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.

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