[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7787 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7787

To establish the Federal Labor-Management Partnership Council, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 21, 2024

 Mr. Raskin (for himself, Ms. Norton, Mr. Sarbanes, Mr. Trone, and Mr. 
  Connolly) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
   Committee on Oversight and Accountability, and in addition to the 
  Committee on House Administration, for a period to be subsequently 
   determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
 provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish the Federal Labor-Management Partnership Council, and for 
                            other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Federal Labor-Management Partnership 
Act of 2024''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF FEDERAL LABOR-MANAGEMENT PARTNERSHIP COUNCIL.

    (a) In General.--Subchapter I of chapter 71 of title 5, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 7107. Federal Labor-Management Partnership Council
    ``(a) Establishment.--There is established in the executive branch 
a council to be known as the `Federal Labor-Management Partnership 
Council' (referred to in this section as the `Council').
    ``(b) Membership.--The Council shall be composed of the following 
individuals (or the designee of any such individual):
            ``(1) The Director of the Office of Personnel Management.
            ``(2) The Deputy Director for Management of the Office of 
        Management and Budget.
            ``(3) A deputy secretary (or other officer with agency-wide 
        authority) from each of 5 Executive departments or agencies not 
        otherwise represented on the Council, who shall be appointed by 
        the President.
            ``(4) The Chairman of the Federal Labor Relations 
        Authority.
            ``(5) The Director of the Federal Mediation and 
        Conciliation Service.
            ``(6) Two members who shall be appointed by the President 
        to represent the respective labor organizations representing 
        (as exclusive representatives) the first and second largest 
        numbers of employees subject to this chapter.
            ``(7) Four members who shall be appointed by the President 
        to represent labor organizations representing (as exclusive 
        representatives) substantial numbers of employees subject to 
        this chapter, each of whom shall be selected giving due 
        consideration to such factors as the relative numbers of 
        employees represented by the various organizations.
            ``(8) One member who shall be appointed by the President to 
        represent the organization representing the largest number of 
        senior executives (as that term is defined in section 
        3132(a)(3)).
            ``(9) One member who shall be appointed by the President to 
        represent the organization representing the largest number of 
        management officials.
    ``(c) Responsibilities and Functions.--The Council shall--
            ``(1) advise the President on matters involving labor-
        management relations in the executive branch;
            ``(2) support the creation of local labor-management 
        partnership councils that promote partnership efforts in the 
        executive branch;
            ``(3) collect and disseminate information about and provide 
        guidance on partnership efforts between labor and management in 
        the executive branch, including the results of those efforts; 
        and
            ``(4) use the expertise of individuals, both inside and 
        outside the Federal Government, to foster partnership 
        arrangements in the executive branch.
    ``(d) Administration.--
            ``(1) Co-chairs.--The Director of the Office of Personnel 
        Management and the Deputy Director for Management of the Office 
        of Management and Budget shall serve as co-chairs of the 
        Council.
            ``(2) Meetings.--The Council shall meet quarterly (or more 
        frequently at the call of the co-chairs or a majority of the 
        members of the Council).
            ``(3) Outside input.--The Council--
                    ``(A) shall seek input from agencies not 
                represented on the Council, particularly smaller 
                agencies;
                    ``(B) may from time to time, in the discretion of 
                the Council, invite experts from the private and public 
                sectors to submit information; and
                    ``(C) shall seek input from companies, nonprofit 
                organizations, State and local governments, employees 
                (through the exclusive representatives of those 
                employees), and customers of Federal services, as 
                needed.
            ``(4) Assistance of the office of personnel management.--
        Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Director of 
        the Office of Personnel Management shall provide such staff, 
        facilities, support, and administrative services to the Council 
        as the Director considers appropriate.
            ``(5) Employee status and compensation.--
                    ``(A) In general.--A member of the Council who is 
                not an employee (as that term is defined in section 
                2105) shall not be considered a Federal employee for 
                any purpose, except for the following provision of law:
                            ``(i) Subchapter I of chapter 57 (relating 
                        to travel expenses).
                            ``(ii) Chapter 81 (relating to compensation 
                        for work injuries).
                            ``(iii) Chapter 171 of title 28 and any 
                        other Federal statute relating to tort 
                        liability.
                    ``(B) No compensation for certain members.--No 
                member of the Council may receive compensation by 
                reason of service on the Council.
            ``(6) Cooperation of other agencies.--Each agency shall, to 
        the extent permitted by law, provide to the Council and the 
        Director of the Office of Personnel Management such assistance, 
        information, and advice as the Council or the Director may 
        request.
    ``(e) General Provisions.--
            ``(1) Reporting to congress.--Any reporting to or 
        appearances before Congress that may be requested or required 
        of the Council shall be made by a co-chair of the Council.
            ``(2) Terms of membership.--A member appointed under 
        paragraph (3), (6), (7), (8), or (9) of subsection (b) shall be 
        appointed for a term of 3 years, except that any individual 
        chosen to fill a vacancy under any of those paragraphs shall 
        be--
                    ``(A) appointed for the unexpired term of the 
                member replaced; and
                    ``(B) chosen subject to the same conditions as 
                applied with respect to the original appointment.
            ``(3) Service after expiration of term.--A member appointed 
        under paragraph (3), (6), (7), (8), or (9) of subsection (b) 
        may serve after the expiration of that member's term until a 
        successor has taken office, but for not more than 60 days after 
        the term expires.
            ``(4) Not special government employees.--A member who is 
        not otherwise an employee shall not be considered a special 
        Government employee, as defined in section 202(a) of title 18, 
        for any purpose.
            ``(5) No termination.--Section 1013(a)(2) shall not apply 
        to the Council.
``Sec. 7108. Implementation of labor-management partnerships throughout 
              the executive branch
    ``The head of each agency that is subject to this chapter shall 
take the following actions:
            ``(1) Create labor-management partnerships by--
                    ``(A) establishing labor-management committees or 
                councils at the levels of recognition and other 
                appropriate levels agreed to by the agency and the 
                applicable exclusive representative; or
                    ``(B) if applicable, adapting existing committees 
                or councils.
            ``(2) Involve employees and employee representatives as 
        full partners with management representatives to improve the 
        civil service to better serve the public and carry out the 
        mission of the agency.
            ``(3) Provide systemic training of appropriate agency 
        employees (including line managers, first-line supervisors, and 
        labor organization representatives) in consensual methods of 
        dispute resolution, such as alternative dispute resolution 
        techniques and interest-based bargaining approaches.
            ``(4)(A) Consistent with guidance from the Federal Labor-
        Management Partnership Council established under section 7107, 
        allow employees and employee representatives to have pre-
        decisional involvement in all workplace matters to the fullest 
        extent practicable, without regard to whether those matters are 
        negotiable subjects of bargaining under section 7106.
            ``(B) Provide adequate information on the matters described 
        in subparagraph (A) expeditiously to employee representatives 
        where not prohibited by law.
            ``(C) Make a good-faith attempt to resolve issues 
        concerning proposed changes in conditions of employment through 
        discussions in the labor-management committees or councils 
        established or adapted by the agency under paragraph (1) of 
        this subsection.
            ``(5) Evaluate progress and improvements in organizational 
        performance resulting from the labor-management partnerships 
        described in paragraph (1).''.
    (b) Technical and Conforming Amendment.--The table of sections for 
chapter 71 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by inserting 
after the item relating to section 7106 the following:

``7107. Federal Labor-Management Partnership Council.
``7108. Implementation of labor-management partnerships throughout the 
                            executive branch.''.

SEC. 3. IMPLEMENTATION OF LABOR-MANAGEMENT PARTNERSHIPS IN THE 
              LEGISLATIVE BRANCH.

    (a) Definition.--In this section, the term ``covered legislative 
branch agency'' means--
            (1) the Office of the Architect of the Capitol;
            (2) the Government Accountability Office; and
            (3) the United States Capitol Police.
    (b) Labor-Management Partnerships.--The head of each covered 
legislative branch agency shall take the following actions:
            (1) Create labor-management partnerships by establishing 
        labor-management committees or councils at appropriate levels 
        or, if applicable, adapting existing committees or councils.
            (2) Involve employees and employee representatives as full 
        partners with management representatives to improve the civil 
        service to better serve the public and carry out the mission of 
        the covered legislative branch agency.
            (3) Provide systemic training of appropriate employees of 
        the covered legislative branch agency (including line managers, 
        first-line supervisors, and labor organization representatives) 
        in consensual methods of dispute resolution, such as 
        alternative dispute resolution techniques and interest-based 
        bargaining approaches.
            (4)(A) Allow employees and employee representatives to have 
        pre-decisional involvement in all workplace matters to the 
        fullest extent practicable, without regard to whether those 
        matters are negotiable subjects of bargaining with respect to 
        the covered legislative branch agency.
            (B) Provide adequate information on the matters described 
        in subparagraph (A) expeditiously to employee representatives 
        where not prohibited by law.
            (C) Make a good-faith attempt to resolve issues concerning 
        proposed changes in conditions of employment, including changes 
        involving the subjects described in section 7106(b)(1) of title 
        5, United States Code, through discussions in the labor-
        management committees or councils established or adapted by the 
        covered legislative branch agency under paragraph (1) of this 
        subsection.
            (5) Evaluate progress and improvements in organizational 
        performance resulting from the labor-management partnerships 
        described in paragraph (1).
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