[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 64 (Monday, May 22, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H2983-H2984]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   PROVIDING FOR PARTICIPATION OF JUDICIAL BRANCH EMPLOYEES IN LEAVE 
             TRANSFER PROGRAM FOR DISASTERS AND EMERGENCIES

  Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
Senate bill (S. 1736) to provide for the participation of employees in 
the judicial branch in the Federal leave transfer program for disasters 
and emergencies.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                S. 1736

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

     SECTION 1. LEAVE TRANSFER PROGRAM IN DISASTERS AND 
                   EMERGENCIES.

       Section 6391 of title 5, United States Code, is amended--
       (1) by redesignating subsection (f) as subsection (g); and
       (2) by inserting after subsection (e) the following:
       ``(f) After consultation with the Administrative Office of 
     the United States Courts, the Office of Personnel Management 
     shall provide for the participation of employees in the 
     judicial branch in any emergency leave transfer program under 
     this section.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Connecticut (Mr. Shays) and the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. 
Maloney) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Connecticut.


                             General Leave

  Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Connecticut?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 1736, legislation to allow 
judicial branch employees to participate in the Federal leave transfer 
program in the event of disasters and emergencies.
  In 1997, Congress authorized the creation of an emergency leave 
transfer program that allowed employees of the executive branch, as 
well as the Government Accountability Office, to transfer portions of 
their annual leave to other executive branch employees who are 
adversely affected by a natural disaster or emergencies. The 1997 
legislation was built upon special procedures that were developed to 
assist Federal employees in the wake of the bombing of the Alfred P. 
Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on April 19, 1995.
  In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the Administrative Office of 
the United States Courts petitioned Congress to consider extending the 
existing emergency leave transfer program to cover employees of the 
judicial

[[Page H2984]]

branch. S. 1736, introduced last September by Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs Committee Chair Susan Collins, was passed by the 
Senate last October. While it may be too late to benefit the 
approximately 400 judicial branch employees displaced by Hurricane 
Katrina, this authority will be available to judicial branch employees 
should disaster strike again.
  Mr. Speaker, this legislation demonstrates to our hardworking and 
dedicated Federal workforce that the Congress of the United States is 
committed to their safety and security. I urge all of my colleagues to 
support this important legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this legislation. On September 2, 
2005, the President authorized the Office of Personal Management to 
establish an emergency leave transfer program for executive branch 
employees affected by Hurricane Katrina. The Judicial Conference of the 
United States subsequently requested legislative authority to do the 
same.
  The judicial circuits and districts affected by Hurricane Katrina 
have thus far only been able to grant weather emergency-related 
administrative leave to their employees. Administrative leave for 
judicial employees will be curtailed as the courts slowly resume 
operations.
  S. 1736 will ensure an emergency leave transfer program is in place 
to assist approved judicial branch leave recipients as their need for 
donated leave increases when affected courts resume operations and many 
of the employees who evacuated in response to Hurricane Katrina remain 
unable to return to work.
  I join Senators Collins and Lieberman in supporting this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I just want to say that I should not have left out Senator Lieberman. 
Senator Lieberman and Senator Collins both worked very closely on a 
bipartisan basis to move forward important legislation. I think this is 
important legislation, and I join with my colleague, the gentlewoman 
from New York (Mrs. Maloney), in urging passage of this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Shays) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the Senate bill, S. 1736.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the Senate bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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