[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 85 (Tuesday, June 27, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6579-S6580]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. AKAKA:
  S. 3584. A bill to amend chapter 41 of title 5, United States Code, 
to provide for the establishment and authorization of funding for 
certain training programs for supervisors of Federal employees; to the 
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
  Mr. AKAKA. Mr. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Federal 
Supervisor Training Act, FSTA, which addresses the inconsistencies and 
lack of adequate training for Federal managers and supervisors, 
especially for new supervisors. The effectiveness and efficiency of 
government programs and services depend on well-trained managers. It is 
critical that federal managers receive the support and resources needed 
to do their jobs.
  As new personnel reforms are sought by the administration for Federal 
workers, which in my view are similar to those I opposed for the 
Departments of Defense and Homeland Security, I see a general erosion 
of employee morale. Low employee morale impacts agency performance and 
undermines the public's trust in government. Therefore, we must 
consider the needs of supervisors and employees alike. Enhancing 
supervisory training improves communication, which leads to greater 
understanding of performance expectations and fewer performance 
problems. A trained supervisor is the foundation for the success of any 
personnel system.
  The bill I offer today follows recommendations made by the 
Partnership for Public Service and the newly formed Government Managers 
Coalition, GMC, which represents over 200,000 Federal managers and 
executives who are members of the Senior Executives Association, the 
Federal Managers Association, the Professional Managers Association, 
the Federal Aviation Administration Managers Association, and the 
National Council of Social Security Management Associations.
  FSTA will require new supervisory training for all new supervisors 
within a year of being appointed and mandatory retraining every 3 
years. Current managers would have 3 years in which to receive initial 
training. The legislation also requires training on how to mentor 
employees, a key focus of S. 3476, the Homeland Security Professional 
Development Act, which I introduced earlier this month. A third 
provision requires training every three years on the laws governing and 
the procedures for enforcing whistleblower rights and protections 
against race, gender, age, and disability discrimination.
  Under FSTA, agencies would be required to set standards--based in 
part on guidelines developed by the Office of Personnel Management, 
OPM--that supervisors should meet in order to manage employees 
effectively, assess a manager's ability to meet these standards, and 
provide training to improve areas identified in personnel assessments.
  Supervisors want meaningful training. In my view, such training 
should not be a discretionary option for agencies. Government managers 
and employees work on a broad and complex range of issues that are both 
national and global in scope. From the skilled workers at the Pearl 
Harbor Naval Shipyard performing nuclear submarine battery change outs 
to Internal Revenue Service employees collecting back taxes, these 
Federal workers demonstrate commitment and dedication daily. They 
understand that trained managers empower them, which in turn improves 
programs and saves taxpayers money.
  Mandatory supervisory training is needed to ensure that agencies 
provide this support to their managers. OPM once proposed 40 to 80 
hours of training for new supervisors, but, over the years, this 
function has migrated to agencies, which, as the GMC notes, has 
resulted in inconsistencies in training among Federal agencies, leaving 
a problem in search of a solution.
  As the ranking member of the Senate Federal Workforce Subcommittee, a 
primary goal of mine is to make the Federal Government an employer of 
choice and to ensure the American people are served by a skilled 
workforce. I see FSTA as a means to reach that goal because mandatory 
supervisory training develops good managers who foster positive work 
environments that produce an efficient, effective, and responsive 
government. The Nation's Federal workforce and the American taxpayer 
deserve no less.
  Mr. President, as I stated earlier, supervisors and employees alike 
benefit from well-trained managers. I want to thank the Government 
Managers Coalition; the American Federation of Government Employees; 
the National Treasury Employees Union; the International Federation of 
Professional and Technical Engineers; the AFL-CIO, Metal Trades 
Department; as well as the Partnership for Public Service for their 
support of FSTA and I urge my colleagues to support the federal 
workforce by cosponsoring my bill. I ask unanimous consent that the 
text of the bill be printed in the Record
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows.

                                S. 3584

       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 Supervisor Training 
     Act of 2006''.

     SEC. 2. MANDATORY TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR SUPERVISORS.

       (a) In General.--Section 4121 of title 5, United States 
     Code, is amended--
       (1) by inserting before ``In consultation with'' the 
     following:
       ``(a) In this section, the term `supervisor' means--
       ``(1) a supervisor as defined under section 7103(a)(10);
       ``(2) a management official as defined under section 
     7103(a)(11); and
       ``(3) any other employee as the Office of Personnel 
     Management may by regulation prescribe.'';
       (2) by striking ``In consultation with'' and inserting 
     ``(b) Under operating standards promulgated by, and in 
     consultation with,''; and
       (3) by striking paragraph (2) (of the matter redesignated 
     as subsection (b) as a result of the amendment under 
     paragraph (2) of this subsection) and inserting the 
     following:
       ``(2)(A) a program to provide interactive instructor-based 
     training to supervisors on actions, options, and strategies a 
     supervisor may use in--
       ``(i) developing and discussing relevant goals and 
     objectives together with the employee, communicating and 
     discussing progress relative to performance goals and

[[Page S6580]]

     objectives and conducting performance appraisals;
       ``(ii) mentoring and motivating employees and improving 
     employee performance and productivity;
       ``(iii) effectively managing employees with unacceptable 
     performance; and
       ``(iv) otherwise carrying out the duties or 
     responsibilities of a supervisor;
       ``(B) a program to provide interactive instructor-based 
     training to supervisors on the prohibited personnel practices 
     under section 2302 (particularly with respect to such 
     practices described under subsection (b) (1) and (8) of that 
     section) and the procedures and processes used to enforce 
     employee rights; and
       ``(C) a program under which experienced supervisors mentor 
     new supervisors by--
       ``(i) transferring knowledge in areas such as 
     communication, critical thinking, responsibility, 
     flexibility, motivating employees, and teamwork; and
       ``(ii) pointing out strengths and areas for development.
       ``(c)(1) Not later than 1 year after the date on which an 
     individual is appointed to the position of supervisor, that 
     individual shall be required to have completed each program 
     established under subsection (b)(2).
       ``(2) After completion of a program under subsection (b)(2) 
     (A) and (B), each supervisor shall be required to complete a 
     program under subsection (b)(2) (A) and (B) at least once 
     during each 3-year period.
       ``(3) Each program established under subsection (b)(2) 
     shall include provisions under which credit shall be given 
     for periods of similar training previously completed.
       ``(d) Notwithstanding section 4118(c), the Office of 
     Personnel Management shall prescribe regulations to carry out 
     this section, including the monitoring of agency compliance 
     with this section.''.
       (b) Regulations.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Office of Personnel Management 
     shall prescribe regulations in accordance with subsection (d) 
     of section 4121 of title 5, United States Code, as added by 
     subsection (a) of this section.
       (c) Effective Date and Application.--
       (1) In general.--The amendments made by this section shall 
     take effect 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act 
     and apply to--
       (A) each individual appointed to the position of a 
     supervisor, as defined under section 4121(a) of title 5, 
     United States Code, (as added by subsection (a) of this 
     section) on or after that effective date; and
       (B) each individual who is employed in the position of a 
     supervisor on that effective date as provided under paragraph 
     (2).
       (2) Supervisors on effective date.--Each individual who is 
     employed in the position of a supervisor on the effective 
     date of this section shall be required to--
       (A) complete each program established under section 
     4121(b)(2) of title 5, United States Code (as added by 
     subsection (a) of this section), not later than 3 years after 
     the effective date of this section; and
       (B) complete programs every 3 years thereafter in 
     accordance with section 4121(c) (2) and (3) of such title.

     SEC. 3. MANAGEMENT COMPETENCY STANDARDS.

       (a) In General.--Chapter 43 of title 5, United States Code, 
     is amended--
       (1) by redesignating section 4305 as section 4306; and
       (2) inserting after section 4304 the following:

     ``Sec. 4305. Management competency standards

       ``(a) In this section, the term `supervisor' means--
       ``(1) a supervisor as defined under section 7103(a)(10);
       ``(2) a management official as defined under section 
     7103(a)(11); and
       ``(3) any other employee as the Office of Personnel 
     Management may by regulation prescribe.
       ``(b) The Office of Personnel Management shall issue 
     guidance to agencies on standards supervisors are expected to 
     meet in order to effectively manage, and be accountable for 
     managing, the performance of employees.
       ``(c) Each agency shall--
       ``(1) develop standards to assess the performance of each 
     supervisor and in developing such standards shall consider 
     the guidance developed by the Office of Personnel Management 
     under subsection (b) and any other qualifications or factors 
     determined by the agency;
       ``(2) assess the overall capacity of the supervisors in the 
     agency to meet the guidance developed by the Office of 
     Personnel Management issued under subsection (b); and
       ``(3) develop and implement a supervisor training program 
     to strengthen issues identified during such assessment.
       ``(d) Every year, or on any basis requested by the Director 
     of the Office of Personnel Management, each agency shall 
     submit a report to the Office on the progress of the agency 
     in implementing this section.''.
       (b) Technical and Conforming Amendments.--
       (1) Table of sections.--The table of sections for chapter 
     43 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by striking the 
     item relating to section 4305 and inserting the following:

``4305. Management competency standards.
``4306. Regulations.''.

       (2) Reference.--Section 4304(b)(3) of title 5, United 
     States Code, is amended by striking ``section 4305'' and 
     inserting ``section 4306''.
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