[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 137 (Thursday, September 15, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1646-E1647]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    THE INTRODUCTION OF THE FEDERAL EMPLOYEE SHORT-TERM DISABILITY 
                         INSURANCE ACT OF 2011

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 15, 2011

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, today, I introduce the Federal Employee 
Short-Term Disability Insurance Act of 2011. This bill will offer 
federal employees short-term disability insurance at no cost to the 
federal government. Employees will be responsible for 100 percent of 
the premiums. If federal employees elect to purchase the short-term 
insurance provided for in my bill and they become injured or ill 
because of a non-work related injury or illness, federal employees will 
be able to collect disability insurance benefits, for up to one year, 
to replace a portion of their lost income.
  I decided to investigate how we could provide short-term disability 
insurance to federal employees after learning that many of them already 
buy short-term disability insurance in the private market at high 
individual rates. Although federal employees have good health 
insurance, federal health benefits do not replace lost income if 
employees are unable to work. And, while federal employees may have 
limited available sick or annual leave days, these are often 
insufficient to cover the costs of an employee's living expenses if he 
or she has to be out of work for an extended period

[[Page E1647]]

of time. Moreover, although there are long-term disability options for 
federal employees who become permanently disabled, federal employees do 
not qualify if they have not worked for at least 18 months. My bill 
does no more than put federal employees in the same position as their 
private sector counterparts, who have access to disability insurance at 
group rates. The bill will not allow participating employers to exclude 
persons based on preexisting conditions. And, because of the federal 
government's purchasing power, the bill will provide all of these 
benefits at a more competitive rate than is available if the employees 
seek such insurance as an individual.
  According to the Social Security Administration, studies indicate 
that a 20-year-old worker has a 30 percent chance of becoming disabled 
by retirement age. The majority of disabilities are not caused by major 
accidents, but by conditions or illnesses such as cancer or back 
injuries, according to the Council for Disability Awareness.
  I strongly urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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