[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 202 (Friday, December 21, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S8011]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              FEDERAL EMPLOYEE FAIR TREATMENT ACT OF 2017

  Mr. CARDIN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 290, S. 2274.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The legislative clerk:

       A bill (S. 2274) to provide for the compensation of Federal 
     employees affected by lapses in appropriations.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. CARDIN. Madam President, I further ask unanimous consent that the 
bill be considered read a third time and passed, and the motion to 
reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no 
intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill (S. 2274) was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, 
was read the third time, and passed as follows:

                                S. 2274

       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 Employee Fair 
     Treatment Act of 2017''.

     SEC. 2. COMPENSATION FOR FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AFFECTED BY A 
                   LAPSE IN APPROPRIATIONS.

       Section 1341 of title 31, United States Code, is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)(1), by striking ``An officer'' and 
     inserting ``Except as specified in this subchapter or any 
     other provision of law, an officer''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(c)(1) In this subsection--
       ``(A) the term `covered lapse in appropriations' means any 
     lapse in appropriations that begins on or after December 22, 
     2017; and
       ``(B) the term `excepted employee' means an excepted 
     employee or an employee performing emergency work, as such 
     terms are defined by the Office of Personnel Management.
       ``(2) Each Federal employee furloughed as a result of a 
     covered lapse in appropriations shall be paid for the period 
     of the lapse in appropriations, and each excepted employee 
     who is required to perform work during a covered lapse in 
     appropriations shall be paid for such work, at the employee's 
     standard rate of pay, at the earliest date possible after the 
     lapse in appropriations ends, regardless of scheduled pay 
     dates.
       ``(3) During a covered lapse in appropriations, each 
     excepted employee who is required to perform work shall be 
     entitled to use leave under chapter 63 of title 5, or any 
     other applicable law governing the use of leave by the 
     excepted employee, for which compensation shall be paid at 
     the earliest date possible after the lapse in appropriations 
     ends, regardless of scheduled pay dates.''.

  Mr. CARDIN. I yield the floor to Mr. Van Hollen.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maryland.
  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam President, I thank my colleague from Maryland 
and the body and now urge the House of Representatives to take this up 
immediately. This has now passed the U.S. Senate, and they now have an 
opportunity to pass this over in the House, and I would urge them to do 
it this evening or as soon as possible so that we can provide certainty 
and confidence to hard-working Federal employees.
  Again, we want to avoid a shutdown, but we need to provide an 
insurance policy in the event that it does shut down.
  Mr. CARDIN. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
order for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. Ernst). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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