[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 28 (Tuesday, February 13, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E140]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 INTRODUCTION OF THE FEDERAL EMPLOYEE SHORT-TERM DISABILITY INSURANCE 
                              ACT OF 2024

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 13, 2024

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, today, I introduce the Federal Employee 
Short-Term Disability Insurance Act of 2024, which would help provide 
financial relief for federal employees who have a short-term injury or 
disability, become pregnant or develop a pregnancy-related illness. 
This bill would offer federal employees short-term disability insurance 
at no cost to the federal government. Employees would be responsible 
for 100 percent of the premiums and be able to receive disability 
insurance benefits for up to one year, which would replace a portion of 
their lost income due to a nonwork-related injury or illness or 
pregnancy. This bill is more important now than ever with the 
prevalence of so-called Long COVID.
  I decided to investigate how we could provide short-term disability 
insurance for federal employees after learning that many of them 
already buy short-term disability insurance as individuals 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. Moreover, while federal 
employees may have available sick or annual leave days, they may not 
have enough such days to pay the bills if they have to be out of work 
for an extended period, such as following surgery. Although there are 
long-term disability options for federal employees who become 
permanently disabled, federal employees do not qualify for such 
benefits until they have worked for the federal government for at least 
18 months. This bill does no more than put federal employees in the 
same position as many of their private-sector counterparts, who often 
have access to disability insurance through an employer at group rates, 
an option unavailable to federal employees. This bill would prohibit 
participating insurance companies from excluding employees based on 
preexisting conditions. Because of the federal government's purchasing 
power, this bill would provide these benefits at a lower rate than is 
available for employees purchasing as individuals, as many do. Under 
this bill, the Director of the Office of Personnel Management would 
contract with private carriers to provide this coverage, essentially 
providing the equivalent of group coverage available to many workers in 
the private sector.
  According to the Social Security Administration, a 20-year-old worker 
has a one-in-four chance of becoming disabled by retirement age. The 
majority of disabilities are not caused by major accidents, but by 
injuries or illnesses, such as back injuries or cancer, according to 
the Council for Disability Awareness.
  I strongly urge my colleagues to support this bill.

                          ____________________