IFPTE Applauds Final Fiscal Year 21 National Defense Authorization Act
UPDATE: The House voted to pass the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY 2021, with 82% of Representatives voting in favor.
In a letter urging congressional lawmakers to support the bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY 2021, IFPTE said that, “we are pleased with the overall conference report, as it supports both our civilian workers and our fighting women and men.”
The legislation provisions that extend federal paid parental leave that was included in last year’s NDAA to federal employees who were inadvertently omitted from the benefit; allows federal employees to carry over an additional 25% unused annual leave into 2021; and includes the Congressman Elijah Cummings Federal Employee Anti-discrimination Act, which authorizes the creation of independent Equal Employment Opportunity programs at agencies.
For DOD’s federal civilian workforce, the legislation prohibits Base Realignment and Closure; protects civilian DOD workforce levels from being arbitrarily reduced; and authorizes overtime pay for civilian employees forward deployed to support nuclear-powered aircraft carrier operations in Japan.
While the NDAA conference report did not include the IFPTE-supported language on strengthening Buy America requirements for defense acquisition – language that was present in the House version of the NDAA that was passed in late July – IFPTE is committed to continuing our strong advocacy for strengthening domestic content requirements in federal procurement in the upcoming 117th Congress.