Page 6 - ACT The Technician Looking Back Edition 2018

Inside Story
Legislation Director
April 16 through 20 20 I traveled to to to to to to to Capitol Hill in in in in in Washington D D C C C to to to to to to to make a a a a a a a a a a a a push to to to to to to to get several of ACT’s legislative initiatives into the the 2019 NDAA The top priority was changing the the law so Federal employees will be be be eligible for TRICARE TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS) Since identical TRICARE TRICARE Bills have been introduced in in in in in both the the the the House (H R R R R R R R R R 5121) and the the the the Senate (S 1086) we felt that this this may be be be be our best chance during this this Congress (115th) to get the the the the TRICARE Bills enacted My other main focus involved efforts on on language that that will provide some job security ffor for technicians who lose their their Guard status through no fault of of their their own I also discussed the the the the the the fact that that that DoD had failed to to to meet the the the the the the the deadline to to to recommend changes to to to the the the the the the the program that that would help resolve the the the the the the the issue of of technicians losing their Guard status Since the the the NDAA is normally “marked up” in in fin mid to to late May by the the the respective Armed Services Committees (HASC & SASC) our our strategy was to to to get the the the the the support of as as as as many committee members as as as as possible and find at at at at at least one member member in in either House that would place our our legislative fixes into the the the NDAA I I I I scheduled as as as as as many meetings meetings as as as as as I I I I could and dropped in in in in on the the offices that that I I I I was was not able to to get formal meetings meetings with prior to to to to arriving I I I I I I was was pleasantly surprised that that that most o of of the the the the legislative Assistants (LAs) were well aware o of of the the the the the TRICARE (TRS) issue and just about everyone I I I I talked to to to to to seemed to to to to to agree that that the the the the the current situation is is is is is is not fair to to to to to federal federal federal employees employees employees who want to to to to to serve serve in in in in the the the the the Guard or Reserve But once once again I I I heard concerns raised over the the the the the cost of of of extending TRS to to to to all federal federal federal employees employees employees and and also how thousands of of of federal federal federal employees employees employees leaving the the the the the FEHBP FEHBP in in in in in in favor of of of of Tricare Reserve Select would affect the the the the the the the FEHBP FEHBP Although I I didn’t get get any firm commitments to to to get get the the the the the the the TRS language language in in in in in either version of of o of the the the the the the the the NDAA NDAA while still in in in in in committee I I I got the the the the the the the the feeling when the the the the the the the the NDAA NDAA comes to to to to the the the the the the the the the full House House an an an an an amendment may be be offered to to to to include the the the the the the the the the language language of o of of H H H H R R R 5121 So I I would encourage you you you to to to to continue to to to to contact your member o of of the the the the the the the House House and and and and Senate and and and and let them them know you you you expect them them do do support H H H H R R 5121 and and and and S S 1086 and and and and do what they can to to pass these two Bills At the the the the time of of of my visit there was no bill language that that had been introduced to fix the the the the problem of of of technicians losing their employment through loss of of of military membership membership It did appear that that most legislative assistants (LAs) have been educated concerning this this issue I I believe this this is is is is is is is due to membership membership membership visits during ACT National Rally in in in in Feb Although our our members members members are are are painfully aware of of how the the the loss of of Guard membership membership can affect their career the the the dual status requirement is is is is is largely unknown to to to to most legislators legislators So keeping legislators legislators and staff educated to to to to our our issues is very important So my mission was to to to convince a a a a a a a a member member of of the the the the HASC or or or the the the the SASC to to to amend the the the the 2019 NDAA to to to include some type of of of civilian job protection for technicians technicians who have lost their their Guard or or or Reserve membership through no fault of of their their own The discussion revolved around two options: (1 ) a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a permanent fix that would require technicians technicians to to be be converted to to to to a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a Title 5 employee until until they turn 60 and are qualified for an an an an an an unreduced civil service annuity or or or or or (2 ) a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a temporary moratorium on on on on on technician separations due due to to to to loss of military membership until until DoD provides its overdue report to to to to the the the HASC and and the the the SASC and and a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a permanent permanent solution solution can be be be be decided upon Obviously ACT would prefer a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a permanent permanent solution solution to to to this this issue that that has been plaguing our membership for for decades so so so that that is is is is the the the the the option we are advocating for for for As this this technician goes to to to print the the the the the HASC version of of of the the the the the 2019 NDAA will probably be be be out of of of of committee committee committee and and and ready for for the the the the the the the the full full House to to consider and and and vote upon The SASC has scheduled the the the the the the the the markup markup of of of of their version of of of the the the the the the the the 2019 NDAA later in in in in May May May With the the the the the the the the subcommittee markup markup markup on on on on on on May May May 21st and and and and the the the the the the the the full full committee committee committee markup markup on on on on on May May May 23rd Once again this is is is is the the the the the the the the the the time to to to be calling and and and e-mailing your legislators to to to educate them on on on on on our our issues and and get their their their support Going forward once the the the the the the the the the HASC reports out their their their NDAA NDAA bill we we will know if there is is language we can then ask SASC members to to adopt into their their their version of the the the the the the NDAA NDAA Just a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a general note: As I have indicated many times before - - because of the the the torturous process process to to to get get standalone legislation passed - - the the the NDAA process process is is is is the the the best way to to to to get get our our our legislative legislative agenda enacted To that end end end attendance at at at at at at at at at at ACT’s National rallies are a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a very important aspect of our our our our total legislative legislative program It It gives our our our our members members a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a chance to to to to to to to to educate their legislators / staffs to to to to to to to to our our our issues and allows members members to to to to to to to to build a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a relationship with with them It It is is is is is is also important to to to to to to to keep in in in in touch with with with the the the the individual Congressional offices periodically to to to to to to to ensure the the the the legislative assistant you have been dealing with with is is is still working for that office Stay tuned!!
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