II
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 724
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 15, 2013
Mr. Blunt(for himself,Mr. Risch,Mr. Hoeven,Mr. Wicker,Mr. Johanns,Mr. Enzi,Mrs. Fischer,Ms. Collins,Mr. Inhofe, andMr. Boozman) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to theCommittee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
A BILL
To provide flexibility to agencies on determining what employees are essential personnel in implementing the sequester.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the
Essential Services Act of
2013
.
Definitions
In this Act—
the termagencymeans an Executive agency (as defined in section 105of title 5, United States Code); and
the termessential employeemeans an employee that performs work involving the safety of human life or the protection of property, as determined by the head of the agency.
Furlough flexibility
In general
In implementing the sequester required bysection 251A of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as ordered on March 1, 2013, the head of an agency may furlough such employees of the agency as are required to achieve the funding reduction required by the sequester for the agency, but shall exempt essential employees.
Transfer of budgetary resources
The head of an agency may transfer budgetary resources within their agency to carry outsubsection (a), subject to the limitation that transfers may only be made to maintain essential employees.