Monday federal headlines – May 4, 2015

The Federal Headlines is a daily compilation of the stories you hear discussed on the Federal Drive and In Depth radio shows each day. Our headlines are updated twice per day — once in the morning and once in the afternoon — with the latest news affecting federal employees and contractors.

• The Senate could vote this week on a conference budget proposal. The House passed a compromise budget for fiscal 2016 late last week. The plan doesn’t include a provision that would require federal employees to contribute more toward their retirement savings plans. (Federal News Radio)
• Government program managers would follow a set career path and project efficiency standards, according to a new bill from Reps. Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Gerry Connolly (D-Va.). The Program Management Improvement and Accountability Act lets the Government Efficiency Caucus create a model for program management across all agencies. Gov Exec reports, the thinking behind best practices comes from research at the Project Management Institute. (GovExec)
• The Partnership for Public Service picked 30 finalists for the prestigious Service to America Medal. The Sammies honor federal civilian employees who “epitomize the spirit of public service,” according to Partnership CEO Max Stier. A committee will pick eight winners from those 30 finalists. Some of the categories include science and environment, national security, management and citizen services. The committee includes former Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and National Treasury Employees Union President Colleen Kelley. The Partnership will announce the winners in October. One person will win the medal for Federal Employee of the Year. (Federal News Radio)
• Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) said the military isn’t being honest about sexual assault. She questioned the Pentagon’s latest report, which says sex crimes are decreasing and victims are feeling more comfortable reporting them. Gillibrand said the Defense Department is not counting crimes against civilians and spouses of service members. The department said it doesn’t have the authority to do that. But in addition, Gillibrand said the military is going easy on perpetrators with soft sentences and the tendency to believe them rather than victims. Gillibrand continues to push legislation that would remove military commanders from the judicial process, something the Pentagon opposes. (Federal News Radio)
• Defense officials will have to come up with more gender-specific ways to help victims of sexual assault. The Pentagon’s latest report on military sex assaults showed big differences between active duty men and women. The department has a hard time tracking how many men have been sexually assaulted. That’s because a lot of times men don’t report the incident, or they describe it as hazing instead of assault. The Pentagon said women are four times more likely to report a sexual assault then men. But nearly 60 percent of women who reported an assault said they also faced retaliation. (Federal News Radio)
• The Office of Personnel Management’s efforts to reduce water consumption are paying off. The agency won a Federal Green Challenge Award from the Environmental Protection Agency. In a blog post, OPM Director Katherine Archuleta said the agency reduced water consumption by 38 percent at the Theodore Roosevelt Building. Staff installed more efficient water fixtures, replaced indoor plants with ones that don’t need to be watered and worked with the utility company to produce more accurate meter readings. (OPM)
• Another agency is setting up shop in Silicon Valley. The Air Force said its California office will support cybersecurity, IT and other technology needs. The Defense and Homeland Security departments recently announced they’d also create satellite offices in Silicon Valley. Lt. Gen. William Bender is the Air Force’s chief information officer. He said the Air Force office in Silicon Valley will complement the Pentagon’s. (FCW)
• The Justice Department funneled $20 million into a body-worn camera program. Law enforcement officers would wear cameras that record their interactions with the public. The $20 million pilot is part of President Barack Obama’s proposal to spend $75 million on 50,000 cameras, with $17 million going to grants to purchase the cameras, $2 million for training and another $1 million to evaluate the cameras and study best practices. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said the body-worn cameras would improve transparency and accountability for law enforcement agencies. (Washington Post)
• The House has approved a measure banning senior executives in the Veterans Affairs Department from receiving performance awards. Rep. Keith Rothfus (R-Pa.) sponsored the bill out of frustration with what he called the department’s continuing failure to serve veterans. He said the VA isn’t moving fast enough to hold senior executives accountable for misconduct. The provision is tucked into the appropriations bill for the department. It now goes to the Senate. (Congress)
• The National Science Foundation and the National Security Agency have teamed up to send kids to camp this summer. Not just any camp though. The agencies are paying for hundreds of teens to learn cybersecurity skills through more than 40 programs across the country. Some students will build computers. Others will fly drones. All will learn about online threats and the basics of cyber defense. Officials said the government hopes to take advantage of the students’ new skills, but there’s no requirement that the students work for the government. (NSA)

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