Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Resilient Employment and Authorization Determination to Increase the National Employment of Serving Spouses Act” or the “READINESS Act”.
Resilient Employment and Authorization Determination to Increase the National Employment of Serving Spouses Act
A BILL
To retain Federal employees who are spouses of a member of the Armed Forces or the Foreign Service when relocating due to an involuntary transfer, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Flexibilities for Federal employees who are Armed Forces or foreign service spouses
In general— Not later than 30 calendar days after receiving a request from a covered individual, the head of the agency or instrumentality of the Federal Government employing such covered individual shall—
authorize such covered individual to work remotely full-time if the head determines that the duties of such covered individual do not require regular physical presence of the covered individual in the workplace;
transfer the covered individual to a position of equal grade, as qualified, in the agency or instrumentality in the commuting area of the new permanent duty location of the spouse of such covered individual;
transfer the covered individual to a remote position of equal grade, as qualified, in the agency or instrumentality; or
in the case of a covered individual who is not authorized or able to be transferred under paragraph (1), (2), or (3), place the covered individual into a nonpay status for the greater of—
the duration of the service of the spouse of the covered individual at such permanent duty location; or
the period of 36 consecutive months following the permanent change of station.
Non-Encumbered nonpay status— A position held by a covered individual placed into nonpay status under this section shall not be considered encumbered, and may be backfilled by a permanent employee.
Reports—
Agency reports to OPM— Not later than October 1 of each of the first five fiscal years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the head of each agency or instrumentality of the Federal Government shall submit to the Director of the Office of Personnel Management—
a list of each request received by such head under subsection (a) during the immediately preceding fiscal year; and
which action was taken by the head under such subsection with respect to such a request.
Report to Congress— Not later than October 15 of each of the first five fiscal years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director shall provide a report to Congress detailing the information received under paragraph (1), sorted by agency or instrumentality.
Covered individual defined— In this section, the term covered individual means an individual—
who is the spouse of a member of the Armed Forces (as defined in section 2101 of title 5, United States Code) or the Foreign Service;
who is an employee of an agency or instrumentality of the Federal Government; and
who relocates because such member receives a permanent change of station or change in homeport of a vessel, ship-based squadron or staff, or mobile unit.