S. 724 — Introduced in Senate

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, and Mr. Boozman) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs A BILL To provide flexibility to agencies on determining what employees are essential personnel in implementing the sequester. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Essential Services Act of 2013. 2. Definitions In this Act— (1) the term agency means an Executive agency (as defined in section 105 of title 5, United States Code); and (2) the term essential employee means an employee that performs work involving the safety of human life or the protection of property, as determined by the head of the agency. 3. Furlough flexibility (a) In general In implementing the sequester required by section 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. (b) Transfer of budgetary resources The head of an agency may transfer budgetary resources within their agency to carry out subsection (a), subject to the limitation that transfers may only be made to maintain essential employees.