Text of Senate Amendment 6189

On 2026-06-24, Senator Mark R. Warner (D-VA) delivered a floor speech titled "Text Of Senate Amendment 6189" in the Senate.

Text of Senate Amendment 6189

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026)] [Senate] [Page S3373] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] SA 6189. Mr. WARNER submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 4784, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2027 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows: At the appropriate place, insert the following: SEC. ___. FLEXIBLE WORK ARRANGEMENTS FOR CERTAIN FEDERAL EMPLOYEES. (a) Flexible and Compressed Work Schedules.-- (1) In general.--Subchapter II of chapter 61 of title 5, United States Code, is amended-- (A) in section 6122-- (i) in the section heading, by striking ``agencies authorized to use'' and inserting ``agency usage''; (ii) by amending subsection (a) to read as follows: ``(a)(1) Notwithstanding section 6101 of this title, each agency-- ``(A) may establish, in accordance with this subchapter, programs that allow the use of flexible schedules that include-- ``(i) designated hours and days during which an employee on such a schedule must be present for work; and ``(ii) designated hours during which an employee on such a schedule may elect the time of such employee's arrival at and departure from work, solely for such purpose or, if and to the extent permitted, for the purpose of accumulating credit hours to reduce the length of the workweek or another workday; and ``(B) shall establish programs described in subparagraph (A) that allow the use of a flexible schedule, as described in that subparagraph, by a covered employee, the spouse of whom is deployed. ``(2) An election by an employee referred to in paragraph (1)(A)(ii), and the participation by a covered employee in a program established under paragraph (1)(B), shall be subject to limitations generally prescribed to ensure that the duties and requirements of the position of the applicable employee are fulfilled.''; and (iii) by adding at the end the following: ``(c) In this section-- ``(1) the term `covered employee' means an employee, the spouse of whom is a member of the uniformed services; and ``(2) the term `deployed'-- ``(A) with respect to a member of the armed forces, means that the member is deployed or in a deployment within the meaning of section 991(b) of title 10, including any definition of `deployment' prescribed under paragraph (4) of that section; and ``(B) with respect to a member of the commissioned corps of the Public Health Service or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, has the meaning given the term by the Secretary concerned, as defined in section 101 of title 37.''; (B) in section 6130(a), by adding at the end the following: ``(3) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subsection, no collective bargaining agreement may fail to provide for the use of a flexible or compressed work schedule that is required to be allowed section 6122(a)(1)(B).''; (C) in section 6131(d), by inserting ``or that are required to be allowed under section 6122(a)(1)(B)'' after ``under this subchapter''; and (D) in section 6133(b), by adding at the end the following: ``(3) The materials, aids, and assistance under paragraph (1) shall include information that an agency shall provide to covered employees, as defined in subsection (c) of section 6122, regarding the rights of those covered employees under subsection (a)(1)(B) of that section.''. (2) Technical and conforming amendment.--The table of sections for subchapter II of chapter 61 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by striking the item relating to section 6122 and inserting the following: ``6122. Flexible schedules; agency usage.''. (b) Telework.--Chapter 65 of title 5, United States Code, is amended-- (1) in section 6502(b)-- (A) in paragraph (5), by striking ``and'' at the end; (B) in paragraph (6), by striking the period at the end and inserting ``; and''; and (C) by adding at the end the following: ``(7) allow an employee, the spouse of whom is a member of the uniformed services, to telework while that spouse is deployed, as defined in section 6122(c).''; and (2) in section 6505(b)-- (A) in paragraph (2)(C), by striking ``and'' at the end; (B) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (4); and (C) by inserting after paragraph (2)(C) the following: ``(3) provide information to employees, the spouses of whom are members of the uniformed services, regarding the rights of those employees under section 6502(b)(7).''. ______