Tammy Duckworth

Non-Discrimination Legislation Introduced

03/09/2016

Earlier this week, Representatives Tammy Duckworth (IL) and Richard Hanna (NY) introduced legislation to clarify that it is a prohibited personnel practice in the federal government to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. NTEU strongly supports this legislation and applauds the bill sponsors for their leadership on this issue.

In 1983, the Reagan Administration concluded that a federal employee in the excepted service had merit system protections from being dismissed solely because of his or her sexual orientation.  That determination has been further strengthened by an Executive Order and through contract language negotiated by NTEU. 

However, because this Executive Order could be rescinded by a future administration, NTEU believes that codification of these workplace protections is important.  Therefore, NTEU will be seeking enactment of this bill, H.R. 4668, the bipartisan Clarification of Federal Employment Protections Act.