Legislation (H.R. 568) that would require the Office of Personnel Management to provide annual reports to Congress on the use of "official time" by federal employees who also serve as union officers was approved by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee by voice vote May 22.

The measure, approved by the committee as an amendment in the nature of a substitute, is necessary because OPM currently provides "untimely" and incomplete reports on the use of official time--paid work time in which federal employees are permitted to pursue union business, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), the committee's chairman, said before the vote. For example, he said, OPM has not yet issued its report on official time use in fiscal year 2012.

According to Issa, the intent of the bill is not to limit the use of official time in the federal government, but to count it. "This is data that can and should be collected," he said.

Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), the committee's ranking member, said he supported the bill with the changes included in the substitute amendment. Among other things, he said, H.R. 568 as approved by the committee no longer would require agencies to estimate for OPM the value of federal office space, furnishings, equipment, or supplies provided for union use.

The legislation was introduced by Rep. Dennis Ross (R-Fla.) Feb. 6.

In other public sector news:

• A group of senators are questioning the Federal Aviation Administration's decision to award pay increases to some employees a few months before the agency started workforce furloughs, which were halted soon afterwards by Congress.

• A working group within the National Council on Federal Labor-Management Relations has built on the council's website an online tool designed to allow federal agencies and unions to report on the current status of their labor-management forums. 

• Calling Chicago's retiree health program "fiscally unsustainable," Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced a plan, which would require approval from the Chicago City Council, to shift nearly 40,000 retired employees and beneficiaries over the next three years from the city-sponsored health insurance program to coverage available under the Affordable Care Act. 

• Colorado Gov. John W. Hickenlooper (D) signed legislation (H.B. 13-1046) that will regulate access for employers, defined to include "a unit of state and local government," to the personal social media accounts of employees and job applicants.