Federal Newscast

A move toward skills-based federal hiring is getting another push from Congress. A new bipartisan bill would push agencies to ease college degree requirements for many federal jobs. Agencies would have to consider alternative job qualifications like military service, apprenticeships and community college. If enacted, the bill would also create a separate USAJobs portal for positions not requiring a four-year college degree. 

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The Army is replacing its long-criticized height-and-weight tables and tape test with a waist-to-height ratio to measure body composition. The change follows Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's push for a simpler, more consistent fitness standard across the military. The new policy is drawing mixed reactions from soldiers, with critics questioning whether a single waist measurement is enough. Soldiers with a confirmed waist-to-height ratio of 0.55 or higher will be placed in the Army's body composition improvement program, but no one will be involuntarily separated during a 180-day implementation period. 

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The National Institute of Standards and Technology has a new leader. Arvind Raman was sworn is as the fifth undersecretary of commerce for standards and technology on June 30th. He was confirmed by the Senate in May. Raman was previously the dean of engineering at Purdue University. His background is in atomic force microscopy, human biomechanics and electronics manufacturing. As the head of NIST, he’ll be charged with overseeing an array of high-profile work in areas like artificial intelligence, quantum science, and biotechnology.

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The Trump administration is looking to tweak the rules for federal employees’ paid administrative leave. Recent proposed regulations from the Office of Personnel Management would give agencies more leeway to use paid leave, including during workforce reduction efforts. During 2025, agencies used administrative leave to implement the deferred resignation program, paying thousands of employees for several months not to work, in exchange for them agreeing to quit their jobs.

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The good news about your Thrift Savings Plan for June, only two funds saw month over month drops. As for the other funds, 13 of 14 experienced minimal growth of less than one percent from May to June. The big winner last month was the S fund with a growth rate of 4.34%. The S fund also remains the top performing TSP account for all of 2026, increasing by more than 18%. The "I", C and eight of nine L funds also continue to bring back double digit returns since January.

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The IRS still doesn’t recognize a union that represents much of its workforce. But the agency has agreed it will no longer bar employees from keeping materials from the National Treasury Employees Union on their desks or in common areas. NTEU previously complained to a federal court that the IRS removed union materials from employees’ workstations and covered up NTEU information on bulletin board. The IRS tells the court that it will pause further implementation of its directive ordering the removal of NTEU materials from the workplace.

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Two Democrats and two Republicans have teamed up on a bill that would give military families more time to make important financial decisions after a service member dies. Endorsed by groups like Gold Star Spouses of America, Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion, the bill would give families three years instead of one to roll over death gratuities and life insurance into tax-advantaged savings accounts. Supporters say the language would give families more flexibility as they work through difficult choices. The bill could be added into the annual defense policy bill now progressing through Congress. 

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Dozens of House Democrats are urging the Trump administration to abandon its proposal for a governmentwide non-disclosure agreement. The lawmakers say an NDA for federal employees would only serve to intimidate and silence them. They are demanding details on the scope of the proposed NDA, and how workers would still be able to make protected disclosures. Lawmakers sent their demands in a letter to the Office of Personnel Management, after the proposed NDA plans were released last month.

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A lawsuit challenging Schedule Policy/Career is doubling down on its arguments. The recently amended complaint now directly challenges the reclassifications of 8,000 federal employees earlier this month. The lawsuit alleges that Schedule Policy/Career violates the Civil Service Reform Act, inhibits due process for federal employees, and intrudes on congressional powers. The plaintiffs in the case are the Government Accountability Project and the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association.

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The House's version of the 2027 defense spending bill is moving on to the full chamber for consideration. House appropriators voted 34 to 27 to approve the $1.1 trillion package at a markup Wednesday. The bill funds Trump administration priorities like the Golden Dome missile defense shield and greater investment in commercial technologies. Lawmakers also adopted a package of amendments on hot-button issues like diversity programs, abortion and sex-reassignment surgery.

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