103rd Congress > Senate > Vote 201
Clerk session vote number: 201
Description: A bill to amend title 5, United States Code, to restore to Federal civilian employees their right to participate voluntarily, as private citizens, in the political processes of the Nation, to protect such employees from improper political solicitations, and for other purposes.
Bill summary: Hatch Act Reform Amendments of 1993 - (Sec. 2) Amends Federal civil service law to declare that a Federal or District of Columbia government employee may take an active part in political management or in political campaigns, except that he or she may not: (1) use official authority or influence for the purpose of interfering with or affecting the result of an election; (2) knowingly solicit, accept, or receive a political contribution from any person, unless such person is a member of the same
(...show more)
Federal labor organization or a Federal employee organization with a multicandidate political committee (PAC), such person is not a subordinate employee, and the solicitation is for a contribution to the organization's PAC; (3) run for nomination or election to a partisan political office; or (4) knowingly solicit or discourage the participation in any political activity of any person who has an application for any compensation, grant, contract, ruling, license, permit, or certificate pending before his or her employing office, or who is the subject of, or a participant in, an ongoing audit, investigation, or enforcement action carried out by such employing office.
Sets forth special prohibitions for employees of the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and other specified Federal entities, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Merit Systems Protection Board, who are not presidential appointees.
States that Federal and District of Columbia government employees retain the right to vote as they choose and to express their political opinions.
Prohibits any employee (except certain political appointees in specified circumstances) from engaging in political activity: (1) while on duty; (2) in any room or building occupied in the discharge of official duties by a Federal employee or official; (3) while wearing a uniform or official insignia identifying his or her office or position; or (4) while using any vehicle owned or leased by the Government.
Authorizes the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to prescribe regulations permitting employees residing in the immediate vicinity of the District of Columbia in Maryland or Virginia, or in a municipality where the majority of voters are Federal employees, to participate in political management and political campaigns involving their area of residence, if OPM determines that such political participation is in their domestic interest.
Sets forth penalties for violations of political activity prohibitions.
(Sec. 4) Amends the Federal criminal code to make it unlawful for any person to coerce or attempt to coerce any Federal employee to engage or not engage in any political activity.
(Sec. 5) Subjects certain provisions under the Voting Rights Act of 1965 concerning Federal voting examiners to the amendments made by this Act.
(Sec. 6) Repeals provisions under the Community Services Block Grant Act relating to the coverage of employees of nonprofit private organizations under such provisions governing political activity of certain State and local employees.
(Sec. 7) Includes U.S. Postal Service, Postal Rate Commission, and District of Columbia employees within the coverage of the amendments made above by this Act.
(Sec. 8) Establishes procedures for consideration of any recommendations of Senators and Representatives for positions in the competitive service that do not violate specified prohibitions.
(Sec. 9) Amends Federal civil service law to provide for garnishment of the pay of Federal employees and members of the uniformed services in specified circumstances.
(Sec. 10) Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) Federal employees should not be authorized to solicit political contributions from the general public or run for the nomination or as a candidate for a local partisan political office, except as provided under current law; (2) no further U.S. foreign assistance to Nicaragua should be obligated pending an appropriate investigation by an international body; and (3) such investigation should focus on the relationship of the Sandinista National Liberation Front to terrorist acts that threaten U.S. security and political stability and economic prosperity in the Western Hemisphere.
Click to hide full description.
Bill titles: To amend title 5, United States Code, to restore to Federal civilian employees their right to participate voluntarily, as private citizens, in the political processes of the Nation, to protect such employees from improper political solicitations, and for other purposes.
Links for more info on the vote: congress.gov
