Congress passed legislation this week making June 19 a federal holiday in observance of Juneteenth. The date celebrates the arrival of Union troops in Galveston, Texas following the end of the Civil War. While two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, the date is viewed as the effective end of slavery in the United States.

The Biden administration released a memo on June 10, 2021 to facilitate the safe, effective, and efficient return of federal employees to the physical workplace given the declining threat of COVID-19. The administration lifted the 25 percent occupancy rule for federal buildings, but continues to require detailed plans from agencies regarding return-to-work initiatives prior to increasing occupancy.

The Senior Executives Association (SEA) and BGRS Relocation, a global leader in employee relocation solutions for public and private sector organizations, presented data from a global relocation trends survey indicating areas for improvement for American public sector organizations seeking to attract top talent from across the country following the pandemic.

The Biden administration recently announced that it would extend Title 5 federal employee protections to workers at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). This includes granting them collective bargaining rights, access to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), and aligning their wages with the General Schedule.

When President Biden issued a solicitation back in March requesting help from the federal workforce to handle the influx of unaccompanied children at the Southern border of the U.S., hundreds of employees from several agencies volunteered.

In a memo released June 7, 2021, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco announced that it will be a requirement for federal agents in the Department of Justice (DOJ) to wear body cameras when they are executing search warrants or making pre-planned arrests.

A final rule released by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) on June 8, 2021 would make it easier for federal agencies to bring back former employees at a higher pay scale. Prior to the release of this rule, agencies could bring back ex-employees, but at the same pay grade they were receiving before they left federal service.

The White House released President Joe Biden’s full fiscal year 2022 budget on Friday. The budget proposal includes a pay raise for federal employees and pledges to focus on strengthening the workforce.

The Postal Service Reform Act of 2021, introduced in the House by House Oversight and Reform Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Ranking Member James Comer (R-KY), could raise health insurance costs for both employees and retirees in the federal workforce.

President Joe Biden recently released a $6 trillion budget proposal for fiscal year 2022. The budget proposal would raise total spending to $8.2 trillion by 2031. Non-defense discretionary spending would be increased by 16 percent, while defense spending would increase by 1.7 percent.

The House Committee on Appropriations introduced a $1.9 billion proposal to increase security measures at the Capitol and cover overtime and hazard pay for officers who defended the Capitol during the January 6, 2021 insurrection. The bill was approved in the House with a 213-212 vote and will now move to the Senate.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) released a tip sheet for human resources (HR) staff at federal agencies as employees prepare to return to the office following the pandemic. The release of the tip sheet coincides with May being Mental Health Awareness Month.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is reshaping its workforce training and hiring strategy to better respond to global crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. At the DHS Centers of Excellence Summit, held at George Mason University, department leaders said they were looking to hire and retain a workforce that can adapt to change in a dynamic environment.

After the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced in new, updated guidance that fully vaccinated individuals do not need to wear masks in both indoor and outdoor settings, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) sent agencies an email lifting the mask mandate in federal facilities while retaining other pandemic protocols.

A joint report by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) details that as cases of domestic terrorism continue in the United States, lone offenders pose the greatest threat to national security.

During National Police Week, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed several law enforcement related bills. The full Senate also passed a resolution recognizing law enforcement and fallen officers introduced by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and cosponsored by all 99 other U.S. Senators. In both the House of Representatives and the Senate, law enforcement legislation was also introduced.

This week, from May 9-May 15, 2021, is National Police Week. National Police Week, along with Peace Officers Memorial Day, which is on May 15th every year, was started by President John F. Kennedy in 1962 and honors law enforcement officers who lost their lives or were disabled in the line of duty. President Joe Biden issued a proclamation on May 7, 2021 regarding Peace Officers Memorial Day and Police Week 2021.

President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Wednesday to improve national cybersecurity in an effort to combat future cyberattacks. The order follows the SolarWinds and Microsoft Exchange cyberattacks impacting federal agencies as well as the recent Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack that caused states of emergency in several states.

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas recently announced the creation of a new Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3) that aims to combat terrorism and other forms of targeted violence.

In a House Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation and Marine Security hearing on May 4, Democrats urged their colleagues to support legislation that would extend Title 5 employment protections to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screeners.