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Federal Workforce Restructuring Act of 1994

Public Law 103-226 · H.R. 3345 · 103rd Congress · began in the House

Signed by Bill Clinton (D) on Mar 30, 1994 · Government Operations and Politics

Sponsor: Rep. Bill Clay (D-MO-1)

Cosponsors (18): Rep. Patricia Schroeder,

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseVoice vote
  • SenateRecorded vote: 99 yea, 1 nay99–1
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Federal Workforce Restructuring Act of 1994 - Amends Federal civil service law to eliminate various restrictions on employee training.

(Sec. 3) Authorizes temporary "buy-out" programs for encouraging selected groups of employees in the executive and judicial branches (except employees of the Department of Defense, Central Intelligence Agency, or the General Accounting Office) to separate from Government service, generally by April 1, 1995, by offering them lump-sum payments in order to avoid or minimize reductions in force (RIFs).

Requires: (1) such payments (the lesser of $25,000 or the amount of the employee's severance pay) to be paid from amounts available for the employee's pay, and, generally, to be fully repaid if the employee rejoins the Federal Government within five years of separation; (2) the elimination of one full-time equivalent position for each one vacated by reason of a lump-sum payment; (3) that there be no increase in service contract procurement by reason of this Act except where it is financially advantageous to the Federal Government; and (4) participating Federal agencies to make specified contributions to the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund based on the final rate of basic pay of each employee who retires early and receives the lump-sum payment for FY 1994 and 1995, as well as on the number of agency employees subject to the Civil Service or Federal Employees' Retirement System for FY 1995 through 1998.

Authorizes the Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts to establish a program for judicial employees consistent with this Act.

(Sec. 5) Sets annual limitations on the total number of full-time equivalent executive agency positions each year through FY 1999, subject to waiver under certain conditions, such as war or national emergency. Suspends further agency hiring in cases of noncompliance with such limitations.

(Sec. 6) Requires the Office of Personnel Management to submit annual reports on such "buy-out" programs to the Congress.

(Sec. 7) Provides for severance payments for certain employees under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration who worked in Yellow Creek, Mississippi, and whose separation resulted from the termination of the Advanced Solid Rocket Motor Program.

(Sec. 8) Amends Federal civil service law and the Central Intelligence Agency Voluntary Separation Pay Act regarding optional forgiveness of the lump-sum repayment obligations of bought-out employees reemployed in positions for which there is exceptional difficulty in recruiting qualified employees.

(Sec. 9) Revises the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), with changes providing all separating TSP participants with the same options for withdrawal.

(Sec. 10) Amends the Alaska Railroad Transfer Act of 1982 to: (1) allow application to employees of a State-owned railroad under such Act of the buyout provisions of this Act; and (2) reduce the amount of service time required for such employees who remained covered under the Civil Service Retirement System to carry both Federal health and life insurance benefits into retirement.

Who voted for it

Every senator of the 103rd Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 99 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

99 yea1 nay

Dimension 2
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(56)

  • Sen. Paul WellstoneD-MN
  • Sen. Howard MetzenbaumD-OH
  • Sen. Russell FeingoldD-WI
  • Sen. Barbara BoxerD-CA
  • Sen. Paul SimonD-IL
  • Sen. Paul SarbanesD-MD
  • Sen. George MitchellD-ME
  • Sen. Claiborne PellD-RI
  • Sen. Donald RiegleD-MI
  • Sen. Patty MurrayD-WA
  • Sen. Patrick LeahyD-VT
  • Sen. Daniel MoynihanD-NY
  • Sen. Tom HarkinD-IA
  • Sen. David PryorD-AR
  • Sen. Carol Moseley BraunD-IL
  • Sen. Daniel AkakaD-HI
  • Sen. Dale BumpersD-AR
  • Sen. Ted KennedyD-MA
  • Sen. Carl LevinD-MI
  • Sen. Jay RockefellerD-WV
  • Sen. Tom DaschleD-SD
  • Sen. Daniel InouyeD-HI
  • Sen. James SasserD-TN
  • Sen. Kent ConradD-ND
  • Sen. Harlan MathewsD-TN
  • Sen. Joseph BidenD-DE
  • Sen. Bill BradleyD-NJ
  • Sen. Barbara MikulskiD-MD
  • Sen. John KerryD-MA
  • Sen. Robert ByrdD-WV
  • Sen. Christopher DoddD-CT
  • Sen. Harris WoffordD-PA
  • Sen. John GlennD-OH
  • Sen. Dianne FeinsteinD-CA
  • Sen. Wendell FordD-KY
  • Sen. Byron DorganD-ND
  • Sen. Harry ReidD-NV
  • Sen. Frank LautenbergD-NJ
  • Sen. Fritz HollingsD-SC
  • Sen. Max BaucusD-MT
  • Sen. Richard BryanD-NV
  • Sen. Bob GrahamD-FL
  • Sen. John JohnstonD-LA
  • Sen. John BreauxD-LA
  • Sen. Dennis DeConciniD-AZ
  • Sen. Charles RobbD-VA
  • Sen. Jeff BingamanD-NM
  • Sen. Herb KohlD-WI
  • Sen. David BorenD-OK
  • Sen. Joseph LiebermanD-CT
  • Sen. Ben CampbellD-CO
  • Sen. Robert KerreyD-NE
  • Sen. James ExonD-NE
  • Sen. Samuel NunnD-GA
  • Sen. Howell HeflinD-AL
  • Sen. Richard ShelbyD-AL

Republicans who voted yea(43)

  • Sen. Jim JeffordsR-VT
  • Sen. Mark HatfieldR-OR
  • Sen. John ChafeeR-RI
  • Sen. David DurenbergerR-MN
  • Sen. Arlen SpecterR-PA
  • Sen. William CohenR-ME
  • Sen. Robert PackwoodR-OR
  • Sen. Nancy KassebaumR-KS
  • Sen. Ted StevensR-AK
  • Sen. John DanforthR-MO
  • Sen. Pete DomeniciR-NM
  • Sen. John WarnerR-VA
  • Sen. Kit BondR-MO
  • Sen. Slade GortonR-WA
  • Sen. Alfonse D’AmatoR-NY
  • Sen. Richard LugarR-IN
  • Sen. Thad CochranR-MS
  • Sen. Conrad BurnsR-MT
  • Sen. Alan SimpsonR-WY
  • Sen. William RothR-DE
  • Sen. Kay HutchisonR-TX
  • Sen. Robert BennettR-UT
  • Sen. Daniel CoatsR-IN
  • Sen. Chuck GrassleyR-IA
  • Sen. Strom ThurmondR-SC
  • Sen. Frank MurkowskiR-AK
  • Sen. Orrin HatchR-UT
  • Sen. Connie MackR-FL
  • Sen. Paul CoverdellR-GA
  • Sen. Mitch McConnellR-KY
  • Sen. Robert DoleR-KS
  • Sen. Larry PresslerR-SD
  • Sen. John McCainR-AZ
  • Sen. Judd GreggR-NH
  • Sen. Trent LottR-MS
  • Sen. Phil GrammR-TX
  • Sen. Dirk KempthorneR-ID
  • Sen. Larry CraigR-ID
  • Sen. Don NicklesR-OK
  • Sen. Bob SmithR-NH
  • Sen. Malcolm WallopR-WY
  • Sen. Lauch FairclothR-NC
  • Sen. Jesse HelmsR-NC
Data notes

The Senate’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 472 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

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Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

  • Judiciary Committee · House · bills of interest - exchange of letters
  • Post Office and Civil Service Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Compensation and Employee Benefits Subcommittee; Civil Service Subcommittee
Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 57 actions.

  1. Mar 30, 1994Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 103-226.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Mar 25, 1994PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Mar 24, 1994Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to conference report by Yea-Nay Vote. 99-1. Record Vote No: 77.Senate roll call 77
  5. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in Senate: Senate agreed to conference report by Yea-Nay Vote. 99-1. Record Vote No: 77.Senate roll call 77
  6. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report considered in Senate.
  7. FloorFloor · Second cloture motion on the Conference report to accompany H.R. 3345 invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 63-36. Record Vote No: 76.Senate roll call 76
  8. FloorFloor · Cloture on the Conference report to accompany H.R. 3345 not invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 58-41. Record Vote No: 75.Senate roll call 75
  9. FloorFloor · Second cloture motion on the Conference report accompanying H.R. 3345 presented in Senate.
  10. FloorFloor · Cloture motion on the Conference report accompanying H.R. 3345 presented in Senate.
  11. FloorFloor · Motion to proceed to the consideration of the Conference report agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 62-29. Record Vote No: 71.Senate roll call 71
  12. Mar 23, 1994Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference papers: message on House action held at the desk in Senate.
  13. Resolving differencesResolving differences · On agreeing to the conference report Agreed to by voice vote.
  14. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motions to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  15. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in House: On agreeing to the conference report Agreed to by voice vote.
  16. Resolving differencesResolving differences · The previous question was ordered without objection.
  17. Resolving differencesResolving differences · On motion to recommit with instructions to conference committee Failed by the Yeas and Nays: 166 - 261 (Roll no. 88).House roll call 88
  18. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Mr. Castle moved to recommit with instructions to the conference committee.
  19. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Mr. Clay brought up conference report H. Rept. 103-435 for consideration under the provisions of H. Res. 388.
  20. FloorFloor · Mr. Castle moved to recommit the bill to the committee of conference, with instructions to the managers on the part of the House, to agree to the provisions committed to conference in the Senate amendment No. 1, to the House amendment to the Senate amendment (the Gramm amendment…
  21. FloorFloor · DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 388, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with one hour of debate on the conference report.
  22. FloorFloor · Rule H. Res. 388 passed House.
  23. Mar 16, 1994Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report H. Rept. 103-435 filed.
  24. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed: Conference report H. Rept. 103-435 filed.
  25. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference papers: Senate report and managers' statement held at the desk in Senate.
  26. FloorFloor · Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 388 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of the conference report to H.R. 3345.
  27. Mar 15, 1994Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conferees agreed to file conference report.
  28. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference committee actions: Conferees agreed to file conference report.
  29. Mar 11, 1994Resolving differencesResolving differences · The Speaker appointed conferees - from the Committee on Rules for consideration of Senate amendment No. 1 and modifications committed to conference: Derrick, Beilenson, and Solomon.
  30. Resolving differencesResolving differences · The Speaker appointed conferees - from the Committee on Government Operations for consideration of Senate amendment No. 1 and modifications committed to conference: Conyers, Towns, and Clinger.
Data notes

Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.

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Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.