The ACA regulators clarified in an FAQ today that the law does not impose a fine or penalty on an employer that fails to distribute the health insurance marketplace notice required by the ACA / new Fair Labor Standards Act § 18B.  This notice requirement was explained in Labor Department Technical Release No 2013-02.  OPM distributed a modified version of this notice to federal payroll offices for distribution to federal employees in late August.

The Federal Times reports that yesterday the House of Representatives leadership introduced a continuing resolution to fund the federal government until December 15, 2013, but today it decided to postpone a vote on that resolution from tomorrow until sometime next week. A Govexec.com article discusses the issue of whether a busy fall Congressional schedule will derail consideration of postal reform.

The Hill reports that NARFE, NTEU and AFGE sent a letter to the members of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee criticizing the FEHBP and Federal Employees Compensation Act provisions of the postal reform bill (S. 1498) introduced by the Committee’s chairman Tom Carper (D Del) and its ranking member  Dr. Tom Coburn (R. Okla.).  The letter states in FEHBlog pertinent part that

[T]he health insurance provisions of S.1486 will undermine the successful, long-standing Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) and increase costs for millions of federal employees, retirees and their families. 

The FEHBlog agrees.