08/31/2026
📌 Bill expanding federal workers’ access to workers’ compensation providers advances
On Aug. 6, the Improving Access to Workers’ Compensation for Injured Federal Workers Act (S. 3296) advanced out of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Prior to the committee’s consideration, NALC sent a letter urging the committee to approve the bill.
The bill would expand access to providers by amending the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act to allow federal workers, including letter carriers, injured on the job to receive treatment from physician associates/physician assistants (PAs) and nurse practitioners (NPs). Current law prohibits PAs and NPs from treating federal workers in workers’ compensation cases.
Increasingly, PAs and NPs provide critical care to patients, especially in rural and underserved communities. This bill would increase the number of eligible providers, making it easier for injured federal workers, including letter carriers, to access the care they need.
In June 2025, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce unanimously approved the House companion bill (H.R. 3170). The next step is for the bill to be considered on the floor of both chambers; however, with limited floor time, it is unclear if a vote will be scheduled.
NALC will continue pushing for this priority bill to receive a full vote in the House and Senate.
đź“Ś Executive order limiting vote-by-mail faces hurdles in court
In late March, President Trump issued an executive order that would severely limit vote-by-mail. The order gives the Postal Service new responsibilities much outside its typical, constitutionally mandated operations. It grants USPS the authority to reject and refuse delivery of ballots unless states comply with newly established federal eligibility lists. The order tasks the Department of Homeland Security with building these state lists of voting age American citizens.
Since issued, the executive order has faced scrutiny, pushback and challenges in the courts. On Aug. 11, the executive order hit another roadblock when a district judge in Boston expanded on a previous decision, writing that the executive branch has no authority to regulate elections.
On Aug. 21, the Postal Service published a rule detailing how it planned to carry out the executive order. Days later, on Aug. 24, the Supreme Court ruled that USPS could move forward with the new rule, stating that any halting was premature since the plans were not yet finalized. The Supreme Court did not rule on the legality or constitutionality of the executive order.
In a statement, NALC President Brian L. Renfroe called the Supreme Court’s ruling “the latest development in a broader effort to diminish the credibility of mail-in voting, undermine the dedicated work of the nation’s 200,000 active city letter carriers, and suppress Americans’ access to the ballot.”
The process will continue to play out in the courts, with more lawsuits expected. NALC is closely monitoring these cases and opposes any efforts that question the validity of or aim to eliminate vote-by-mail.
