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Federal Employees' Compensation Act

United States federal law From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA), is a United States federal law, enacted on September 7, 1916.[1][2][3] Sponsored by Sen. John W. Kern (D) of Indiana and Rep. Daniel J. McGillicuddy (D) of Maine, it established compensation to federal civil service employees for wages lost due to job-related injuries.[1][3] This act became the precedent for "disability insurance" across the country and the precursor to broad-coverage health insurance.[citation needed]

Other short titlesFederal Employees' Compensation Act of 1916; Kern–McGillicuddy Act
Long titleAn Act To provide compensation for employees of the United States suffering injuries while in the performance of their duties, and for other purposes
Acronyms (colloquial)FECA
Enactedbythe 64th United States Congress
Quick facts Other short titles, Long title ...
Workingmen's Compensation Act
Great Seal of the United States
Other short titlesFederal Employees' Compensation Act of 1916; Kern–McGillicuddy Act
Long titleAn Act To provide compensation for employees of the United States suffering injuries while in the performance of their duties, and for other purposes
Acronyms (colloquial)FECA
Enacted bythe 64th United States Congress
EffectiveSeptember 7, 1916
Citations
Public lawPublic Law 64-267
Statutes at Large39 Stat. 742
Codification
Acts amendedFederal Employees' Compensation Act of 1908
Legislative history
  • Introduced in the House of Representatives as H.R. 15316 by Daniel J. McGillicuddy (D‑ME) on May 1, 1916
  • Committee consideration by House Committee on the Judiciary
  • Passed the House of Representatives on July 12, 1916 (288–3)
  • Passed the Senate on August 19, 1916 (Voice vote)
  • Reported by the joint conference committee on August 21 – August 31, 1916; agreed to by the Senate on September 4, 1916 (Voice vote) and by the House of Representatives on September 5, 1916 (Voice vote)
  • Signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson on September 7, 1916
Major amendments
Federal Employees' Compensation Act Amendments of 1949, 1960, 1966, 1974
United States Supreme Court cases
Johansen v. United States (1952), Lockheed Aircraft Corp. v. United States (1983)
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President Woodrow Wilson signed H.R. 15316 into law on September 7, 1916.[citation needed]

The Federal Employees' Compensation Commission was the original administrator of the FECA. However, the Commission did not exist at the time the FECA went into effect and claims accumulated for more than six months while members were selected and sworn into office. The Federal Employees' Compensation Commission officially began its duties on March 14, 1917. The commission was abolished on May 16, 1946, by President Harry S. Truman as part of the Reorganization Act of 1939. Its duties were transferred to the Federal Security Agency on July 16, 1946.[4]

The act is now administered by the U.S. Department of Labor.

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