Sen. Daniel Akaka this week introduced a bill that would reduce penalties for federal workers who campaign or partake in other political activities. 

Akaka said in a statement that it is time for Congress to “provide greater flexibility for state and local government employees, and additional options for disciplining federal employees charged with minor violations of the Hatch Act.”

The Hatch Act, which passed in 1939, restricts federal workers from engaging in partisan political activity. According to The Hill, employees who violate the act are no required to be removed or suspended for 30 days without pay. 

Akaka’s proposed legislation would allow state and local government employees covered by the Hatch Act to run for partisan elective office, and offer a range of penalties for violations of the act.  

A spokesman for Akaka told DC808 that the legislation has been in the works for several years, and that much of it is based on recommendations from the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, an independent federal investigative and prosecutorial agency. 

Maryland Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings is co-sponsoring the bill, which has bipartisan support in the Senate, Akaka’s office said.