{"bills":[{"photos":{"featured":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/s1094-115/featured_department-of-veterans-affairs-accountability-and-whistleblower-protection-act-of-2017-1496810975.jpg","featured_large":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/s1094-115/featured_large_department-of-veterans-affairs-accountability-and-whistleblower-protection-act-of-2017-1496810975.jpg","shareable":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/s1094-115.png"},"introduced_on":"2017-05-11","title_override":"Should it be Easier for the VA to Fire Underperforming Employees While Protecting Whistleblowers?","summary_override":"

This bill look to improve accountability at the Dept. of Veterans Affairs (VA) by allowing the VA to dismiss employees — including executive service employees — for misconduct or poor performance, while ensuring that whistleblowers can’t be fired in retaliation for reporting misconduct. It also would streamline the VA’s authority to rescind an employee’s bonus or relocation reimbursement, or allow reduction to their retirement pension if they’re convicted of a felony related to their work performance.

Senior executive service employees at the VA could be suspended, involuntarily reassigned, demoted, or removed for misconduct or performance following the completion of a VA-internal grievance process that must be completed within 21 days. Non-senior executive service employees could be removed, demoted, or suspended for more than 14 days pending a Merit Systems Protection Board appeal that would have to be completed within 180 days and would be subject to review by a federal circuit court.

The bill would also establish an Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection for employees to expose major problems without fear of retaliation. The VA would be required to train supervisors on the rights of whistleblowers; address reports of a hostile work environment; manage, motivate, and reward employees; and manage employees performing at an unaceptable level. Additionally, the VA would be required to provide reports to Congress on employee morale and the types of administrative action taken against employees and their effectiveness in disciplining employees.

The VA secretary would be authorized to directly appoint individuals to the positions of Medical Center Director and Director of Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) if they have demonstrated ability in the medical profession, healthcare administration, or healthcare fiscal management.

","official_title":"A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the accountability of employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.","short_title":"Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017","popular_title":null,"short_summary":"Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017\n\nThis bill establishes in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) the Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection, to be headed by the Assistant Secretary for Accountability and Whistleblower Protection.\n\nThe VA shall develop criteria to promote supervisory protection of whistle-blowers and provide supervisors with related training.\n\nThe bill revises VA authority to remove certain employees or senior executives for reasons of misconduct or performance, including by permitting such individuals to be demoted or suspended.\n\nThe VA: (1) shall reduce the federal annuity of a removed individual who is convicted of a felony that influenced his or her performance while employed in such position, and (2) may reduce the federal annuity of a retired individual who was convicted of such a felony but who left the VA before final action was taken.\n\nThe VA may recoup an award, a bonus, or relocation expens...","summarized":true,"cost":null,"cost_commentary":"A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.","impact":"Veterans receiving care from the VA; VA employees, supervisors, and whistleblowers; and Congress.","argument_for":"If the VA is going to get its act together and give veterans a better level of care, it needs the ability to more easily fire or punish bad employees and protect whistleblowers that report misconduct.","argument_against":"There are a lot of problems with the VA that aren’t going to be fixed by firing bad employees and protecting whistleblowers from retaliation.","bill_type":"s","published":true,"type":"FederalBill","id":"s1094-115","bill_id":"s1094-115","formal_id":"S. 1094","chamber":"senate","congress":115,"last_action_at":"2017-06-23T00:00:00.000Z","active":true,"enacted":true,"enacted_at":"2017-06-23","vetoed":false,"last_vote_at":"2017-06-13T20:36:05.000Z","debated_on":null,"congress_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th/senate-bill/1094","plain_text_url":"https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-115s1094enr/html/BILLS-115s1094enr.htm","shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/s1094-115.png","congress_full_text_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th/senate-bill/1094/text","is_current_congress":false,"last_version_on":"2017-05-11","related_bill_ids":["hres378-115","s493-115"],"progress":"Enacted","house_passage_result":true,"senate_passage_result":true,"position_count":721,"committees":[{"name":"Committee on Veterans' Affairs","chamber":"senate","committee_id":"SSVA","subcommittee":false}],"links":{"rollCalls":"/api/roll_calls?bill_id=s1094-115","details":"/api/bills/s1094-115/details","sharingMessage":"/api/sharing_messages/s1094-115","positionsFor":"/api/bills/s1094-115/positions/for","positionsAgainst":"/api/bills/s1094-115/positions/against"},"upcoming":false,"cosponsors_count":39,"slug":"s1094-115-department-of-veterans-affairs-accountability-and-whistleblower-protection-act-of-2017","latest_chamber_votes_id":"s1094-115","official_url":null,"target_video":true,"following":false,"vote_count":7049,"yea_vote_count":5003,"nay_vote_count":2032,"passed_house":true,"passed_senate":true,"vote_id":null,"my_position_id":null,"topic_ids":["defense","work","legal-affairs","health"],"issue_ids":["defense","work","federal-agencies","legal-affairs","health","veterans-affairs"],"sponsor_id":537}],"votes":[],"issues":[{"id":"defense","name":"Defense","slug":"defense","description":"Federal legislation related to Defense spending, the active duty military, intelligence activities, war powers and veterans’ care. 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Should it be Easier for the VA to Fire Underperforming Employees While Protecting Whistleblowers?