Restore VA Accountability Act of 2025
Restore VA Accountability Act of 2025
Plain Language Summary
# Restore VA Accountability Act of 2025 - Summary **What the bill would do:** This bill would make it easier for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to fire, demote, or suspend supervisors and managers who perform poorly or engage in misconduct. Currently, federal employees have extensive protections that make removal difficult. The bill streamlines this process by allowing the VA to take action based on "substantial evidence" of performance problems or wrongdoing, without going through the lengthy traditional civil service procedures. **Who it affects and key protections:** The bill primarily targets VA supervisors and managers—not all VA employees. However, affected employees would still retain some protections: they'd receive advance notice of actions against them, the right to legal representation, and an internal grievance process to challenge the decision.
The bill excludes certain political appointees and employees still in their probationary period from these new removal rules. **Current status:** The bill is currently in committee (S 124) in the 119th Congress, sponsored by Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS). This means it has been introduced but not yet voted on by the full Senate. The bill is part of broader discussions about government employee accountability and management flexibility within federal agencies.
CRS Official Summary
Restore Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability Act of 2025 or the Restore VA Accountability Act of 2025This bill modifies personnel action procedures regarding certain employees and executives of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The bill authorizes the VA to remove from civil service, demote, or suspend VA employees that are supervisors or managers if the VA determines by substantial evidence that the performance or misconduct of such individual warrants such action. This authority does not apply to certain appointees or individuals in their probationary or trial period.Supervisors or managers who are subject to a removal, demotion, or suspension under this bill are entitled to (1) advance notice of the action and supporting evidence, (2) representation by an attorney or representative, and (3) grieve the action in accordance with an internal grievance process.The bill also provides protections from removal, demotion, or suspension for supervisor or managers who are whistleblowers or are seeking corrective action for an alleged prohibited personnel practice such as discrimination.The bill also modifies the procedures to remove, demote, or suspend VA employees or senior executives based on performance or misconduct, specifically by requiring the VA to determine by substantial evidence that the performance or misconduct of the individual warrants such removal, demotion, or suspension. Such procedures must apply retroactively, beginning on the date of enactment of the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017 (June 23, 2017).
Latest Action
Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held.