House Committee on Veterans Affairs
345 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20003
We, the undersigned, appreciate the opportunity to share our views on the Draft HR G:\CMTE\VA\18\R\OANDI\VA_DISCIPLINE_01.XML that would amend title 38, United States Code, to modify personnel action procedures with respect to employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and for other purposes.
During the 117th Congress and beginning in 2019, members of the Make It Safe Coalition (MISC) testified and worked with the House Veterans Affairs Committee (HVAC) to draft legislation that eventually passed the House but not in time for the Senate to take action. We are committed to the principles and plans laid out in the original H.R. 8510. Therefore, we are disappointed that none of those provisions are contained within this draft legislation. We would like to request that legislation include the previous provisions on separation of General Counsel, removal of investigation authority from OAWP, and transparency in settlement agreements, as well as closure of loopholes such as retaliatory referral to medical boards.
In relation to § 712. Supervisors: removal, demotion, or suspension based on performance or misconduct provisions, such provisions already exist under the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) rules. We agree that the VA should be able to remove criminal and dangerous employees as quickly as possible. But we have seen too many cases in which the whistleblower who reported...
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