VA Funding and Workforce Protection Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2722 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2722

 To limit the deferral or transfer of Federal funds made available to 
    the Department of Veterans Affairs, to limit layoffs and other 
      personnel actions at the Department, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 8, 2025

 Mr. Kennedy of New York (for himself, Ms. Norton, Mr. Thanedar, Mrs. 
Dingell, Ms. Tlaib, Mr. Landsman, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, Mrs. Ramirez, Mr. 
Neguse, Mr. Davis of Illinois, Mr. Mannion, Ms. Velazquez, Ms. Williams 
 of Georgia, Mrs. McIver, Ms. Budzinski, Mr. Ruiz, Ms. Sewell, and Ms. 
  Crockett) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To limit the deferral or transfer of Federal funds made available to 
    the Department of Veterans Affairs, to limit layoffs and other 
      personnel actions at the Department, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``VA Funding and Workforce Protection 
Act''.

SEC. 2. LIMITATION ON DEFERRAL OR TRANSFER OF FEDERAL FUNDS MADE 
              AVAILABLE FOR DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

    (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, 
including the Impoundment Control Act of 1974, discretionary 
appropriations made available for the Department of Veterans Affairs 
(in this Act referred to as the ``Department''), including the Veterans 
Health Administration, may not be impounded, transferred, or 
reprogrammed unless specific statutory authority is enacted into law 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, with express reference to 
this Act, permitting such impoundment, transfer, or reprogramming.
    (b) Notification.--The Secretary of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs (in this Act referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall notify the 
Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives and the 
Senate if the Secretary determines that the Department is within 30 
days of having a shortfall of funding.

SEC. 3. PERSONNEL REQUIREMENTS FOR DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

    (a) Exemption From Hiring Freeze.--The Department shall be exempt 
from any hiring freeze issued by the President, the Secretary, or the 
Director of the Office of Personnel Management during the period 
beginning on January 20, 2025, and ending on January 20, 2029.
    (b) Reinstatement of Veterans.--With respect to any veteran (as 
that term is defined in section 101 of title 38, United States Code) 
who was a career employee of the Department and whom the Secretary 
removed from employment with the Department during the period beginning 
on January 20, 2025, and ending on the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary shall--
            (1) reinstate such veteran to the position (or equivalent 
        position) such veteran occupied on the date that is one day 
        before the date of removal; and
            (2) exempt such veteran from separation under any reduction 
        in force that occurs before January 20, 2029.
    (c) Limitation on Layoffs.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall submit written notice, 
        to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
        Representatives and the Senate, not later than 15 days before 
        the date that the Department will remove any officer or 
        employee under a reduction in force or an agency 
        reorganization.
            (2) Probationary employees.--
                    (A) In general.--Notwithstanding any other 
                provision of law, no employee of the Department in 
                probationary status may be removed from a position at 
                the Department without the enactment into law after the 
                date of the enactment of this section, with express 
                reference to this section, permitting such removal.
                    (B) Notification.--The Secretary shall submit to 
                Congress--
                            (i) on the date the Secretary removes a 
                        probationary employee for poor performance, a 
                        report that includes the reasons for the 
                        removal, the employee's most recent performance 
                        appraisal, and the removal notice submitted to 
                        the employee; and
                            (ii) not later than 30 days after the date 
                        of the enactment of this Act and every 30 days 
                        thereafter, a list of any probationary 
                        employees at the Department that received a 
                        removal notice during the period covered by the 
                        report.

SEC. 4. CERTIFICATION OF COMPLIANCE.

    Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall certify (in writing), to 
the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and 
the Senate and the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
Representatives and the Senate, that the Secretary is in compliance 
with the requirements of this Act.
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