Right to Representation for Department of Veterans Affairs Workers Act of 2025

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3196 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 3196

  To amend title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of 
   Veterans Affairs to give employees of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs opportunities to be represented by the representatives of their 
      choices in examinations of the employees in connection with 
  examinations that may result in disciplinary action, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 18, 2025

 Mr. Blumenthal (for himself, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Markey, Ms. Hirono, 
Mr. King, Ms. Alsobrooks, Mr. Padilla, Ms. Cortez Masto, Ms. Duckworth, 
 and Mr. Sanders) introduced the following bill; which was read twice 
           and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of 
   Veterans Affairs to give employees of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs opportunities to be represented by the representatives of their 
      choices in examinations of the employees in connection with 
  examinations that may result in disciplinary action, 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 ``Right to Representation for 
Department of Veterans Affairs Workers Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. RIGHT TO REPRESENTATION FOR EMPLOYEES OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
              AFFAIRS.

    (a) In General.--Subchapter I of chapter 7 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by inserting after section 707 the following 
new section:
``Sec. 708. Employee right to representation
    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall give to each covered 
employee an opportunity to be represented by a representative of their 
choice, on duty time if applicable, of the covered employee at any 
examination of such covered employee in connection with an examination 
carried out by the Secretary if--
            ``(1) the covered employee believes that the examination 
        may result in disciplinary action against the covered employee; 
        and
            ``(2) the covered employee requests the representation.
    ``(b) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) The term `covered employee' means an individual 
        occupying a position at the Department, but does not include--
                    ``(A) an individual occupying a senior executive 
                position (as defined in section 713(d) of this title);
                    ``(B) an individual appointed pursuant to sections 
                7306, 7401(4), or 7405 of this title; or
                    ``(C) a political appointee.
            ``(2) The term `political appointee' has the meaning given 
        such term in section 714(h) of this title.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
chapter 7 of such title is amended by inserting after the item relating 
to section 707 the following new item:

``708. Employee right to representation.''.
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