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Bill115th CongressFiled Mar 9, 2017Armed Forces and National Security
H.R. 1461

VET Protection Act of 2017

Bill journey · stage 2 of 5

Under committee review

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What it doesSummary reported to house amended, part i (May 23, 2017)

Veterans, Employees, and Taxpayers Protection Act of 2017 or the VET Protection Act of 2017

(Sec. 2) This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to: (1) track the use of official time by VA employees accurately and without the use of estimates or ranges of times, and (2) report on such use to the Office of Personnel Management and Congress by December 1 of each fiscal year.

Each report shall include: (1) the total amount of official time granted to employees; (2) the total amount of official time expended and the amount of official time expended per employee for term negotiations, mid-term negotiations, general labor-management relations, and dispute resolution; (3) the types of activities for which official time was granted and the impact on VA operations; (4) the total annual salary and job title of, and amount of official time afforded to, employees; (5) a description of any room or space designated for official time activities; and (6) a list of any employees granted a waiver and a justification for each such waiver.

"Official time" means any period of time granted to an employee under federal labor-management provisions to perform representational or consultative functions during which the employee would otherwise be in a duty status.

The bill prohibits a VA employee from using official time to carry out political or lobbying activities;

The following VA employees may not use official time for any purpose: (1) a physician, dentist, podiatrist, chiropractor, or optometrist; (2) an employee with an annual basic pay rate of $100,000 or more; and (3) an employee serving a probationary period. Any other VA employee may not spend more than 25% of his or her duty status time on official time.

The VA may waive such official time restrictions if reasonable, necessary, and in the best interest of veterans. Such waiver authority shall not be subject to collective bargaining, and the exercise or failure to exercise such authority shall not be an unfair labor practice.

An exclusive bargaining agreement entered into by the VA shall allow a VA employee to terminate a voluntary allotment for the payment of dues at any time.

The appointment of a covered VA employee shall become final only after such employee has served a two-year probationary period. "Covered employee:" (1) means any individual appointed to a permanent position within the competitive service or as a career appointee within the Senior Executive Service, and (2) does not include any individual appointed to a VA health care position for which a two-year probationary period applies. Such an employee's supervisor shall determine whether the employee's appointment becomes final not later than 90 days before the expiration of such probationary period.

What just happenedMay 23, 2017

Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 94.

Who’s behind it

Rep. Arrington, Jodey C. [R-TX-19](R-TX)Sponsor
Read on Congress.gov
2committees15actions1related bills7subjects
  1. May 23, 2017CalendarsH12410

    Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 94.

  2. May 23, 2017DischargeH12300

    Committee on Oversight and Government discharged.

    Oversight and Accountability Committee
  3. May 23, 2017Committee5500

    Committee on Oversight and Government discharged.

    Oversight and Accountability Committee
  4. May 23, 2017CommitteeH12200

    Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. H. Rept. 115-146, Part I.

    Veterans' Affairs Committee
  5. May 23, 2017Committee5000

    Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. H. Rept. 115-146, Part I.

    Veterans' Affairs Committee
  6. May 17, 2017Committee

    Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 13 - 11.

    Veterans' Affairs Committee
  7. May 17, 2017Committee

    Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.

    Veterans' Affairs Committee
  8. Mar 21, 2017Committee

    Subcommittee Hearings Held.

    Economic Opportunity Subcommittee
  9. Mar 20, 2017Committee

    Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.

    Economic Opportunity Subcommittee
  10. Mar 20, 2017Committee

    Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity Discharged.

    Veterans' Affairs Committee
  11. Mar 9, 2017IntroReferralH11100

    Referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

    Oversight and Accountability Committee
  12. Mar 9, 2017IntroReferralH11100-A

    Referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

  13. Mar 9, 2017IntroReferralH11100

    Referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

    Veterans' Affairs Committee
  14. Mar 9, 2017IntroReferralIntro-H

    Introduced in House

  15. Mar 9, 2017IntroReferral1000

    Introduced in House

Reported to House amended, Part IMay 23, 201718

Veterans, Employees, and Taxpayers Protection Act of 2017 or the VET Protection Act of 2017

(Sec. 2) This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to: (1) track the use of official time by VA employees accurately and without the use of estimates or ranges of times, and (2) report on such use to the Office of Personnel Management and Congress by December 1 of each fiscal year.

Each report shall include: (1) the total amount of official time granted to employees; (2) the total amount of official time expended and the amount of official time expended per employee for term negotiations, mid-term negotiations, general labor-management relations, and dispute resolution; (3) the types of activities for which official time was granted and the impact on VA operations; (4) the total annual salary and job title of, and amount of official time afforded to, employees; (5) a description of any room or space designated for official time activities; and (6) a list of any employees granted a waiver and a justification for each such waiver.

"Official time" means any period of time granted to an employee under federal labor-management provisions to perform representational or consultative functions during which the employee would otherwise be in a duty status.

The bill prohibits a VA employee from using official time to carry out political or lobbying activities;

The following VA employees may not use official time for any purpose: (1) a physician, dentist, podiatrist, chiropractor, or optometrist; (2) an employee with an annual basic pay rate of $100,000 or more; and (3) an employee serving a probationary period. Any other VA employee may not spend more than 25% of his or her duty status time on official time.

The VA may waive such official time restrictions if reasonable, necessary, and in the best interest of veterans. Such waiver authority shall not be subject to collective bargaining, and the exercise or failure to exercise such authority shall not be an unfair labor practice.

An exclusive bargaining agreement entered into by the VA shall allow a VA employee to terminate a voluntary allotment for the payment of dues at any time.

The appointment of a covered VA employee shall become final only after such employee has served a two-year probationary period. "Covered employee:" (1) means any individual appointed to a permanent position within the competitive service or as a career appointee within the Senior Executive Service, and (2) does not include any individual appointed to a VA health care position for which a two-year probationary period applies. Such an employee's supervisor shall determine whether the employee's appointment becomes final not later than 90 days before the expiration of such probationary period.

Introduced in HouseMar 9, 2017

Veterans, Employees, and Taxpayers Protection Act of 2017 or the VET Protection Act of 2017

This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to: (1) track the use of official time by VA employees accurately; and (2) submit to the Office of Personnel Management and Congress, by October 1 of each fiscal year, a report on such use. "Official time" means any period of time granted to an employee under federal labor-management provisions to perform representational or consultative functions during which the employee would otherwise be in a duty status.

The bill prohibits: (1) a VA employee from using official time to carry out political activities or activities relating to lobbying; (2) a VA physician, dentist, podiatrist, chiropractor, or optometrist from using official time for any purpose; (3) other VA employees involved with direct patient care and other employees whose rate of basic pay is equal to or higher than a GS-13 from spending more than 25% of the time such employee would otherwise be in a duty status on official time; and (4) any VA employee from spending more than 50% of the time such employee would otherwise be in a duty status on official time.

Any exclusive bargaining agreement entered into by the VA shall allow a VA employee to terminate a voluntary allotment for the payment of dues at any time.

The appointment of a covered VA employee shall become final only after such employee has served a probationary period of 18 months. "Covered employee": (1) means any individual appointed to a permanent position within the competitive service or as a career appointee within the Senior Executive Service, and (2) does not include any individual with a probationary period prescribed by a provision applicable to specified health care practitioners. An employee's supervisor shall determine whether an employee's appointment becomes final by 90 days before the expiration such probationary period.

VET Protection Act of 2017 — Informed