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        <title>VA Accountability First and Appeals Modernization Act of 2017</title>
        <congress>115</congress>
        <number>611</number>
        <type>HR</type>
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          <actionDate>2017-02-03</actionDate>
          <text>Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.</text>
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        <text>Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.</text>
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        <text>Introduced in Senate</text>
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        <bioguideId>R000595</bioguideId>
        <fullName>Sen. Rubio, Marco [R-FL]</fullName>
        <firstName>Marco</firstName>
        <lastName>Rubio</lastName>
        <party>R</party>
        <state>FL</state>
        <isByRequest>N</isByRequest>
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        <fullName>Sen. McCain, John [R-AZ]</fullName>
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        <lastName>MCCAIN</lastName>
        <party>R</party>
        <state>AZ</state>
        <middleName>SIDNEY</middleName>
        <sponsorshipDate>2017-01-17</sponsorshipDate>
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        <bioguideId>T000461</bioguideId>
        <fullName>Sen. Toomey, Patrick [R-PA]</fullName>
        <firstName>Patrick</firstName>
        <lastName>Toomey</lastName>
        <party>R</party>
        <state>PA</state>
        <middleName>J.</middleName>
        <sponsorshipDate>2017-01-17</sponsorshipDate>
        <isOriginalCosponsor>True</isOriginalCosponsor>
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        <bioguideId>G000386</bioguideId>
        <fullName>Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA]</fullName>
        <firstName>Charles</firstName>
        <lastName>Grassley</lastName>
        <party>R</party>
        <state>IA</state>
        <middleName>E.</middleName>
        <sponsorshipDate>2017-01-30</sponsorshipDate>
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        <fullName>Sen. Daines, Steve [R-MT]</fullName>
        <firstName>Steve</firstName>
        <lastName>Daines</lastName>
        <party>R</party>
        <state>MT</state>
        <sponsorshipDate>2017-03-01</sponsorshipDate>
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      <name>Armed Forces and National Security</name>
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          <name>Administrative remedies</name>
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          <name>Congressional oversight</name>
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          <name>Department of Veterans Affairs</name>
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        <item>
          <name>Disability and paralysis</name>
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          <name>Employee performance</name>
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          <name>Employment discrimination and employee rights</name>
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          <name>Evidence and witnesses</name>
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          <name>Federal officials</name>
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          <name>Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management</name>
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          <name>Merit Systems Protection Board</name>
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          <name>Office of Special Counsel</name>
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          <name>Transportation costs</name>
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          <name>Veterans' pensions and compensation</name>
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        <name>Armed Forces and National Security</name>
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    <summaries>
      <summary>
        <versionCode>00</versionCode>
        <actionDate>2017-01-17</actionDate>
        <actionDesc>Introduced in Senate</actionDesc>
        <updateDate>2017-09-08T22:03:01Z</updateDate>
        <text><![CDATA[ <p><strong>VA Accountability</strong> <strong>First and Appeals Modernization Act of 2017</strong></p> <p>This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to remove or demote a VA employee based on performance or misconduct. The VA may remove such individual from the civil service or demote the individual through a reduction in grade or annual pay rate. </p> <p> A demoted individual shall not be placed on administrative leave or any other category of paid leave during the appeals period and can receive pay only if he or she reports for duty.</p> <p>The bill: (1) establishes an expedited appeals process by the Merit Systems Protection Board, (2) amends the disability benefits appeals process, (3) prescribes restrictions on the VA's authority to remove or demote an employee, and (4) establishes whistleblower protections. </p> <p> The VA shall reduce the federal annuity of an individual removed from the VA Senior Executive Service (SES) who is convicted of a felony that influenced his or her performance while employed in such position.</p> <p>The VA may reduce the federal annuity of an individual who was convicted of such a felony and was subject to removal or transfer from the SES but who left the VA before final action was taken. </p> <p> The VA may recoup an award, a bonus, or relocation expenses paid to a VA employee under specified circumstances.</p> <p> The VA may suspend, reprimand or admonish an SES employee for misconduct or performance that does not merit removal. Appeals may be made to the Senior Executive Disciplinary Appeals Board (as provided for by this bill). </p> <p>The bill amends the disability benefits appeals process.</p> <p> The bill prohibits payment of an award or bonus to any SES employee during each of FY2017-FY2021.</p>]]></text>
      </summary>
    </summaries>
    <title>VA Accountability First and Appeals Modernization Act of 2017</title>
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        <titleType>Display Title</titleType>
        <title>VA Accountability First and Appeals Modernization Act of 2017</title>
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        <title>A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the removal or demotion of employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs based on performance or misconduct, and for other purposes.</title>
        <billTextVersionName>Introduced in Senate</billTextVersionName>
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        <titleType>Short Titles as Introduced</titleType>
        <title>VA Accountability First and Appeals Modernization Act of 2017</title>
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        <type>Introduced in Senate</type>
        <date>2017-01-17T05:00:00Z</date>
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          <item>
            <url>https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-115s152is/xml/BILLS-115s152is.xml</url>
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    <latestAction>
      <actionDate>2017-01-17</actionDate>
      <text>Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.</text>
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    <dc:language>EN</dc:language>
    <dc:rights>Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.</dc:rights>
    <dc:contributor>Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress</dc:contributor>
    <dc:description>This file contains bill summaries and statuses for federal legislation. A bill summary describes the most significant provisions of a piece of legislation and details the effects the legislative text may have on current law and federal programs. Bill summaries are authored by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) of the Library of Congress. As stated in Public Law 91-510 (2 USC 166 (d)(6)), one of the duties of CRS is "to prepare summaries and digests of bills and resolutions of a public general nature introduced in the Senate or House of Representatives". For more information, refer to the User Guide that accompanies this file.</dc:description>
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