[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3244 Reported in House (RH)]
<DOC>
Union Calendar No. 297
115th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3244
[Report No. 115-403]
To amend title 5, United States Code, to provide for annual surveys of
Federal employees, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 14, 2017
Mr. Meadows (for himself, Mr. Jody B. Hice of Georgia, and Mr.
Connolly) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
November 8, 2017
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
in italic]
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on July
14, 2017]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 5, United States Code, to provide for annual surveys of
Federal employees, 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. EMPLOYEE SURVEYS.
(a) In General.--Chapter 14 of title 5, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 1403. Employee surveys
``(a) In General.--Each agency shall conduct an annual survey of
its employees (including survey questions unique to the agency and
questions prescribed under subsection (b)) to assess--
``(1) leadership and management practices that contribute
to agency performance; and
``(2) employee satisfaction with--
``(A) leadership policies and practices;
``(B) work environment;
``(C) rewards and recognition for professional
accomplishment and personal contributions to achieving
organizational mission;
``(D) opportunity for professional development and
growth; and
``(E) opportunity to contribute to achieving
organizational mission.
``(b) Regulations; Notice.--
``(1) In general.--The Director of the Office of Personnel
Management shall issue regulations prescribing survey questions
that should appear on all agency surveys under subsection (a)
in order to allow a comparison across agencies.
``(2) Notice of change to regulations.--
``(A) In general.--The Director of the Office of
Personnel Management may not issue a regulation under
this section until the date that is 60 days after the
date on which the Director submits such regulation to
the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland
Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate unless
the Director submitted such regulation to those
committees not later than the day after the date on
which the notice of proposed rulemaking is published in
the Federal Register.
``(B) Applicability.--Subparagraph (A) shall apply
with respect to any regulation promulgated on or after
the date of enactment of this paragraph.
``(3) Notice of change to survey questions.--Not later than
60 days before finalizing any change, addition, or removal to
any survey question in the annual employee survey administered
by the Office pursuant to this section, the Director shall--
``(A) make the proposed change, addition, or
removal and the proposed final text, if applicable, of
any such question publicly available on the agency's
website; and
``(B) provide to the Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform of the House of Representatives and
the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs of the Senate--
``(i) the proposed change, addition, or
removal and the proposed final text, if
applicable, of any such question;
``(ii) a justification for the proposed
change, addition, or removal; and
``(iii) an analysis of whether the change,
addition, or removal will affect the ability to
compare results from surveys taken after the
change, addition, or removal is implemented
with results from surveys taken before the
change, addition, or removal is implemented.
``(c) Occupational Data.--To the extent practicable, the Director
of the Office of Personnel Management shall, in publishing agency
survey data collected under subsection (a), include responses to such
surveys by occupation. In carrying out this subsection the Director
shall ensure the confidentiality of any agency survey respondent.
``(d) Survey Incentives.--In conjunction with each annual survey
required under subsection (a), the head of each agency shall submit to
the Director of the Office of Personnel Management information on any
monetary, in-kind, leave-related, or other incentive offered to
employees in exchange for participation in the survey, including a
description of the type of each such incentive offered and the quantity
of each such incentive provided to employees.
``(e) Availability of Results.--The results of the agency surveys
under subsection (a) shall be made available to the public and posted
on the website of the agency involved, unless the head of such agency
determines that doing so would jeopardize or negatively impact national
security.
``(f) Agency Defined.--In this section, the term `agency' has the
meaning given the term Executive agency in section 105.''.
(b) Applicability.--
(1) The requirements of section 1403 of title 5, United
States Code (as added by this Act) shall apply with respect to
any annual survey initiated on or after the date of enactment
of this Act.
(2) Any annual survey authorized by, and meeting the
requirements of, section 1128 of the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004 (Public Law 108-136; 5
U.S.C. 7101 note) that is in progress on the date of enactment
of this Act (or, if no such survey is in progress, was most
recently completed prior to the date of enactment of this Act)
shall be considered to be a survey authorized by, and that
meets the requirements of, section 1403(a) of title 5, United
States Code, (as added by this Act) including for purposes of
requiring the Office of Personnel Management to give notice of
subsequent changes, additions, or removals of survey questions
under section 1403(b)(3) of such title.
(c) Technical and Conforming Amendments.--
(1) Repeal.--Section 1128 of the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004 (Public Law 108-136; 5
U.S.C. 7101 note), and the item relating to such section in the
table of sections, is repealed.
(2) Table of sections.--The table of sections for chapter
14 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by inserting
after the item relating to section 1402 the following new item:
``1403. Employee surveys.''.
(3) Table of chapters.--The item relating to chapter 14 in
the table of chapters for part II of title 5, United States
Code, is amended to read as follows:
``14. Agency Chief Human Capital Officers; Employee Surveys. 1401''.
(4) Chapter heading.--The heading for chapter 14 of title
5, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: ``CHAPTER
14--AGENCY CHIEF HUMAN CAPITAL OFFICERS; EMPLOYEE SURVEYS''.
SEC. 2. GAO STUDY ON ANNUAL SURVEY INCENTIVES.
The Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a study
on the types of incentives offered by agencies to employees in exchange
for participation in surveys required by section 1128 of the National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004 (Public Law 108-136; 5
U.S.C. 7101 note) or section 1403 of title 5, United States Code, that
includes an evaluation of the impact of such incentives on employee
survey responses and response rates, and any recommendations regarding
such incentives the Comptroller General considers necessary.
Union Calendar No. 297
115th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3244
[Report No. 115-403]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 5, United States Code, to provide for annual surveys of
Federal employees, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
November 8, 2017
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed