Bills · S 124
IN COMMITTEE· 119TH CONGRESS
Senate BillS 124Veterans' medical careJudicial review and appeals
Restore VA Accountability Act of 2025
This bill gives the VA Secretary more power to quickly fire or demote managers for poor performance or misconduct by shortening the notice period and moving appeals from an independent board to an internal department process.AI-written
INTRO JAN 16· LAST ACTION MAR 11
READING
13MIN
COSPONSORS
18
READER REACTIONS0 TOTAL
NO VOTES YET · BE THE FIRST
- Introduced only
tl;dr
AI-writtenSpeeds up the process for firing or demoting managers at the Department of Veterans Affairs by bypassing standard federal appeals boards and removing requirements for performance improvement periods.
LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS
STEP 2 / 8Introduced
In Committee
Reported
Passed Senate
Passed House
Conference
To President
Became Law
WHAT THE BILL DOES
AI-writtenCurrently, firing a federal employee can take months or even years due to various legal protections and appeal layers. This bill argues that the VA needs a more 'at-will' style of management to ensure that veterans receive the best possible service. If this becomes law, it could lead to a significant culture shift at the VA, making managers more accountable but also potentially making them more vulnerable to political or personal firings without the oversight of an independent board. If it doesn't pass, the current, longer disciplinary processes remain in place, which critics say protects bad employees and supporters say ensures fairness.
KEY PROVISIONS
5AI-extractedPROVISION 01
Shortens the disciplinary timeline to a maximum of 15 business days for notice, response, and a final decision.
It drastically speeds up the firing process which normally takes much longer in the federal government.
PROVISION 02
Removes the requirement for the VA to place an underperforming manager on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) before firing them.
It allows the VA to skip the 'rehab' phase for managers and go straight to termination for poor work.
PROVISION 03
Eliminates the right to appeal disciplinary actions to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB).
It removes an independent layer of oversight, making the VA Secretary's decision much harder to overturn.
PROVISION 04
Establishes an internal VA grievance process that must be completed within 21 days.
It keeps the dispute resolution 'in-house' rather than using outside federal labor experts.
PROVISION 05
Prohibits courts from lowering a penalty imposed by the VA, except in constitutional cases.
Even if a court finds a manager was treated harshly, it cannot change a firing to a suspension; it can only uphold or throw out the entire action.
SPONSORSHIP
1 + 18
R· Kansas
YRS IN OFFICE
29
BILLS LED
85
COSPONSOR BREAKDOWNBIPARTISAN · 0%
DEM 0 REP 18 IND 0
ACTION TIMELINE
3 EVENTSMAR 11
Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 119-35.
JAN 16
Introduced in Senate
JAN 16
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
BILL INFO
TypeSenate Bill
NumberS 124
Congress119th
StatusIn Committee
IntroducedJan 16, 2025
Last actionMar 11, 2025
READER REACTIONS
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IN COMMITTEE· 119TH CONGRESS · VETERANS' AFFAIRS COMMITTEE · INTRODUCED JAN 16, 2025
Senate BillS 124Veterans' medical careJudicial review and appeals
Restore VA Accountability Act of 2025
This bill gives the VA Secretary more power to quickly fire or demote managers for poor performance or misconduct by shortening the notice period and moving appeals from an independent board to an internal department process.AI-written
INTRODUCED JAN 16, 2025· LAST ACTION MAR 11, 2025
PASSAGE CHANCES
—%
READING
13 min
COSPONSORS
18
COMPLEXITY
Moderate
