To amend title 5, United States Code, to provide for investigative leave requirements with respect to Senior Executive Service employees, and for other purposes.

Summary: Government Employee Accountability Act - Sets forth investigative leave requirements for federal employees in the competitive service and Senior Executive Service (SES) career employees. Defines "investigative leave" as a temporary absence without duty for disciplinary reasons, for up to 90 days.

Authorizes a federal agency to place an employee on investigative leave: (1) without loss of pay and without charge to annual or sick leave only for misconduct, neglect of duty, malfeasance, or misappropriation of funds; or (2) without pay if such employee's conduct is determined to be serious or flagrant.

Requires an agency head to: (1) review the investigation into an employee's misconduct, neglect of duty, malfeasance, or misappropriation of funds at the end of each 45-day investigative period; (2) report on such review to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs not later than 5 business days after the end of each 45-day period; and (3) remove, suspend without pay, or reinstate or restore such employee to duty at the end of the investigative leave period. Allows an agency to extend a period of investigative leave for an additional period not to exceed 90 days.

Entitles an employee, before being placed on investigative leave, to: (1) at least 30-days' advance written notice, stating specific reasons for the proposed action, unless there is reasonable cause to believe that the employee has committed a crime for which a sentence of imprisonment can be imposed or unless the agency head determines that the employee's conduct is serious or flagrant; (2) a reasonable time, but not less than 7 days, to answer orally and in writing and to furnish affidavits and other evidence in support of the answer; (3) be represented by an attorney or other representative; and (4) a written decision with specific reasons at the earliest practicable date.

Entitles an employee who is placed on administrative leave to appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB).

Includes misappropriation of funds as a ground in suspending or reinstating an SES employee or placing such employee in another civil service position.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Government Employee Accountability 
Act''.

SEC. 2. SUSPENSION FOR 14 DAYS OR LESS FOR SENIOR EXECUTIVE SERVICE 
              EMPLOYEES.

    Paragraph (1) of section 7501 of title 5, United States Code, is 
amended to read as follows:
            ``(1) `employee' means--
                    ``(A) an individual in the competitive service who 
                is not serving a probationary or trial period under an 
                initial appointment or who has completed 1 year of 
                current continuous employment in the same or similar 
                positions under other than a temporary appointment 
                limited to 1 year or less; or
                    ``(B) a career appointee in the Senior Executive 
                Service who--
                            ``(i) has completed the probationary period 
                        prescribed under section 3393(d); or
                            ``(ii) was covered by the provisions of 
                        subchapter II of this chapter immediately 
                        before appointment to the Senior Executive 
                        Service;''.

SEC. 3. INVESTIGATIVE LEAVE FOR SENIOR EXECUTIVE SERVICE EMPLOYEES.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 75 of title 5, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:

   ``SUBCHAPTER VI--INVESTIGATIVE LEAVE FOR SENIOR EXECUTIVE SERVICE 
                               EMPLOYEES

``Sec. 7551. Definitions
    ``For the purposes of this subchapter--
            ``(1) `employee' has the meaning given such term in section 
        7541; and
            ``(2) `investigative leave' means a temporary absence 
        without duty for disciplinary reasons, of a period not greater 
        than 90 days.
``Sec. 7552. Actions covered
    ``This subchapter applies to investigative leave.
``Sec. 7553. Cause and procedure
    ``(a)(1) Under regulations prescribed by the Office of Personnel 
Management, an agency may place an employee on investigative leave, 
without loss of pay and without charge to annual or sick leave, only 
for misconduct, neglect of duty, malfeasance, or misappropriation of 
funds.
    ``(2) If an agency determines that such employee's conduct is 
serious or flagrant, the agency may place such employee on 
investigative leave under this subchapter without pay.
    ``(b)(1) At the end of each 45-day period during a period of 
investigative leave implemented under this section, the relevant agency 
shall review the investigation into the employee with respect to the 
misconduct, neglect of duty, malfeasance, or misappropriation of funds.
    ``(2) Not later than 5 business days after the end of each such 45-
day period, the agency shall submit a report describing such review 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.
    ``(3) At the end of a period of investigative leave implemented 
under this section, the agency shall--
            ``(A) remove an employee placed on investigative leave 
        under this section;
            ``(B) suspend such employee without pay; or
            ``(C) reinstate or restore such employee to duty.
    ``(4) The agency may extend the period of investigative leave with 
respect to an action under this subchapter for an additional period not 
to exceed 90 days.
    ``(c) An employee against whom an action covered by this subchapter 
is proposed is entitled to, before being placed on investigative leave 
under this section--
            ``(1) at least 30 days' advance written notice, stating 
        specific reasons for the proposed action, unless--
                    ``(A) there is reasonable cause to believe that the 
                employee has committed a crime for which a sentence of 
                imprisonment can be imposed; or
                    ``(B) the agency determines that the employee's 
                conduct with respect to which an action covered by this 
                subchapter is proposed is serious or flagrant as 
                prescribed in regulation by the Office of Personnel 
                Management;
            ``(2) a reasonable time, but not less than 7 days, to 
        answer orally and in writing and to furnish affidavits and 
        other documentary evidence in support of the answer;
            ``(3) be represented by an attorney or other 
        representative; and
            ``(4) a written decision and specific reasons therefor at 
        the earliest practicable date.
    ``(d) An agency may provide, by regulation, for a hearing which may 
be in lieu of or in addition to the opportunity to answer provided 
under subsection (c)(2).
    ``(e) An employee against whom an action is taken under this 
section is entitled to appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board 
under section 7701.
    ``(f) Copies of the notice of proposed action, the answer of the 
employee when written, and a summary thereof when made orally, the 
notice of decision and reasons therefor, and any order effecting an 
action covered by this subchapter, together with any supporting 
material, shall be maintained by the agency and shall be furnished to 
the Merit Systems Protection Board upon its request and to the employee 
affected upon the employee's request.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
chapter 75 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by adding after 
the item relating to section 7543 the following:

   ``subchapter vi--investigative leave for senior executive service 
                               employees

``7551. Definitions.
``7552. Actions covered.
``7553. Cause and procedure.''.

SEC. 4. SUSPENSION OF SENIOR EXECUTIVE SERVICE EMPLOYEES.

    Section 7543 of title 5, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by inserting ``misappropriation of 
        funds,'' after ``malfeasance,''; and
            (2) in subsection (b), by amending paragraph (1) to read as 
        follows:
            ``(1) at least 30 days' advance written notice, stating 
        specific reasons for the proposed action, unless--
                    ``(A) there is reasonable cause to believe that the 
                employee has committed a crime for which a sentence of 
                imprisonment can be imposed; or
                    ``(B) the agency determines that the employee's 
                conduct with respect to which an action covered by this 
                subchapter is proposed is serious or flagrant as 
                prescribed in regulation by the Office of Personnel 
                Management;''.

SEC. 5. MISAPPROPRIATION OF FUNDS AMENDMENTS.

    (a) Reinstatement in the Senior Executive Service.--Section 3593 of 
title 5, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)(2), by inserting ``misappropriation 
        of funds,'' after ``malfeasance,''; and
            (2) in subsection (b), by striking ``or malfeasance'' and 
        inserting ``malfeasance, or misappropriation of funds''.
    (b) Placement in Other Personnel Systems.--Section 3594(a) of title 
5, United States Code, is amended by striking ``or malfeasance'' and 
inserting ``malfeasance, or misappropriation of funds''.

            Passed the House of Representatives December 19, 2012.

            Attest:

                                                 KAREN L. HAAS,

                                                                 Clerk.