Veterans Affairs Employee Accountability Act

To amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit the receipt of bonuses by Department of Veterans Affairs employees who violate Federal civil laws or regulations, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Veterans Affairs Employee Accountability Act 2. Limitation on bonuses for Department of Veterans Affairs employees who violate federal civil laws or regulations (a) In general Chapter 7 715. Limitation on bonuses (a) In general (1) The Secretary shall ensure that no employee of the Department who, during any year, knowingly violates any law, regulation, or policy described in paragraph (2) receives a bonus for or during that year. (2) A law, regulation, or policy described in this paragraph is any of the following: (A) A Federal civil law or Federal regulation, including such civil laws or regulations covered under the Federal Acquisition Regulation and the Veterans Affairs Acquisition Regulation. (B) An internal policy of the Department. (b) Certification The Secretary shall annually certify to Congress that each bonus awarded by the Secretary during the previous year was awarded in accordance with subsection (a)(1). (c) Bonus defined For purposes of this section, the term bonus (1) gift cards; (2) any sum of money; (3) any award of monetary or non-monetary value; (4) any donation to or on behalf of or any value awarded to a recipient; (5) a retention incentive; (6) a retention incentive payment; (7) a retention incentive award; (8) a Presidential Rank Award; (9) an individual cash award (non-rating based); (10) an individual cash award (rating based); (11) a group cash award; (12) a travel savings incentive; (13) an individual time off award—hours; (14) a group time off award—hours; (15) an individual suggestion or invention award; (16) a group suggestion or invention award; (17) a foreign language award; (18) any other individual award; (19) any other group award; (20) a special certification award; (21) an exemplary job performance or achievement award; (22) a lump sum performance payment (rating based in lieu of pay adjustment); (23) a lump sum performance payment (rating based not in lieu of pay adjustment); (24) a lump sum performance payment (non-rating based); (25) a retention incentive; (26) a recruitment incentive; (27) a relocation incentive; (28) a performance award; (29) any student loan repayment; (30) a separation incentive; (31) a referral bonus; (32) any other form of recognition, monetary or non-monetary, as a result of any action, activity, suggestion or effort that is based on false, fraudulent or incomplete information, including any such awards as identified or to be identified by the Office of Personnel Management rules, regulations and policies and Department rules, regulations, and policies; and (33) any other incentive requiring approval from the Central Office Human Resource Service, the Chief Business Office Workforce Management, or the Corporate Senior Executive Management Office. . (b) Clerical amendment The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding at the end the following new item: 715. Limitation on bonuses. .

Summary: Veterans Affairs Employee Accountability Act Requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to ensure that no VA employee who knowingly violates any federal civil law or regulation, including one covered under the Federal Acquisition Regulation or the Veterans Affairs Acquisition Regulation, or any internal VA policy, receives any specified pay augmentation, incentive, or additional gift of any value (bonus).