I 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4229 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish in the Department 
of Veterans Affairs a Bonus Review Board. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 15, 2007 
Mr. HALL of New York (for himself, Mr. FILNER, Mr. SPACE, and Mr. 
KAGEN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish in the 
Department of Veterans Affairs a Bonus Review Board. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Department of Vet-
erans Affairs Management Accountability Act of 2007’’. 
SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS BONUS RE-
VIEW BOARD. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Chapter 7 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new section: 
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‘‘§ 713. Bonus Review Board 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is in the Department 
a Bonus Review Board, which shall review proposed rat-
ings, bonuses, and pay adjustments for covered employees 
of the Department and make recommendations to the Sec-
retary with respect to the award of such ratings, bonuses, 
and pay adjustments. 
‘‘(b) RESPONSIBILITIES.—(1) The performance re-
view board of the Department shall submit to the Bonus 
Review Board a proposal for any rating, bonus, or pay 
adjustment recommended by the performance review 
board for a covered employee at least 30 days before the 
Secretary may award the rating, bonus, or pay adjust-
ment. 
‘‘(2) Not later than 14 days after receiving a proposal 
submitted under paragraph (1), the Bonus Review Board 
shall meet to review the proposal and submit to the Sec-
retary the recommendation of the Bonus Review Board 
with respect to whether or not the proposed rating, bonus, 
or pay adjustment should be awarded. In making a rec-
ommendation with respect to a proposed rating, bonus, or 
pay adjustment, the Bonus Review Board shall take into 
consideration the performance of the Department during 
the fiscal year preceding the year in which the rec-
ommendation is made, especially the performance of the 
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Department with respect to claims backlog and waiting 
times for appointments at Department medical facilities. 
‘‘(3) The Secretary may not award a rating, bonus, 
or pay adjustment to any covered employee until the Sec-
retary has received a recommendation from the Bonus Re-
view Board with respect to that rating, bonus, or pay ad-
justment. 
‘‘(c) MEMBERSHIP.—(1) The Bonus Review Board 
shall be composed of six members as follows: 
‘‘(A) Two members appointed by the chairman 
of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House 
of Representatives. 
‘‘(B) Two members appointed by the chairman 
of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate. 
‘‘(C) One member appointed by the ranking 
member of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of 
the House of Representatives. 
‘‘(D) One member appointed by the ranking 
member of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of 
the Senate. 
‘‘(2) Each member of the Bonus Review Board 
shall— 
‘‘(A) not be or have ever been an employee of 
the Department; 
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‘‘(B) shall not be a relative of any employee of 
the Department; and 
‘‘(C) have business experience and dem-
onstrated expertise in managing human and finan-
cial resources. 
‘‘(3) Each member of the Bonus Review Board shall 
be appointed for a term of three years. 
‘‘(4) A vacancy in the Bonus Review Board shall be 
filled in the manner in which the original appointment was 
made. 
‘‘(5)(A) Members of the Bonus Review Board shall 
serve without compensation. 
‘‘(B) Members of the Bonus Review Board shall be 
allowed reasonable and necessary travel expenses, includ-
ing per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized 
for persons serving intermittently in the Government serv-
ice in accordance with the provisions of subchapter I of 
chapter 57 of title 5 while away from their homes or reg-
ular places of business in the performance of the respon-
sibilities of the advisory committee. 
‘‘(6) The Bonus Review Board shall meet at least 
once annually. 
‘‘(d) APPLICABILITY OF FEDERAL ADVISORY COM-
MITTEE ACT.—The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 
U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the Bonus Review Board. 
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‘‘(e) COVERED EMPLOYEE.—For the purposes of this 
section, the term ‘covered employee’ means an employee 
of the Department who— 
‘‘(1) is employed in a Senior Executive Service 
position; 
‘‘(2) is appointed by the President, by and with 
the consent of the Senate; or 
‘‘(3) holds a position which has been excepted 
from the competitive service (as defined by section 
2102 of title 5) by reason of its confidential, policy- 
determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating 
character. 
‘‘(f) ANNUAL REPORT.—Not later than February 1 
of each year, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a re-
port on the bonuses awarded to covered employees during 
the preceding calendar year. Each such report shall con-
tain for the year covered by the report— 
‘‘(1) the name of each person who served as a 
member of the Bonus Review Board; 
‘‘(2) the number of bonus proposals submitted 
to the Bonus Review Board; 
‘‘(3) the number of proposed bonuses that the 
Bonus Review Board recommended that the Sec-
retary award to covered employees; 
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‘‘(4) the number of bonuses the Secretary 
awarded to covered employees; and 
‘‘(5) the name of each covered employee who re-
ceived a bonus and the amount of that bonus.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding 
at the end the following new item: 
‘‘713. Bonus Review Board.’’. 
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Section 713 of title 38, 
United States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall 
apply with respect to any rating, bonus, or pay adjustment 
awarded by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs after the 
date that is 60 days after the date of the enactment of 
this Act. 
Æ 
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