A bill to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to revoke bonuses paid to employees involved in electronic wait list manipulations, and for other purposes.

Bill: 114-s-627
Sponsor: Sen. Ayotte, Kelly [R-NH]
Introduced: 2015-03-03 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Congressional oversight
Department of Veterans Affairs
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Government ethics and transparency, public corruption
Government studies and investigations
Performance measurement
Veterans' medical care

Summary:
action_date: 2015-03-03
text: 
Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, within 180 days after the Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) submits a report to Congress on investigations carried out in calendar year 2014 that identifies VA medical facilities at which scheduling practices did not comply with VA policies and procedures, to identify each VA employee who: (1) during any of FY2011-FY2014, contributed to the purposeful omission of the names of veterans from an electronic wait list for health care at such a facility or was a VA supervisor who knew or should have known that the employee contributed to such omission; and (2) received a bonus in part because of such omission. 
 
 Requires the Secretary, after notice and an opportunity for a hearing, to order such employee to repay the bonus. Authorizes the employee to appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board.
 

action_date: 2015-09-28
text: 
(Sec. 1) This bill provides that if the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) makes an adverse finding that a VA employee has violated a VA policy for which the employee may be removed or suspended, or has violated a law for which the employee may be imprisoned for more than one year, the VA may not award a bonus to such employee until the earlier of the date that: 
 
 
is five years after the end of the fiscal year in which the adverse finding was made, or 
 
the finding is found to have been made in error. 
 
 
If an adverse finding is made, the VA, after providing notice and an opportunity for a hearing, shall direct the employee to repay any bonus he or she received during the year in which the adverse finding is made, unless such finding is found to have been made in error. 
 
(Sec. 2) If a VA employee receives a reprimand or admonishment the VA shall retain a copy of such reprimand or admonishment in the employee's permanent record as long as he or she is employed by the VA.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-09-28
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 240.
action_date: 2015-09-28
text: Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Reported by Senator Isakson with an amendment in the nature of a substitute and an amendment to the title. With written report No. 114-148. Minority views filed.
action_date: 2015-09-28
text: Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Reported by Senator Isakson with an amendment in the nature of a substitute and an amendment to the title. With written report No. 114-148. Minority views filed.
action_date: 2015-07-22
text: Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2015-05-13
text: Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 114-182.
action_date: 2015-03-03
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
action_date: 2015-03-03
text: Introduced in Senate