VA Bonus Accountability Act

Bill: 113-hr-5254
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Sinema, Kyrsten [D-AZ-9]
Introduced: 2014-07-29
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Congressional oversight

Executive agency funding and structure

Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management

Government ethics and transparency, public corruption

Government studies and investigations
Latest action: action_date: 2014-07-29
text: Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

Summaries:
action_date: 2014-07-29
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p>Stop Wasteful Bonuses in Department of Veterans Affairs Act of 2014 or the VA Bonus Accountability Act - Prohibits a federal agency from awarding a bonus to any employee for five years after the end of a fiscal year in which the Inspector General of the agency or another senior ethics official&nbsp;or the Comptroller General (GAO) makes an adverse&nbsp;finding relating to the employee. Requires repayment of a&nbsp;bonus awarded in any year in which an adverse finding is made. </p>

tv_txt: I 113th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 5254 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES July 29, 2014 Ms. Sinema (for herself and Mr. Benishek ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform A BILL To appropriately limit the authority to award bonuses to employees.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Stop Wasteful Bonuses in Department of Veterans Affairs Act of 2014 or the VA Bonus Accountability Act . 2. Bonuses (a) Adverse findings and employees under investigation Chapter 45 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: IV Limitations on Bonus Authority 4531. Certain forms of misconduct (a) Definitions In this section— (1) the term adverse finding relating to an employee means a determination that the conduct of the employee— (A) violated a policy of the agency for which the employee may be removed or suspended; or (B) violated a law for which the employee may be imprisoned of more than 1 year; (2) the term agency has the meaning given that term under section 551; and (3) the term bonus means any bonus or cash award, including— (A) an award under this chapter; (B) an award under section 5384; and (C) a retention bonus under section 5754. (b) Adverse findings (1) In general The head of an agency shall not award a bonus to an employee of the agency until 5 years after the end of the fiscal year in which the Inspector General or another senior ethics official of the agency or the Comptroller General of the United States makes an adverse finding relating to the employee. (2) Previously awarded bonuses If the Inspector General or another senior ethics official of the agency or the Comptroller General of the United States makes an adverse finding relating to an employee, the head of the agency employing the employee, after notice and an opportunity for a hearing, shall issue an order directing the employee to repay the amount of any bonus awarded to the employee during the year during which the adverse finding is made. . (b) Technical and conforming amendment The table of sections for chapter 45 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: Subchapter IV—Limitations on Bonus Authority 4531. Certain forms of misconduct. .