In this task, you are given text for US Congressional and California state bills, your task is to generate a summary for this bill.

Input: Consider Input: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Water Advanced Technologies for 
Efficient Resource Use Act of 2009''.

SEC. 2. WATERSENSE.

    (a) In General.--There is established within the Environmental 
Protection Agency a WaterSense program to identify and promote water 
efficient products, buildings and landscapes, and services in order--
            (1) to reduce water use;
            (2) to reduce the strain on water, wastewater, and 
        stormwater infrastructure;
            (3) to conserve energy used to pump, heat, transport, and 
        treat water; and
            (4) to preserve water resources for future generations,
through voluntary labeling of, or other forms of communications about, 
products, buildings and landscapes, and services that meet the highest 
water efficiency and performance standards.
    (b) Duties.--The Administrator of the Environmental Protection 
Agency shall--
            (1) promote WaterSense labeled products, buildings and 
        landscapes, and services in the market place as the preferred 
        technologies and services for--
                    (A) reducing water use; and
                    (B) ensuring product and service performance;
            (2) work to enhance public awareness of the WaterSense 
        label through public outreach, education, and other means;
            (3) establish and maintain performance standards so that 
        products, buildings and landscapes, and services labeled with 
        the WaterSense label perform as well or better than their less 
        efficient counterparts;
            (4) publicize the importance of proper installation of 
        WaterSense plumbing products by a WaterSense-certified or, if 
        WaterSense certification guidelines do not exist, licensed 
        plumber or mechanical contractor, and the installation, 
        maintenance, and audit of WaterSense irrigation systems by a 
        WaterSense-certified irrigation professional to ensure optimal 
        performance;
            (5) preserve the integrity of the WaterSense label;
            (6) regularly review and, when appropriate, update 
        WaterSense criteria for categories of products, buildings and 
        landscapes, and services, at least once every four years;
            (7) regularly collect and make available to the public 
        summary data on the production and relative market shares of 
        WaterSense labeled products, buildings and landscapes, and 
        services, at least annually;
            (8) regularly estimate and make available to the public the 
        water and energy savings attributable to the use of WaterSense 
        labeled products, buildings and landscapes, and services, at 
        least annually;
            (9) solicit comments from interested parties and the public 
        prior to establishing or revising a WaterSense category, 
        specification, installation criterion, or other criterion (or 
        prior to effective dates for any such category, specification, 
        installation criterion, or other criterion);
            (10) provide reasonable notice to interested parties and 
        the public of any changes (including effective dates), on the 
        adoption of a new or revised category, specification, 
        installation criterion, or other criterion, along with--
                    (A) an explanation of changes; and
                    (B) as appropriate, responses to comments submitted 
                by interested parties;
            (11) provide appropriate lead time (as determined by the 
        Administrator) prior to the applicable effective date for a new 
        or significant revision to a category, specification, 
        installation criterion, or other criterion, taking into account 
        the timing requirements of the manufacturing, marketing, 
        training, and distribution process for the specific product, 
        building and landscape, or service category addressed; and
            (12) identify and, where appropriate, implement other 
        voluntary approaches, such as labeling waterless devices that 
        perform the same function as a water consuming product or 
        encouraging reuse, reclamation, and recycling technologies, in 
        commercial, institutional, residential, municipal, and 
        industrial sectors to improve water efficiency or lower water 
        use while meeting the performance standards established under 
        paragraph (3).
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated $7,500,000 for fiscal year 2010, $10,000,000 for fiscal 
year 2011, $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2012, and $50,000,000 for fiscal 
year 2013 and each year thereafter, adjusted for inflation, to carry 
out this section.

SEC. 3. FEDERAL PROCUREMENT OF WATER EFFICIENT PRODUCTS.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Agency.--The term ``agency'' has the meaning given that 
        term in section 7902(a) of title 5, United States Code.
            (2) Watersense product or service.--The term ``WaterSense 
        product or service'' means a product or service that is rated 
        for water efficiency under the WaterSense program.
            (3) Watersense program.--The term ``WaterSense program'' 
        means the program established by section 2 of this Act.
            (4) FEMP designated product.--The term ``FEMP designated 
        product'' means a product that is designated under the Federal 
        Energy Management Program of the Department of Energy as being 
        among the highest 25 percent of equivalent products for 
        efficiency.
            (5) Product and service.--The terms ``product'' and 
        ``service'' do not include any water consuming product or 
        service designed or procured for combat or combat-related 
        missions. The terms also exclude products or services already 
        covered by the Federal procurement regulations established 
        under section 553 of the National Energy Conservation Policy 
        Act (42 U.S.C. 8259b).
    (b) Procurement of Water Efficient Products.--
            (1) Requirement.--To meet the requirements of an agency for 
        a water consuming product or service, the head of the agency 
        shall, except as provided in paragraph (2), procure--
                    (A) a WaterSense product or service; or
                    (B) a FEMP designated product.
        A WaterSense plumbing product should preferably, when possible, 
        be installed by a WaterSense-certified or, if WaterSense 
        certification guidelines do not exist, licensed plumber or 
        mechanical contractor, and a WaterSense irrigation system 
        should preferably, when possible, be installed, maintained, and 
        audited by a WaterSense-certified irrigation professional to 
        ensure optimal performance.
            (2) Exceptions.--The head of an agency is not required to 
        procure a WaterSense product or service or FEMP designated 
        product under paragraph (1) if the head of the agency finds in 
        writing that--
                    (A) a WaterSense product or service or FEMP 
                designated product is not cost-effective over the life 
                of the product, taking current and future energy, 
                water, and wastewater cost savings into account; or
                    (B) no WaterSense product or service or FEMP 
                designated product is reasonably available that meets 
                the functional requirements of the agency.
            (3) Procurement planning.--The head of an agency shall 
        incorporate into the specifications for all procurements 
        involving water consuming products and systems, including guide 
        specifications, project specifications, and construction, 
        renovation, and services contracts that include provision of 
        water consuming products and systems, and into the factors for 
        the evaluation of offers received for the procurement, criteria 
        used for rating WaterSense products and services and FEMP 
        designated products. The head of an agency shall consider, to 
        the maximum extent practicable, additional measures for 
        reducing agency water consumption, including water reuse, 
        reclamation, and recycling technologies, leak detection and 
        repair, and use of waterless products that perform similar 
        functions to existing water-consuming products.
    (c) Listing of Water Efficient Products in Federal Catalogs.--
WaterSense products and services and FEMP designated products shall be 
clearly identified and prominently displayed in any inventory or 
listing of products by the General Services Administration or the 
Defense Logistics Agency. The General Services Administration and the 
Defense Logistics Agency shall supply only WaterSense products or FEMP 
designated products for all product categories covered by the 
WaterSense program or the Federal Energy Management Program, except in 
cases where the agency ordering a product specifies in writing that no 
WaterSense product or FEMP designated product is available to meet the 
buyer's functional requirements, or that no WaterSense product or FEMP 
designated product is cost-effective for the intended application over 
the life of the product, taking energy, water, and wastewater cost 
savings into account.
    (d) Regulations.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Environmental 
Protection Agency shall issue regulations to carry out this section.

SEC. 4. EARLY ADOPTER WATER EFFICIENT PRODUCTS INCENTIVE PROGRAMS.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
            (2) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means a 
        State government, local or county government, tribal 
        government, wastewater or sewage utility, municipal water 
        authority, energy utility, water utility, or nonprofit 
        organization that meets the requirements of subsection (b).
            (3) Incentive program.--The term ``incentive program'' 
        means a program for administering financial incentives for 
        consumer purchase and installation of residential water 
        efficient products and services as described in subsection 
        (b)(1).
            (4) Residential water efficient product or service.--The 
        term ``residential water efficient product or service'' means a 
        product or service for a single-family or multifamily residence 
        or its landscape that is rated for water efficiency and 
        performance--
                    (A) by the WaterSense program; or
                    (B) by an incentive program and approved by the 
                Administrator.
        Categories of water efficient products and services may include 
        faucets, irrigation technologies and services, point-of-use 
        water treatment devices, reuse, reclamation, and recycling 
        technologies, toilets, and showerheads.
            (5) Watersense program.--The term ``WaterSense program'' 
        means the program established by section 2 of this Act.
    (b) Eligible Entities.--An entity shall be eligible to receive an 
allocation under subsection (c) if the entity--
            (1) establishes (or has established) an incentive program 
        to provide rebates, vouchers, other financial incentives, or 
        direct installs to consumers for the purchase and installation 
        of residential water efficient products or services;
            (2) submits an application for the allocation at such time, 
        in such form, and containing such information as the 
        Administrator may require; and
            (3) provides assurances satisfactory to the Administrator 
        that the entity will use the allocation to supplement, but not 
        supplant, funds made available to carry out the incentive 
        program.
    (c) Amount of Allocations.--
            (1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), for each fiscal 
        year, the Administrator shall determine the amount to allocate 
        to each eligible entity to carry out subsection (d) taking into 
        consideration--
                    (A) the population served by the eligible entity in 
                the most recent calendar year for which data are 
                available;
                    (B) the targeted population of the eligible 
                entity's incentive program, such as general households, 
                low-income households, or first-time homeowners, and 
                the probable effectiveness of the incentive program for 
                that population;
                    (C) for existing programs, the effectiveness of the 
                incentive program in encouraging the adoption of water 
                efficient products and services; and
                    (D) any prior year's allocation to the eligible 
                entity that remains unused.
    (d) Use of Allocated Funds.--Funds allocated to an entity under 
subsection (c) may be used to pay up to 50 percent of the cost of 
establishing and carrying out an incentive program.
    (e) Fixture Recycling.--Entities are encouraged to promote or 
implement fixture recycling programs to manage the disposal of older 
fixtures replaced due to the incentive program under this section.
    (f) Issuance of Rebates.--Financial incentives may be provided to 
consumers that meet the requirements of the incentive program. The 
entity may issue all financial incentives directly to consumers or, 
with approval of the Administrator, delegate some or all financial 
incentive administration to other organizations including, but not 
limited to, local governments, municipal water authorities, and water 
utilities. The amount of a financial incentive shall be determined by 
the entity, taking into consideration--
            (1) the amount of the allocation to the entity under 
        subsection (c);
            (2) the amount of any Federal, State, or other 
        organization's tax or financial incentive available for the 
        purchase of the residential water efficient product or service;
            (3) the amount necessary to change consumer behavior to 
        purchase water efficient products and services; and
            (4) the consumer expenditures for onsite preparation, 
        assembly, and original installation of the product.
    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Administrator to carry out this section $50,000,000 
for fiscal year 2010, $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2011, $150,000,000 
for fiscal year 2012, $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2013, and 
$50,000,000 for fiscal year 2014.

Output: Water Advanced Technologies for Efficient Resource Use Act of 2009 - Establishes within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) a WaterSense program to identify and promote water efficient products, buildings and landscapes, and services to reduce water use, conserve energy, and preserve water resources. Sets forth the duties of the EPA Administrator for promoting, publicizing, and administering the WaterSense program.

Requires federal agencies to purchase WaterSense products or services or a Federal Energy Management Program designated product through their procurement process.

Establishes a program to provide financial incentives for consumer purchase and installation of residential water efficient products and services.


Input: Consider Input: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Dr. Chris 
Kirkpatrick Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as 
follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.

                      TITLE I--EMPLOYEES GENERALLY

Sec. 101. Definitions.
Sec. 102. Stays; probationary employees.
Sec. 103. Prohibited personnel practices.
Sec. 104. Discipline of supervisors based on retaliation against 
          whistleblowers.
Sec. 105. Suicide by employees.
Sec. 106. Training for supervisors.
Sec. 107. Information on whistleblower protections.

           TITLE II--DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS EMPLOYEES

Sec. 201. Prevention of unauthorized access to medical records of 
          employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Sec. 202. Outreach on availability of mental health services available 
          to employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Sec. 203. Protocols to address threats against employees of the 
          Department of Veterans Affairs.
Sec. 204. Comptroller General of the United States study on 
          accountability of chiefs of police of Department of Veterans 
          Affairs medical centers.

                      TITLE I--EMPLOYEES GENERALLY

    SEC. 101. DEFINITIONS.
    In this title--
        (1) the term ``agency''--
            (A) except as provided in subparagraph (B), means an entity 
        that is an agency, as defined under section 2302 of title 5, 
        United States Code, without regard to whether one or more 
        portions of title 5 of the United States Code are inapplicable 
        to the entity; and
            (B) does not include any entity that is an element of the 
        intelligence community, as defined in section 3(4) of the 
        National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3003(4));
        (2) the term ``employee'' means an employee (as defined in 
    section 2105 of title 5, United States Code) of an agency; and
        (3) the term ``personnel action'' has the meaning given that 
    term under section 2302 of title 5, United States Code.
    SEC. 102. STAYS; PROBATIONARY EMPLOYEES.
    (a) Request by Special Counsel.--Section 1214(b)(1) of title 5, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(E) If the Merit Systems Protection Board grants a stay under 
this subsection, the head of the agency employing the employee shall 
give priority to a request for a transfer submitted by the employee.''.
    (b) Probationary Employees.--Section 1221 of title 5, United States 
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(k) If the Merit Systems Protection Board grants a stay to an 
employee in probationary status under subsection (c), the head of the 
agency employing the employee shall give priority to a request for a 
transfer submitted by the employee.''.
    (c) Study Regarding Retaliation Against Probationary Employees.--
The Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the 
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate 
and the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of 
Representatives a report discussing retaliation against employees in 
probationary status.
    SEC. 103. PROHIBITED PERSONNEL PRACTICES.
    Section 2302(b) of title 5, United States Code, is amended--
        (1) in paragraph (12), by striking ``or'' at the end;
        (2) in paragraph (13), by striking the period at the end and 
    inserting ``; or''; and
        (3) by inserting after paragraph (13) the following:
        ``(14) access the medical record of another employee or an 
    applicant for employment as a part of, or otherwise in furtherance 
    of, any conduct described in paragraphs (1) through (13).''.
    SEC. 104. DISCIPLINE OF SUPERVISORS BASED ON RETALIATION AGAINST 
      WHISTLEBLOWERS.
    (a) In General.--Subchapter II of chapter 75 of title 5, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 7515. Discipline of supervisors based on retaliation against 
    whistleblowers
    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section--
        ``(1) the term `agency'--
            ``(A) except as provided in subparagraph (B), means an 
        entity that is an agency, as defined under section 2302, 
        without regard to whether any other provision of this chapter 
        is applicable to the entity; and
            ``(B) does not include any entity that is an element of the 
        intelligence community, as defined in section 3(4) of the 
        National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3003(4));
        ``(2) the term `prohibited personnel action' means taking or 
    failing to take an action in violation of paragraph (8), (9), or 
    (14) of section 2302(b) against an employee of an agency; and
        ``(3) the term `supervisor' means an employee who would be a 
    supervisor, as defined under section 7103(a), if the entity 
    employing the employee was an agency.
    ``(b) Proposed Disciplinary Actions.--
        ``(1) In general.--If the head of the agency employing a 
    supervisor, an administrative law judge, the Merit Systems 
    Protection Board, the Special Counsel, a judge of the United 
    States, or the Inspector General of the agency employing a 
    supervisor determines that the supervisor has committed a 
    prohibited personnel action, the head of the agency employing the 
    supervisor, in accordance with the procedures required under 
    paragraph (2)--
            ``(A) for the first prohibited personnel action committed 
        by a supervisor--
                ``(i) shall propose suspending the supervisor for a 
            period of not less than 3 days; and
                ``(ii) may, in addition to a suspension described in 
            clause (i), propose any other action, including a reduction 
            in grade or pay, that the head of the agency determines 
            appropriate; and
            ``(B) for the second prohibited personnel action committed 
        by a supervisor, shall propose removing the supervisor.
        ``(2) Procedures.--
            ``(A) Notice.--A supervisor against whom an action is 
        proposed to be taken under paragraph (1) is entitled to written 
        notice--
                ``(i) stating the specific reasons for the proposed 
            action; and
                ``(ii) informing the supervisor of the right of the 
            supervisor to review the material which is relied on to 
            support the reasons for the proposed action.
            ``(B) Answer and evidence.--
                ``(i) In general.--A supervisor who is notified under 
            subparagraph (A) that the supervisor is the subject of a 
            proposed action under paragraph (1) is entitled to 14 days 
            following such notification to answer and furnish evidence 
            in support of the answer.
                ``(ii) No evidence furnished; insufficient evidence.--
            After the end of the 14-day period described in clause (i), 
            if a supervisor does not furnish evidence as described in 
            clause (i) or if the head of the agency determines that 
            such evidence is not sufficient to reverse the proposed 
            action, the head of the agency shall carry out the action.
            ``(C) Scope of procedures.--An action carried out under 
        this section--
                ``(i) except as provided in clause (ii), shall be 
            subject to the same requirements and procedures (including 
            regarding appeals) as an action under section 7503, 7513, 
            or 7543; and
                ``(ii) shall not be subject to--

                    ``(I) paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 7503(b);
                    ``(II) paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (b) and 
                subsection (c) of section 7513; or
                    ``(III) paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (b) 
                and subsection (c) of section 7543.

        ``(3) Delegation.--
            ``(A) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (B), the 
        head of an agency may delegate any authority or responsibility 
        under this subsection.
            ``(B) Nondelegability of determination regarding prohibited 
        personnel action.--If the head of an agency is responsible for 
        determining whether a supervisor has committed a prohibited 
        personnel action for purposes of paragraph (1), the head of the 
        agency may not delegate that responsibility.''.
    (b) Technical and Conforming Amendment.--The table of sections for 
subchapter II of chapter 75 of title 5, United States Code, is amended 
by adding at the end the following:

``7515. Discipline of supervisors based on retaliation against 
          whistleblowers.''.
    SEC. 105. SUICIDE BY EMPLOYEES.
    (a) Referral.--The head of an agency shall refer to the Special 
Counsel, along with any information known to the agency regarding the 
circumstances described in paragraphs (2) and (3), any instance in 
which the head of the agency has information indicating--
        (1) an employee of the agency committed suicide;
        (2) prior to the death of the employee, the employee made any 
    disclosure of information which reasonably evidences--
            (A) any violation of any law, rule, or regulation; or
            (B) gross mismanagement, a gross waste of funds, an abuse 
        of authority, or a substantial and specific danger to public 
        health or safety; and
        (3) after a disclosure described in paragraph (2), a personnel 
    action was taken against the employee.
    (b) Office of Special Counsel Review.--For any referral to the 
Special Counsel under subsection (a), the Special Counsel shall--
        (1) examine whether any personnel action was taken because of 
    any disclosure of information described in subsection (a)(2); and
        (2) take any action the Special Counsel determines appropriate 
    under subchapter II of chapter 12 of title 5, United States Code.
    SEC. 106. TRAINING FOR SUPERVISORS.
    In consultation with the Special Counsel and the Inspector General 
of the agency (or senior ethics official of the agency for an agency 
without an Inspector General), the head of each agency shall provide 
training regarding how to respond to complaints alleging a violation of 
whistleblower protections (as defined in section 2307 of title 5, 
United States Code, as added by section 107) available to employees of 
the agency--
        (1) to employees appointed to supervisory positions in the 
    agency who have not previously served as a supervisor; and
        (2) on an annual basis, to all employees of the agency serving 
    in a supervisory position.
    SEC. 107. INFORMATION ON WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTIONS.
    (a) Existing Provision.--
        (1) In general.--Section 2302 of title 5, United States Code, 
    is amended--
            (A) by striking subsection (c); and
            (B) by redesignating subsections (d), (e), and (f) as 
        subsections (c), (d), and (e), respectively.
        (2) Technical and conforming amendments.--
            (A) Section 4505a(b)(2) of title 5, United States Code, is 
        amended by striking ``section 2302(d)'' and inserting ``section 
        2302(c)''.
            (B) Section 5755(b)(2) of title 5, United States Code, is 
        amended by striking ``section 2302(d)'' and inserting ``section 
        2302(c)''.
            (C) Section 110(b)(2) of the Whistleblower Protection 
        Enhancement Act of 2012 (5 U.S.C. 2302 note) is amended by 
        striking ``section 2302(f)(1) or (2)'' and inserting ``section 
        2302(e)(1) or (2)''.
            (D) Section 1217(d)(3) of the Panama Canal Act of 1979 (22 
        U.S.C. 3657(d)(3)) is amended by striking ``section 2302(d)'' 
        and inserting ``section 2302(c)''.
            (E) Section 1233(b) of the Panama Canal Act of 1979 (22 
        U.S.C. 3673(b)) is amended by striking ``section 2302(d)'' and 
        inserting ``section 2302(c)''.
    (b) Provision of Information.--Chapter 23 of title 5, United States 
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 2307. Information on whistleblower protections
    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section--
        ``(1) the term `agency'--
            ``(A) except as provided in subparagraph (B), has the 
        meaning given that term in section 2302; and
            ``(B) does not include any entity that is an element of the 
        intelligence community, as defined in section 3(4) of the 
        National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3003(4));
        ``(2) the term `new employee' means an individual--
            ``(A) appointed to a position as an employee of an agency 
        on or after the date of enactment of the Dr. Chris Kirkpatrick 
        Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017; and
            ``(B) who has not previously served as an employee; and
        ``(3) the term `whistleblower protections' means the 
    protections against and remedies for a prohibited personnel 
    practice described in paragraph (8), subparagraph (A)(i), (B), (C), 
    or (D) of paragraph (9), or paragraph (14) of section 2302(b).
    ``(b) Responsibilities of Head of Agency.--The head of each agency 
shall be responsible for the prevention of prohibited personnel 
practices, for the compliance with and enforcement of applicable civil 
service laws, rules, and regulations, and other aspects of personnel 
management, and for ensuring (in consultation with the Special Counsel 
and the Inspector General of the agency) that employees of the agency 
are informed of the rights and remedies available to them under this 
chapter and chapter 12, including--
        ``(1) information regarding whistleblower protections available 
    to new employees during the probationary period;
        ``(2) the role of the Office of Special Counsel and the Merit 
    Systems Protection Board with regard to whistleblower protections; 
    and
        ``(3) how to make a lawful disclosure of information that is 
    specifically required by law or Executive order to be kept 
    classified in the interest of national defense or the conduct of 
    foreign affairs to the Special Counsel, the Inspector General of an 
    agency, Congress, or other agency employee designated to receive 
    such disclosures.
    ``(c) Timing.--The head of each agency shall ensure that the 
information required to be provided under subsection (b) is provided to 
each new employee of the agency not later than 6 months after the date 
the new employee begins performing service as an employee.
    ``(d) Information Online.--The head of each agency shall make 
available information regarding whistleblower protections applicable to 
employees of the agency on the public website of the agency, and on any 
online portal that is made available only to employees of the agency if 
one exists.
    ``(e) Delegees.--Any employee to whom the head of an agency 
delegates authority for personnel management, or for any aspect 
thereof, shall, within the limits of the scope of the delegation, be 
responsible for the activities described in subsection (b).''.
    (c) Technical and Conforming Amendment.--The table of sections for 
chapter 23 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following:

``2307. Information on whistleblower protections.''.

           TITLE II--DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS EMPLOYEES

    SEC. 201. PREVENTION OF UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO MEDICAL RECORDS OF 
      EMPLOYEES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
    (a) Development of Plan.--
        (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
    enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall--
            (A) develop a plan to prevent access to the medical records 
        of employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs by employees 
        of the Department who are not authorized to access such 
        records;
            (B) submit to the appropriate committees of Congress the 
        plan developed under subparagraph (A); and
            (C) upon request, provide a briefing to the appropriate 
        committees of Congress with respect to the plan developed under 
        subparagraph (A).
        (2) Elements.--The plan required under paragraph (1) shall 
    include the following:
            (A) A detailed assessment of strategic goals of the 
        Department for the prevention of unauthorized access to the 
        medical records of employees of the Department.
            (B) A list of circumstances in which an employee of the 
        Department who is not a health care provider or an assistant to 
        a health care provider would be authorized to access the 
        medical records of another employee of the Department.
            (C) Steps that the Secretary will take to acquire new or 
        implement existing technology to prevent an employee of the 
        Department from accessing the medical records of another 
        employee of the Department without a specific need to access 
        such records.
            (D) Steps the Secretary will take, including plans to issue 
        new regulations, as necessary, to ensure that an employee of 
        the Department may not access the medical records of another 
        employee of the Department for the purpose of retrieving 
        demographic information if that demographic information is 
        available to the employee in another location or through 
        another format.
            (E) A proposed timetable for the implementation of such 
        plan.
            (F) An estimate of the costs associated with implementing 
        such plan.
    (b) Appropriate Committees of Congress Defined.--In this section, 
the term ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
        (1) the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 
    and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate; and
        (2) the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the 
    Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives.
    SEC. 202. OUTREACH ON AVAILABILITY OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES 
      AVAILABLE TO EMPLOYEES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
    The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall conduct a program of 
outreach to employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs to inform 
those employees of any mental health services, including telemedicine 
options, that are available to them.
    SEC. 203. PROTOCOLS TO ADDRESS THREATS AGAINST EMPLOYEES OF THE 
      DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
    The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure protocols are in 
effect to address threats from individuals receiving health care from 
the Department of Veterans Affairs directed towards employees of the 
Department who are providing such health care.
    SEC. 204. COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES STUDY ON 
      ACCOUNTABILITY OF CHIEFS OF POLICE OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
      AFFAIRS MEDICAL CENTERS.
    The Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a study 
to assess the reporting, staffing, accountability, and chain of command 
structure of the Department of Veterans Affairs police officers at 
medical centers of the Department.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.

Output:  (This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the Senate on May 4, 2017 .  Dr. Chris Kirkpatrick Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017 TITLE I--EMPLOYEES GENERALLY (Sec. 102) This bill directs federal agencies (excluding any entity that is an element of the intelligence community) to give priority to an employee transfer request if the Merit Systems Protections Board (MSPB) grants a stay of a personnel action at the request of: (1) the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) if the OSC determines the personnel action was taken, or is to be taken, as a result of a prohibited personnel practice; or (2) the employee if the individual is in probationary status and seeks corrective action. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) shall report to Congress on retaliation against employees in probationary status. (Sec. 103) The bill: (1) prohibits any employee who has the authority to take a personnel action to access the medical records of another employee or applicant for employment, (2) authorizes disciplinary action against supervisors for retaliation against whistleblowers.  (Sec. 105) Agencies must: (1) refer information about employee suicides to the OSC, (2) train supervisors on responding to complaints alleging whistleblower protections violations, (3) provide information regarding whistleblower protections to new employees during probationary periods, (4) inform employees of the role of the OSC and the MSPB with regard to whistleblower protection, and (5) make information about such protections available on agency websites.  TITLE II--DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS EMPLOYEES (Sec. 201) The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) must: (1) submit a plan to prevent unauthorized access to the medical records of VA employees; (2) conduct an outreach program to inform its employees of available mental health services, including telemedicine options; and (3) ensure protocols are in effect to address threats against VA employees providing health care.  (Sec. 204) The GAO shall assess the reporting, staffing, accountability, and chain of command structure of the VA police officers at VA medical centers.


Input: Consider Input: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Municipal Securities Investor 
Protection Act of 1996''.

SEC. 2. TREATMENT OF MUNICIPAL SECURITIES IN THE SECURITIES ACT OF 
              1933.

    Section 3 of the Securities Act of 1933 (15 U.S.C. 77c) is amended 
by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(d)(1) Notwithstanding subsection (a)(2), a security issued by a 
municipal issuer shall only be exempt from the provisions of this 
title--
            ``(A) if the municipal issuer pledges the full faith and 
        credit or the taxing power of that municipal issuer to make 
        timely payments of principal and interest on the obligation; or
            ``(B) if the municipal issuer--
                    ``(i) offers or sells such securities in a single 
                transaction in an aggregate principal amount equal to 
                less than $1,000,000,000; or
                    ``(ii) offers or sells such securities in a series 
                of related transactions, and at the time of the offer 
                or sale of such securities, does not reasonably 
                anticipate that the aggregate principal amount of the 
                series of related transactions will exceed 
                $1,000,000,000.
    ``(2) For purposes of this subsection--
            ``(A) the term `municipal issuer' means--
                    ``(i) a State, the District of Columbia, or a 
                Territory of the United States; or
                    ``(ii) a public instrumentality or political 
                subdivision of an entity referred to in clause (i);
            ``(B) the term `series of related transactions' means a 
        series of separate securities offerings made--
                    ``(i) as part of a single plan of financing; or
                    ``(ii) for the same general purpose; and
            ``(C) the term `reasonably anticipate' shall have the 
        meaning provided that term by the Commission by regulation, 
        taking into consideration, as necessary or appropriate--
                    ``(i) the public interest;
                    ``(ii) the protection of investors; and
                    ``(iii) the need to prevent the circumvention of 
                the requirements of this subsection.''.

SEC. 3. TREATMENT OF MUNICIPAL SECURITIES IN THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE 
              ACT OF 1934.

    (a) In General.--Section 3(a)(12) of the Securities Exchange Act of 
1934 (15 U.S.C. 78c(a)(12)) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (A), by striking clause (ii) and 
        inserting the following:
            ``(ii) any security issued by a municipal issuer with 
        respect to which the municipal issuer--
                    ``(I) pledges the full faith and credit or the 
                taxing power of that municipal issuer to make timely 
                payments of principal and interest on the obligation; 
                or
                    ``(II)(aa) offers or sells such securities in a 
                single transaction in an aggregate principal amount 
                equal to less than $1,000,000,000; or
                    ``(bb) offers or sells such securities in a series 
                of related transactions, and at the time of the offer 
                or sale of such securities, does not reasonably 
                anticipate that the aggregate principal amount of the 
                series of related transactions will exceed 
                $1,000,000,000;'';
            (2) in subparagraph (B)(ii), by striking ``municipal 
        securities'' and inserting ``the securities described in 
        subparagraph (A)(ii)'';
            (3) by redesignating subparagraph (C) as subparagraph (D); 
        and
            (4) by inserting after subparagraph (B) the following:
    ``(C) For purposes of subparagraph (A)(ii)--
            ``(i) the term `municipal issuer' means--
                    ``(I) a State or any political subdivision thereof, 
                or an agency or instrumentality of a State or any 
                political subdivision thereof; or
                    ``(II) any municipal corporate instrumentality of a 
                State;
            ``(ii) the term `series of related transactions' means a 
        series of separate securities offerings made--
                    ``(I) as part of a single plan of financing; or
                    ``(II) for the same general purpose; and
            ``(iii) the term `reasonably anticipate' shall have the 
        meaning provided that term by the Commission by regulation, 
        taking into consideration, as necessary or appropriate--
                    ``(I) the public interest;
                    ``(II) the protection of investors; and
                    ``(III) the need to prevent the circumvention of 
                the requirements of subparagraph (A)(ii).''.
    (b) Treatment of Municipal Securities That Are Not Exempted 
Securities.--The third sentence of section 15(d) of the Securities 
Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78o(d)) is amended by inserting before 
the period the following: ``, except that, with respect to a class of 
municipal securities that are not exempted securities, the duty to file 
under this subsection may not be suspended by reason of the number of 
security holders of record of that class of municipal securities''.
    (c) Reporting Prior to the Sale of Securities.--Section 15B(d)(1) 
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78o-4(d)(1)) is 
amended--
            (1) by striking ``(d)(1) Neither'' and inserting 
        ``(d)(1)(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), neither''; 
        and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
    ``(B) Subparagraph (A) does not apply to an issuer of any municipal 
security that is not an exempted security.''.

SEC. 4. TREATMENT OF CERTAIN MUNICIPAL SECURITIES IN THE TRUST 
              INDENTURE ACT OF 1939.

    Section 304(a)(4) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (15 U.S.C. 
77ddd(a)(4)) is amended by striking ``of subsection 3(a) thereof'' and 
inserting ``of subsection (a), or subsection (d) of section 3 of that 
Act''.


Output: Municipal Securities Investor Protection Act of 1996 - Amends the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to provide that a municipal issuer shall only be exempt from its provisions if such issuer:  (1) pledges its full faith and credit or taxing power to make timely payments of principal and interest; (2) offers or sells such securities in a minimum single transaction amount of under $1 billion; or (3) offers or sells such securities in a series of related transactions, but does not reasonably anticipate that the aggregate principal amount of the series will exceed $1 billion at the time of such offer or sale. 
Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to provide that the duty to file supplementary and periodic information by non-exempt municipal securities may not be suspended by reason of the number of security holders of record of that class of securities. 
Authorizes the Securities and Exchange Commission to require non- exempt municipal security issuers to file requisite documents before the sale of such securities. 
Amends the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 to make conforming amendments.