S. 1068
Introduced in Senate · April 1, 2025March 13, 2025
Mr. Blumenthal (for himself, Mr. Sanders, Ms. Duckworth, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Gallego, Mr. Kaine, Ms. Rosen, Ms. Cortez Masto, Mr. Schiff, Mr. Merkley, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Padilla, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Kelly, Mr. Booker, Mr. Heinrich, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Luján, Mr. Hickenlooper, Mr. Wyden, and Mr. Van Hollen) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
A BILL
To amend title 5 and title 38, United States Code, to put veteran and military families first and to provide protections for employees, benefits, and programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.
1. Short title; table of contents; 2. Definitions; TITLE I—PUTTING VETERAN AND MILITARY FAMILIES FIRST; 101. Reinstatement of members of the military community who were Federal employees; 102. Protection for members of the military community who were Federal employees; 103. Report on members of the military community in the civil service; 104. Comptroller General report on military community employment; TITLE II—DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS EMPLOYEES; 201. Limitations on hiring freezes at Department of Veterans Affairs; 202. Limitations on closing offices at Department of Veterans Affairs; 203. Limitations on changes to telework and remote work at Department of Veterans Affairs; 204. Limitations on changes to final job offers at Department of Veterans Affairs; 205. Notice and justification required before reduction in force at Department of Veterans Affairs; 206. Department of Veterans Affairs personnel reporting; 207. Department of Veterans Affairs research personnel reporting; 208. Prohibition on individuals serving as Secretary of Veterans Affairs from also serving as heads of other Federal agencies; 209. Office of Special Counsel; 210. Office of Government Ethics; 211. Report on effects of removing essential programs, offices, and services from Department of Veterans Affairs; 212. Restoring Department of Veterans Affairs programs, offices, and services affected since the beginning of the second Trump Administration; TITLE III—PROTECTIONS FOR CIVIL SERVANTS; 301. Nominations to Merit Systems Protection Board; 302. Modifications to appeal rights for probationary employees; 303. Authority to retract offers and contracts relating to deferred resignations; 304. Limitation on changes to competitive service categories of positions; TITLE IV—MENTAL HEALTH CARE FOR CIVIL SERVANTS; 401. Mental health services; 402. Mental health services for current civil servants; TITLE V—EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE FOR CIVIL SERVANTS; 501. Employment assistance; 502. Office of Personnel Management and the Department of Labor work on employment opportunities for members of the military community; TITLE VI—DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY; 601. Limitation on access to veteran and department information, systems, and data; 602. Limitation on application of certain Executive Orders relating to Department of Government Efficiency at Department of Veterans Affairs; 603. Report on compliance with limitation on access to veteran and Department of Veterans Affairs information, systems, and data and Inspector General review; TITLE VII—FINANCIAL NEEDS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS; 701. Definition; rule of construction; 702. Report on financial effect of the Department of Government Efficiency on the Department of Veterans Affairs; 703. Reinstatement of contracts and review of mass contract cancellations; 704. Limitations on mass contract cancellations; 705. Charge card program of the Department of Veterans Affairs; TITLE VIII—REPORTING REQUIREMENTS; 801. Requirement for Veterans Benefits Administration Monday Morning Workload Report; 802. Improvements regarding periodic publication of metrics relating to processing of appeals; 803. Publication of wait times for community care from Department of Veterans Affairs; 804. Period for Secretary of Veterans Affairs to respond to questions submitted by members of certain congressional committees