Fedweek

Senate Veterans Affairs Committee chairman Johnny Isakson has said he still plans an effort to move a major VA reform bill this year that would include numerous changes in employee appeal rights there, despite a series of delays and disagreements over the details. Congress will be in session for only four weeks in September before recessing again through mid-November, but that period could be a window for legislators to act on the highly visible issue of care for veterans before the elections; initially, he had hoped to get a reform bill enacted before another symbolic date, Memorial Day. Under the Senate bill, for employees below the executive ranks the notice and appeals process would be shortened–although not by as much as in a separate bill previously passed by the House–and senior executives could appeal disciplinary actions only to internal review boards. Both chambers also would boost whistleblower protections and set new standards for how the department handles such disclosures, among numerous other changes in personnel policies. While some of the personnel provisions—widely seen as a model for a later attempt to expand them government-wide—have been controversial, other policy issues regarding the VA have also proved to be hang-ups.