H.R. 472 · Where this bill is now

In committee

Introduced in the House, sent to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Jan 16, 2025

What this bill does

In plain words · AI-written from the official summary

Streamlines VA employee removal procedures

This bill changes how the Department of Veterans Affairs can fire, demote, or suspend supervisors and managers. Currently, these actions require a lengthy legal process, but this bill would let the VA move faster if it has substantial evidence that someone's performance or misconduct is a problem. Employees would still get advance notice, the chance to have a lawyer represent them, and a way to appeal the decision internally.

How it affects you

VA employees in supervisor or manager roles would face an easier path to removal or demotion based on performance or misconduct. However, the bill also protects whistleblowers and employees reporting discrimination from being removed for those reasons. If you work at the VA or receive care there, this could affect how quickly your supervisors are held accountable for problems, though the specific impact depends on how the VA uses this authority.

Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Jan 16, 2025)

Restore Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability Act of 2025 or the Restore VA Accountability Act of 2025

This bill modifies personnel action procedures regarding certain employees and executives of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

The bill authorizes the VA to remove from civil service, demote, or suspend VA employees that are supervisors or managers if the VA determines by substantial evidence that the performance or misconduct of such individual warrants such action. This authority does not apply to certain appointees or individuals in their probationary or trial period.

Supervisors or managers who are subject to a removal, demotion, or suspension under this bill are entitled to (1) advance notice of the action and supporting evidence, (2) representation by an attorney or representative, and (3) grieve the action in accordance with an internal grievance process.

The bill also provides protections from removal, demotion, or suspension for supervisor or managers who are whistleblowers or are seeking corrective action for an alleged prohibited personnel practice such as discrimination.

The bill also modifies the procedures to remove, demote, or suspend VA employees or senior executives based on performance or misconduct, specifically by requiring the VA to determine by substantial evidence that the performance or misconduct of the individual warrants such removal, demotion, or suspension. Such procedures must apply retroactively, beginning on the date of enactment of the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017 (June 23, 2017).

Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.

119th Congress
1st SessionH. R. 472

A BILL

Restore VA Accountability Act of 2025

In the HouseNo vote yet

Sponsor: Rep. Mike Bost (R-IL-12) · Introduced Jan 16, 2025 · Armed Forces and National Security · 1 version of the text

Read the full bill Official record on Congress.gov ↗

Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Dec 19, 2025: “Referred to the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.”

Sections

Sections · 4