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119-hr-3185119th CongressWALLET

Personnel Integrity in Veterans Affairs Act of 2025

Sponsored By: Representative Franklin, Scott [R-FL-18]

In Committee

Summary

Strengthen VA personnel oversight and integrity. This bill would require timely congressional submission of VA political appointees' annual performance plans and create permanent personnel-file notations for unresolved investigations when employees separate.

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  • Political appointees and Congress. The VA Secretary would have to send appointee annual performance plans to the House and Senate Veterans' Affairs committees within 30 days after plan completion.
  • Employees under investigation. If an eligible personnel investigation is unresolved at separation the probe would continue and a final finding would be recorded in the employee's personnel file within 40 days of completion. The employee would receive a copy of adverse findings and get at least 30 days to respond.
  • Scope and appeals. The rule covers competitive service staff, excepted service staff, and Senior Executive Service employees and applies to investigations by VA offices and other federal agencies. Employees could appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board or a Disciplinary Appeals Board and an appeal would be noted within two weeks with the notation removed if they prevail.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.

Investigations follow VA employees after exit

If enacted, VA would have to keep an eligible personnel investigation going even after you resign, retire, transfer, or leave. If the investigation ends, VA would have to add a permanent note to your personnel file within 40 days. Covered employees would include VA staff in the competitive service, excepted service, and Senior Executive Service. An investigation would be eligible if it starts within 60 days after you leave, and could include Inspector General, internal VA, and other federal agency probes that may lead to adverse actions. This could affect future job chances inside or outside government.

Notice and appeals for VA notations

Before adding a permanent note, VA would have to notify you in writing within 5 days after the investigation ends and give you the adverse finding and documents. You would get at least 30 days to respond in writing and provide evidence, and VA would issue a written decision with reasons. You could appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board and to a Disciplinary Appeals Board. VA would have to mark your file "appeal pending" within two weeks of filing, and remove that mark within two weeks of the decision. If you win, VA would also remove the adverse finding note within two weeks.

Separation can't sway VA investigations

If enacted, VA could not consider your resignation, retirement, transfer, or other separation when running an eligible investigation about you. This aims to keep the investigation focused on facts, not your decision to leave.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Franklin, Scott [R-FL-18]

FL • R

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Guest, Michael [R-MS-3]

    MS • R

    Sponsored 10/1/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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