# 119-hr-687: MERIT Act of 2025 119-hr-687, MERIT Act of 2025, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Loudermilk, Barry [R-GA-11] (R-GA); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2025-12-21). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-687 - As of: 2025-12-21 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: 119-hr-687 - Congress: 119 - Title: MERIT Act of 2025 - Status: introduced - Introduced: 2025-01-23 - Sponsor: Rep. Loudermilk, Barry [R-GA-11] (R-GA) - Cosponsors: 24 - Policy area: Government Operations and Politics - Touches household money: yes - Last recorded action: 2025-12-21 ## Summary **Overhauls how the federal government handles employee discipline and related pay and benefits.** This bill would replace Chapter 43 with a new adverse-action framework and add new rules on furloughs, annuity reductions for certain felony convictions, bonus recoupment, and longer probationary periods. - Federal employees would face a new furlough cause with a set appeal timeline. Furloughs could be appealed to the Merit Systems Protection Board within 10 business days, and many probationary periods would extend to two years for new appointees. - Retirees and annuitants could see annuities reduced if finally convicted of a felony tied to official duties. Agencies must give at least 15 business days notice, update records and OPM must recalculate benefits within 30 business days, and MSPB review would be available. - Agencies and OPM would get new rulemaking work and authorities. OPM must issue key furlough rules within 180 days, agencies gain explicit authority to recoup bonuses after adverse findings and must enforce a prohibition on certain bonuses for five years after the fiscal year with an adverse finding, with repayment plans and hearings set by agencies. ## Cosponsors (24) - Rep. Carter, Earl L. "Buddy" [R-GA-1] (R-GA), 2025-01-23T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Houchin, Erin [R-IN-9] (R-IN), 2025-01-23T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Crawford, Eric A. "Rick" [R-AR-1] (R-AR), 2025-01-23T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Owens, Burgess [R-UT-4] (R-UT), 2025-01-23T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Collins, Mike [R-GA-10] (R-GA), 2025-01-23T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Luna, Anna Paulina [R-FL-13] (R-FL), 2025-01-23T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Webster, Daniel [R-FL-11] (R-FL), 2025-01-23T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Mann, Tracey [R-KS-1] (R-KS), 2025-01-23T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Franklin, Scott [R-FL-18] (R-FL), 2025-01-23T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Meuser, Daniel [R-PA-9] (R-PA), 2025-01-23T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Babin, Brian [R-TX-36] (R-TX), 2025-01-23T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Tenney, Claudia [R-NY-24] (R-NY), 2025-01-23T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Baird, James R. [R-IN-4] (R-IN), 2025-01-23T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Steube, W. Gregory [R-FL-17] (R-FL), 2025-01-23T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Burchett, Tim [R-TN-2] (R-TN), 2025-01-23T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Weber, Randy K. Sr. [R-TX-14] (R-TX), 2025-01-31T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Hill, J. French [R-AR-2] (R-AR), 2025-02-07T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Crane, Elijah [R-AZ-2] (R-AZ), 2025-02-11T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Rose, John W. [R-TN-6] (R-TN), 2025-02-21T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Brecheen, Josh [R-OK-2] (R-OK), 2025-02-21T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Harris, Andy [R-MD-1] (R-MD), 2025-02-21T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Miller, Mary E. [R-IL-15] (R-IL), 2025-02-24T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. De La Cruz, Monica [R-TX-15] (R-TX), 2025-02-26T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Harris, Mark [R-NC-8] (R-NC), 2025-03-18T00:00:00.000Z ## Provisions PRIA read - Pay protection for placed senior executives: benefit, medium. If enacted, when a career senior executive is placed into a new job under certain rules, the agency would pay the highest of three rates: the new job’s rate, the rate for the job held before joining the SES, or the rate just before placement. If placed under a different rule, pay would match the ne… - Emergency furloughs during shutdowns: cost, high. If enacted, an “emergency furlough” would mean a furlough caused by a lapse in funding. OPM would set rules within 180 days. Agencies would give notice as soon as possible, and other furlough procedures would not apply. You could appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board within 10 business days.… - Faster discipline for federal employees: cost, high. If enacted, agencies would move discipline cases faster and use a preponderance-of-the-evidence test. You would get notice, 7 business days to respond, and a final decision within 15 business days after notice. You could appeal within 10 business days of the action. Supervisors would face this fast… - Pension cuts for felony misconduct: cost, high. If enacted, agencies could remove periods of “felonious service” from a federal annuity after a final felony conviction tied to official duties and warranting removal. You would get at least 15 business days’ notice and 10 business days to respond. You could appeal to the Merit Systems Protection B… - Fewer suspension and grievance protections: cost, medium. If enacted, fewer workers would qualify for short-suspension protections. New hires and those in probation or trial periods could be excluded. Union grievance processes would no longer cover certain adverse actions and some reduction‑in‑force furloughs, demotions, or separations. These changes woul… - Five-year bonus ban and payback: cost, medium. If enacted, an adverse finding by your agency would block bonuses for five years after that fiscal year. If the finding happens in the same fiscal year you got a post‑enactment bonus, the agency could order repayment after notice and a hearing. Agencies could offer a repayment plan and may require… - Limited pay during demotion appeals: cost, medium. If enacted, after a grade reduction you would be paid at the new grade starting that day. Agencies could not put you on administrative leave during an appeal. You would be paid only if you report to work or use approved leave like annual, sick, family medical, military, or court leave. This would t… - Two-year probation for new hires: cost, medium. If enacted, most new federal hires would have a two-year probation. If the job requires formal training, the two years would run after training. If it requires a license, the two years could run after the license is granted. Agencies would have to state probation terms in job postings and send remi… ## Related bills - 119-hr-38: Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2025 - 119-hres-719: Honoring the life and legacy of Charles Charlie James Kirk. - 119-hr-404: Hearing Protection Act - 119-hr-979: AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act of 2025 - 119-hr-1232: National Right-to-Work Act - 119-hr-1628: 761st Tank Battalion Congressional Gold Medal Act ## Sources - [119-hr-687 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/687) ## Related - [119-hr-38: Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-38) - [119-hres-719: Honoring the life and legacy of Charles Charlie James Kirk.](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hres-719) - [119-hr-404: Hearing Protection Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-404) - [119-hr-979: AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-979) - [119-hr-1232: National Right-to-Work Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1232) - [119-hr-1628: 761st Tank Battalion Congressional Gold Medal Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1628) - [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-687 (as of 2025-12-21).