MERIT Act
Sponsored By: Representative McIver, LaMonica [D-NJ-10]
Introduced
Summary
Reinstatement for affected probationary federal employees. The Model Employee Reinstatement for Ill-advised Termination Act would create a pathway to return people removed in defined mass terminations to the same or a similar federal job and make up lost pay while preserving or improving benefits.
Show full summary
- Affected probationary employees would gain a right to appointment to their former agency in the same or a similar position and a lump-sum payment equal to the difference between pay they would have earned and any pay earned in a new federal job. This applies to mass terminations occurring between January 20, 2025 and enactment.
- Federal agencies and the Office of Personnel Management would handle notices, selection, and pay decisions. The OPM Director would set pay based on employee evidence, employees get up to 60 days to submit pay details, and agencies must start lump-sum payments within 90 days after pay is determined.
- Congress and oversight bodies would get quick reporting: the Comptroller General must report on mass terminations within 60 days and OPM must report reinstatement counts within 90 days for congressional review.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
One-time back pay and offsets
If enacted, back pay for those who took new federal jobs would be offset by what you already earned. If you hold a new federal job on the enactment date, you would get at most the difference between what your old agency would have paid from termination to enactment and what you earned in new federal jobs. If you do not hold that new job at enactment and later accept reinstatement, you could also get what you would have earned from enactment to appointment. If the math is negative, no payment is owed. Payments must be one lump sum, start within 90 days after pay is set, and count as wages for taxes. OPM would set the pay used in the calculation, and you could submit evidence up to 60 days after your notice or until OPM decides.
Right to return to your federal job
If enacted, qualifying workers would be offered a job in their former agency in the same or a similar role. The new job must match or beat your old retirement, health insurance, and leave benefits. Agencies would have 30 days after enactment to notify you, and you would have 30 days to accept or lose the offer; if you accept, the agency must appoint you within 30 days. Payments under this bill would not count toward statutory pay caps, and some usual hiring rules could be bypassed to make these appointments. If you accept the appointment, you could also receive a lump-sum back pay amount tied to your missing pay from termination to appointment.
Who could be reinstated to federal jobs
If enacted, this would cover certain former federal workers. You must have been separated between January 20, 2025 and the date of enactment. The separation must be part of a mass termination: at least 15 covered separations in any 30 days tied to the same or related federal actions. You must have held a non‑temporary competitive, excepted, or Senior Executive Service job and been in a probationary/trial period or not yet fully tenured. Your separation would be treated as involuntary and without cause.
Reports on mass federal terminations
If enacted, the Comptroller General would report within 60 days on mass terminations from January 20, 2025 to enactment, including counts by agency and reasons. OPM would report within 90 days on how many workers were notified and how many accepted appointments.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
McIver, LaMonica [D-NJ-10]
NJ • D
Cosponsors
Cherfilus-McCormick
FL • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Rep. Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12]
NJ • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Rep. Titus, Dina [D-NV-1]
NV • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Rep. Vargas, Juan [D-CA-52]
CA • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
DC • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Barragan
CA • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Rep. Foushee, Valerie P. [D-NC-4]
NC • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Rep. Thanedar, Shri [D-MI-13]
MI • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Khanna
CA • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Mannion
NY • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Grijalva
AZ • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Smith (WA)
WA • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12]
MI • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Rep. Garcia, Robert [D-CA-42]
CA • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Rep. Tokuda, Jill N. [D-HI-2]
HI • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Ocasio-Cortez
NY • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Turner (TX)
TX • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Rep. Landsman, Greg [D-OH-1]
OH • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Bonamici
OR • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Rep. Velázquez, Nydia M. [D-NY-7]
NY • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Jackson (IL)
IL • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Rep. Ansari, Yassamin [D-AZ-3]
AZ • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Ivey
MD • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Johnson (GA)
GA • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Rep. Carter, Troy A. [D-LA-2]
LA • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Davis (IL)
IL • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Thompson (MS)
MS • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Simon
CA • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Rep. Panetta, Jimmy [D-CA-19]
CA • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Crockett
TX • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Rep. Beyer, Donald S. [D-VA-8]
VA • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Carson
IN • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Rep. Evans, Dwight [D-PA-3]
PA • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Rep. Pressley, Ayanna [D-MA-7]
MA • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Rep. Ramirez, Delia C. [D-IL-3]
IL • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
McCollum
MN • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Kennedy (NY)
NY • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Rep. Brown, Shontel M. [D-OH-11]
OH • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2]
WI • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Rep. Underwood, Lauren [D-IL-14]
IL • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Cohen
TN • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Rep. Cleaver, Emanuel [D-MO-5]
MO • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Bishop
GA • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Rep. Meng, Grace [D-NY-6]
NY • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Rep. Meeks, Gregory W. [D-NY-5]
NY • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Rep. Tonko, Paul [D-NY-20]
NY • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
McGovern
MA • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Rep. Lee, Summer L. [D-PA-12]
PA • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Rep. Williams, Nikema [D-GA-5]
GA • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Rep. Olszewski, Johnny [D-MD-2]
MD • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Rep. Clarke, Yvette D. [D-NY-9]
NY • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Adams
NC • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Rep. García, Jesús G. "Chuy" [D-IL-4]
IL • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Rep. Scanlon, Mary Gay [D-PA-5]
PA • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Connolly
VA • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Rep. Dean, Madeleine [D-PA-4]
PA • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Rep. Torres, Norma J. [D-CA-35]
CA • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Rep. Bell, Wesley [D-MO-1]
MO • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Rep. Latimer, George [D-NY-16]
NY • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Espaillat
NY • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Trahan
MA • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
McClellan
VA • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Wilson (FL)
FL • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Conaway
NJ • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Rescom. Hernández, Pablo Jose [D-PR-At Large]
PR • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Rep. Chu, Judy [D-CA-28]
CA • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Rep. Kelly, Robin L. [D-IL-2]
IL • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Rep. Jayapal, Pramila [D-WA-7]
WA • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Rep. Waters, Maxine [D-CA-43]
CA • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Rep. Pettersen, Brittany [D-CO-7]
CO • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Rep. Fields, Cleo [D-LA-6]
LA • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
DelBene
WA • D
Sponsored 3/10/2025
Escobar
TX • D
Sponsored 3/10/2025
Rep. Lynch, Stephen F. [D-MA-8]
MA • D
Sponsored 3/11/2025
Rep. Correa, J. Luis [D-CA-46]
CA • D
Sponsored 3/18/2025
Soto
FL • D
Sponsored 3/18/2025
Rep. Hayes, Jahana [D-CT-5]
CT • D
Sponsored 3/18/2025
Fletcher
TX • D
Sponsored 3/18/2025
Rep. Goldman, Daniel S. [D-NY-10]
NY • D
Sponsored 3/18/2025
Schakowsky
IL • D
Sponsored 3/18/2025
Rep. Ross, Deborah K. [D-NC-2]
NC • D
Sponsored 3/18/2025
Rep. Sorensen, Eric [D-IL-17]
IL • D
Sponsored 3/18/2025
Del. Plaskett, Stacey E. [D-VI-At Large]
VI • D
Sponsored 3/18/2025
Rep. Nadler, Jerrold [D-NY-12]
NY • D
Sponsored 3/18/2025
Rep. Boyle, Brendan F. [D-PA-2]
PA • D
Sponsored 3/18/2025
Rep. Johnson, Julie [D-TX-32]
TX • D
Sponsored 3/21/2025
Rep. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ-8]
NJ • D
Sponsored 3/21/2025
Swalwell
CA • D
Sponsored 3/21/2025
Rep. DeSaulnier, Mark [D-CA-10]
CA • D
Sponsored 3/21/2025
Rep. Stanton, Greg [D-AZ-4]
AZ • D
Sponsored 3/25/2025
Cisneros
CA • D
Sponsored 3/25/2025
Rep. Leger Fernandez, Teresa [D-NM-3]
NM • D
Sponsored 3/31/2025
Rep. Figures, Shomari [D-AL-2]
AL • D
Sponsored 3/31/2025
Sewell
AL • D
Sponsored 4/1/2025
Rep. Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-6]
MI • D
Sponsored 4/3/2025
Pallone
NJ • D
Sponsored 4/3/2025
Rep. Quigley, Mike [D-IL-5]
IL • D
Sponsored 4/7/2025
Rep. Krishnamoorthi, Raja [D-IL-8]
IL • D
Sponsored 4/7/2025
Rep. Neguse, Joe [D-CO-2]
CO • D
Sponsored 4/8/2025
Elfreth
MD • D
Sponsored 4/8/2025
Rep. Subramanyam, Suhas [D-VA-10]
VA • D
Sponsored 4/28/2025
Randall
WA • D
Sponsored 4/28/2025
Stansbury
NM • D
Sponsored 4/28/2025
Rep. Lieu, Ted [D-CA-36]
CA • D
Sponsored 6/3/2025
Mfume
MD • D
Sponsored 6/3/2025
Rep. DeGette, Diana [D-CO-1]
CO • D
Sponsored 6/3/2025
Rep. Huffman, Jared [D-CA-2]
CA • D
Sponsored 7/22/2025
Rep. Stevens, Haley M. [D-MI-11]
MI • D
Sponsored 12/9/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov