Labor & Employment (Public Employees) in United States

in committee · United States · House Mar 10, 2025

HR 1989: Protect Our Probationary Employees Act

This bill adjusts probationary periods for certain federal employees who were involuntarily separated between January 20, 2025, and January 20, 2029. It allows eligible employees (those separated while on probation in an Executive agency) to count their prior service time toward a new probationary period when rehired into a similar position with their former agency. Specifically, the new probation period equals the original required duration minus the time already served in their previous federal role. The law expires on January 20, 2029, and applies only to appointments matching the employee’s prior position.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Public Employees

in committee · United States · House Mar 4, 2025

HR 1835: MERIT Act

HR 1835 (MERIT Act) provides reinstatement or compensation to federal employees who were terminated during a specific mass layoff period (January 20, 2025, through the bill’s enactment date). Affected probationary employees - newly hired workers on a trial period or not yet permanent - can choose to return to a similar position with matching benefits or receive a lump-sum payment covering the pay difference between their terminated role and any new federal job they held during the layoff period. Agencies must notify affected employees within 30 days and offer reinstatement or payment within 90 days, with employees required to accept or decline within 30 days to avoid losing eligibility. The bill defines "mass termination" as 15+ separations in a 30-day period by a single agency.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Public Employees Unemployment

in committee · United States · Senate Mar 10, 2025

S 914: Protect Veteran Jobs Act

S 914, the Protect Veteran Jobs Act, allows veterans involuntarily removed from federal civil service positions without cause between January 20, 2025, and the bill’s enactment date to seek reinstatement to their former role or a similar qualified position. It directly affects eligible veteran federal employees and requires all executive agencies to submit detailed reports every 90 days to congressional committees, including the number of veteran removals and the reasons for each. The reports must cover the period from the bill’s enactment until January 20, 2029, and include specific data on veteran separations. This bill creates a formal process for veterans to regain federal employment and mandates transparency through regular agency reporting.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment ✓ Veterans

Sub-Topics Public Employees Veteran Education Veteran Employment Veteran Healthcare

in committee · United States · House Jul 22, 2025

HR 4582: To amend the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 and title 5, United States Code, to clarify that organ donation surgery qualifies as a serious health condition.

This bill amends the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and federal employee leave rules to clarify that recovery from organ donation surgery qualifies as a "serious health condition." It directly affects private-sector workers covered by the FMLA and federal civil service employees. The key change adds "including recovery from surgery related to organ donation" to the definitions of serious health conditions in both the FMLA and federal leave statutes. This ensures eligible employees can use their existing family and medical leave benefits to recover after donating an organ, without requiring new leave entitlements.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Substance Abuse Paid Leave Public Employees

in committee · United States · Senate May 15, 2025

S 1788: Civilian Conservation Center Enhancement Act of 2025

This bill enhances Civilian Conservation Centers (CCCs) operated by the Interior or Agriculture Departments to train underserved youth in conservation fields. It creates specialized wildfire and forestry training programs at CCCs, sets annual hiring goals (300 covered graduates per year for wildland firefighting roles), and allows direct hiring of graduates without standard civil service rules. The bill also establishes a housing pilot program using covered students to renovate federal housing for firefighters and other agency staff. These provisions directly affect CCC graduates (those who completed training) and current CCC students, aiming to build workforce pipelines for conservation and firefighting careers.

Topics ✓ Environment ✓ Housing ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Conservation Forestry Public Employees

in committee · United States · House Nov 25, 2025

HR 6311: PCS Leave for Military Spouse Federal Workers Act

This bill creates a new paid leave policy for federal employees who are spouses of military members or Foreign Service officers facing a permanent relocation (PCS). It entitles eligible employees to 40 hours of paid leave (adjusted for part-time schedules) to assist with moving to a new location where their spouse will be stationed. The leave must be used within one month of the move for relocation activities during regular work hours, cannot be converted to cash, and is in addition to other leave types. It directly affects federal workers married to military or Foreign Service personnel who must relocate due to their spouse's permanent duty assignment.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Paid Leave Public Employees

in committee · United States · House Mar 6, 2025

HR 932: Protecting VA Employees Act

HR 932, the Protecting VA Employees Act, repeals separate processes for removing, demoting, or suspending certain Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employees and replaces them with a single, consolidated procedure. It also restores disciplinary and grievance procedures for Veterans Health Administration (VHA) staff to their pre-2017 state, as they existed before the VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017. These changes directly affect VA employees, particularly VHA personnel, by altering how disciplinary actions are conducted under the agency's rules.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining Public Employees

in committee · United States · House Apr 10, 2025

HR 2880: To provide employment protections for, and reinstatement of, certain probationary Federal career employees, and for other purposes.

HR 2880 provides due process protections for federal employees who are promoted to career positions (in the competitive service, excepted service, or Senior Executive Service) and serve under a probationary period. It requires these employees to be covered by existing federal employment laws, including special protections for Department of Veterans Affairs staff. The bill also allows employees removed from such positions between January 20, 2025, and the law's enactment to be reinstated to their former or equivalent role with backpay. Political appointees are excluded from these protections and reinstatement provisions.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment ✓ Veterans

Sub-Topics Public Employees Veteran Employment

in committee · United States · House Feb 26, 2025

HR 1597: Compassion for Vulnerable and Struggling Workers Act

This bill (HR 1597) allows certain fired federal employees to continue or enroll in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP). It directly affects civil service workers involuntarily removed between January 20, 2025, and January 1, 2026, who were removed without cause, had a "fully successful" performance rating, were pregnant at termination, or were diagnosed with cancer within five years prior. The bill requires health coverage contributions to be funded using savings from the newly created "United States DOGE Service" (established by a January 20, 2025, executive order). This provides a specific pathway for eligible former employees to maintain health insurance during a transition period, using redirected federal savings.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Insurance Public Employees

in committee · United States · House May 21, 2025

HR 3192: RESTORE Act

The RESTORE Act entitles reinstated Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employees to back pay for periods they were involuntarily removed and later reinstated. It applies to employees removed between January 20, 2025, and the bill's enactment date, covering all positions except political appointees. Back pay is calculated under existing federal law (5 U.S.C. §5596), not new benefits. The bill explicitly excludes political positions, defined as Executive Schedule roles, noncareer appointees, or confidential/policy-determining roles under Schedule C.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Labor Standards Public Employees

All labor & employment bills