#aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session  ,s4   
#ab  ,,an ,,act  ,to amend title #ch1   
,united ,states ,code1 to improve the   
accountability of employees of the      
,department of ,veterans ,affairs1 and  
for other purposes4  #a4 ,short title   
,this ,act may be cited as the          
,increasing the ,department of ,veterans
 ,affairs ,accountability to ,veterans  
,act of #bjag4  #b4 ,accountability of  
leaders for managing the ,department of 
,veterans ,affairs  7a7 ,in general     
,chapter #g of title #ch1 ,united       
,states ,code1 is amended by inserting  
after section #gji the following new    
section3  #gaj4 ,annual performance plan
 for political appointees  7a7 ,in      
general ,the ,secretary shall conduct an
 annual performance plan for each       
political appointee of the ,department  
that is similar to the annual           
performance plan conducted for an       
employee of the ,department who is      
appointed as a career appointee 7as that
 term is defined in section             

#cacb7;a77#d7 of title #e7 within the   
,senior ,executive ,service at the      
,department4  7b7 ,elements of plan     
,each annual performance plan conducted 
under subsection 7a7 with respect to a  
political appointee of the ,department  
shall include1 to the extent applicable1
 an assessment of whether the appointee 
is meeting the following goals3 7#a7    
,recruiting1 selecting1 and retaining   
well-qualified individuals for          
employment at the ,department4  7#b7    
,engaging and motivating employees4     
7#c7 ,training and developing employees 
and preparing those employees for future
 leadership roles within the            
,department4  7#d7 ,holding each        
employee of the ,department that is a   
manager accountable for addressing      
issues relating to performance1 in      
particular issues relating to the       
performance of employees that report to 
the manager4  4  7b7 ,clerical amendment
 ,the table of sections at the beginning
 of chapter #g of such title is further 

amended by inserting after the item     
relating to section #gji the following  
new item3  #gaj4 ,annual performance    
plan for political appointees4  4  #c4  
,accountability of supervisors at       
,department of ,veterans ,affairs for   
hiring well-qualified people  7a7       
,assessment during probationary period  
7#a7 ,determination required ,with      
respect to any employee of the          
,department of ,veterans ,affairs who is
 required to serve a probationary period
 in a position in the ,department1 the  
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  
require the supervisor of such employee 
to determine1 during the #cj-;day period
 ending on the date on which the        
probationary period ends1 whether the   
employee-- 7,a7 has demonstrated        
successful performance2 and  7,b7 should
 continue past the probationary period4 
7#b7 ,limitation on employment after    
probationary period  7,a7 ,in general   
,except as provided in subparagraph     
7,b71 no employee of the ,department    

serving a probationary period as        
described in paragraph 7#a7 may complete
 that probationary period unless and    
until the supervisor of the employee1 or
 another supervisor capable of making   
the requisite determination1 has made an
 affirmative determination under such   
paragraph4  7,b7 ,probationary period   
deemed completed  7i7 ,no determination 
,if no determination under paragraph    
7#a7 is made with respect to an employee
 before the end of the #fj-;day period  
following the end of the #cj-;day period
 specified in such paragraph1 the       
employee shall be deemed to have        
completed the probationary period of the
 employee effective as of the end of    
that #fj-;day period4  7ii7 ,retroactive
 effect of determination ,if an         
affirmative determination under         
paragraph 7#a7 is made with respect to  
an employee after the end of the        
#cj-;day period specified in such       
paragraph1 the employee shall be deemed 
to have completed the probationary      

period of the employee effective as of  
the end of that #cj-;day period4  7#c7  
,notification to ,congress regarding    
determinations ,not less frequently than
 monthly1 the ,secretary shall notify   
the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of
 the ,senate and the ,committee on      
,veterans' ,affairs of the ,house of    
,representatives regarding-- 7,a7 each  
instance during such month in which a   
supervisor did not make a determination 
required under paragraph 7#a7 during the
 period required in such paragraph2 and 
7,b7 each such instance included in a   
previous notification under this        
paragraph for which the supervisor still
 has not made such a determination4  7b7
 ,supervisors ,with respect to any      
employee of the ,department who is      
serving a probationary period in a      
supervisory position at the ,department1
 successful performance under subsection
 7a7 shall include demonstrating        
management competencies in addition to  
the technical skills required for such  

position4  7c7 ,performance plan ,each  
annual performance plan conducted for a 
supervisor of an employee serving a     
probationary period shall hold the      
supervisor accountable for-- 7#a7       
providing regular feedback to such      
employee during such period before      
making a determination under subsection 
7a7 regarding the probationary status of
 such employee2 and  7#b7 making a      
timely determination under subsection   
7a7 regarding the probationary status of
 such employee4  7d7 ,supervisor defined
 ,in this section1 the term supervisor  
has the meaning given such term in      
section #gajc7;a7 of title #e1 ,united  
,states ,code4  #d4 ,accountability of  
managers for addressing performance of  
employees ,the ,secretary of ,veterans  
,affairs shall ensure that1 as a part of
 the annual performance plan of an      
employee of the ,department of ,veterans
 ,affairs who is a manager1 the manager 
is evaluated on the following3 7#a7     
,taking action to address poor          

performance and misconduct among the    
employees that report to the manager4   
7#b7 ,taking steps to improve or sustain
 high levels of employee engagement4    
#e4 ,written opinion on certain         
employment restrictions after           
terminating employment with the         
,department of ,veterans ,affairs  7a7  
,in general ,subchapter ,i of chapter #g
 of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is
 further amended by adding at the end   
the following new section3  #gag4       
,written opinion on certain employment  
restrictions after terminating          
employment with the ,department  7a7 ,in
 general ,before terminating employment 
with the ,department1 any official of   
the ,department who has participated    
personally and substantially during the 
one-year period ending on the date of   
the termination in an acquisition by the
 ,department that exceeds #aj1jjj1jjj   
shall obtain a written opinion from an  
appropriate ethics counselor at the     
,department regarding any restrictions  

on activities that the official may     
undertake on behalf of a covered        
contractor during the two-year period   
beginning on the date on which the      
official terminates such employment4    
7b7 ,covered contractor defined ,in this
 section1 the term covered contractor   
means a contractor carrying out a       
contract entered into with the          
,department1 including pursuant to a    
subcontract4  4  7b7 ,clerical amendment
 ,the table of sections at the beginning
 of chapter #g of such title is further 
amended by inserting after the item     
relating to section #gae the following  
new item3  #gag4 ,written opinion on    
certain employment restrictions after   
leaving the ,department4  4  #f4        
,requirement for contractors of the     
,department employing certain recently  
separated ,department employees  7a7 ,in
 general ,subchapter ,,ii of chapter #ha
 of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is
 amended by adding at the end the       
following new section3  #habi4          

,requirement for contractors employing  
certain recently separated ,department  
employees  7a7 ,in general ,a covered   
contractor may not knowingly provide    
compensation to an individual described 
in subsection 7b7 during the two-year   
period beginning on the date on which   
the individual terminates employment    
with the ,department unless the covered 
contractor determines that the          
individual-- 7#a7 has obtained the      
written opinion required under section  
#gag7;a7 of this title2 or  7#b7 has    
requested such written opinion not later
 than #cj days before receiving         
compensation from the covered           
contractor4  7b7 ,individual described  
,an individual described in this        
subsection is any official of the       
,department who participated personally 
and substantially during the one-year   
period ending on the date of the        
termination individual's employment with
 the ,department in an acquisition by   
the ,department that exceeds            

#aj1jjj1jjj4  7c7 ,covered contractor   
defined ,in this section1 the term      
covered contractor means a contractor   
carrying out a contract entered into    
with the ,department1 including pursuant
 to a subcontract4  4  7b7 ,application 
,the requirement under section #habi7;a7
 of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 as
 added by subsection 7a71 shall apply   
with respect to any entity that enters  
into a contract with the ,department on 
or after the date of the enactment of   
this ,act4  7c7 ,clerical amendment ,the
 table of sections at the beginning of  
chapter #ha of such title is amended by 
inserting after the item relating to    
section #habh the following new item3   
#habi4 ,requirement for contractors     
employing certain recently separated    
,department employees4  4  ,passed the  
,senate ,may #be1 #bjag4,secretary