,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ghfd  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,july #cj1 #bjbj,mr4 
,connolly 7for himself and ,mrs4        
,carolyn ,b4 ,maloney of ,new ,york7    
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on          
,oversight and ,reform  ,a ,,bill  ,to  
reauthorize the authority of the ,merit 
,systems ,protection ,board1 and for    
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,merit ,systems
 ,protection ,board ,empowerment ,act of
 #bjbj4  #b4 ,reauthorization of ,merit 
,systems ,protection ,board ,section    
#h7;a77#a7 of the ,whistleblower        
,protection ,act of #aihi 7#e ,u4,s4,c4 
#eeji note7 is amended by striking      
#bjjc1 #bjjd1 #bjje1 #bjjf1 and #bjjg   
and inserting #bjba1 #bjbb1 #bjbc1      
#bjbd1 and #bjbe4  #c4 ,authorization of
 ,federal employee surveys for merit    
systems studies ,section #abjd7;e77#c7  
of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code1 is  
amended by-- 7#a7 striking 7#c7 ,in     

carrying and inserting 7#c77;,a7 ,in    
carrying2 and  7#b7 adding at the end   
the following3  7,b7 ,the ,office of    
,personnel ,management and other        
agencies shall-- 7i7 provide assistance 
to the ,board to facilitate the conduct 
by the ,board of surveys of employees2  
and  7ii7 upon request1 unless otherwise
 prohibited by law1 provide to the      
,board records and information          
concerning applicants for ,federal      
employment4  4  #d4 ,whistleblower      
training for ,,mspb administrative      
judges ,section #ggja7;b77#a7 of title  
#e1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended to
 read as follows3  7#a7 7,a7 ,the ,board
 may hear any case appealed to it or may
 refer the case to an administrative law
 judge appointed under section #caje or 
other employee of the ,board designated 
by the ,board to hear such cases1 except
 that any case involving-- 7i7 a removal
 from the service shall be heard by the 
,board1 an employee experienced in      
hearing appeals1 or an administrative   

law judge2 and  7ii7 an alleged         
prohibited personnel practice in        
violation of section #bcjb7;b77#h71     
section #bcjb7;b77#i77;,a77i71 7,b71    
7,c71 or 7,d71 or section #bcjb7;b77#ac7
 shall be heard by the ,board or an     
administrative law judge or other       
employee of the ,board designated by the
 ,board to hear such cases who has      
successfully completed training         
regarding protections afforded by the   
,whistleblower ,protection ,act of      
#aihi4  7,b7 ,the ,board1 administrative
 law judge1 or other employee 7as the   
case may be7 shall make a decision after
 receipt of the written representations 
of the parties to the appeal and after  
opportunity for a hearing under         
subsection 7a77#a7 of this section4 ,a  
copy of the decision shall be furnished 
to each party to the appeal and to the  
,office of ,personnel ,management4  4