,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #hhfj  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,december #c1        
#bjbj,mr4 ,pappas introduced the        
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs   
,a ,,bill  ,to amend title #ch1 ,united 
,states ,code1 to make certain          
improvements in the laws relating to    
whistleblower protection at the         
,department of ,veterans ,affairs1 and  
for other purposes4  #a4 ,short title   
,this ,act may be cited as the          
,strengthening ,,va ,whistleblower      
,protection ,act of #bjbj4  #b4         
,independence of ,office of             
,accountability and ,whistleblower      
,protection from ,general ,counsel      
,subsection 7e7 of section #cbc of title
 #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is         
amended-- 7#a7 by inserting 7#a7 before 
,the ,office2 and  7#b7 by adding at the
 end the following new paragraphs3  7#b7
 ,the ,general ,counsel of the          
,department shall establish an ,office  

of ,general ,counsel for the ,office of 
,accountability and ,whistleblower      
,protection4 ,such ,office1 and the     
employees of such ,office1 shall be     
independent of the ,office of the       
,general ,counsel of the ,department4   
7#c7 ,the ,general ,counsel of the      
,department1 or any employee of the     
,office of the ,general ,counsel of the 
,department1 may not directly or        
indirectly provide any recommendation1  
advisory opinion1 or authoritative      
decision for any matter relevant to a   
whistleblower case under the            
jurisdiction of the ,office and the     
,assistant ,secretary4  7#d7 ,no        
employee of the ,office of the ,general 
,counsel of the ,department may be      
detailed1 reassigned1 or otherwise      
employed by the ,office of              
,accountability and ,whistleblower      
,protection before the date that is two 
years after the date on which such      
employee ceases to be an employee of the
 ,office of the ,general ,counsel of the

 ,department4  4  #c4 ,technical        
assistance and guidance for             
whistleblowers  7a7 ,in general         
,subchapter ,,ii of chapter #g of such  
title is amended by adding at the end   
the following new section3  #gcd4       
,technical assistance for whistleblowers
  7a7 ,in general ,the ,assistant       
,secretary for ,accountability and      
,whistleblower ,protection shall-- 7#a7 
make all reasonable efforts to-- 7,a7   
guide1 advise1 and assist a             
whistleblower regarding a               
whistleblower's rights and the abilities
 and authorities of different entities  
that assist or respond to               
whistleblowers2  7,b7 obtain all        
evidence necessary to substantiate the  
complaint of the whistleblower of any   
alleged-- 7i7 violation of any law1     
rule1 or regulation2  7ii7 gross        
mismanagement2  7iii7 waste of funds2   
7iv7 abuse of authority2  7v7 specific  
danger to public health or safety2 or   
7vi7 censorship related to research1    

analysis1 or technical information2 and 
7#b7 provide for an optional alternative
 dispute resolution program1 which shall
 include attempts to mediate resolutions
 or find reassignments for ,department  
employees involved in whistleblower     
allegations4  7b7 ,sharing of records   
,as part of the assistance provided     
under this section1 the ,assistant      
,secretary shall make all reasonable    
efforts to obtain and share relevant    
records to the claimant that the        
claimant adequately identifies to the   
,secretary4  7c7 ,whistleblower defined 
,in this section1 the term whistleblower
 has the meaning given such term in     
section #cbc7;h7 of this title4  4  7b7 
,clerical amendment ,the table of       
sections at the beginning of such       
chapter is amended by inserting after   
the item section #gcc the following new 
item3  #gcd4 ,technical assistance for  
whistleblowers4  4  #d4 ,expansion of   
whistleblower protections  7a7          
,clarification of prohibited personnel  

action ,section #gca7;c77#c7 of title   
#ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended  
by inserting making a referral to boards
 of licensure after negative peer       
review4  7b7 ,function of ,office of    
,accountability and ,whistleblower      
,protection ,section #cbc of such title1
 as amended by section #b1 is further   
amended-- 7#a7 in subsection 7c77#a71 by
 adding at the end the following new    
subparagraph3  7,j7 ,without affecting  
other statutory rights or remedies1     
issuing binding decisions for temporary 
relief when a ,department employee      
demonstrates1 by a preponderance of the 
evidence1 that a prohibited personnel   
action was a contributing factor with   
respect to alleged retaliation against a
 ,department employee by a ,department  
supervisor4  2 and  7#b7 in subsection  
7g71 by adding at the end the following 
new paragraph3  7#e7 ,the term          
prohibited personnel action has the     
meaning given such term in section      
#gca7;c7 of this title4  4  7c7         

,anti-,retaliation protection for senior
 executives ,subsection 7e7 of section  
#gad of such title1 as amended by       
subsection 7c71 is further amended by   
adding at the end the following new     
paragraph3  7#d7 ,notwithstanding       
subsection 7h77#a77;,a71 for purposes of
 this subsection1 the term covered      
individual includes an individual       
occupying a senior executive position   
7as defined in section #gac7;d7 of this 
title74  4  #e4 ,requirement for        
regulations ,not later than one year    
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act1 the ,assistant ,secretary for     
,accountability and ,whistleblower      
,protection of the ,department of       
,veterans ,affairs shall issue          
regulations to carry out all activities 
under section #cbc of title #ch1 ,united
 ,states ,code1 as amended by this ,act4