,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #aiij  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,june #bf1     
#bjai ,mr4 ,blumenthal introduced the   
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,homeland
 ,security and ,governmental ,affairs   
,a ,,bill  ,to amend title #e1 ,united  
,states ,code1 to provide additional    
authority to the ,office of ,special    
,counsel1 and for other purposes4  #a4  
,short title  ,this ,act may be cited as
 the ,presidential ,appointee           
,accountability ,act of #bjai4  #b4     
,office of ,special ,counsel  ,section  
#abae of title #e1 ,united ,states      
,code1 is amended-- 7#a7 in subsection  
7a77#c7--  7,a7 in subparagraph 7,a71 in
 the matter preceding clause 7i71 by    
striking ,a final and inserting ,except 
as provided in subparagraph 7,c71 a     
final2 and  7,b7 by adding at the end   
the following3  7,c7 ,in a case brought 
under paragraph 7#a7 involving          
disciplinary action against an employee 

in a confidential1 policy-making1       
policy-determining1 or policy-advocating
 position appointed by the ,president1  
by and with the advice and consent of   
the ,senate 7other than an individual in
 the ,foreign ,service of the ,united   
,states or an employee serving in a     
position at level ,i of the ,executive  
,schedule under section #ecab71 a final 
order of the ,board--  7i7 may impose an
 assessment of a civil penalty in an    
amount that is not more than #aj1jjj for
 each violation committed by the        
employee2 and  7ii7 may not impose any  
other disciplinary action4  2 and  7#b7 
by striking subsection 7b7 and inserting
 the following3  7b7 7#a7 ,in this      
subsection1 the term covered            
individual-- 7,a7 means an employee in a
 confidential1 policy-making1           
policy-determining1 or policy-advocating
 position appointed by the ,president1  
by and with the advice and consent of   
the ,senate 7other than an individual in
 the ,foreign ,service of the ,united   

,states72 and  7,b7 includes an employee
 serving in a position at level ,i of   
the ,executive ,schedule under section  
#ecab4  7#b7 ,if the ,special ,counsel  
determines under subsection 7a7 that    
disciplinary action should be taken     
against a covered individual--  7,a7 the
 ,special ,counsel shall prepare a      
written complaint against the employee  
containing the determination of the     
,special ,counsel1 which--  7i7 shall   
include-- 7,i7 a written statement of   
supporting facts2 and  7,,ii7 the       
recommendation of the ,special ,counsel 
regarding the specific disciplinary     
action that should be taken against the 
covered individual2 and  7ii7 the       
,special ,counsel shall present to the  
,president and make publicly available2 
and  7,b7 not later than #cj days after 
the date on which the ,president        
receives the complaint submitted under  
subparagraph 7,a71 the ,president       
shall--  7i7 submit to the ,special     
,counsel a written response that        

contains-- 7,i7 an explanation of       
whether the ,president is taking the    
disciplinary action against the covered 
individual recommended by the ,special  
,counsel under subparagraph             
7,a77i77,,ii72 and  7,,ii7 if the       
,president is not taking the action     
described in subclause 7,i71 the reason 
that the ,president is not taking that  
action2 and  7ii7 make the response     
required under clause 7i7 publicly      
available4  7#c7 ,with respect to a     
covered individual who is an employee in
 a confidential1 policy-making1         
policy-determining1 or policy-advocating
 position appointed by the ,president1  
by and with the advice and consent of   
the ,senate 7other than an individual in
 the ,foreign ,service of the ,united   
,states or an employee serving in a     
position at level ,i of the ,executive  
,schedule under section #ecab71 the     
action required under this subsection   
with respect to the individual shall be 
in addition to any action required under

 subsection 7a7 with respect to the     
individual4  4