,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bigg  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,october #g1   
#bjbe,mr4 ,blumenthal 7for himself1 ,ms4
 ,alsobrooks1 ,mr4 ,van ,hollen1 ,mr4   
,kaine1 ,mr4 ,warner1 ,mr4 ,peters1 ,mr4
 ,kim1 ,ms4 ,duckworth1 ,mr4 ,reed1 ,mr4
 ,schatz1 ,mr4 ,padilla1 and ,mr4       
,booker7 introduced the following bill2 
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on ,homeland ,security and  
,governmental ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to  
amend chapter #gg of title #e1 ,united  
,states ,code1 to ensure timely rulings 
by the ,merit ,systems ,protection      
,board on appeals by ,federal employees 
and applicants for employment4  #a4     
,short title  ,this ,act may be cited as
 the ,fair ,access to ,swift and ,timely
 ,justice ,act or the ,,fast ,justice   
,act4  #b4 ,timeliness of ,,mspb appeals
  7a7 ,in general ,section #ggja of     
title #e1 ,united ,states ,code1 is     
amended-- 7#a7 by redesignating         
subsection 7k7 as subsection 7l72 and   

7#b7 by inserting after subsection 7j7  
the following3  7k7 ,untimely action by 
,,mspb  7#a7 ,in general ,on and after  
the date that is #abj days after the    
date on which an employee or applicant  
for employment files an appeal under    
this section1 other than an appeal of a 
case that is subject to section #ggjb1  
if the ,merit ,systems ,protection      
,board has not taken an action with     
respect to the appeal that is subject to
 judicial review1 the employee or       
applicant shall be entitled to file a   
civil action with respect to the        
personnel action that is the subject of 
the appeal4  7#b7 ,filing  7,a7 ,in     
general ,an employee or applicant may   
bring a civil action under paragraph    
7#a7 in a district court of the ,united 
,states for-- 7i7 any judicial district 
in which a personnel action that is a   
subject of the civil action is alleged  
to have occurred2 or  7ii7 the judicial 
district in which the employee or       
applicant would have been employed1 but 

for a personnel action that is a subject
 of the civil action4  7,b7 ,where      
principal office is located ,if the     
respondent for a civil action under     
paragraph 7#a7 is not subject to        
personal jurisdiction in any judicial   
district described in subparagraph 7,a71
 the civil action may be brought in a   
district court of the ,united ,states   
for the judicial district in which the  
principal office of the respondent is   
located4  7#c7 ,standards for judicial  
review ,in a civil action under         
paragraph 7#a71 the court-- 7,a7 shall  
apply the standard of review under      
section #ggjc7;c7 only with respect to  
an order or decision of the ,merit      
,systems ,protection ,board2 and  7,b7  
in making any other determination1 shall
 apply the same standard of review that 
would have applied to the review of the 
personnel action at issue by the ,merit 
,systems ,protection ,board4  7#d7      
,appeal of district court determination 
,an appeal from an order or decision of 

the district court in a civil action    
under paragraph 7#a7 shall1 in          
accordance with section #abia of title  
#bh1 be filed with the court of appeals 
of the ,united ,states for the judicial 
district in which the district court is 
located4  7#e7 ,stay ,if an employee or 
applicant for employment brings a civil 
action in accordance with paragraph 7#a7
 with respect to a personnel action1 the
 ,merit ,systems ,protection ,board--   
7,a7 shall stay the appeal relating to  
the personnel action upon the filing of 
the civil action2 and  7,b7 if the civil
 action is dismissed for lack of        
jurisdiction1 shall resume processing   
the appeal4  4  7b7 ,rule of            
construction ,nothing in the amendments 
made by subsection 7a7 shall be         
construed to limit the ability of an    
employee or applicant for employment to 
obtain judicial review of an order or   
decision of the ,merit ,systems         
,protection ,board in accordance with   
section #ggjc of title #e1 ,united      

,states ,code4