,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #caif  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,november #ah1 
#bjbe,mr4 ,blumenthal 7for himself1 ,mr4
 ,van ,hollen1 ,mr4 ,markey1 ,ms4       
,hirono1 ,mr4 ,king1 ,ms4 ,alsobrooks1  
,mr4 ,padilla1 ,ms4 ,cortez ,masto1 ,ms4
 ,duckworth1 and ,mr4 ,sanders7         
introduced the following bill2 which was
 read twice and referred to the         
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs  ,a   
,,bill  ,to amend title #ch1 ,united    
,states ,code1 to require the ,secretary
 of ,veterans ,affairs to give employees
 of the ,department of ,veterans        
,affairs opportunities to be represented
 by the representatives of their choices
 in examinations of the employees in    
connection with examinations that may   
result in disciplinary action1 and for  
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,right to      
,representation for ,department of      
,veterans ,affairs ,workers ,act of     
#bjbe4  #b4 ,right to representation for

 employees of ,department of ,veterans  
,affairs  7a7 ,in general ,subchapter ,i
 of chapter #g of title #ch1 ,united    
,states ,code1 is amended by inserting  
after section #gjg the following new    
section3  #gjh4 ,employee right to      
representation  7a7 ,in general ,the    
,secretary shall give to each covered   
employee an opportunity to be           
represented by a representative of their
 choice1 on duty time if applicable1 of 
the covered employee at any examination 
of such covered employee in connection  
with an examination carried out by the  
,secretary if-- 7#a7 the covered        
employee believes that the examination  
may result in disciplinary action       
against the covered employee2 and  7#b7 
the covered employee requests the       
representation4  7b7 ,definitions ,in   
this section3 7#a7 ,the term covered    
employee means an individual occupying a
 position at the ,department1 but does  
not include-- 7,a7 an individual        
occupying a senior executive position   

7as defined in section #gac7;d7 of this 
title72  7,b7 an individual appointed   
pursuant to sections #gcjf1 #gdja7d71 or
 #gdje of this title2 or  7,c7 a        
political appointee4  7#b7 ,the term    
political appointee has the meaning     
given such term in section #gad7;h7 of  
this title4  4  7b7 ,clerical amendment 
,the table of sections at the beginning 
of chapter #g of such title is amended  
by inserting after the item relating to 
section #gjg the following new item3    
#gjh4 ,employee right to representation4
  4