Sponsors
The bill restores pay/grade protections and back pay for VA law enforcement personnel and prevents future downgrades, but does so by restricting OPM/agency reclassification authority and risking higher federal personnel costs and policy inconsistency.
VA law enforcement employees who were downgraded between Oct 1, 2025 and enactment will have their prior job grades restored and receive back pay.
All VA law enforcement employees will be protected from future downgrades, preserving pay and grade stability for those roles.
Taxpayers and VA federal employees will no longer have federal funds used to pursue reclassification/downgrade actions against VA law enforcement positions, reducing government spending on such efforts.
Federal agencies and the Office of Personnel Management will have reduced authority to reclassify positions, which may hinder workforce management flexibility across agencies.
Taxpayers and the VA could face higher personnel costs if restored grades and pay exceed current budgeted levels.
The Office of Personnel Management and the Department of Veterans Affairs will face a carve-out that may create tension with uniform federal classification standards, complicating policy implementation.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Prohibits VA, OPM, or any other federal department or agency from proposing, initiating, or carrying out downgrades of any position that performs law enforcement functions within the Department of Veterans Affairs. Voids any such downgrade actions taken between October 1, 2025, and the Act’s enactment, requires restoration of the positions to their prior grade/pay status, and requires affected employees receive the pay they would have earned absent the downgrade.
Introduced March 19, 2026 by Timothy M. Kennedy · Last progress March 19, 2026