From Government Executive:
“Members of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee voted Tuesday to advance two pieces of legislation that would severely curtail the due process protections of federal employees facing discipline or dismissal.
The committee voted along party lines to send the Modern Employment Reform, Improvement and Transformation (MERIT) Act (H.R. 599) and the Merit System Protections Board Reauthorization Act (H.R. 6391) to the full House for consideration.
The MERIT Act, introduced by Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga. and amended by Rep. Paul Mitchell, R-Mich., significantly reduces the time it takes to fire a federal worker for poor performance or misconduct, giving employees only seven days to appeal removal decisions to the Merit Systems Protection Board, which would then have 30 days to make a final decision. If the MSPB does not rule within that time period, the agency’s decision is final.” READ MORE