Bill > HR687

This bill, known as the Modern Employment Reform, Improvement, and Transformation (MERIT) Act of 2025, introduces significant changes to federal employee management and disciplinary procedures. The bill makes it easier for federal agencies to remove, suspend, or demote employees by reducing procedural protections and shortening the timeline for adverse actions. Key provisions include extending probationary periods for new employees from one to two years, allowing agencies to take action against employees and supervisors based on performance or misconduct with less stringent requirements for performance improvement plans, and prohibiting employees from grieving certain types of adverse actions. The bill also introduces new measures such as the ability to recoup bonuses from employees who are found to have violated agency policies or laws, and reduces retirement benefits for federal employees convicted of felonies related to their official duties. Additionally, the bill modifies procedures for furloughs, including creating a new category of "emergency furlough" with minimal procedural protections, and establishes more streamlined processes for taking actions against federal workers across different employment categories, including those in the competitive service and Senior Executive Service.

Government Affairs

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/687/all-info