2017 US Code
Title 38 - Veterans' Benefits
Part V - Boards, Administrations, and Services
Chapter 74 - Veterans Health Administration-Personnel
Subchapter V - Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures
Sec. 7461 - Adverse actions: section 7401(1) employees

(a) Whenever the Under Secretary for Health (or an official designated by the Under Secretary for Health) brings charges based on conduct or performance against a section 7401(1) employee and as a result of those charges an adverse personnel action is taken against the employee, the employee shall have the right to appeal the action.

(b)(1) If the case involves or includes a question of professional conduct or competence in which a major adverse action was taken, such an appeal shall be made to a Disciplinary Appeals Board under section 7462 of this title.

(2) In any case other than a case described in paragraph (1) that involves or includes a question of professional conduct or competence in which a major adverse action was not taken, such an appeal shall be made through Department grievance procedures under section 7463 of this title.

(c) For purposes of this subchapter—

(d) An issue of whether a matter or question concerns, or arises out of, professional conduct or competence is not itself subject to any grievance procedure provided by law, regulation, or collective bargaining and may not be reviewed by any other agency.

(e) Whenever the Secretary proposes to prescribe regulations under this subchapter, the Secretary shall publish the proposed regulations in the Federal Register for notice-and-comment not less than 30 days before the day on which they take effect.

(Added Pub. L. 102–40, title II, §203(a), May 7, 1991, 105 Stat. 202; amended Pub. L. 102–405, title III, §302(c)(1), Oct. 9, 1992, 106 Stat. 1984; Pub. L. 115–41, title II, §§201(b), 208(a), June 23, 2017, 131 Stat. 869, 878.)

Provisions similar to those in this subchapter were contained in section 4110 of this title prior to the repeal of that section as part of the complete revision of chapter 73 of this title by Pub. L. 102–40.

2017—Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 115–41, §208(a), amended par. (2) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (2) related to the appeals procedure for cases not described in par. (1).

Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 115–41, §201(b), inserted "employees in senior executive positions (as defined in section 713(d) of this title) and" before "interns".

1992—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 102–405 substituted "Under Secretary for Health" for "Chief Medical Director" in two places.

Pub. L. 102–40, title II, §204, May 7, 1991, 105 Stat. 207, provided that: "The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall prescribe regulations under subchapter V of chapter 74 of title 38, United States Code (as added by section 203), not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act [May 7, 1991]. Such regulations shall be published in the Federal Register for notice-and-comment not less than 30 days before the day on which they take effect."