VA TRUST Act

This Act may be cited as the “Veterans Affairs Transparency and Reform of the Upper Senior Tenure Act” or the “VA TRUST Act”.

(a) Reports on performance awards and bonuses to high-Level employees.— Section 726(b) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(4) The appropriations accounts from which amounts were used to pay such an award or bonus.

(5) The annual basic rate of pay for each individual awarded the award or bonus.”.

(b) Pay for senior executive positions.—

(1) In general.— Subchapter I of chapter 7 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

“729. Pay for senior executive positions.—

(a) Rates of pay.— Any individual appointed to a senior executive position within the Department shall receive the annual rate of basic pay applicable to such a position, as determined by the Secretary, in accordance with the pay ranges, structure, and aggregate limitations established for the Senior Executive Service under subchapter VIII of chapter 53 of title 5, including section 5382.

(b) Career appointees transferring from other agencies.— Any career appointee who transfers from another agency to a senior executive position at the Department shall receive the annual rate of basic pay applicable to such position, as determined by the Secretary under subsection (a), and such rate shall be consistent with the individual’s performance and pay level under sections 5383 and 5384 of title 5.

(c) Transfers within the Department.— If any individual occupying a senior executive position at the Department transfers or otherwise moves to another senior executive position within the Department, the individual shall, effective on the first day of the first pay period beginning after the date that the individual first occupies such other position, receive the rate of basic pay established by the Secretary for that position under subsection (a). The Secretary may adjust such rate only to the extent authorized under section 5382 or 5383 of title 5.

(d) Definitions.— In this section, the terms “career appointee” and “senior executive position” have the meanings given such terms in section 3132(a) of title 5.”.

(2) Clerical amendment.— The table of sections at the beginning of such subchapter is amended by adding at the end the following new item: