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VA Police Recruitment and Retention Act of 2026
To prohibit the downgrading of law enforcement positions in the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.
Summary
- Prohibits the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Personnel Management, and other agencies from downgrading law enforcement positions within the VA.
- Prohibits the use of Federal funds to propose, initiate, or carry out downgrades of VA law enforcement positions.
- Retroactively voids any law enforcement position downgrades at VA that occurred between October 1, 2025, and the date of enactment.
- Requires any retroactively downgraded VA law enforcement positions to be restored to their prior status and grade.
- Requires employees affected by retroactive downgrades to receive all back pay and compensation they would otherwise have been entitled to receive.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
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![Rep. Kennedy, Timothy M. [D-NY-26]](https://media.civicgate.org/people/d/politicians/K000402.thumb.jpg)
Rep. Kennedy, Timothy M. (D-NY) [#26]
1 cosponsor
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![Rep. Larson, John B. [D-CT-1]](https://media.civicgate.org/people/d/politicians/L000557.thumb.jpg)
Rep. Larson, John B. (D-CT) [#1]
Actions (6)
- Apr 15, 2026 Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote. · house
- Apr 15, 2026 Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held · house
- Mar 25, 2026 Subcommittee Hearings Held · house
- Mar 24, 2026 Referred to the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. · house
- Mar 19, 2026 Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. · house
- Mar 19, 2026 Introduced in House
More bills on these subjects (8)
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Similar bills (6)
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Text versions (1)
Bills are re-published as they move (Introduced → Reported → Engrossed → Enrolled …). Each stage below is a separate text; pick two to see what changed. Data from Congress.gov.
Full text
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 19, 2026
Mr. Kennedy of New York introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
A BILL
To prohibit the downgrading of law enforcement positions in the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “VA Police Recruitment and Retention Act of 2026”.
SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON DOWNGRADING OF LAW ENFORCEMENT POSITIONS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
(a) Prohibition.—No official in the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Office of Personnel Management, or any other department or agency may propose, initiate, or carry out a position downgrade for any covered VA position, and no Federal funds may be used to propose, initiate, or carry out a position downgrade for any such position.
(b) Retroactive Application.—Any position downgrade for a covered VA position proposed, initiated, or carried out during the period beginning October 1, 2025, and ending on the date of the enactment of this Act shall have no force or effect. Any such position subjected to a position downgrade during this period shall be returned to the status it had prior to the position downgrade. Any employee occupying such a position shall receive all pay to which they otherwise would have been entitled.
(c) Definitions.—For purposes of this section:
(1) The term “covered VA position” means a position carrying out law enforcement functions within the Department of Veterans Affairs, whether permanent, temporary, full-time, part-time, or intermittent, and without regard to the source of funding for the position.
(2) The term “position downgrade” means a consistency review, incumbent-only review, or other classification action taken by the Office of Personnel Management or any other department or agency pursuant to chapter 51 of title 5, United States Code, or similar authority, that may result in a loss of grade or pay associated with a position or set of positions, without regard to whether an employee occupying such a position is entitled to or otherwise provided with retained grade or pay. <all>
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