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Protect Our Probationary Employees Act
To allow Federal employees who are involuntarily separated from Government service while serving a probationary or trial period to resume that period upon reinstatement, and for other purposes.
Summary
This bill would allow federal employees who were involuntarily separated while serving a probationary period since January 20, 2025 to resume that same probationary period if rehired by the same agency. Rather than starting a new probation from the beginning, the employee would only need to complete the remaining time left on their original probationary period. For example, an employee who had completed six months of a one-year probation before being terminated would only serve the remaining six months upon reinstatement. The provision applies through January 20, 2029.
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)
5 cosponsors
Actions (2)
- Mar 10, 2025 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. · senate
- Mar 10, 2025 Introduced in Senate
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Full text
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 10, 2025
Mr. Van Hollen (for himself and Mr. Warner) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
A BILL
To allow Federal employees who are involuntarily separated from Government service while serving a probationary or trial period to resume that period upon reinstatement, 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 “Protect Our Probationary Employees Act”.
SEC. 2. RESUMPTION OF PROBATIONARY PERIOD.
(a) Definitions.—In this section:
(1) Covered appointment.—The term “covered appointment” means an appointment of a covered probationary employee to a position in the former employing agency of that covered probationary employee that, to the extent practicable, is the same as the previous Federal position occupied by that covered probationary employee.
(2) Covered probationary employee.—The term “covered probationary employee” means an individual who—
(A) is, or was, involuntarily separated from Government service during the period beginning on January 20, 2025, and ending on the date described in subsection (c); and
(B) immediately before the involuntary separation described in subparagraph (A), occupied a position in an Executive agency under which the individual served a probationary or trial period under an initial appointment.
(3) Executive agency.—The term “Executive agency” has the meaning given the term in section 105 of title 5, United States Code.
(4) Former employing agency.—With respect to a covered probationary employee, the term “former employing agency” means the Executive agency from which the involuntary separation of that individual made that individual a covered probationary employee.
(5) Previous federal position.—The term “previous Federal position” means, with respect to a covered probationary employee, the position in an Executive agency occupied by the covered probationary employee immediately before becoming a covered probationary employee.
(b) Resumption of Probationary Period.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the duration of the probationary or trial period for a covered appointment of a covered probationary employee to become final shall be equal to the difference between—
(1) the duration of that probationary or trial period that, but for this Act, would apply to that covered appointment; and
(2) the duration of the probationary or trial period that the covered probationary employee served in the previous Federal position of that covered probationary employee, to the extent that such duration does not exceed the duration described in paragraph (1).
(c) Sunset.—This Act shall terminate on January 20, 2029. <all>
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