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
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.