Sec. 7. Right of employees to petition Congress
441 words·~2 min read·
/bill/114/s/2953/is/section-7A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Section 7211 of title 5, United States Code, is amended— by striking The right of and inserting
(a); and In general.— The right of by adding at the end the following: An employee who interferes with or denies a right protected under this section shall, in accordance with subchapter II of chapter 75, or other applicable procedures, be subject to an adverse action described in paragraphs
(1)through
(5)of section 7512. . The Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Indian Health Service (referred to in this subsection as the Secretary ) shall, in accordance with paragraphs
(2)through (6), provide to each employee of the Indian Health Service, and electronically post, a memorandum providing notice of the right of employees under section 7211 of title 5, United States Code (relating to employees' right to petition Congress). The memorandum described in paragraph
(1)shall include the following statement: It is a violation of section 7211 of title 5, United States Code, for any Federal agency or employee to require a Federal employee to seek approval, guidance, or any other form of input prior to contacting Congress with information, even if that information is in relation to the job responsibilities of the employee. A Federal employee found to have interfered with or denied the right of another Federal employee may be subject to an adverse action described in paragraphs
(1)through
(5)of section 7512 of title 5, United States Code, including suspension without pay for a period of more than 14 days. . Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit the memorandum described in paragraph
(1)to the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services (referred to in this section as the Inspector General ) for approval. Not later than 30 days after the submission of the memorandum under paragraph (3), or a revised memorandum under paragraph (6), the Inspector General shall approve or disapprove the memorandum or the revised memorandum. Not later than 30 days after approval of the memorandum or the revised memorandum under paragraph (4), the Secretary shall— provide to each employee of the Indian Health Service an electronic copy of the memorandum; and post the memorandum in a clear and conspicuous place on the website of the Indian Health Service for a period of not fewer than 120 days. If the Inspector General disapproves the memorandum or a revised memorandum under paragraph (4), not later than 15 days after the disapproval, the Secretary shall submit a revised memorandum to the Inspector General for approval under paragraph (4).