VA Funding and Workforce Protection Act

This bill establishes significant limitations on the management of funds and personnel within the Department of Veterans Affairs. It mandates that discretionary appropriations for the VA, including the Veterans Health Administration, cannot be impounded, transferred, or reprogrammed unless explicitly authorized by new statutory authority enacted after this bill. The Secretary is also required to notify Congress if the Department anticipates a funding shortfall within 30 days. Furthermore, the legislation provides substantial protections for the VA workforce by exempting the Department from any hiring freeze between January 20, 2025, and January 20, 2029. It requires the reinstatement of career veteran employees removed during a specific period and protects them from future reductions in force. The bill also imposes strict conditions on employee removals, requiring 15 days' notice to Congress for reductions in force or reorganizations, and prohibiting the removal of probationary employees without specific new statutory authority, along with detailed reporting requirements for such removals.