WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Clay Higgins’, R-LA, bill to improve employee integrity at the Department of Homeland Security, H.R. 2131 the “DHS Fixing Internal Response to Misconduct (FIRM) Act,” advanced through the House Homeland Security Committee today.
“My bill introduces procedural changes at DHS to promote a culture of responsibility that holds federal employees accountable for misconduct on the taxpayer’s dime,” said Rep. Higgins. “These common-sense reforms will help protect the people’s treasure and hold bad actors accountable for the fraud and abuse known to be so pervasive in the alphabet agencies of the federal government.”
The legislation directs the Chief Human Capital Officer at the Department of Homeland Security to develop a department-wide employee misconduct policy that will improve employee integrity within 90 days of enactment.
Component heads at DHS are instructed to comply with the newly developed employee misconduct policy, including the development of a baseline table of offenses and penalties to be used for non-disciplinary and disciplinary actions.
Congressman Higgins introduced the “DHS FIRM Act” on Wednesday, April 26, 2017.
