S. 585 would require the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to prepare two reports and would modify several personnel and administrative procedures at federal agencies—some of which would be specific to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). CBO estimates that implementing S. 585 would cost $3 million over the 2018-2022 period; that spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds. Enacting S. 585 would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
The two reports by GAO would discuss retaliation against employees on probationary status and assess management and staffing levels of police officers at VA medical centers. On the basis of costs for similar reports, CBO estimates that completing those reports would cost $2 million over the 2018-2022 period.
Additionally, on the basis of information from VA and the Office of Special Counsel, CBO expects that individually, provisions modifying procedures at VA and other federal agencies would have an insignificant budgetary effect because they would either largely codify current practice or affect few people. In total, however, CBO estimates that implementing those provisions would, in total, cost $1 million over the 2018-2022 period.
CBO estimates that enacting S. 585 would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2028.
S. 585 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments.
