Contact Congress about H.R. 10397: MERIT Act of 2024

Federal agencies could fire, demote, suspend, or furlough workers faster. New workers would wait longer for full job protections, and some misconduct could cost workers bonuses or part of a pension.

Modern Action explains what the legislation does, helps you choose whether to support, oppose, or ask for changes, and drafts a message tied to the bill, your stance, and the elected officials who can act on it.

MERIT Act of 2024 is a House bill in Congress.

Who this affects: This bill mainly affects federal workers, new hires, supervisors, Senior Executive Service officials, federal agencies, and federal employee unions. It changes how long some workers stay on probation, how fast agencies can discipline workers, and which appeal paths workers can use. It also affects workers accused of serious misconduct or convicted of job-related felonies.

Why this matters: This bill matters because it would change the balance between faster discipline and job protections for federal workers. Agencies could act more quickly when they see poor performance or misconduct. Workers would have less time to respond in many major cases. New workers would also spend more time before getting full protections. The practical effect would depend on how agencies use the new powers and how the Office of Personnel Management writes the rules.

Key provisions in H.R. 10397

• The bill ends the main separate law for firing or demoting workers for poor performance. Those cases would move into the broader federal discipline system.
• Agencies could remove, demote, suspend for more than 14 days, or furlough covered workers for poor performance or misconduct. They would only need to show the action is more likely justified than not, and they would not have to use a performance improvement plan first.
• For many major discipline cases, the agency would have at most 15 business days for notice, the worker's answer, and the final decision. The worker would get 7 business days to answer in writing and 10 business days after the action starts to appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board, the federal worker appeals board.
• Workers could not use union contract grievance steps or arbitration to fight many major discipline actions or certain layoffs. They would have to use legal appeal routes instead.
• The bill creates special rules for supervisors and Senior Executive Service members, who are top federal managers. It allows faster action and can let agencies remove them from federal service for poor performance or misconduct.

How Modern Action helps you take action on H.R. 10397

You do not have to start with a blank letter. Modern Action turns the bill, your position, and the relevant congressional context into a message you can edit and send. The goal is to make contacting Congress clear, specific, and useful without forcing you to parse bill text or figure out the right office on your own.

Questions people ask about H.R. 10397

What is H.R. 10397?

Federal agencies could fire, demote, suspend, or furlough workers faster. New workers would wait longer for full job protections, and some misconduct could cost workers bonuses or part of a pension.

How do I support or oppose H.R. 10397?

Choose support, oppose, or ask for changes on Modern Action. The action flow drafts the message for you and keeps the wording tied to this bill.

Who should I contact about H.R. 10397?

Modern Action uses your location to route the action to the congressional offices relevant to the bill and your representation.

How does Modern Action help me act on H.R. 10397?

Modern Action gives you bill-specific context, lets you choose support, opposition, or changes, and drafts a message from your position and reasons.