(a) Definitions.--For purposes of this section--
(1) the term ``employee'' means an employee (as
defined by section 2105 of title 5, United States Code)
who--
(A) has completed at least 3 years of
current continuous service with 1 or more
covered entities; and
(B) is serving under an appointment without
time limitation,
but does not include any person under subparagraphs
(A)-(G) of section 663(a)(2) of Public Law 104-208 (5
U.S.C. 5597 note);
(2) the term ``covered entity'' means--
(A) the Immigration and Naturalization
Service;
(B) the Bureau of Border Security of the
Department of Homeland Security; and
(C) the Bureau of Citizenship and
Immigration Services of the Department of
Homeland Security; and
(3) the term ``transfer date'' means the date on
which the transfer of functions specified under section
441 takes effect.
(b) Strategic Restructuring Plan.--Before the Attorney
General or the Secretary obligates any resources for voluntary
separation incentive payments under this section, such official
shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a
strategic restructuring plan, which shall include--
(1) an organizational chart depicting the covered
entities after their restructuring pursuant to this
Act;
(2) a summary description of how the authority
under this section will be used to help carry out that
restructuring; and
(3) the information specified in section 663(b)(2)
of Public Law 104-208 (5 U.S.C. 5597 note).
As used in the preceding sentence, the ``appropriate committees
of Congress'' are the Committees on Appropriations, Government
Reform, and the Judiciary of the House of Representatives, and
the Committees on Appropriations, Governmental Affairs, and the
Judiciary of the Senate.
(c) Authority.--The Attorney General and the Secretary may,
to the extent necessary to help carry out their respective
strategic restructuring plan described in subsection (b), make
voluntary separation incentive payments to employees. Any such
payment--
(1) shall be paid to the employee, in a lump sum,
after the employee has separated from service;
(2) shall be paid from appropriations or funds
available for the payment of basic pay of the employee;
(3) shall be equal to the lesser of--
(A) the amount the employee would be
entitled to receive under section 5595(c) of
title 5, United States Code; or
(B) an amount not to exceed $25,000, as
determined by the Attorney General or the
Secretary;
(4) may not be made except in the case of any
qualifying employee who voluntarily separates (whether
by retirement or resignation) before the end of--
(A) the 3-month period beginning on the
date on which such payment is offered or made
available to such employee; or
(B) the 3-year period beginning on the date
of the enactment of this Act,
whichever occurs first;
(5) shall not be a basis for payment, and shall not
be included in the computation, of any other type of
Government benefit; and
(6) shall not be taken into account in determining
the amount of any severance pay to which the employee
may be entitled under section 5595 of title 5, United
States Code, based on any other separation.
(d) Additional Agency Contributions to the Retirement
Fund.--
(1) In general.--In addition to any payments which
it is otherwise required to make, the Department of
Justice and the Department of Homeland Security shall,
for each fiscal year with respect to which it makes any
voluntary separation incentive payments under this
section, remit to the Office of Personnel Management
for deposit in the Treasury of the United States to the
credit of the Civil Service Retirement and Disability
Fund the amount required under paragraph (2).
(2) Amount required.--The amount required under
this paragraph shall, for any fiscal year, be the
amount under subparagraph (A) or (B), whichever is
greater.
(A) First method.--The amount under this
subparagraph shall, for any fiscal year, be
equal to the minimum amount necessary to offset
the additional costs to the retirement systems
under title 5, United States Code (payable out
of the Civil Service Retirement and Disability
Fund) resulting from the voluntary separation
of the employees described in paragraph (3), as
determined under regulations of the Office of
Personnel Management.
(B) Second method.--The amount under this
subparagraph shall, for any fiscal year, be
equal to 45 percent of the sum total of the
final basic pay of the employees described in
paragraph (3).
(3) Computations to be based on separations
occurring in the fiscal year involved.--The employees
described in this paragraph are those employees who
receive a voluntary separation incentive payment under
this section based on their separating from service
during the fiscal year with respect to which the
payment under this subsection relates.
(4) Final basic pay defined.--In this subsection,
the term ``final basic pay'' means, with respect to an
employee, the total amount of basic pay which would be
payable for a year of service by such employee,
computed using the employee's final rate of basic pay,
and, if last serving on other than a full-time basis,
with appropriate adjustment therefor.
(e) Effect of Subsequent Employment With the Government.--
An individual who receives a voluntary separation incentive
payment under this section and who, within 5 years after the
date of the separation on which the payment is based, accepts
any compensated employment with the Government or works for any
agency of the Government through a personal services contract,
shall be required to pay, prior to the individual's first day
of employment, the entire amount of the incentive payment. Such
payment shall be made to the covered entity from which the
individual separated or, if made on or after the transfer date,
to the Deputy Secretary or the Under Secretary for Border and
Transportation Security (for transfer to the appropriate
component of the Department of Homeland Security, if
necessary).
(f) Effect on Employment Levels.--
(1) Intended effect.--Voluntary separations under
this section are not intended to necessarily reduce the
total number of full-time equivalent positions in any
covered entity.
(2) Use of voluntary separations.--A covered entity
may redeploy or use the full-time equivalent positions
vacated by voluntary separations under this section to
make other positions available to more critical
locations or more critical occupations.
SEC. 473. [6 U.S.C. 293] AUTHORITY TO CONDUCT A DEMONSTRATION PROJECT
RELATING TO DISCIPLINARY ACTION.
(a) In General.--The Attorney General and the Secretary may
each, during a period ending not later than 5 years after the
date of the enactment of this Act, conduct a demonstration
project for the purpose of determining whether one or more
changes in the policies or procedures relating to methods for
disciplining employees would result in improved personnel
management.
(b) Scope.--A demonstration project under this section--
(1) may not cover any employees apart from those
employed in or under a covered entity; and
(2) shall not be limited by any provision of
chapter 43, 75, or 77 of title 5, United States Code.
(c) Procedures.--Under the demonstration project--
(1) the use of alternative means of dispute
resolution (as defined in section 571 of title 5,
United States Code) shall be encouraged, whenever
appropriate; and
(2) each covered entity under the jurisdiction of
the official conducting the project shall be required
to provide for the expeditious, fair, and independent
review of any action to which section 4303 or
subchapter II of chapter 75 of such title 5 would
otherwise apply (except an action described in section
7512(5) of such title 5).
(d) Actions Involving Discrimination.--Notwithstanding any
other provision of this section, if, in the case of any matter
described in section 7702(a)(1)(B) of title 5, United States
Code, there is no judicially reviewable action under the
demonstration project within 120 days after the filing of an
appeal or other formal request for review (referred to in
subsection (c)(2)), an employee shall be entitled to file a
civil action to the same extent and in the same manner as
provided in section 7702(e)(1) of such title 5 (in the matter
following subparagraph (C) thereof).
(e) Certain Employees.--Employees shall not be included
within any project under this section if such employees are--
(1) neither managers nor supervisors; and
(2) within a unit with respect to which a labor
organization is accorded exclusive recognition under
chapter 71 of title 5, United States Code.
Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, an aggrieved employee
within a unit (referred to in paragraph (2)) may elect to
participate in a complaint procedure developed under the
demonstration project in lieu of any negotiated grievance
procedure and any statutory procedure (as such term is used in
section 7121 of such title 5).
(f) Reports.--The General Accounting Office shall prepare
and submit to the Committees on Government Reform and the
Judiciary of the House of Representatives and the Committees on
Governmental Affairs and the Judiciary of the Senate periodic
reports on any demonstration project conducted under this
section, such reports to be submitted after the second and
fourth years of its operation. Upon request, the Attorney
General or the Secretary shall furnish such information as the
General Accounting Office may require to carry out this
subsection.
(g) Definition.--In this section, the term ``covered
entity'' has the meaning given such term in section 472(a)(2).