To amend title 38, United States Code, to repeal the prohibition on collective bargaining with respect to matters and questions regarding compensation of employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs other than rates of basic pay, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to discuss H.R. 807, a bill which would allow collective bargaining over compensation related labor-management disputes. Examples of such disputes include locality pay, overtime pay, shift differential pay, and performance pay.

I would like to emphasize that my bill continues to protect the basic rates of pay so that VA employees cannot bargain over the federal pay scales. However, I have heard stories where a VA nurse's overtime pay is miscalculated but there is no recourse for addressing this inaccuracy.

H.R. 807 would also help VA with their recruitment and retention efforts since prospective employees would have the assurance that they will be treated fairly when it comes to the enforcement of pay laws and regulations.

I believe this bill is just the first step in protecting the employment rights of VA healthcare providers. It is the right thing to for those hard-working men and women who care for our veterans every day.

I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.