§ 7461 — Adverse Actions: Section 7401(1) Employees

(a) Whenever the Under Secretary for Health (or an official designated by the Under Secretary for Health) brings charges based on conduct or performance against a section 7401(1) employee and as a result of those charges an adverse personnel action is taken against the employee, the employee shall have the right to appeal the action. (1) If the case involves or includes a question of professional conduct or competence in which a major adverse action was taken, such an appeal shall be made to a Disciplinary Appeals Board under section 7462 of this title. (2) In any case other than a case described in paragraph (1) that involves or includes a question of professional conduct or competence in which a major adverse action was not taken, such an appeal shall be made through Department grievance procedures under section 7463 of this title. (c) For purposes of this subchapter— (1) Section 7401(1) employees are employees of the Department employed on a full-time basis under a permanent appointment in a position listed in section 7401(1) of this title (other than employees in senior executive positions (as defined in section 713(d) of this title) and interns and residents appointed pursuant to section 7406 of this title). (2) A major adverse action is an adverse action which includes any of the following: (A) Suspension. (B) Transfer. (C) Reduction in grade. (D) Reduction in basic pay. (E) Discharge. (3) A question of professional conduct or competence is a question involving any of the following: (A) Direct patient care. (B) Clinical competence. (d) An issue of whether a matter or question concerns, or arises out of, professional conduct or competence is not itself subject to any grievance procedure provided by law, regulation, or collective bargaining and may not be reviewed by any other agency. (e) Whenever the Secretary proposes to prescribe regulations under this subchapter, the Secretary shall publish the proposed regulations in the Federal Register for notice-and-comment not less than 30 days before the day on which they take effect.