---
kind: "section"
citation: "38 U.S.C. § 711"
title: "38"
title_heading: "Veterans’ Benefits"
number: "711"
heading: "Grade reductions"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/38/711"
units:
  - "Part I — General Provisions"
  - "Chapter 7 — Employees"
  - "Subchapter I — General Employee Matters"
---

# §711. Grade reductions

- (a) The [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) may not implement a grade reduction described in [subsection (b)](#b) unless the [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) first submits to the Committees on [Veterans](/usc/38/101.md?p=2)’ Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a report containing a detailed plan for such reduction and a detailed justification for the plan. The report shall include a determination by the [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) (together with data supporting such determination) that, in the personnel area concerned, the [Department](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) has a disproportionate number of employees at the salary grade or grades selected for reduction in comparison to the number of such employees at the salary levels involved who perform comparable functions in other [departments](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) and agencies of the Federal Government and in non-Federal entities. Any grade reduction described in such report may not take effect until the end of a period of 90 calendar days (not including any day on which either House of Congress is not in session) after the report is received by the committees.
- (b) A grade reduction referred to in [subsection (a)](#a) is a systematic reduction, for the purpose of reducing the average salary cost for [Department](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) employees described in [subsection (c)](#c), in the number of such [Department](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) employees at a specific grade level.
- (c) The employees referred to in [subsection (b)](#b) are—
  - (1) health-care personnel who are determined by the [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) to be providing either direct patient-care services or services incident to direct patient-care services;
  - (2) individuals who meet the definition of professional employee as set forth in [section 7103(a)(15) of title 5](/usc/5/7103.md?p=a-15); and
  - (3) individuals who are employed as computer specialists.
- (d) Not later than the 45th day after the [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) submits a report under [subsection (a)](#a), the Comptroller General shall, upon request of either of such Committees, submit to such committees a report on the [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1)’s compliance with such subsection. The Comptroller General shall include in the report the Comptroller General’s opinion as to the accuracy of the [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1)’s determination (and of the data supporting such determination) made under such subsection.
- (e) In the case of [Department](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) employees not described in [subsection (c)](#c), the [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) may not in any fiscal year implement a systematic reduction for the purpose of reducing the average salary cost for such [Department](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) employees that will result in a reduction in the number of such [Department](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) employees at any specific grade level at a rate greater than the rate of the reductions systematically being made in the numbers of employees at such grade level in all other agencies and [departments](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) of the Federal Government combined.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 102–83, § 2(a), Aug. 6, 1991, 105 Stat. 396; amended Pub. L. 103–446, title XII, § 1201(e)(5), Nov. 2, 1994, 108 Stat. 4685; Pub. L. 104–316, title I, § 119, Oct. 19, 1996, 110 Stat. 3836.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

Prior section 711 was renumbered section 1911 of this title.

Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in former section 210(b)(3) of this title prior to repeal by Pub. L. 102–83, § 2(a).

### Amendments

1996—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 104–316 inserted “, upon request of either of such Committees,” after “the Comptroller General shall” in first sentence.

1994—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 103–446 substituted “committees” for “Committees”.