---
kind: "section"
citation: "38 U.S.C. § 725"
title: "38"
title_heading: "Veterans’ Benefits"
number: "725"
heading: "Annual performance plan for political appointees"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/38/725"
units:
  - "Part I — General Provisions"
  - "Chapter 7 — Employees"
  - "Subchapter I — General Employee Matters"
---

# §725. Annual performance plan for political appointees

- (a) **In General.—** The [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) shall conduct an annual performance plan for each political appointee of the [Department](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) that is similar to the annual performance plan conducted for an employee of the [Department](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) who is appointed as a career appointee (as that term is defined in [section 3132(a) of title 5](/usc/5/3132.md?p=a)) within the Senior Executive Service at the [Department](/usc/38/101.md?p=1).
- (b) **Elements of Plan.—** Each annual performance plan conducted under [subsection (a)](#a) with respect to a political appointee of the [Department](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) shall include an assessment of whether the appointee is meeting the following goals:
  - (1) Recruiting, selecting, and retaining well-qualified individuals for employment at the [Department](/usc/38/101.md?p=1).
  - (2) Engaging and motivating employees.
  - (3) Training and developing employees and preparing those employees for future leadership roles within the [Department](/usc/38/101.md?p=1).
  - (4) Holding each employee of the [Department](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) that is a manager accountable for addressing issues relating to performance, in particular issues relating to the performance of employees that report to the manager.
- (c) **Definition of Political Appointee.—** In this section, the term “political appointee” means an employee of the [Department](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) who holds—
  - (1) a position which has been excepted from the competitive service by reason of its confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character; or
  - (2) a position in the Senior Executive Service as a noncareer appointee (as such term is defined in [section 3132(a) of title 5](/usc/5/3132.md?p=a)).

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 115–46, title II, § 203(a), Aug. 12, 2017, 131 Stat. 962.)