VET Protection Act of 2017

[AI summary unavailable — showing source text] Veterans, Employees, and Taxpayers Protection Act of 2017 or the VET Protection Act of 2017 This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to: (1) track the use of official time by VA employees accurately; and (2) submit to the Office of Personnel Management and Congress, by October 1 of each fiscal year, a report on such use. "Official time" means any period of time granted to an employee under federal labor-management provisions to perform representational or consultative functions during which the employee would otherwise be in a duty status. The bill prohibits: (1) a VA employee from using official time to carry out political activities or activities relating to lobbying; (2) a VA physician, dentist, podiatrist, chiropractor, or optometrist from using official time for any purpose; (3) other VA employees involved with direct patient care and other employees whose rate of basic pay is equal to or higher than a GS-13 from spending more than 25% of the time such employee would otherwise be in a duty status on official time; and (4) any VA employee from spending more than 50% of the time such employee would otherwise be in a duty status on official time. Any exclusive ba…