To implement merit-based reforms to the civil service hiring system that replace degree-based hiring with skills- and competency-based hiring.
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
Enrolled (Passed Congress)Ms. Sinema (for herself, Mr. Hagerty, Mr. Lankford, and Mr. …
Ms. Sinema (for herself, Mr. Hagerty, Mr. Lankford, and Mr. …
Ms. Sinema (for herself, Mr. Hagerty, Mr. Lankford, and Mr. …
Ms. Sinema (for herself, Mr. Hagerty, Mr. Lankford, and Mr. …
Passed Senate (inferred from es version)
Passed House (inferred from enr version)
Enrolled Bill (inferred from enr version)
Summary
What This Bill Does
This bill reforms federal hiring to focus on skills and competencies rather than college degrees. Agencies must develop skills-based assessments and cannot require degrees unless truly necessary for the job.
Who Benefits and How
- Job seekers without degrees gain access to federal jobs based on skills
- Federal agencies can hire from a broader, more diverse talent pool
- Veterans and skilled workers benefit from competency-based evaluation
- Taxpayers may benefit from better job-skills matching
Who Bears the Burden and How
- OPM must develop skills-based examination guidance
- Federal agencies must revise job requirements and develop new assessments
- HR offices face transition costs for new hiring processes
- Applicants with only degrees may face more competition
Key Provisions
- Requires competency-based examinations for federal hiring
- Limits degree requirements to jobs where truly necessary
- Defines subject matter experts for developing assessments
- Requires passing scores based on skills demonstration
- OPM must issue guidance on skills-based hiring
- Agencies must report on implementation
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
Replaces degree-based federal hiring with skills- and competency-based hiring to expand the talent pool for federal jobs.
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Modernize federal hiring by removing unnecessary degree barriers"
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "director"
- → Director of OPM
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
Process by which applicant demonstrates knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies
Employee who understands duties and required skills for a position
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology