II 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2079 

To establish a pilot program to hire individuals with alternative educational 

experience. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 5, 2014 

Mr. RUBIO introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 

A BILL 

To establish a pilot program to hire individuals with 

alternative educational experience. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Alternative Qualifica5 tions for Federal Employment Act of 2014’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act— 

8 (1) the term ‘‘agency’’ has the meaning given 

9 the term ‘‘Executive agency’’ in section 105 of title 

10 5, United States Code; 


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1 (2) the term ‘‘Director’’ means the Director of 

2 the Office of Personnel Management; and 

3 (3) the term ‘‘individual with alternative edu4 cational experience’’ means an individual who— 

5 (A) does not have a degree from an insti6 tution of higher education (as defined in section 

7 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 

8 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a))); and 

9 (B) has received training or education in 1 

10 or more subject areas or occupational fields 

11 from an educational provider that does not 

12 meet the requirements of such section 101(a). 

13 SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF PILOT PROGRAM; PILOT PRO14 GRAM SPECIFICATIONS. 

15 (a) ESTABLISHMENT OF PILOT PROGRAM.—Not 

16 later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this 

17 Act, the Director shall establish a pilot program to appoint 

18 to positions in the civil service individuals with alternative 

19 educational experience, in accordance with subsection (b). 

20 (b) PILOT PROGRAM SPECIFICATIONS.— 

21 (1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out the pilot 

22 program established under subsection (a), the Direc23 tor shall select positions in the civil service for which 

24 the employing agency— 


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1 (A) is accepting applications for employ2 ment as of the date of establishment of the 

3 pilot program, or is likely to accept applications 

4 for employment within 1 year of such date; 

5 (B) may not require an individual to have 

6 a degree from an institution of higher education 

7 (as defined in section 101(a) of the Higher 

8 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a))) in 

9 order to be appointed to such positions; and 

10 (C) shall consider an application for em11 ployment, if any, from an individual with alter12 native educational experience. 

13 (2) SCOPE AND NUMBER OF POSITIONS SE14 LECTED.— 

15 (A) POSITIONS SELECTED.—The Director 

16 shall select not less than 25 positions under 

17 paragraph (1) during each of fiscal years 2015 

18 through 2019. 

19 (B) OCCUPATIONAL FIELDS COVERED.— 

20 The positions selected under subparagraph (A) 

21 shall be from across not less than 10 diverse oc22 cupational fields. 


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1 SEC. 4. REPORT TO CONGRESS. 

2 Not later than December 31, 2020, the Director shall 

3 submit to Congress a report on the pilot program estab4 lished under section 3(a), which shall include— 

5 (1) the number and description of the positions 

6 selected under section 3(b), including the geographic 

7 locations and occupational fields of such positions; 

8 (2) the number of individuals with alternative 

9 educational experience whose applications were con10 sidered for a position selected under section 3(b); 

11 (3) the number of individuals with alternative 

12 educational experience who were appointed to a posi13 tion selected under section 3(b); and 

14 (4) the number of individuals described in para15 graph (2) who, as of the end of fiscal year 2019, 

16 with respect to the position to which the individual 

17 was appointed under the pilot program— 

18 (A) continued to occupy the position; 

19 (B) were promoted; or 

20 (C) were terminated. 

Æ 


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