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[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3510 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3510

 To establish a scholarship program to encourage outstanding graduate 
 students in mission-critical fields to pursue a career in the Federal 
                              Government.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 31, 2009

 Mr. Price of North Carolina (for himself, Mr. Castle, Mr. Van Hollen, 
 Mr. Moran of Virginia, Mr. Sarbanes, Ms. Bordallo, Mr. McDermott, Mr. 
Connolly of Virginia, Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas, Mr. Hodes, Ms. Norton, 
 and Mr. Platts) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committees 
on Oversight and Government Reform and Ways and Means, for a period to 
      be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
 To establish a scholarship program to encourage outstanding graduate 
 students in mission-critical fields to pursue a career in the Federal 
                              Government.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Roosevelt Scholars 
Act of 2009''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Findings.
Sec. 3. Definitions.
Sec. 4. Theodore Roosevelt Scholarship Foundation.
Sec. 5. Roosevelt Scholars.
Sec. 6. Requirements for Roosevelt Scholars.
Sec. 7. Special hiring authority.
Sec. 8. Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Scholarship Trust Fund.
Sec. 9. Expenditures and audit of Trust Fund.
Sec. 10. Executive Secretary of the Foundation.
Sec. 11. Administrative provisions.
Sec. 12. Additional functions of the Foundation.
Sec. 13. Exclusion of Roosevelt Scholarship awards from gross income.
Sec. 14. Authorization of appropriations.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) According to the Government Accountability Office, 
        about one-third of Federal employees who were employed by the 
        Federal Government at the end of fiscal year 2007 will become 
        eligible to retire by 2012. Proportions of workers eligible to 
        retire are projected to be especially high in certain 
        occupations--some of them mission critical--as well as in key 
        leadership positions. The Government will lose additional 
        employees to non-retirement attrition.
            (2) The Office of Personnel Management estimates that about 
        550,000 Federal employees will leave the Government in the next 
        5 years, the majority through retirement, and a recent survey 
        indicates that Federal agencies will need to hire nearly 
        193,000 new employees to fill mission-critical positions 
        (including highly specialized professionals, such as 
        scientists, engineers, physicians, mathematicians, and 
        economists) through September 2009.
            (3) The ability of the Federal Government to perform 
        mission-critical functions depends on a strong, well-trained, 
        and highly engaged Federal workforce.
            (4) Heavy educational debt and lack of knowledge about 
        Federal job opportunities drive many students to seek 
        employment in the private sector, making it difficult for the 
        Federal Government to replace needed talent in mission-critical 
        positions.
            (5) A new scholarship program to help finance graduate-
        level education and to connect students directly with mission-
        critical Federal positions would help build a much needed 
        pipeline of talent for the Government.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    For purposes of this Act--
            (1) the term ``Foundation'' means the Theodore Roosevelt 
        Scholarship Foundation, as described in section 4(a);
            (2) the term ``Board'' means the Board of Trustees of the 
        Theodore Roosevelt Scholarship Foundation, as described in 
        section 4(b);
            (3) the term ``Fund'' means the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial 
        Scholarship Fund, as described in section 8;
            (4) the term ``Federal agency'' means an Executive agency, 
        as defined by section 105 of title 5, United States Code;
            (5) the term ``State'' includes the District of Columbia;
            (6) the term ``graduate student'' means a student in a 
        master's, law, or doctoral degree program at a university 
        accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or 
        association; and
            (7) the term ``mission-critical occupational area'' refers 
        to those positions that a Federal agency identifies as 
        essential to achieving its strategic goals, as determined 
        through the workforce analysis process of the Federal agency's 
        workforce planning system.

SEC. 4. THEODORE ROOSEVELT SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established, as an independent 
establishment in the executive branch of the Government, a foundation 
to be known as the ``Theodore Roosevelt Scholarship Foundation''.
    (b) Board of Trustees.--The Foundation shall be subject to the 
supervision and direction of a Board of Trustees. The Board shall be 
composed of 9 members, plus 1 non-voting ex officio member, as follows:
            (1) Two members shall be appointed by the House of 
        Representatives, one appointed by the Speaker, and one 
        appointed by the minority leader.
            (2) Two members shall be appointed by the Senate, one 
        appointed by the majority leader, and one appointed by the 
        minority leader.
            (3) Five members, not more than 3 of whom shall be of the 
        same political party, shall be appointed by the President, with 
        the advice and consent of the Senate, from among individuals 
        who--
                    (A) have demonstrated leadership or expertise in 
                public service or higher education; or
                    (B) represent a Federal agency or a professional 
                association related to mission-critical occupational 
                areas.
            (4) The Director of the Office of Personnel Management (or 
        a designee), who shall serve as a non-voting, ex officio member 
        of the Board.
    (c) Term of Office.--
            (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2) or 
        (3), the term of each member (other than the ex officio member) 
        shall be 6 years.
            (2) Initial appointees.--As designated by the President at 
        the time of appointment, of the members first appointed--
                    (A) 1 member appointed under subsection (b)(2) and 
                2 members appointed under subsection (b)(3) shall be 
                appointed for a term of 2 years;
                    (B) 1 member appointed under subsection (b)(1) and 
                2 members appointed under subsection (b)(3) shall be 
                appointed for a term of 4 years; and
                    (C) 1 member appointed under subsection (b)(1), 1 
                member appointed under subsection (b)(2), and 1 member 
                appointed under subsection (b)(3) shall be appointed 
                for a term of 6 years.
            (3) Vacancies.--Any member appointed to fill a vacancy 
        occurring before the expiration of the term for which the 
        member's predecessor was appointed shall be appointed only for 
        the remainder of that term. A vacancy on the Board shall be 
        filled in the manner in which the original appointment was 
        made.
    (d) Compensation.--Members of the Board shall serve without pay, 
but shall be entitled to reimbursement for travel, subsistence, and 
other necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as 
members of the Board.

SEC. 5. ROOSEVELT SCHOLARS.

    (a) In General.--The Foundation shall award scholarships to 
graduate students who demonstrate outstanding potential for a career in 
a mission-critical occupational area within the Federal Government. The 
recipient of a scholarship under this Act shall be known as a 
``Roosevelt Scholar''.
    (b) Selection Process.--
            (1) Nationwide competition.--The Foundation shall, directly 
        or by contract--
                    (A) provide for the conduct of an annual nationwide 
                competition, including an application and interview 
                process, for the purpose of selecting Roosevelt 
                Scholars; and
                    (B) market the scholarship program to diverse 
                populations.
            (2) Criteria and procedures.--The Foundation shall adopt 
        selection criteria and procedures to ensure a diverse cohort of 
        scholarship recipients each year who--
                    (A) at the time of applying for a scholarship under 
                this Act, are enrolled in or seeking admission to an 
                accredited full-time graduate degree program at an 
                institution of higher education in a discipline that is 
                determined by the Foundation to be directly related to 
                1 or more mission-critical occupational areas within 
                the Federal Government;
                    (B) have been nominated by an appropriate faculty 
                member or other representative of the institution of 
                higher education in which they are enrolled, of which 
                they are a graduate, or to which they are seeking 
                admission, or by another individual, approved by the 
                Foundation, who has direct knowledge of the candidate's 
                academic or work experience; and
                    (C) are citizens or legal permanent residents of 
                the United States.
    (c) Scholarship Amounts.--Each student awarded a scholarship under 
this Act shall receive, for each academic year in which such student is 
enrolled full time in the graduate degree program described in 
subsection (b)(2)(A), the cost of tuition plus a stipend, except that--
            (1) the stipend awarded under this Act to a student for an 
        academic year may not exceed the lesser of--
                    (A) a monthly living stipend of not more than $300 
                per month and an amount equal to the cost to the 
                student, for such academic year, of--
                            (i) room and board;
                            (ii) books; and
                            (iii) materials and fees associated with 
                        coursework; or
                    (B) $12,000 (adjusted annually to reflect any 
                increase in the consumer price index for all urban 
                consumers, as published by the Bureau of Labor 
                Statistics);
            (2) the total scholarship awarded under this Act to a 
        student for an academic year, for tuition and stipend combined, 
        may not exceed--
                    (A) $60,000 (adjusted at the same time and in the 
                same manner as the dollar amount under paragraph 
                (1)(B)), minus
                    (B) the sum of all scholarships, grants, or other 
                similar cash awards received by the student for such 
                academic year from any source apart from this Act; and
            (3) scholarships under this Act may be awarded to a student 
        for such periods as the Foundation may prescribe, but not to 
        exceed 5 academic years.
    (d) Scholarship Conditions.--
            (1) Satisfactory proficiency.--A student awarded a 
        scholarship under this Act shall continue to receive the 
        payments provided for under this Act only during such periods 
        as the Foundation finds that such student is maintaining 
        satisfactory proficiency and devoting full time to study or 
        research designed to prepare such student for a career in the 
        Federal Government, unless otherwise approved by the 
        Foundation.
            (2) Reports.--The Foundation may require reports containing 
        such information, in such form, and to be filed at such times 
        as the Foundation determines to be necessary from any student 
        awarded a scholarship under this Act. Such reports shall be 
        accompanied by a certificate from an appropriate official at 
        the institution of higher education, approved by the 
        Foundation, stating that such individual is making satisfactory 
        progress in, and is devoting essentially full time to study or 
        research, except as otherwise provided in this subsection.

SEC. 6. REQUIREMENTS FOR ROOSEVELT SCHOLARS.

    (a) Service Requirement.--
            (1) In general.--Each student awarded a scholarship under 
        this Act shall be required to enter into a service agreement 
        with the Foundation which provides for such student to 
        complete, in return for the scholarship, a specified period of 
        service with the Federal Government. Under the agreement, the 
        period of service shall be for the number of years equal to the 
        total number of academic years for which the student received a 
        scholarship under this Act, except that the total period of 
        service shall not be less than 3 years nor more than 5 years.
            (2) Failure to fulfill.--An agreement under this section 
        shall provide that an individual shall, in the event that such 
        individual fails to meet the service requirement under 
        paragraph (1), be required to repay to the Foundation the 
        amount equal to--
                    (A) the total amount of scholarship monies (tuition 
                and stipends combined) received by the individual under 
                such agreement, multiplied by
                    (B) a fraction, the numerator of which is the 
                amount of service not completed and the denominator of 
                which is the total period of service agreed to.
        An amount under this paragraph shall be treated as a Federal 
        Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan under part D of title IV of 
        the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087a and 
        following), and shall be subject to repayment, together with 
        interest thereon accruing from the date of the scholarship 
        award, in accordance with terms and conditions specified by the 
        Secretary of Education in regulations under this subpart.
            (3) Regulations.--The Foundation, in consultation with the 
        Office of Personnel Management, shall prescribe any regulations 
        necessary to carry out this subsection, including provisions 
        under which the service requirement specified by paragraph (1) 
        or a repayment otherwise required under paragraph (2) may be 
        waived, in whole or in part, or deferred, in appropriate 
        circumstances.
    (b) Internship Requirement.--
            (1) In general.--Roosevelt Scholars shall be required to 
        complete at least 1 internship related to their field of study 
        in a Federal agency while earning their graduate or other 
        advanced degree.
            (2) Regulations.--The Foundation, in consultation with the 
        Office of Personnel Management, shall prescribe any regulations 
        necessary to carry out this subsection, including provisions 
        under which the internship requirement specified by subsection 
        (b) may be waived in appropriate circumstances.
    (c) Participation in Extracurricular Activities.--While earning 
their graduate or other advanced degree and during their period of 
obligated service (as described in subsection (a)), Roosevelt Scholars 
shall be required, in accordance with such terms as the Foundation 
shall establish, to participate in extracurricular activities as 
described in section 12(a)(5).
    (d) Availability as a Source of Information.--
            (1) In general.--While earning their graduate or other 
        advanced degree and during their period of obligated service 
        (as described in subsection (a)), Roosevelt Scholars shall be 
        required, in accordance with such terms as the Foundation shall 
        establish, to serve as a resource for--
                    (A) individuals interested in becoming a Roosevelt 
                Scholar or seeking temporary or permanent employment 
                with the Federal Government;
                    (B) faculty, career services professionals, and 
                other personnel at institutions of higher education who 
                advise students on career and other scholarship 
                opportunities with the Federal Government; and
                    (C) Federal agencies which might be interested in 
                promoting, at the institution of higher education at 
                which the student is enrolled, career opportunities 
                with the Federal Government.
            (2) Memoranda of understanding.--The Foundation may enter 
        into memoranda of understanding with any institution of higher 
        education regarding any facilities or resources that will be 
        made available to Roosevelt Scholars for purposes of this 
        subsection.
            (3) Training.--The Foundation, in cooperation with the 
        Office of Personnel Management, may provide for Roosevelt 
        Scholars to receive any training which they might need in order 
        to carry out their responsibilities under this subsection.

SEC. 7. SPECIAL HIRING AUTHORITY.

    Under such regulations as the Office of Personnel Management shall 
prescribe, a Federal agency may make a noncompetitive appointment (in 
the excepted service, as defined by section 2103 of title 5, United 
States Code, leading to conversion to career or career-conditional 
employment) of any Roosevelt Scholar who has successfully completed the 
program of study for which the scholarship was granted. A 
noncompetitive appointment under this section shall be for a period not 
to exceed 2 years, and shall be to a mission-critical position, with 
the possibility of an extension for one additional year by the 
employing agency. At the end of the period of the noncompetitive 
appointment, conversion to career or career-conditional employment in a 
mission-critical position shall be granted to those Roosevelt Scholars 
who meet all qualification, suitability, and performance requirements.

SEC. 8. THEODORE ROOSEVELT MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP TRUST FUND.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established in the Treasury of the 
United States a trust fund to be known as the ``Theodore Roosevelt 
Memorial Scholarship Trust Fund'' to be administered by the Foundation. 
The Fund shall consist of amounts appropriated to it pursuant to 
section 14 and amounts paid into the Fund pursuant to section 11(a)(4).
    (b) Investment in Interest-Bearing Obligations.--
            (1) In general.--Upon request by the Foundation, it shall 
        be the duty of the Secretary of the Treasury to invest such 
        currently available portions of the Fund as are not, in the 
        judgment of the Secretary, immediately required for payments 
        from the Fund. Such investments may be made only in interest-
        bearing obligations of the United States or in obligations 
        guaranteed as to both principal and interest by the United 
        States.
            (2) Acquisition of obligations.--The purposes for which 
        obligations of the United States may be issued under chapter 31 
        of title 31, United States Code, are hereby extended to 
        authorize the issuance at par of special obligations directly 
        to the Fund. Such special obligations shall bear interest at a 
        rate equal to the average rate of interest, computed as to the 
        end of the calendar month next preceding the date of such 
        issue, borne by all marketable interest-bearing obligations of 
        the United States then forming a part of the public debt; 
        except that where such average rate is not a multiple of one-
        eighth of 1 per centum, the rate of interest of such special 
        obligations shall be the multiple of one-eighth of 1 per centum 
        next lower than such average rate. All requests of the 
        Foundation to the Secretary of the Treasury provided for in 
        this section shall be binding upon the Secretary.
    (c) Authority To Sell Obligations.--At the request of the 
Foundation, the Secretary of the Treasury shall redeem any obligation 
issued directly to the Fund. Obligations issued to the Fund under 
subsection (b)(2) shall be redeemed at par plus accrued interest. Any 
other obligations issued directly to the Fund shall be redeemed at the 
market price.
    (d) Proceeds From Certain Transactions Credited to Fund.--In 
addition to the appropriations received pursuant to section 14, the 
interest on, and the proceeds from the sale or redemption of, any 
obligations held in the Fund pursuant to section 11(a), shall be 
credited to and form a part of the Fund.

SEC. 9. EXPENDITURES AND AUDIT OF TRUST FUND.

    (a) Authorization of Funding.--The Secretary of the Treasury may 
pay to the Foundation from the interest and earnings of the Fund such 
sums as the Board determines are necessary and appropriate to enable 
the Foundation to carry out the purposes of this Act.
    (b) Audits by Government Accountability Office.--The activities of 
the Foundation under this Act may be audited by the Government 
Accountability Office under such rules and regulations as may be 
prescribed by the Comptroller General. Representatives of the 
Government Accountability Office shall have access to all books, 
accounts, records, reports, and files and all other papers, things, or 
property belonging to or in use by the Foundation, pertaining to such 
activities and necessary to facilitate the audit.

SEC. 10. EXECUTIVE SECRETARY OF THE FOUNDATION.

    (a) In General.--There shall be an Executive Secretary of the 
Foundation, who shall be the chief executive officer of the Foundation 
and shall carry out the functions of the Foundation, subject to the 
supervision and direction of the Board. The Executive Secretary shall 
carry out such other functions consistent with the provisions of this 
Act as the Board may delegate.
    (b) Appointment.--The Executive Secretary shall be appointed by the 
Board and shall be a member of the Senior Executive Service. The 
Executive Secretary shall have demonstrated significant management 
experience and shall possess a high level of expertise in the 
recruitment and retention of personnel.
    (c) Term of Office.--The Executive Secretary shall serve for a term 
of 5 years, and may be reappointed. The Executive Secretary may be 
removed by a vote of \2/3\ of the Board membership.
    (d) Compensation.--The Board shall appoint and fix the compensation 
of the Executive Secretary at a rate not to exceed the maximum rate for 
a member of the Senior Executive Service.

SEC. 11. ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS.

    (a) Powers of the Foundation.--In order to carry out this Act, the 
Foundation may--
            (1) appoint and fix the compensation of such personnel as 
        may be necessary, at rates not to exceed level IV of the 
        Executive Schedule under section 5315 of title 5, United States 
        Code;
            (2) procure temporary and intermittent services of experts 
        and consultants as are necessary to the extent authorized by 
        section 3109 of title 5, United States Code, but at rates not 
        to exceed the rate for level IV of the Executive Schedule under 
        section 5315 of title 5, United States Code;
            (3) prescribe such regulations as it considers necessary to 
        carry out its functions under this Act;
            (4) receive money and other property donated, bequeathed, 
        or devised, without condition or restriction other than that it 
        be used for the purposes of the Foundation; and to use, sell, 
        or otherwise dispose of such property for the purpose of 
        carrying out its functions;
            (5) accept and utilize the services of voluntary and non-
        compensated personnel and reimburse them for travel expenses, 
        including per diem, as authorized by section 5703 of title 5, 
        United States Code;
            (6) enter into contracts, grants, or other arrangements, or 
        modifications thereof, to carry out such provisions of this 
        Act, and such contracts or modifications may, with the 
        concurrence of \2/3\ of the members of the Board, be entered 
        into without performance or other bonds, and without regard to 
        section 5 of title 41, United States Code;
            (7) rent office space in the District of Columbia; and
            (8) make other necessary expenditures.
    (b) Annual Reports.--The Foundation shall submit to the President 
and to the Congress an annual report on its operations under this Act.
    (c) Contract Authority.--The Foundation may enter into contracts 
under this Act only to such extent or in such amounts as may be 
provided for in advance in appropriations Acts.

SEC. 12. ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS OF THE FOUNDATION.

    (a) In General.--In addition to its other functions, the Foundation 
shall--
            (1) create, maintain, and promote an on-line directory of 
        all Federal scholarship opportunities available to individuals 
        pursuing temporary or permanent employment with the Federal 
        Government;
            (2) create and maintain an online directory of current 
        mission-critical occupational areas;
            (3) partner with Federal agencies to place Roosevelt 
        Scholars in positions in the Federal Government;
            (4) to the extent practical, assist Federal agencies and 
        other Federal scholarship foundations in placing Federal 
        scholarship recipients in positions in the Federal Government;
            (5) work with nonprofit organizations to design and 
        implement mandatory extracurricular programs and activities 
        that--
                    (A) promote team-building and create a network and 
                community for past, present, and future Roosevelt 
                Scholars;
                    (B) motivate Roosevelt Scholars to become career 
                Federal employees;
                    (C) are offered regularly during each year in which 
                an individual is receiving a Roosevelt Scholarship, 
                including during intervals between periods of 
                enrollment;
                    (D) expose Roosevelt Scholars to the business, 
                political, demographic, cultural, and economic climate 
                of the Federal Government; and
                    (E) help Roosevelt Scholars to develop leadership 
                qualities; and
            (6) within 2 years after the date of the enactment of this 
        Act, submit to Congress (and make available to the public) a 
        report regarding--
                    (A) any barriers to appointing Roosevelt Scholars 
                and other Federal scholarship recipients to positions 
                in the Federal Government; and
                    (B) recommendations to--
                            (i) remove barriers to appointing Roosevelt 
                        Scholars and other Federal scholarship 
                        recipients to positions in the Federal 
                        Government; and
                            (ii) educate Federal agencies on the best 
                        use of personnel flexibilities in the 
                        appointment of Federal scholarship recipients, 
                        including Roosevelt Scholars.
    (b) Security Clearances.--The Foundation may, consistent with 
regulations of the Office of Personnel Management, request and fund 
security clearances for Roosevelt Scholars, as necessary.

SEC. 13. EXCLUSION OF ROOSEVELT SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS FROM GROSS INCOME.

    (a) In General.--Section 117 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 
(relating to qualified scholarships) is amended by adding at the end 
the following new subsection:
    ``(e) Roosevelt Scholarships.--Gross income shall not include any 
amount awarded under section 5 of the Roosevelt Scholars Act of 
2009.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by this section shall apply 
to taxable years beginning after the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 14. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$10,000,000 for fiscal year 2010 and such sums as may be necessary for 
succeeding fiscal years.
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