Federal Skills Act

To require the Director of the Office of Personnel Management to revise job classification and qualification standards for positions within the competitive service regarding educational requirements for such positions, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Federal Skills Act 2. Revision of job classification and qualification standards (a) In general The Director of the Office of Personnel Management, in consultation with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, and the heads of agencies, shall review and revise all job classification and qualification standards for positions within the competitive service, as necessary and consistent with the requirements of this section. Any change to job classification and qualification standards shall be made available to the public not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this Act and go into effect not later than 180 days after such date of enactment. (b) Educational requirement An agency may prescribe a minimum educational requirement for employment in the Federal competitive service only when a minimum educational qualification is legally required to perform the duties of the position in the State or locality where those duties are to be performed. (c) Consideration of education Unless an agency is determining a candidate’s satisfaction of a legally required minimum educational requirement, an agency may consider education in determining a candidate’s satisfaction of some other minimum qualification only if the candidate’s education directly reflects the competencies necessary to satisfy that qualification and perform the duties of the position. (d) Position listing Position descriptions and job postings published by agencies for positions within the competitive service should be based on the specific skills and competencies required to perform those jobs. 3. Improving the use of assessments in the Federal hiring process (a) In general The Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall work with the heads of all agencies to ensure that, not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, for positions within the competitive service, agencies assess candidates in a manner that does not rely solely on educational attainment to determine the extent to which candidates possess relevant knowledge, skills, competencies, and abilities. The heads of all agencies shall develop or identify such assessment practices. (b) Consideration of self-Evaluation In assessing candidates, agencies may not rely solely on candidates’ self-evaluations of their stated abilities. Applicants must clear other assessment hurdles in order to be certified for consideration. (c) Evaluation Agencies shall continually evaluate the effectiveness of different assessment strategies to promote and protect the quality and integrity of their hiring processes. 4. Application (a) In general Nothing in this Act shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect— (1) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or (2) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals. (b) Rights or benefits This Act is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person. 5. Definitions In this Act— (1) the term assessment (2) the term competitive service (3) the term education (4) the term qualification

Summary: Federal Skills Act This bill provides statutory authority for the executive order titled Modernizing and Reforming the Assessment and Hiring of Federal Job Candidates, which was issued on June 26, 2020. The order generally prescribes certain limits as to the consideration and use of post-high school educational requirements for positions in the competitive service. Among other things, the order specifies that an executive agency may only institute a minimum educational requirement for a position in the competitive service if it is legally required for the position, and may only consider a candidate's education with respect to other minimum requirements if it directly reflects the competencies necessary for the position. The order requires the Office of Personnel Management to review and revise the classification and qualification standards for positions in the competitive service so as to comply with these requirements. The order also requires changes to be made public, and to take effect, within 120 days and 180 days of the date of the order, respectively. (The bill requires a similar timeline with respect to the date of enactment of the bill.)