I
107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2403
To direct the head of each executive agency to conduct a study on the
improvement of employment readiness in the respective agency.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 28, 2001
Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD (for herself and Mr. MANZULLO) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Government Reform
A BILL
To direct the head of each executive agency to conduct
a study on the improvement of employment readiness
in the respective agency.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Readiness for Work
Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds as follows:
(1) The United States workforce will experience
profound demographic shifts as individuals born
after 1945 and before 1965, commonly referred to
as ‘‘baby boomers’’, retire from employment.
(2) According to the United States Census Bu-
reau, by 2010, while the number of individuals
whose age is between 24 and 55 years will have in-
creased by only 1.5 million, the number of people
whose age is between 54 and 65 years will have in-
creased by 11.3 million.
(3) Of the civilian employees of the Federal
Government, excluding the employees of the United
States Postal Service, 32 percent are 50 years of age
or older. By contrast, 20 percent of employees in the
private sector are 50 years of age or older.
(4) Ten percent of Federal employees are eligi-
ble to retire, and another 20 percent will be eligible
to retire in 5 years or less.
(5) In 1998, the average age of the 62,000
Federal employees who took voluntary, non-disability
retirement was 59.4.
(6) The Federal Government should prepare for
the loss of retiring senior executive and mid-level
personnel, including by—
(A) requiring agencies to conduct assess-
ments of their future needs for employees; and
(B) after reviewing such assessments, es-
tablishing Government-wide guidelines for pro-
moting the readiness of individuals to compete
and perform in the Federal workforce.
SEC. 3. STUDIES ON PROGRAMS REGARDING READINESS
FOR EMPLOYMENT IN EXECUTIVE AGENCIES.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The head of each executive agency
shall conduct a study to—
(1) identify Federal programs that are—
(A) administered or participated in by the
executive agency; and
(B) used for the improvement of the readi-
ness of individuals to compete and perform as
applicants for employment and employees in
that executive agency; and
(2) formulate recommendations for Federal use
of such programs and establishment of new pro-
grams, for improving such readiness.
(b) FOCUS.—In formulating recommendations under
this section, the head of each executive agency shall con-
sider the employment readiness of individuals generally
and the employment readiness of socially and economically
disadvantaged workers (including female and racial or eth-
nic minority workers who are so disadvantaged), new
workers, displaced workers, and under-skilled workers.
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the head of each executive
agency shall submit a report to the Congress on the find-
ings, conclusions, and recommendations of the study con-
ducted by the agency head.
(d) EXECUTIVE AGENCY DEFINED.—For purposes of
this section, the term ‘‘executive agency’’ includes any ex-
ecutive department or agency, and any independent estab-
lishment of the United States.
Æ