I 
119TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7003 
To authorize the Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security 
to appoint certain personnel in order to attract highly qualified experts, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 9, 2026 
Mr. SHREVE (for himself and Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in ad-
dition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a pe-
riod to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for con-
sideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the com-
mittee concerned 
A BILL 
To authorize the Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry 
and Security to appoint certain personnel in order to 
attract highly qualified experts, and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘BIS Strategic Talent 
Recruitment to Enhance National Guardrails for Techno-
logical Handling Act’’ or the ‘‘BIS STRENGTH Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. ATTRACTING HIGHLY QUALIFIED EXPERTS TO BU-
REAU OF INDUSTRY AND SECURITY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary of Com-
merce for Industry and Security, in order to attract to 
the Bureau of Industry and Security highly qualified ex-
perts in needed occupations (as determined by the Under 
Secretary), may— 
(1) conduct an annual study to identify specific 
gaps in expertise at the Bureau that have been dif-
ficult to fill through the civil service and constrain 
the Bureau’s ability to effectively fulfil the Bureau’s 
mandate; 
(2) notwithstanding any provision of section 
3304 or sections 3309 through 3318 of title 5, 
United States Code, appoint personnel from outside 
the civil service (as defined in section 2101 of title 
5, United States Code) that have the expertise iden-
tified pursuant to paragraph (1) to positions in the 
Bureau of Industry and Security; and 
(3) prescribe the rates of basic pay for positions 
to which employees are appointed under paragraph 
(2) at rates not in excess of the maximum rate of 
basic pay authorized for senior-level positions under 
section 5376 of title 5, United States Code, as in-
creased by locality-based comparability payments 
under section 5304 of that title, notwithstanding any 
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provision of that title governing the rates of pay or 
classification of employees in the executive branch. 
(b) LIMITATION ON TERM OF APPOINTMENT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graph (2), the service of an employee under an ap-
pointment made pursuant to this section may not 
exceed 5 years. 
(2) EXTENSIONS.—The Under Secretary may, 
in the case of a particular employee, extend the pe-
riod to which service is limited under paragraph (1) 
by not more than one additional year if the Under 
Secretary determines that such action is necessary 
to promote the national security or foreign policy of 
the United States. 
(c) LIMITATION
ON TOTAL ANNUAL COMPENSA-
TION.—Notwithstanding any other provision of this sec-
tion or of section 5307 of title 5, United States Code, no 
additional payments may be paid to an employee under 
this section in any calendar year if, or to the extent that, 
the total annual compensation of the employee will exceed 
the maximum amount of total annual compensation pay-
able to the Vice President under section 104 of title 3, 
United States Code. 
(d) LIMITATION ON NUMBER OF HIGHLY QUALIFIED 
EXPERTS.—The number of highly qualified experts ap-
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pointed and retained by the Under Secretary under sub-
section (b)(1) shall not exceed 25 at any time. 
(e) REPORT REQUIRED.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this section, and 
annually thereafter, the Under Secretary shall sub-
mit to the committees specified in paragraph (2) a 
report that includes— 
(A) a list of areas in which the Under Sec-
retary has identified specific gaps in expertise 
pursuant to subsection (a)(1); 
(B) the steps taken by the Under Sec-
retary to appoint personnel with expertise in 
such areas from within the civil service during 
the period specified in paragraph (3); 
(C) the number of individuals appointed to 
the Bureau of Industry and Security under the 
authority provided by this section during the 
period specified in paragraph (3); 
(D) a description of the qualifications of 
such individuals and their responsibilities dur-
ing that period; and 
(E) a description of the impact of such in-
dividuals on carrying out the mission of the Bu-
reau of Industry and Security. 
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(2) COMMITTEES SPECIFIED.—The committees 
specified in this paragraph are— 
(A) the Committee on Banking, Housing, 
and Urban Affairs of the Senate; 
(B) the Committee on Oversight and Gov-
ernment Reform of the House of Representa-
tives; and 
(C) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of 
the House of Representatives. 
(3) PERIOD SPECIFIED.—The period specified 
in this paragraph is— 
(A) in the case of the first report required 
by paragraph (1), the 180-day period preceding 
submission of the report; and 
(B) in the case of any subsequent report 
required by paragraph (1), the one-year period 
preceding submission of the report. 
(f) SAVINGS PROVISIONS.—In the event that the 
Under Secretary terminates the authority under this sec-
tion, in the case of an employee who, on the day before 
the termination of the authority, is serving in a position 
pursuant to an appointment under this section— 
(1) the termination of the authority does not 
terminate the employee’s employment in that posi-
tion before the expiration of the lesser of— 
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(A) the period for which the employee was 
appointed; or 
(B) the period to which the employee’s 
service is limited under subsection (c), including 
any extension made under this section before 
the termination of the authority; and 
(2) the rate of basic pay prescribed for the posi-
tion under this section may not be reduced as long 
as the employee continues to serve in the position 
without a break in service. 
(g) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec-
tion shall be construed to waive any requirement regarding 
background checks or qualifications of applicants to posi-
tions with the Bureau of Industry and Security. 
(h) TERMINATION.—The authority provided by this 
section shall cease to be effective on the date that is 5 
years after the date of the enactment of this section. 
Æ 
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