Restore Merit to Government Service Act of 2025

Bill: 119-s-591
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Scott, Rick [R-FL]
Introduced: 2025-02-13
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Employee hiring

Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management

Government information and archives
Latest action: action_date: 2025-02-13
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Summaries:

tv_txt: II 119th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 591 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES February 13, 2025 Mr. Scott of Florida (for himself, Mrs. Blackburn , Mrs. Hyde-Smith , and Mr. Tuberville ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs A BILL To reform the Federal hiring process, to restore merit to Government service, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Restore Merit to Government Service Act of 2025 . 2. Definitions In this Act: (1) Administrator The term Administrator means the Administrator of the U.S. DOGE Service Temporary Organization, or the head of any successor organization. (2) Agency The term agency means the following: (A) Each of the Executive departments. (B) The Environmental Protection Agency. (C) The Office of Management and Budget. (D) The Small Business Administration. (E) The Social Security Administration. (F) The National Science Foundation. (G) The Office of Personnel Management. (H) The General Services Administration. (3) Executive departments The term Executive departments has the meaning given the term in section 101 of title 5, United States Code. (4) Plan The term Plan means the Federal Hiring Plan developed under section 4(a). (5) Senior Executive Service position The term Senior Executive Service position has the meaning given the term in section 3132(a) of title 5, United States Code. 3. Findings Congress finds the following: (1) The people of the United States deserve an excellent and efficient Federal workforce that attracts the highest caliber of civil servants committed to achieving the freedom, prosperity, and democratic rule promoted by the Constitution of the United States. (2) As of the date of enactment of this Act, the appointment practices of the Federal Government are broken, insular, and outdated and no longer focus on merit, practical skill, and dedication to the Constitution of the United States. (3) Appointments in the Federal Government should not be focused on impermissible factors, such as a commitment to— (A) illegal racial discrimination under the guise of equity ; or (B) the invented concept of gender identity over sex. (4) Inserting factors described in paragraph (3) into the Federal appointment process subverts the will of the people of the United States, puts critical Government functions at risk, and risks losing the best-qualified candidates. 4. Federal Hiring Plan (a) In general Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, in consultation with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, and the Administrator, shall develop and submit to the head of each agency a Federal Hiring Plan that brings to the Federal workforce only highly skilled people of the United States who are dedicated to the furtherance of the ideals, values, and interests of the United States. (b) Contents The Plan shall— (1) prioritize the recruitment, by agencies, of individuals who are— (A) committed to— (i) improving the efficiency of the Federal Government; and (ii) upholding the rule of law and the Constitution of the United States; and (B) passionate about the ideals of the United States; (2) prevent the appointment, by an agency, of any individual— (A) based on the race, sex, or religion of the individual; or (B) who is unwilling to defend the Constitution of the United States or faithfully serve the executive branch of the Federal Government; (3) implement, to the greatest extent possible, technical and alternative assessments described in subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively, of section 3304(c)(2) of title 5, United States Code, for use by agencies; (4) establish that the amount of time to appoint an individual to a position in an agency shall be less than 80 days, as measured from the date on which the agency first lists the position; (5) improve communication with candidates for positions in agencies to provide greater clarity regarding application status, timelines, and feedback, including by providing regular updates on the progress of applications and explanations of appointment decisions, where appropriate; (6) integrate modern technology to support the recruitment and selection process at agencies, including— (A) through the use of data analytics to identify trends, gaps, and opportunities with respect to appointments; and (B) by leveraging digital platforms to improve candidate engagement; (7) ensure that the heads of agencies, or the designees of those agency heads, are active participants in implementing the processes established by the Plan throughout the appointment process; (8) include particularized a plan for each agency to improve the allocation of Senior Executive Service positions within the agency to best facilitate democratic leadership, as required by law, within the agency; and (9) provide specific best practices for the human resources functions within each agency, which the head of each agency shall implement with advice and recommendations, as appropriate, from the Administrator. 5. Accountability and reporting The Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall— (1) establish clear performance metrics to evaluate the success of the Plan; (2) on a regular basis, request analysis from the heads of agencies in order to perform the evaluations required under paragraph (1); and (3) consult with the heads of agencies, labor organizations, and other stakeholders to monitor progress with respect to the implementation of the Plan and ensure that the Plan is meeting the needs of candidates and agencies. 6. General provisions (a) Rule of construction Nothing in this Act may be construed to impair or otherwise affect— (1) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals; or (2) the functions of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System or the Federal Open Market Committee relating to the conduct of monetary policy. (b) Implementation This Act shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations. (c) No creation of 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, any agency of the United States, any employee of the United States, any agent of the United States, or any other person.