119-s591

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 591 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 591

 To reform the Federal hiring process, to restore merit to Government 
 service, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 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.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Restore Merit to Government Service 
Act of 2025''.

SEC. 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.

SEC. 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.

SEC. 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.

SEC. 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.

SEC. 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.
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