Overview

Title

An Act To implement merit-based reforms to the civil service hiring system that replace degree-based hiring with skills- and competency-based hiring.

ELI5 AI

The Chance to Compete Act of 2024 is like a new rulebook for hiring people for government jobs. Instead of just looking at what schools people went to, it helps choose people by what they can actually do with their skills and talents, kind of like picking a good player for a sports team based on how well they play the game.

Summary AI

The Chance to Compete Act of 2024 aims to overhaul the federal hiring process by replacing degree-based criteria with assessments of skills and competencies. It mandates the use of technical assessments to evaluate job-related abilities for positions in the competitive service, instead of relying solely on educational qualifications. The bill also requires the development of plans to incorporate these assessments and periodic reporting on the progress and effectiveness of these changes. Furthermore, it facilitates the creation of agency talent teams to support the hiring process and improve government-wide hiring practices.

Published

2024-12-12
Congress: 118
Session: 2
Chamber: SENATE
Status: Engrossed in Senate
Date: 2024-12-12
Package ID: BILLS-118s59es

Bill Statistics

Size

Sections:
7
Words:
3,756
Pages:
22
Sentences:
71

Language

Nouns: 984
Verbs: 308
Adjectives: 140
Adverbs: 28
Numbers: 142
Entities: 129

Complexity

Average Token Length:
4.13
Average Sentence Length:
52.90
Token Entropy:
5.13
Readability (ARI):
27.61

AnalysisAI

General Summary of the Bill

The "Chance to Compete Act of 2024" aims to reform the federal civil service hiring process by shifting the focus from degree-based qualifications to skills- and competency-based assessments. This legislation proposes modifications to Title 5 of the United States Code to modernize how federal agencies hire employees, emphasizing the use of technical assessments that evaluate an applicant's relevant job-related skills and competencies. Over a three-year period, federal agencies are encouraged to adopt these assessments, and a detailed plan will be created to guide this transition. Additionally, the bill outlines the need for agencies to form talent teams to manage and improve hiring processes.

Summary of Significant Issues

A critical issue within the bill is the lack of detailed guidance on how technical assessments should be developed and validated. This could result in inconsistencies across different federal agencies, potentially leading to biased hiring processes. Furthermore, the requirement that agencies justify their decision not to use technical assessments could impose unnecessary administrative burdens due to the lack of clear guidelines on what is considered impractical.

Another area of concern is the high level of technical and legal jargon present in the bill, which may make comprehension challenging for non-experts. Additionally, the references to specific sections of other Acts without providing full context can lead to ambiguity about the full impact of the changes. The bill also lacks specific criteria for evaluating the implementation of these changes, potentially leading to subjective assessments, particularly in the sections concerning reporting and oversight responsibilities.

Broad Public Impact

By focusing on skills and competencies rather than educational achievements, the bill seeks to make federal hiring more inclusive and merit-based, potentially opening opportunities to a broader pool of candidates. This could result in a more diverse federal workforce that better represents the talents available across the country. However, the broad interpretation of undefined terms within the bill could lead to varied implementations, affecting the consistency of the hiring process across different agencies.

The administrative burden of annual and quarterly data reporting requirements could strain resources in some agencies, which might affect their efficiency in fulfilling primary functions. If not managed properly, this could indirectly impact public services, as agencies struggle to adapt to new procedural demands without sufficient support.

Impact on Specific Stakeholders

The bill might positively impact job seekers who possess the requisite skills but lack formal educational credentials, as it encourages federal agencies to value practical skills and competencies. These individuals could find it easier to compete for federal jobs, potentially leading to a more inclusive recruitment process.

Conversely, federal agencies may face challenges as they adjust to these new requirements. The task of developing fair and effective technical assessments demands significant effort and resources, which may complicate the transition period. The potential for increased bureaucratic workload may also be a concern, especially for smaller agencies with limited resources.

Furthermore, educational institutions could see a decline in the number of students seeking traditional degrees for the sole purpose of qualifying for civil service positions. On the other hand, they could benefit if they adapt their offerings to focus more on skill-based training relevant to government positions.

In summary, while the "Chance to Compete Act of 2024" proposes pivotal changes to make federal hiring more skills-focused and inclusive, the challenges surrounding implementation and consistency warrant careful planning and ongoing evaluation to ensure its objectives are fully realized across all federal agencies.

Issues

  • The bill's mandate for the adoption of technical assessments in federal hiring lacks detailed guidance on development and validation, which could lead to inconsistency and potential bias across agencies. This issue, found in Section 3, is significant as it impacts the fairness and effectiveness of hiring processes.

  • The requirement for examining agencies to provide rationale when not using technical assessments, as mentioned in Section 3, could create unnecessary administrative burdens without clear standards on what constitutes 'impracticable'. This could lead to inefficiencies and challenges in enforcement.

  • Section 2 of the bill contains references to specific sections of various Acts (e.g., U.S.-China Relations Act of 2000, Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007) which are not provided in full context, causing potential ambiguity in understanding the full impact of the amendments.

  • The definition of necessary terms such as 'technical assessment', 'alternative assessment', and 'high-quality certificates of eligible applicants' are not well-defined in Sections 2 and 3, leaving room for broad interpretation which could affect implementation consistency.

  • The timeline for the GAO report, as given in Section 6, may be too lengthy and could delay necessary improvements to the hiring process, impacting government efficiency and effectiveness.

  • Section 5 raises concerns about the administrative burden created by the requirement for annual and quarterly data reporting from examining agencies, which might divert resources from other essential tasks or overwhelm some agencies.

  • The bill lacks specific criteria or metrics for assessing the implementation of changes, particularly in Sections 6 and 7, which may lead to subjective evaluations and hinder accountability.

  • In Section 7, there is no mention of oversight or external review for evaluating updates to the government-wide systems of records, leading to potential biases or insufficient evaluations.

  • The provision in Section 4 allowing agencies to set minimum educational requirements without specifying which positions may require such standards may hinder efforts to move towards skills-based assessments, thus sustaining degree-based biases.

Sections

Sections are presented as they are annotated in the original legislative text. Any missing headers, numbers, or non-consecutive order is due to the original text.

1. Short title Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The act described in Section 1 can be officially referred to as the "Chance to Compete Act of 2024".

2. Definitions Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

This section of the bill updates the definitions in Section 3304 of Title 5, United States Code, by adding and modifying terms related to government hiring processes, such as "agency," "director," and "technical assessment." It also includes several technical amendments to make the language consistent with these changes across related laws and documents.

3. Modernizing Federal hiring Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The proposed amendments to the United States Code aim to modernize federal hiring by prioritizing technical assessments for examining candidates' skills and abilities over a three-year period, developing plans for transitioning to these assessments, allowing agencies to create talent teams to enhance hiring processes, and conducting studies on sharing assessment resources among agencies. The Director will also have the authority to establish a Federal talent team to support these efforts and must set necessary regulations to implement these changes.

4. Competitive service candidate hiring and reform Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The section outlines a process where the Director will review hiring exams for certain government jobs that require specific educational qualifications, to see if these qualifications are truly necessary. The Director will work with various groups during this review and then provide a report with recommendations on improving hiring practices within a year of the law’s enactment.

5. Reports Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The section mandates that the Director publish and submit reports annually on the implementation of the Act and on examinations related to competitive service positions, breaking down data by applicant demographics. If there are any delays in publishing these reports, the Director must notify the public and committees with reasons and anticipated timelines. Additionally, examining agencies are required to provide necessary data on a quarterly basis to aid in these reports.

6. GAO report Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The section outlines that within three years of the law being enacted, a report must be delivered to Congress by the Comptroller General. This report should evaluate how well the law is being implemented, examine changes made to the hiring process for federal jobs, and suggest ways to improve this process.

7. Evaluation for potential updates or revisions to government-wide systems of records at the Office of Personnel Management Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The section requires the Director of the Office of Personnel Management to evaluate within one year if certain records related to recruiting and personnel need updates or revisions to support a new law. If changes are needed, the Director must update the records and inform Congress.