Expanding opportunities for Federal employment

(a)

OPM program To recruit students for Federal employment

(1)

In general

Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall establish a program under which the Office enters into partnerships with institutions of higher education (as defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)) to recruit and hire students to positions in the Federal Government.(2)

Contents

The program established under subsection (a) shall be in such form and manner as the Director may prescribe, but at a minimum shall—(A)advise students on courses of study;(B)provide professional development workshops to students;(C)assist students in searching for Federal jobs on the website USAJobs.gov;(D)provide students training on preparing resumes for applying to Federal positions;(E)make an effort to recruit students from communities that are historically underrepresented in Federal employment, as determined by the Director; and(F)provide students training on how to be competitive when applying for Federal internships and the Pathways Program.(3)

Coordination

The Director shall coordinate with Executive agencies in carrying out the program established under subsection (a), including by engaging in cost sharing with such agencies and in establishing agency-specific partnerships with appropriate institutions of higher education.(4)

Report

Not later than 1 year after the date the program is established under subsection (a) and annually thereafter, the Director shall submit a report on the program to the Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Committee on Oversight and Accountability of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate. Each such report shall include, at a minimum, the following:(A)A description of the Federal position in which students are placed during the previous year. (B)The institutions of higher education from which students are recruited during the previous year.(C)The geographic location of Federal positions in which students are being placed during the previous year. (5)

Authorization of appropriations

There is authorized to be appropriated for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029 $15,000,000 to carry out this subsection. Of the amount appropriated to carry out this subsection for any fiscal year, at least 30 percent of such amount shall be used for recruiting and hiring students from—(A)minority-serving institutions (as described in section 371(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067q(a));(B)junior or community colleges (as that term is defined in section 312(f) of such Act); and(C)land-grant colleges and universities (as that term is defined in section 1404 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3103)).(b)

Increase in Presidential Management Fellows Program positions

During each of fiscal years 2022 through 2027, the Presidential Management Fellows Program carried out by the Office of Personnel Management shall have a total number of Program positions at executive agencies equal to 200 percent of the number of such positions established on the date of enactment of this Act.(c)

Intern hourly pay rate

(1)

In general

Any individual who is an intern in the Federal Government, including any intern in a Federal internship program described under section 3111a of title 5, United States Code, shall be paid a stipend of, at a minimum, $15 for each hour that the individual is working as such an intern.(2)

Adjustment

Effective January 30 of each year, the minimum hourly rate of pay under paragraph (1) shall be adjusted by the percent change in the price index on January 1 of such year over the price index on January 1 of the preceding year. In this paragraph, the term price index means the Consumer Price Index (all items—United States city average) published monthly by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.(d)

OPM publication on Federal interns

(1)

In general

Not later than January 30, 2024, and annually thereafter, the Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall publish, on the Office’s public website, demographic information on Federal interns, individuals participating in the Pathways Program, and students participating in the program under subsection (a).(2)

Requirements

Such information shall include, at a minimum, demographic information on race, age, the type of position occupied by the individual and where such position is located in the civil service, and hours worked. The Office shall not publish any information under this subsection that reveals the personally identifiable information of any individual.(e)

Conversion of interns

(1)

In general

Any Federal intern who is not participating in the Pathways Program may, subject to such regulation as the Office of Personnel Management may prescribe, be eligible for noncompetitive conversion to the competitive service in the same manner, to the greatest extent practicable, as Pathways Program participants under section 362.107 of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations.(2)

Requirements

Such regulations shall include best-practices for non-Federal entities to follow to assist interns from such entities in becoming eligible for conversion under such regulations, including qualifying criteria and performance management.(f)

Budgetary effects

The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go-Act of 2010, shall be determined by reference to the latest statement titled Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation for this Act, submitted for printing in the Congressional Record by the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, provided that such statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.