[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 914 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 914

  To improve Federal internships by expanding the conversion rate of 
 Federal interns to full-time employees, establish consistent tracking 
   mechanisms among Executive agencies for internship programs, and 
    accelerate adoption of internship best management practices by 
                          Executive agencies.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 3, 2011

 Mr. Connolly of Virginia (for himself, Mr. Bilbray, Mr. Cummings, Mr. 
   Sarbanes, Mrs. Maloney, Ms. Norton, Mr. Moran, Mr. Price of North 
   Carolina, and Mr. Meeks) introduced the following bill; which was 
      referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To improve Federal internships by expanding the conversion rate of 
 Federal interns to full-time employees, establish consistent tracking 
   mechanisms among Executive agencies for internship programs, and 
    accelerate adoption of internship best management practices by 
                          Executive agencies.

    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 ``Federal Internship Improvement 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FEDERAL INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS.

    (a) In General.--Subchapter I of chapter 31 of title 5, United 
States Code, is amended by inserting after section 3111 the following:
``Sec. 3111a. Federal internship programs
    ``(a) Internship Coordinator.--The head of each agency operating an 
internship program shall appoint an individual within such agency to 
serve as an internship coordinator.
    ``(b) Online Information.--
            ``(1) Agencies.--The Office of Personnel Management shall 
        make publicly available on the Internet--
                    ``(A) the name and contact information of the 
                internship coordinator for each agency; and
                    ``(B) information regarding application procedures 
                and deadlines for each internship program.
            ``(2) Office of personnel management.--The Office of 
        Personnel Management shall make publicly available on the 
        Internet links to the websites where the information described 
        in paragraph (1) is displayed.
    ``(c) Centralized Database.--The Office shall establish and 
maintain a centralized electronic database that contains the names, 
contact information, and relevant skills of individuals who have 
completed or are nearing completion of an internship program and are 
currently seeking full-time Federal employment.
    ``(d) Exit Interview Requirement.--The agency operating an 
internship program shall conduct an exit interview, and administer a 
survey (which shall be in conformance with such guidelines or 
requirements as the Office shall establish to ensure uniformity across 
agencies), with each intern who completes such program.
    ``(e) Report.--
            ``(1) In general.--The head of each agency operating an 
        internship program shall annually submit to the Office a report 
        assessing such internship program.
            ``(2) Contents.--Each report required under paragraph (1) 
        for an agency shall include, for the 1-year period ending on 
        September 1 of the year in which the report is submitted--
                    ``(A) the number of interns who participated in an 
                internship program at such agency;
                    ``(B) information regarding the demographic 
                characteristics of interns at such agency, including 
                educational background;
                    ``(C) a description of the steps taken by such 
                agency to increase the percentage of interns who are 
                offered permanent Federal jobs and the percentage of 
                interns who accept the offers of such jobs, and any 
                barriers encountered;
                    ``(D) a description of activities engaged in by 
                such agency to recruit new interns, including locations 
                and methods;
                    ``(E) a description of the diversity of work roles 
                offered within internship programs at such agency;
                    ``(F) a description of the mentorship portion of 
                such internship programs; and
                    ``(G) a summary of exit interviews conducted and 
                surveys administered by such agency with respect to 
                interns upon their completion of an internship program 
                at such agency.
            ``(3) Submission.--Each report required under paragraph (1) 
        shall be submitted to the Office between September 1 and 
        September 30 of each year. Not later than December 30 of each 
        year, the Office shall submit to Congress a report summarizing 
        the information submitted to the Office in accordance with 
        paragraph (1) for such year.
    ``(f) Definitions.--For purposes of this section--
            ``(1) the term `internship program' means--
                    ``(A) a volunteer service program under section 
                3111(b);
                    ``(B) the Student Educational Employment Program 
                (hereinafter `SCEP'), as established under section 
                213.3202 of title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations 
                (as in effect on January 1, 2009); and
                    ``(C) a program operated by a nongovernment 
                organization for the purpose of providing paid 
                internships in agencies pursuant to a written agreement 
                comparable to an SCEP agreement under section 
                213.3202(b)(12) of title 5 of the Code of Federal 
                Regulations (as in effect on January 1, 2009);
            ``(2) the term `intern' means an individual participating 
        in an internship program; and
            ``(3) the term `agency' means an Executive agency.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections for chapter 31 of 
title 5, United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item 
relating to section 3111 the following:

``3111a. Federal internship programs.''.
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