[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 112 (Tuesday, July 12, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H4683-H4684]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   TESTED ABILITY TO LEVERAGE EXCEPTIONAL NATIONAL TALENT ACT OF 2016

  Mr. FARENTHOLD. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 5658) to amend title 5, United States Code, to codify the 
Presidential Innovation Fellows Program, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 5658

       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 ``Tested Ability to Leverage 
     Exceptional National Talent Act of 2016'' or the ``TALENT Act 
     of 2016''.

     SEC. 2. PRESIDENTIAL INNOVATION FELLOWS PROGRAM.

       (a) In General.--Chapter 31 of title 5, United States Code, 
     is amended by adding at the end the following:

        ``SUBCHAPTER V--PRESIDENTIAL INNOVATION FELLOWS PROGRAM

     ``Sec. 3171. Presidential Innovation Fellows Program

       ``(a) Policy.--It is in the national interest for the 
     Government to attract the brightest minds skilled in 
     technology or innovative practices to serve in the Government 
     to work on some of the Nation's biggest and most pressing 
     challenges. This subchapter establishes a program to 
     encourage successful entrepreneurs, executives, and 
     innovators to join the Government and work in close 
     cooperation with Government leaders, to create meaningful 
     solutions that can help save lives and taxpayer money, fuel 
     job creation, and significantly improve how the Government 
     serves the American people.
       ``(b) Establishment.--The Administrator of General Services 
     shall continue the Presidential Innovation Fellows Program 
     (hereinafter referred to as the `Program') to enable 
     exceptional individuals with proven track records to serve 
     time-limited appointments in Executive agencies to address 
     some of the Nation's most significant challenges and improve 
     existing Government efforts that would particularly benefit 
     from expertise using innovative techniques and technology.
       ``(c) Administration.--The Program shall be administered by 
     a Director, appointed by the Administrator under authorities 
     of the General Services Administration. The Administrator 
     shall provide necessary staff, resources and administrative 
     support for the Program.
       ``(d) Appointment of Fellows.--The Director shall appoint 
     fellows pursuant to the Program and, in cooperation with 
     Executive agencies, shall facilitate placement of fellows to 
     participate in projects that have the potential for 
     significant positive effects and are consistent with the 
     President's goals.
       ``(e) Application Process.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Director shall prescribe the process 
     for applications and nominations of individuals to the 
     Program.
       ``(2) Program standards.--Following publication of these 
     processes, the Director may accept for consideration 
     applications from individuals. The Director shall establish, 
     administer, review, and revise, if appropriate, a 
     Governmentwide cap on the number of fellows. The Director 
     shall establish and publish salary ranges, benefits, and 
     standards for the Program.
       ``(f) Selection, Appointment, and Assignment of Fellows.--
       ``(1) Procedures.--The Director shall prescribe appropriate 
     procedures for the selection, appointment, and assignment of 
     fellows.
       ``(2) Consultation.--Prior to the selection of fellows, the 
     Director shall consult with the heads of Executive agencies 
     regarding potential projects and how best to meet those 
     needs. Following such consultation, the Director shall select 
     and appoint individuals to serve as fellows.
       ``(3) Time limitation.--Fellows selected for the Program 
     shall serve under short-term, time-limited appointments. Such 
     fellows shall be appointed for no less than 6 months and no 
     longer than 2 years in the Program. The Director shall 
     facilitate the process of placing fellows at requesting 
     Executive agencies.
       ``(g) Responsibilities of Agencies.--Each Executive agency 
     shall work with the Director and the Presidential Innovation 
     Fellows Program advisory board established under section 3172 
     to attempt to maximize the Program's benefits to the agency 
     and the Government, including by identifying initiatives that 
     have a meaningful effect on the people served and that 
     benefit from involvement by one or more fellows. Such 
     agencies shall ensure that each fellow works closely with 
     responsible senior officials for the duration of the 
     assignment.

     ``Sec. 3172. Presidential Innovation Fellows Program advisory 
       board

       ``(a) In General.--The Administrator of General Services 
     shall continue an advisory board to advise the Director of 
     the Presidential Innovation Fellows Program by recommending 
     such priorities and standards as may be beneficial to fulfill 
     the mission of the Presidential Innovation Fellows Program 
     and assist in identifying potential projects and placements 
     for fellows. The advisory board may not participate in the 
     selection process under section 3171(f).
       ``(b) Chair; Membership.--The Administrator shall designate 
     a representative to serve as the Chair of the advisory board. 
     In addition to the Chair, the membership of the advisory 
     board shall include--
       ``(1) the Deputy Director for Management of the Office of 
     Management and Budget;
       ``(2) the Director of the Office of Personnel Management;
       ``(3) the Administrator of the Office of Electronic 
     Government of the Office of Management and Budget;
       ``(4) the Assistant to the President and Chief Technology 
     Officer; and
       ``(5) other individuals as may be designated by the 
     Administrator.
       ``(c) Consultation.--The advisory board may consult with 
     industry, academia, or nonprofits to ensure the Presidential 
     Innovation Fellows Program is continually identifying 
     opportunities to apply advanced skillsets and innovative 
     practices in effective ways to address the Nation's most 
     significant challenges.''.
       (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections for chapter 
     31 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by adding at 
     the end the following:

         ``subchapter v--presidential innovation fellows program

``3171. Presidential Innovation Fellows Program.
``3172. Presidential Innovation Fellows Program advisory board.''.

       (c) Transition.--The Presidential Innovation Fellows 
     Program established pursuant to Executive Order 13704 (5 
     U.S.C. 3301 note) as in existence on the day before the date 
     of enactment of this Act shall be considered the Presidential 
     Innovation Fellows Program described under this section.
       (d) No Additional Funds Authorized.--No additional funds 
     are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act or 
     the amendments made by this Act. This Act and the amendments 
     made by this Act shall be carried out using amounts otherwise 
     authorized.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Farenthold) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Ted Lieu) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.


                             General Leave

  Mr. FARENTHOLD. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. FARENTHOLD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I rise today in support of H.R. 5658, the TALENT Act of 2016, 
introduced by our distinguished majority leader, Representative Kevin 
McCarthy of Bakersfield, California. I commend the leader for bringing 
before the House this bill as part of his Innovation Initiative, 
rethinking what government does and how government operates.
  Mr. Speaker, the TALENT Act makes permanent the Presidential 
Innovation Fellows program that was created by the administration in 
2012. This highly competitive program recruits talented innovators and 
technologists to Federal agencies from the private sector.
  During this short timeframe, fellows work on initiatives to transfer 
ideas into tangible results for American taxpayers at startup speeds. 
Since 2012, 96 top innovators have been recruited into the program from 
across the country.
  Presidential Innovation Fellows are rethinking what government does 
and how government operates. Consider one example of the program's 
work. Presidential Innovation Fellows improved services available to 
veterans, transitioning servicemembers, and their spouses. As a result, 
veterans now have better access to a resume-builder, a military skills 
translator, and detailed career and training resources all together in 
one place.
  Mr. Speaker, the Presidential Innovation Fellowship program is 
demonstrating results and should continue. I urge my colleagues to 
support H.R. 5658.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TED LIEU of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as 
I may consume.
  I rise in support of the TALENT Act. I believe it will help our 
government

[[Page H4684]]

continue to attract the best and the brightest to help some of our 
Nation's largest challenges.
  This Act codifies Executive Order 13704, and ensures the continuation 
of the Presidential Innovation Fellows program, which helps bring 
private-sector information technology solutions to Federal agencies.
  Established by President Obama in 2012, this program has matched over 
100 innovators with top civil servants at 25 different Federal 
departments and agencies. These partnerships harness new technology and 
tools to create a more effective and efficient government. During their 
tenure, fellows work to quickly deliver innovative products and 
services that help improve the way the Federal Government interacts 
with the American people.
  The fellows are as diverse as our country and come from every region, 
age, skill, race, and gender. They have experience at companies like 
Google and Facebook, degrees from some of our top universities, 
extensive experience in nonprofits and, most importantly, a desire to 
harness their skills for public service.
  Past projects include the Blue Button Initiative, which allows 150 
million Americans access to their own health data so they can make 
informed decisions about their family's care.
  The GeoQ project provides FEMA with better on-the-ground knowledge in 
times of disaster, using crowdsourced pictures to better assess damages 
and needs.
  The NotAlone.gov project provides students and law enforcement 
personnel resources on responding and preventing sexual assault on 
college campuses.
  And as a veteran myself, I appreciate the Veterans Employment Center, 
which has created a central hub for those who served with resources and 
potential employers to help them make the transition to civilian life.
  This is a good bill that would make permanent a successful program. I 
urge my colleagues to support it.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. FARENTHOLD. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
California (Mr. McCarthy), the majority leader.
  Mr. McCARTHY. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, the American people deal with their government in 
different ways almost every day; veterans trying to navigate the 
Federal bureaucracy, entrepreneurs dealing with regulations, citizens 
looking to access public information.

                              {time}  1430

  Dealing with the government is never as clear, as easy, or as 
efficient as it should be. That is because, while the world has changed 
in so many ways, government has stayed in the past.
  Just think of how little government has changed. In the 1930s, we got 
our news from the radio and the morning paper; today we get it on our 
phones. In the 1930s, we would cool off by opening the window or using 
a fan; today we have central air. In the 1930s, the VA processed paper 
disability claims; today it still processes paper disability claims.
  Why is it that we expect more technology from our phones every month 
yet tolerate the exact same from our government year after year after 
year? Government is stuck in the past. We need to bring it into the 
future, and that is one of the two pillars of the Innovation 
Initiative.
  Bringing government into the 21st century demands challenging the 
status quo. That begins with people, making sure the American people 
benefit from the best talent our country has to offer.
  The Presidential Innovation Fellows program allows highly talented 
professionals--that means engineers, designers, and innovators from 
across the country--to build a more efficient, effective, and 
accountable government. They challenge old ways of thinking and 
introduce new approaches to make our government work the way American 
people believe and deserve it to work.
  Now, I sponsored the TALENT Act to make sure this program continues 
into future administrations. By codifying the Presidential Innovation 
Fellows program into law, we can continue bringing positive disruptors 
to Washington and modernize our government.
  The greatest resource we have in our country is the American people. 
We need the talent of the American people now more than ever before so 
we can reform government so it works well for everyone.
  Mr. TED LIEU of California. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. FARENTHOLD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  This is a great piece of legislation. Regardless of which side of the 
aisle we sit on and regardless of whether we think government is too 
big or too small, I think almost everybody in this Chamber should be 
able to agree that the government needs to do its job well. It needs to 
spend taxpayer money efficiently. It needs to get the job done for the 
American people.
  One of the ways it can do that is by adopting modern technology and 
taking advantage of the disruption that we have seen in the private 
sector that has brought us innovations like our phone that now is more 
powerful than a desktop computer just a few years ago.
  I agree with the gentleman from California. It is absolutely 
imperative that we provide better, more efficient service to our 
veterans, but the same should be true in dealing with every area of 
government. You should get as good service from the government as you 
do in the private sector.
  We can talk all we want about the Federal bureaucracy, and I am sure 
I will probably disagree with some of the folks on the other side of 
the aisle about some of the pros and cons of this. But I think what we 
have seen in California, in Texas, in the Carolinas, in Boston, and all 
over this great Nation, as we have seen this boom in technology, as we 
have seen the changes that are coming that we are able to do more with 
less, we are able to do things faster, we are able to be more 
efficient, and we are able to give people more leisure time. This 
innovation economy, this mindset of the entrepreneur is something that 
this program brings into the Federal Government.
  Many people spend long careers in the Federal Government where it is 
often disincentivized to innovate. This short-term program that brings 
the best of the best into the government for short periods of time to 
shake things up and to rethink how we do things is one of the ways that 
we can make it where the Federal Government actually can compute its 
way out of a paper bag. It is a way we are able to help our veterans. 
It is a way we are able to help all of our citizens by providing the 
services that we choose to provide as a government in the most 
efficient manner, and it gives us an opportunity for somebody who is 
standing outside of the box to take a look at what we are doing so 
maybe we can act a little bit outside of the box and do a better job.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this 
phenomenal bill.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Farenthold) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 5658.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. FARENTHOLD. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

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