[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 211 (Monday, December 15, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H5861-H5862]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
FEDERAL SUPERVISOR EDUCATION ACT
Mr. TIMMONS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 5810) to provide for mandatory training for Federal
Government supervisors and the assessment of management competencies,
and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 5810
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 Supervisor Education
Act''.
SEC. 2. MANDATORY TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR SUPERVISORS.
(a) In General.--Section 4121 of title 5, United States
Code, is amended to read as follows:
``Sec. 4121. Specific training programs
``(a) Definitions.--In this section--
``(1) the term `program' has the meaning given that term in
section 1122(a)(1)(C) of title 31; and
``(2) the term `supervisor' means--
``(A) a supervisor (as that term is defined in section
7103(a)(10));
``(B) a management official (as that term is defined under
such section); or
``(C) any other employee as the Director of the Office of
Personnel Management may by regulation prescribe.
``(b) Establishment of Training Programs.--In consultation
with the Office of Personnel Management, the head of each
agency shall establish--
``(1) a comprehensive management succession program to
provide training to employees to develop managers for the
agency; and
``(2) a program--
``(A) under which supervisors have individual development
plans, established by the head, that provide for training on
actions, options, and strategies a supervisor may use in--
``(i) developing and discussing relevant performance goals
and objectives with the employee and ensuring the performance
goals and objectives align to the mission and priority goals
of the agency;
``(ii) communicating and discussing progress relative to
performance goals and objectives, and conducting performance
appraisals;
``(iii) mentoring and coaching employees and improving
employee engagement, performance, and productivity;
``(iv) fostering a work environment characterized by
fairness, respect, equal opportunity, and attention paid to
the merit of the work of employees;
``(v) effectively managing employees with unacceptable
performance, including training to understand the
disciplinary options and procedures available to the
supervisor;
``(vi) effectively using the probationary period to examine
whether an employee has demonstrated successful performance
or conduct to continue past the probationary period;
``(vii) addressing reports of a hostile work environment,
retaliation, or harassment of, or by, another supervisor or
employee;
``(viii) meeting supervisor competencies established by the
Office of Personnel Management or the employing agency of the
supervisor; and
``(ix) collaborating with human resources employees to
recruit, select, appraise, and reward employees to build a
workforce based on organizational goals, budget
considerations, and staffing needs;
``(B) to provide training to supervisors on the prohibited
personnel practices under section 2302, employee rights, and
the procedures and processes used to enforce employee rights;
and
``(C) under which experienced supervisor mentors are
identified, evaluated, and approved to provide guidance and
advice to new or underperforming supervisors to--
``(i) transfer knowledge and advice in areas such as
communication, critical thinking, responsibility,
flexibility, motivating and engaging employees, teamwork,
leadership, and professional development; and
``(ii) identify strengths and areas for development.
``(c) Requirements for Training Design.--Training in the
program components established under subparagraphs (A) and
(B) of subsection (b)(2) shall--
``(1) be designed using principles of adult learning and an
industry standard instructional design model; and
``(2) to the extent practicable, as determined by the
agency, be training that is instructor-based.
``(d) Timing of Training.--
``(1) Initial training.--
``(A) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date an
individual is appointed to the position of supervisor, such
individual shall be required to have completed each program
component established under subsection (b)(2).
``(B) Extensions.--The Director of the Office of Personnel
Management may establish and administer procedures under
which an agency may extend the 1-year period described under
subparagraph (A) with respect to an individual.
``(2) Subsequent training.--After completion of a program
component under subparagraphs (A) and (B) of subsection
(b)(2), each supervisor shall be required to complete each
program component under such subparagraphs not less
frequently than once every 3 years.
``(3) Credit for similar training.--Each program component
established under subsection (b)(2) shall include provisions
under which the agency gives a supervisor credit toward a
period of training that the agency determines is similar to
training that the supervisor previously completed.
``(4) Effectiveness evaluation.--Each agency shall measure
the effectiveness of training program components established
under subsection (b)(2).
``(e) Information on Developmental Opportunities.--An
agency shall make available, in a manner that may be
determined by the Director of the Office of Personnel
Management, to each supervisor--
``(1) a detailed list of developmental opportunities
available to the supervisor; and
``(2) the policies of the agency for requiring supervisor
development.
``(f) Regulations.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of the Federal Supervisor Education Act, and
notwithstanding section 4118(c), the Director of the Office
of Personnel Management shall prescribe regulations to carry
out this section, including the monitoring of agency
compliance with this section. Regulations prescribed under
this subsection shall include measures by which to assess the
effectiveness of agency supervisor training programs.''.
(b) Regulations.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of
Personnel Management shall prescribe regulations under
section 4121(f) of title 5, United States Code, as amended by
subsection (a) of this section.
(c) Effective Date and Application.--
(1) In general.--The amendments made by this section shall
take effect 1 year after the date of the enactment of this
Act.
(2) Applicability.--The amendments made by this section
shall apply to--
(A) each individual appointed to the position of a
supervisor (as that term is defined in section 4121(a) of
title 5, United States Code, as added by subsection (a) of
this section) on or after the effective date in paragraph
(1); and
(B) each individual who is employed in the position of a
supervisor on the effective date in paragraph (1).
SEC. 3. MANAGEMENT COMPETENCIES.
(a) In General.--Chapter 43 of title 5, United States Code,
is amended--
(1) by redesignating section 4305 as section 4306; and
(2) by inserting after section 4304 the following:
``Sec. 4305. Management competencies
``(a) Definition.--In this section, the term `supervisor'
has the meaning given that term in section 4121(a).
``(b) Guidance.--The Director of the Office of Personnel
Management shall issue guidance to agencies on competencies
supervisors are expected to meet in order to effectively
manage, and be accountable for managing, the performance of
employees to fulfill the organizational goals and mission of
the agency.
``(c) Assessment by Agencies.--Based on guidance issued
under subsection (b) and on any additional competencies
developed by an agency, each agency shall assess the
performance of the supervisors and the overall capacity of
the supervisors in that agency.''.
(b) Technical and Conforming Amendments.--
(1) Table of sections.--The table of sections for chapter
43 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by striking the
item relating to section 4305 and inserting the following:
``4305. Management competencies
``4306. Regulations''.
(2) Reference.--Section 4304(b)(3) of title 5, United
States Code, is amended by striking ``section 4305'' and
inserting ``section 4306''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
South Carolina (Mr. Timmons) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr.
Subramanyam) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from South Carolina.
General Leave
Mr. TIMMONS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
[[Page H5862]]
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on this measure.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from South Carolina?
There was no objection.
Mr. TIMMONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, the American public relies on Federal supervisors to
lead a workforce that provides high-quality customer service and
faithful execution of the law.
These expectations and standards require a level of professionalism
that can be improved by strengthening relevant education offerings
available to Federal supervisors. My bill would do just that, by
bolstering existing requirements in Federal law governing Federal
workforce training.
Various reports and memos from agencies such as the GAO, Office of
Personnel Management, and the Merit Systems Protection Board indicate a
need to improve relevant educational opportunities for Federal
supervisors.
The Federal Supervisor Education Act, a bipartisan bill dating back
to the 114th Congress, articulates and executes best practices in
relation to Federal supervisory training, including how to effectively
manage employees with unacceptable performance.
These are basic, nonpartisan concepts that are generally available to
private-sector business supervisors and, if implemented, would advance
the interests of good government and strengthen the Federal workforce
on behalf of the American taxpayer.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SUBRAMANYAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5810, the Federal Supervisor
Education Act of 2025. The bill was reported favorably by the Oversight
Committee unanimously on December 2 with bipartisan support.
The bill would require Federal agencies to create and implement
training and development programs for agency supervisors. These
programs will help improve their management skills, communicate with
their colleagues, and mentor fellow employees. It will also help them
when it comes to knowing what is prohibited when it comes to personnel
practices, employee rights, and how those rights must be protected.
A lot of these Federal agency supervisors actually live in my
district. Those supervisors should know that they won't have to do this
annually. This is once every 3 years. This will be beneficial to our
agencies and to the supervisors as well.
I thank the majority for incorporating feedback from the gentleman
from Virginia (Mr. Walkinshaw) and committee Democrats prior to the
bill reaching the floor. Due to this, committee Democrats unanimously
supported this legislation in markup.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
Mr. TIMMONS. Mr. Speaker, I also thank the House Oversight Committee
for unanimously supporting my legislation in a recent markup. Given the
bill's advancement of good-government principles, I urge my colleagues
to vote for this long overdue legislation, and I yield back the balance
of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Timmons) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 5810, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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