[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2786 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 2786
To expand the opportunities of recent graduates for employment in
Executive agencies, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 11, 2025
Mr. Kim introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Finance
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To expand the opportunities of recent graduates for employment in
Executive agencies, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Pipeline to
Service Act''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as
follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
TITLE I--EXPANSION OF OPPORTUNITIES
Sec. 101. Expanding opportunities for Federal employment.
TITLE II--PRESIDENTIAL MANAGEMENT FELLOWS PROGRAM
Sec. 201. Short title.
Sec. 202. Definitions.
Sec. 203. Program establishment and administration.
Sec. 204. Announcement, eligibility, and selection.
Sec. 205. Appointment and extension.
Sec. 206. Development, evaluation, promotion, and certification.
Sec. 207. Movement between agencies.
Sec. 208. Withdrawal and readmission.
Sec. 209. Removal and reduction in force.
Sec. 210. Conversion to the competitive service.
Sec. 211. Federal Executive Boards.
Sec. 212. Reports.
TITLE I--EXPANSION OF OPPORTUNITIES
SEC. 101. EXPANDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMPLOYMENT IN EXECUTIVE AGENCIES.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term
``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
(A) the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and
Pensions of the Senate;
(B) the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs of the Senate;
(C) the Committee on Education and Workforce of the
House of Representatives; and
(D) the Committee on Oversight and Government
Reform of the House of Representatives.
(2) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of
the Office of Personnel Management.
(3) Executive agency.--The term ``Executive agency'' has
the meaning given the term in section 105 of title 5, United
States Code.
(4) Institution of higher education.--The term
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the
term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1001).
(5) Junior or community college.--The term ``junior or
community college'' has the meaning given the term in section
312(f) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1058(f)).
(6) Land-grant colleges and universities.--The term ``land-
grant colleges and universities'' has the meaning given the
term in section 1404 of the National Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3103).
(7) Minority-serving institution.--The term ``minority-
serving institution'' means an institution described in section
371(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1067q(a)).
(8) Pathways program.--The term ``Pathways Program'' means
the program established under part 362 of title 5, Code of
Federal Regulations, or any successor regulations.
(b) OPM Program To Recruit Students for Employment With Executive
Agencies.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director shall establish a program
under which the Office of Personnel Management shall enter into
partnerships with institutions of higher education to recruit
and appoint students to positions in Executive agencies.
(2) Contents.--The program established under paragraph (1)
shall be in such form and manner as the Director may prescribe,
but, at a minimum, shall--
(A) advise students on courses of study to prepare
for careers at Executive agencies;
(B) provide professional development workshops to
students;
(C) assist students in searching for positions in
Executive agencies on the USAJobs.gov website;
(D) provide training to students on preparing
resumes for applying to positions in Executive
agencies;
(E) make an effort to recruit students from
communities that are historically under-represented in
Federal employment, as determined by the Director; and
(F) provide training to students on how to be
competitive when applying for positions in Executive
agencies and the Pathways Program.
(3) Coordination.--The Director shall coordinate with the
heads of Executive agencies in carrying out the program
established under paragraph (1), including by engaging in cost
sharing with Executive agencies and in establishing Executive
agency-specific partnerships with appropriate institutions of
higher education.
(4) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date on which
the Director establishes the program required under paragraph
(1), and annually thereafter, the Director shall submit to the
appropriate committees of Congress a report regarding the
program, each of which shall include, at a minimum, the
following for the period covered by the report:
(A) A description of the positions in which
students were placed.
(B) The institutions of higher education from which
students were recruited.
(C) The geographic location of positions in which
students were placed.
(5) Authorization of appropriations.--
(A) In general.--There is authorized to be
appropriated, for each of fiscal years 2026 through
2030, $15,000,000 to carry out this subsection.
(B) Requirement.--Of the amount appropriated to
carry out this subsection for any fiscal year, not less
than 30 percent of that amount shall be used for
recruiting and appointing students from minority-
serving institutions, junior or community colleges, and
land-grant colleges and universities.
(c) Intern Hourly Pay Rate.--
(1) In general.--Any individual who is an intern in an
Executive agency, including each intern in a Federal internship
program described in 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.--
(A) In general.--Effective January 30 of each year
that begins after the date of enactment of this Act,
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.
(B) Definition.--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.--
(1) In general.--Not later than January 30, 2026, and
annually thereafter, the Director shall publish, on the public
website of the Office of Personnel Management, demographic
information on interns in Executive agencies, individuals
participating in the Pathways Program, and students
participating in the program established under subsection (b).
(2) Requirements.--Information required under paragraph (1)
shall include, with respect to each individual described in
that paragraph, at a minimum, and to the extent applicable,
demographic information regarding the race and age of the
individual, the type of position occupied by the individual,
where the position occupied by the individual is located in the
civil service, and the number of hours worked by the
individual.
(3) Limitation.--The Director may not publish any
information under this subsection that reveals the personally
identifiable information of any individual.
(e) Conversion of Interns.--Any intern in an Executive agency who
is not participating in the Pathways Program may, subject to such
regulations as the Director 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, or any successor regulation.
(f) Budgetary Effects.--The budgetary effects of this title, 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.
TITLE II--PRESIDENTIAL MANAGEMENT FELLOWS PROGRAM
SEC. 201. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ``Training Aspiring Leaders Emerging
Now To Serve Act'' or the ``TALENTS Act''.
SEC. 202. DEFINITIONS.
In this title:
(1) Advanced degree; qualifying educational institution.--
(A) In general.--The terms ``advanced degree'' and
``qualifying educational institution'' have the
meanings given those terms in section 362.102 of title
5, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor
regulation.
(B) Determination by director.--The Director may
determine whether a master's certificate qualifies as
an advanced degree for the purposes of the Program.
(2) Agency.--The term ``agency''--
(A) has the meaning given the term ``Executive
agency'' in section 105 of title 5, United States Code;
and
(B) includes the Government Publishing Office.
(3) Agency pmf coordinator.--The term ``agency PMF
Coordinator'' means an individual, at the appropriate component
level of an agency, who--
(A) coordinates the placement, development, and
other Program-related activities of Fellows appointed
in the agency; and
(B) satisfies the criteria described in section
362.104(a)(8) of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations,
or any successor regulation.
(4) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of
the Office of Personnel Management.
(5) Executive resources board.--The term ``Executive
Resources Board''--
(A) means an Executive Resources Board described in
section 317.501(a) of title 5, Code of Federal
Regulations, or any successor regulation; and
(B) with respect to an agency that is not required
to have an Executive Resources Board pursuant to
section 317.501(a) of title 5, Code of Federal
Regulations, or any successor regulation, means the
senior agency official to whom the head of the agency
has given responsibility for executive resources
management and oversight.
(6) Federal executive board.--The term ``Federal Executive
Board'' means a Federal Executive Board established under
section 211.
(7) Fellow.--The term ``Fellow'' means an individual
appointed to serve as a Fellow under the Program.
(8) Metropolitan area.--The term ``metropolitan area''
means a geographic zone surrounding a major city, as defined
and delimited from time to time by the Director.
(9) Principal area officer.--
(A) In general.--The term ``principal area
officer'' means, with respect to an agency, the senior
official of the agency who is located in a metropolitan
area and who has no superior official within that
metropolitan area other than in the regional office of
the agency.
(B) Multiple bureaus.--If an agency maintains
facilities of more than 1 bureau or other subdivision
within a metropolitan area, and the heads of those
facilities are in separate chains of command within the
agency, the agency may have more than 1 principal area
officer.
(10) Principal regional officer.--The term ``principal
regional officer'' means, with respect to an agency, the senior
official in a regional office of the agency.
(11) Program.--The term ``Program'' means the Presidential
Management Fellows Program established under this title.
(12) Special representative.--The term ``special
representative'' means, with respect to an agency, an official
who is--
(A) not subject to the supervision of a principal
regional officer or a principal area officer; and
(B) specifically designated by the head of the
agency to serve as the personal representative of the
head of the agency.
SEC. 203. PROGRAM ESTABLISHMENT AND ADMINISTRATION.
(a) Establishment.--There is established the Presidential
Management Fellows Program, the purpose of which is to attract to the
Federal service outstanding individuals from a variety of academic
disciplines and career paths who have a clear interest in, and
commitment to, excellence in the leadership and management of public
policies and programs.
(b) Director Responsibilities.--
(1) Number of fellows.--
(A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B), the
Director shall determine the number of individuals who
will be finalists to be appointed as Fellows during any
given fiscal year, which shall be based on input from
the Chief Human Capital Officers Council and from
agencies not represented on that Council.
(B) Increase in positions during fiscal years 2026
through 2031.--During each of fiscal years 2026 through
2031, the Director shall ensure that the number of
positions for Fellows under the Program during the
applicable fiscal year is equal to 200 percent of the
number of positions for Fellows under the Program in
the fiscal year preceding the fiscal year in which this
Act is enacted, as the Program was carried out under
subpart D of part 362 of title 5, Code of Federal
Regulations, as in effect during that fiscal year.
(2) Establishment of qualifications.--The Director shall
establish the qualification requirements for evaluating
applicants for the Program.
(c) Agency Processes.--
(1) In general.--After the Director makes the determination
under subsection (b)(1)(A) with respect to a fiscal year, an
agency may appoint individuals selected by the Director as
finalists to be Fellows according to the short-, medium-, and
long-term senior leadership and related recruitment,
development, and succession requirements of the agency.
(2) Field locations outside of washington, dc.--An agency
that appoints a Fellow to a position in a field location
outside of the Washington, DC metropolitan area may--
(A) before making the appointment, discuss whether
the candidate would like to do a developmental rotation
to the headquarters of the agency and, if so, make a
commitment to allow and fund such a rotation, to the
maximum extent practicable, in accordance with section
206(b); and
(B) promote interaction among regional Fellows with
the agency Federal Executive Board and permit that
Fellow to attend activities sanctioned by that Federal
Executive Board in that region.
SEC. 204. ANNOUNCEMENT, ELIGIBILITY, AND SELECTION.
(a) Announcement.--The Director shall annually announce the ability
to apply for the Program and conduct a competition for the selection of
finalists, as set forth in this section.
(b) Eligibility.--
(1) Application period.--To apply for participation in the
Program, an individual shall--
(A) have obtained an advanced degree from a
qualifying educational institution not more than 2
years before the date on which the Director makes the
applicable announcement under subsection (a); or
(B) if the individual is attending a graduate or
professional school (such as law school or medical
school), as of the date on which the individual
applies, expect to complete an advanced degree
described in subparagraph (A) not later than August 31
of the academic year in which the competition is held.
(2) Service as fellow.--An individual may not serve as a
Fellow unless the individual has, not more than 2 years before
the date on which the individual begins serving as a Fellow,
completed an advanced degree from a qualifying educational
institution.
(3) Multiple applications.--An individual may apply to
participate in the Program more than once if the individual
satisfies the applicable eligibility criteria, except that, if
an individual becomes a finalist and subsequently applies to
participate in the Program during the next open announcement,
the individual shall forfeit that status of the individual as a
finalist.
(c) Selection.--
(1) In general.--The Director shall select Fellow finalists
based on the results of a rigorous structured assessment
process, w