H.R. 5442 — Inspired to Serve Act of 2025

This section directs the Secretary of each military department to develop a plan for a new personnel management structure to recruit and retain personnel for military occupational specialties requiring critical skills, including science, technology, cybersecurity, and engineering. The plan must (1) use existing authorities; (2) examine recruiting and retention successes for other specialties such as medical workers, attorneys, and chaplains; and (3) assess methods to improve recruiting and retention through easier transitions between regular and reserve components and between military service, federal civilian service, and nongovernmental civilian service. The Secretaries must submit the plans to the Senate and House Armed Services Committees not later than 120 days after the date of enactment.

This section establishes a pre-service tuition grant program authorizing the Secretary of each military department to pay all or a portion of tuition charges, for up to three years, for individuals enrolled in qualifying technical degree, certificate, or certification programs that address critical departmental needs, as listed by the Secretary (updated at least every five years). To receive a grant, individuals must sign an enlistment contract for a period set by the Secretary upon program completion and enter the Delayed Entry Program; if unable or unwilling to serve as scheduled, they must repay the grant or complete an equivalent period in a federally sponsored national service program (e.g., Peace Corps under 22 U.S.C. 2504–2505, YouthBuild, VISTA, AmeriCorps National Service Trust, or National Civilian Community Corps), subject to waiver in exigent circumstances. Grants may be provided notwithstanding existing authorities in 10 U.S.C. and 37 U.S.C. on enlistment incentives (limited to this grant plus no more than two others per individual) and without regard to reporting requirements for such incentives; the number of grants per military department is capped at 20% of that force's annual enlistment objectives. Prior to implementation, the Secretary must submit a plan to the Senate and House Armed Services Committees describing the program, anticipated outcomes, and evaluation metrics (with a 30-day congressional review period), followed by annual reports on grants provided and recruitment impacts; necessary regulations are required, with such sums as necessary authorized to be appropriated.

This section directs the Secretary of Defense, through one military department, to carry out a pilot program for up to two years to assess the feasibility and advisability of partnering with up to three community colleges and vocational schools to create technical education programs awarding professional credentials in areas of critical need to the Armed Forces. Such programs are open to Armed Forces members (including recruits) and other students at the partner schools. The selected military department must bear at least 50% of the costs, with partner schools covering the remainder including staff and facilities. The Secretary must submit to the Armed Services Committees of the Senate and House (1) an initial report within 180 days of enactment setting forth the program's framework, assessment metrics, and cost-coverage mechanisms; and (2) a final report within 180 days of program completion evaluating effectiveness using those metrics, effects on military recruitment and retention, and feasibility of extending or expanding the program. The section authorizes appropriations as necessary.

This section directs the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretaries of the military departments, to develop and implement a plan to establish and support not fewer than 6,000 units of the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC)—a high school program providing military training and leadership development—by September 30, 2034. The section authorizes appropriations as necessary for this purpose.

This section revises reporting requirements for the Cyber Institutes Program—a pilot program to support scholarships, grants, and tuition assistance for cyber education at designated institutions of higher education—by requiring an additional report from the Secretary of Defense not later than March 1, 2026 (in addition to the report due September 30, 2021), and authorizes such sums as necessary for the reports and program expansion after September 30, 2025.

This section establishes authority for the Secretary of Defense, secretaries of military departments, and the Secretary of Homeland Security (with respect to the Coast Guard when not operating as a service in the Navy) to enter into contracts for marketing and advertising services that begin in one fiscal year and end in the next (without regard to extension options). Funds appropriated in one fiscal year may be obligated or expended in the next fiscal year for such contracts.

This section revises the ServeAmerica Fellowship program (42 U.S.C. 12653b), redesignated as the National Service Fellowships program, to award fellowships through randomized lotteries to eligible applicants aged 18 to 25 who hold or will pursue a high school diploma or equivalent for service in areas of national need (i.e., improving education for economically disadvantaged students, health care access, energy efficiency, economic opportunities for the disadvantaged, disaster preparedness, or ex-offender reintegration). (As background, fellows serve in approved national service positions eligible for national service educational awards under 42 U.S.C. 12573.) The Corporation must allot 80% of positions evenly by congressional district (reserving shares approximately equal to the percentage of disadvantaged youth in the district and, in tribal areas, for tribal members) and 20% to service sponsor organizations with targeted strategies (reserving a nationwide share for disadvantaged youth). The Corporation must establish 25,000 approved positions in the first fiscal year after enactment of the Inspired to Serve Act of 2025, increasing by 25,000 annually thereafter until reaching at least 250,000.

This section directs the Secretary of Labor, the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior, and the Secretary of Defense to double the number of participants, by December 31, 2034, in the YouthBuild program (established under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, 29 U.S.C. 3226), Youth Conservation Corps (16 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), and National Guard Youth Challenge Program (32 U.S.C. 509), respectively—from fiscal year 2023 levels. (As background, YouthBuild provides at-risk youth ages 16-24 with education, job training, and leadership skills through community construction projects; the Youth Conservation Corps employs youth ages 15-18 in conservation work on national parks, forests, and other public lands to develop resources and environmental appreciation; and the National Guard Youth Challenge Program offers a 5.5-month residential program for at-risk youth ages 16-18 to complete high school credits, develop discipline, and prepare for employment or further education.) It requires each relevant official to submit progress reports to Congress by December 31 of 2026, 2029, 2032, and 2034. This section authorizes appropriations as necessary.

This section directs the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation for National and Community Service to carry out a public awareness campaign educating parents, grandparents, teachers, guidance counselors, clergy, and coaches on opportunities for youth to engage in national service (i.e., programs administered by the Corporation such as AmeriCorps), the impacts of such service, and ways to encourage youth participation—including through best practices identification, national outreach, K-12 materials, information access facilitation, and advertising. The section requires the CEO to submit a report on the campaign's scope and effectiveness to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and the House Committee on Education and the Workforce within 60 days after the fiscal year end and authorizes appropriations of such sums as necessary, including for related salaries and expenses.

This section authorizes the Corporation for National and Community Service to annually designate not more than 25 corporations—publicly owned or privately held—for significant contributions to national service. The Corporation must promulgate regulations describing evaluation criteria and may conduct ceremonies or provide symbolic medals or plaques to recipients, but this section does not authorize any monetary awards.

This section authorizes the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation for National and Community Service to conduct, during the three-year period beginning October 1, 2024, up to five demonstration projects to assess novel national service approaches and focus areas—including at least one place-based model (i.e., leveraging national service to expand services within a specific location, build community capacity, and foster a culture of service) and at least one supporting ex-offender reintegration (i.e., for individuals overcoming employment barriers from a criminal record)—and authorizes appropriations of such sums as necessary, including for salaries and expenses.

This section authorizes the Director of the Peace Corps to carry out demonstration projects to test the feasibility of permitting individuals serving fewer than 27 months as Peace Corps volunteers to serve in the United States rather than abroad. (Peace Corps volunteers typically serve abroad for 27 months, including three months of training.)

This section directs the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation for National and Community Service to annually review, and increase as necessary subject to the existing maximum of 200% of the average VISTA volunteer subsistence allowance, living allowances for full-time participants in national service programs (i.e., AmeriCorps programs under subtitle C of title I) to reflect inflation, cost-of-living changes, and geographical differences. (As background, such programs currently must provide full-time participants a living allowance equal to or greater than the average VISTA subsistence allowance.) It authorizes appropriations of such sums as necessary to fund these increases above pre-enactment levels.

This section revises the stipend rate for individual service projects under Senior Corps programs (i.e., Foster Grandparents Program, Senior Companions Program, and Retired Senior Volunteer Program, which enable low-income adults age 55 and older to provide volunteer services) to 60% of the federal minimum wage rate under the Fair Labor Standards Act ($4.35 per hour, from the current $7.25 minimum wage) from $3.00 per hour. It also authorizes appropriations of such sums as necessary to fund the stipend increases above pre-enactment levels.

This section establishes wraparound support services—such as career counseling, transportation assistance, training and certification programs, and mental health assistance—for eligible participants in national service programs authorized under the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and for eligible VISTA volunteers under the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973, subject to the availability of appropriations. The Corporation for National and Community Service must issue guidelines on these services within 180 days of enactment, considering philanthropic investment or funds availability and per-participant costs; services are exempt from living allowance calculations and program cost limitations. Eligibility includes disadvantaged youth ages 17 through 26 (as defined in 42 U.S.C. 12511), individuals on Indian lands (as defined in 42 U.S.C. 12511), or those in rural communities. (As background, national service programs such as AmeriCorps provide living stipends and education awards to participants addressing community needs; VISTA supports full-time volunteers combating poverty.) This section also requires the Corporation's Chief Executive Officer to report to Congress within two years on fund use for these services and authorizes such sums as necessary for their provision.

This section revises the national service educational award (i.e., Segal AmeriCorps Education Award) for full-time service from the maximum Federal Pell Grant amount to the average cost of one year of in-state tuition at a public institution of higher education that awards bachelor's degrees, as determined by the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation for National and Community Service. (Thus, the part-time award, at 50% of the full-time amount, increases accordingly.) It further authorizes appropriations of such sums as necessary to fund these increased awards above prior levels.

This section authorizes disbursement of national service educational awards to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for qualified higher education expenses regardless of whether the recipient is a veteran as defined under VA section 101 (previously limited to veterans). It further provides that such disbursements apply notwithstanding any appropriations act that does not specifically reference this section and would otherwise prohibit payments for non-veterans.

This section authorizes the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation for National and Community Service to provide end-of-service cash stipends of $200-$280 per month (up to $380 per month for leaders who have completed a prior term of service under subtitle C of the National and Community Service Act of 1990) to full-time national service participants (i.e., those eligible under 42 USC 12591(a) for programs carried out using assistance under 42 USC 12571) and National Civilian Community Corps members enrolled under 42 USC 12613, subject to funding availability; part-time service participants may receive stipends on a case-by-case basis. Stipends are payable upon term completion (with exceptions for early payment or posthumous payment). This section further amends eligibility for national service educational awards (42 USC 12595(a) and 12618(f)) to exclude individuals who accept such stipends. (Thus, participants must choose between the cash stipend or the education award.)

This section excludes from gross income national service educational awards (i.e., Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards provided to participants who complete a term of service under the National and Community Service Act of 1990 for higher education expenses or student loan repayment). Specifically, it (1) adds such awards to the exceptions under IRC §117(c)(2), and (2) excludes payments under such programs from gross income for student loan discharge purposes under new IRC §108(f)(6). The exclusions apply to taxable years ending after the date of enactment.

This section revises transferability rules for national service educational awards (Segal AmeriCorps Education Award)—available to AmeriCorps participants who complete an approved term of service—as follows: (1) in disbursement requirements under Section 148(f), replaces the requirement that the transferor serve in a national service program receiving a grant under subtitle C with service in a position specified under section 123, and replaces paragraph (8)(C) with a requirement that the recipient meet other criteria specified by the Corporation in regulations; and (2) shortens the period during which a designated recipient may use a transferred award to a 7-year period beginning on the date the individual becomes 18 years of age (from a 10-year period).

This section provides eligibility for noncompetitive appointment to positions in the competitive service for a period of 36 months beginning the day after term completion to (1) Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) under the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973, by amending prior eligibility for appointment in the competitive service to specify noncompetitive status and the 36-month period; (2) other national service program participants under the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (i.e., AmeriCorps programs) eligible for a national service educational award who successfully complete their term, by adding a new section 142; and (3) Peace Corps volunteers and volunteer leaders who satisfactorily complete at least two years of service, by adding a new subsection (q) to section 5 of the Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2504). Eligibility determinations follow Executive Order 11103 (as amended by Executive Order 12107), without regard to section 4 thereof. (Noncompetitive eligibility allows federal agencies to appoint qualified individuals directly, bypassing standard competitive hiring processes.) The amendments apply to individuals in these programs who have not completed their required term of service as of enactment.

This section expands creditable service under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) to include time served as a National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) member or leader, Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) member, or Public Lands Corps (PLC) participant (i.e., adding these youth service and conservation programs to previously creditable service under the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973). It also authorizes such individuals to make employee contributions for that service, based on stipends or living allowances received (Thus, former participants may purchase pension credit for such periods.)

This section revises grant authorities under the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 for Senior Corps volunteer service projects (i.e., programs enabling individuals age 55 or older to provide community services on public facilities or nonprofit projects) by limiting such grants to periods of not more than 3 years, striking specified grant conditions, and making conforming changes. The section further streamlines multiyear grant provisions by eliminating prior limitations and redesignating paragraphs. Finally, the section simplifies suspension and termination procedures for financial assistance by striking specified notice and hearing requirements.

This section establishes a new authority (5 U.S.C. §307) allowing executive agencies and military departments, subject to guidance from the Comptroller General of the United States, to use appropriated funds to educate the public about the role of federal employees, the value of federal employment, and agency or department missions. It includes a rule of construction clarifying that such uses are not prohibited self-aggrandizement, publicity, or propaganda; requires the Comptroller General to issue guidance within 120 days of enactment; and sets an effective date of 180 days after enactment (except for the guidance requirement).

This section directs the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to determine eligibility for federal hiring preferences and special appointment authorities, including (1) veterans employment under 38 U.S.C. 4214, (2) students and recent graduates under 5 U.S.C. 3112 and 3304(f), (3) certain science, technology, engineering, and math positions under 5 U.S.C. 3330d, (4) Domestic Volunteer Service Act participants under 42 U.S.C. 5055(d), (5) National and Community Service Act participants under new section 142, (6) Peace Corps volunteers under new 22 U.S.C. 2504(q), and (7) two new authorities under sections 344 and 370 of this Act. The section further requires the OPM Director to coordinate with the Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs, the Peace Corps Director, and the Corporation for National and Community Service CEO; issue related regulations within two years of enactment; provide guidance to executive agencies, which must use OPM determinations for eligibility certificates; and preserve other administrative and judicial remedies for preference eligibles.

This section enhances federal hiring authorities for military veterans by making the following changes: (a) In 5 U.S.C. § 2108(4), replaces exceptions to the definition of "preference eligible" (which provides veterans with additional points on competitive service examinations and priority placement on registers of eligibles) to exclude, except for purposes of chapters 43 (performance appraisal) and 75 (adverse actions)— (1) retired armed forces members unless a disabled veteran or retired below the rank of major (or equivalent); (2) veterans discharged or released from active duty for more than 10 years as of the appointment date; and (3) veterans who have served more than two years as competitive service employees as of the appointment date. (b) Revises 5 U.S.C. § 3313 to enter preference eligibles ahead of non-preference eligibles with the same rating on competitive service registers of eligibles; strikes the second sentence of 5 U.S.C. § 3319(b), which previously limited such preference in alternative ranking and selection procedures. (Thus, veterans' preference applies as a tiebreaker across all competitive service procedures.) (c) For the Veterans Recruitment Appointment (VRA) program (38 U.S.C. §§ 4211-4214), which permits noncompetitive appointments to qualifying recently separated veterans— (1) extends the definition of "recently separated veteran" in 38 U.S.C. § 4211(6) to 10 years after separation (from three years); and (2) redefines "qualified covered veteran" in 38 U.S.C. § 4214(a)(2)(B) to exclude retired armed forces members unless eligible for disability retirement under 10 U.S.C. chapter 61.

This section establishes a noncompetitive appointment authority for high-performing former competitive service employees (i.e., the main category of merit-based federal civil service positions under 5 U.S.C. §2102). Under regulations issued by the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), executive agencies may noncompetitively appoint such individuals—for other than temporary employment—to competitive service positions if they (1) are certified by OPM as high-performing in a former competitive service position based on final performance appraisal and supervisor recommendation, (2) separated from that position less than six years ago, and (3) are qualified for the new position as determined by the agency head. An individual may receive only one such appointment.

This section establishes authority under new 5 U.S.C. §3117 for heads of executive agencies to make (1) temporary appointments in the competitive service for not more than one year (extendable in one-year increments to a maximum of three years total) and (2) term appointments for more than one year but not more than five years (extendable to a maximum of six years total), when employee services are needed on a non-permanent basis. It further authorizes noncompetitive temporary appointments or term appointments (not more than 18 months) for positions with critical hiring needs (as determined under 5 U.S.C. §3304), without regard to competitive examining (5 U.S.C. §§3327, 3330) and without extension. The Director of the Office of Personnel Management may issue implementing regulations (not applicable to the Secretary of Defense, who retains separate temporary and term appointment authorities under sec. 1105 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017), and the provision does not affect other temporary hiring authorities (e.g., 5 U.S.C. §3109). Includes a conforming amendment to the table of sections for 5 U.S.C. ch. 31.

This section revises the criteria for the Office of Personnel Management to grant federal agencies direct-hire authority (i.e., authority to appoint candidates directly to competitive service positions without competitive examining procedures, rating, or veterans' preference) by limiting it to a shortage of highly qualified candidates (from "shortage of candidates" and all that follows through "highly qualified candidates)").

This section establishes a cafeteria plan (i.e., as defined in IRC §125(d)) for executive agency employees, to be administered by the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), offering a menu of benefits including cash, life insurance, disability-income insurance, flexible spending arrangements for health care or dependent care, health savings accounts, enhanced dental benefits, and enhanced vision benefits. It requires OPM to annually determine, by October 1, the federal government's contribution to the plan—adjusted for inflation and other factors—ensuring no net change in governmentwide executive agency spending on employee benefits. For disability-income insurance policies, it authorizes OPM to contract with one or more qualified carriers (i.e., insurance companies or consortia licensed in 48 states and the District of Columbia) without regard to 41 U.S.C. §6101(b)–(d) (i.e., advertising requirements for purchases over $25,000, sales over $500, and wholly owned government corporations) or other competitive bidding laws, provided contracts are based on qualifications, price, and reasonable competition. (Thus, OPM may use non-advertised or sole-source contracting for such insurance, bypassing standard bid solicitation rules.) It specifies that the plan does not affect eligibility for other federal benefits (i.e., under 5 U.S.C. ch. 87); requires OPM to propose implementing regulations, including for disability-income insurance, within one year of enactment; and directs OPM to submit legislative recommendations to Congress within 180 days of enactment to amend 5 U.S.C. ch. 87 as needed for the plan.

This section directs the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to establish a pilot program in three executive agencies offering eligible civil service employees—defined as those with less than five years of creditable civilian service under 5 U.S.C. §8411, excluding public safety employees (i.e., law enforcement officers, air traffic controllers, firefighters, nuclear materials couriers, or customs and border protection officers)—an alternative benefits package of equivalent value to standard civil service benefits. Eligible employees appointed after the program's establishment date may elect the pilot package or standard benefits; those hired in the prior five years may switch to it. (Thus, pilot participants forgo eligibility for a Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) annuity or annuitant health benefits under 5 U.S.C. chapter 84.) The package includes (1) an enhanced Thrift Savings Plan with total agency contributions of at least 10% of pay, vested immediately; (2) at least 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave, in addition to annual or sick leave; (3) immediate agency-paid short- and long-term disability insurance replacing at least 60% of current salary; (4) at least five weeks of annual flexible paid time off in lieu of annual and sick leave; and (5) other benefits as authorized by OPM. OPM must consult benefits experts, actuaries, labor unions, and participating agencies in establishing the program and may disregard certain personnel demonstration project requirements. Not later than six years after establishment, the OPM Director, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and Comptroller General must submit reports to Congress evaluating the program and recommending whether to modify, continue, expand, terminate, or make it permanent; OPM must also contract with the National Academy of Public Administration for a related study and report by the same deadline. This section authorizes appropriations as necessary.

This section revises federal personnel demonstration project authorities under 5 U.S.C. §4703, which allow the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to test innovations in employee recruitment, classification, compensation, discipline, incentives, hours of work, employee involvement, and staff reductions by waiving inconsistent civil service laws and regulations. Specifically, the section (1) extends the maximum duration of such projects to a 10-year period (from a 5-year period); and (2) replaces evaluation requirements with new provisions requiring the Comptroller General and Office of Management and Budget Director to jointly evaluate each project every five years for effectiveness in achieving project purposes, impacts on workforce quality, cost-effectiveness, recommendations to continue, cease, adjust, or make permanent, with OPM additionally contracting every five years with the National Academy of Public Administration for an independent study and report on the same criteria, and authorizing OPM to make a project permanent via regulation—without separate statutory approval—if at least one of the Comptroller General or OMB Director so recommends governmentwide expansion (considering the Academy's report).

This section directs the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to validate advanced skills-based assessment technology as effective for recruiting, qualifying, and assessing candidates and to support its free distribution to and use by executive agencies in their hiring processes. It authorizes appropriations to OPM of such sums as necessary to carry out this section, including for licensing arrangements, purchasing technology, training, and related expenses.

This section directs the Chief Human Capital Officer of the Department of Homeland Security to establish competency standards for human resources employees, including technical knowledge, analytical skills, and collaborative skills. (As background, the Chief Human Capital Officer advises agency leadership on workforce selection, development, training, and management in accordance with merit system principles and implements applicable civil service rules.)

This section requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget and the Comptroller General to each submit to Congress, by December 31, 2029, a report evaluating changes to laws, regulations, and policies governing the federal civil service (i.e., appointive positions in the executive, judicial, and legislative branches, excluding uniformed services) that address or reflect recommendations in the final report of the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service. It further requires the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, not later than one year after enactment, to contract with the National Academy of Public Administration to conduct a study on the same topic and submit a report to the Director by December 31, 2029, for transmittal to Congress. Each report must include (1) a list of relevant changes; (2) an evaluation of those changes' effectiveness (especially in enabling executive agencies to attract and retain highly qualified younger employees and those with critical skills), costs, and implementation challenges; (3) additional recommendations from the commission report to attract and retain a highly qualified workforce; and (4) other appropriate recommendations for the same purpose.

This section directs the Director of the Office of Management and Budget and the Comptroller General to submit reports by December 31, 2034, to the Senate Committees on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and Armed Services and the House Committees on Oversight and Government Reform and Armed Services with detailed proposals for a modern talent-management system to replace existing civil service personnel systems in executive agencies. It further requires the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, within one year of enactment, to contract with the National Academy of Public Administration for a study and report containing similar proposals, also due by December 31, 2034, which the Director must submit to the specified committees. Each report must include (1) a proposal for a new comprehensive civil service personnel system addressing classification, hiring, compensation, evaluation, and promotion; (2) evidence from previous changes to civil service systems supporting the proposal; and (3) considerations of relevant stakeholders' views. (Civil service has the meaning given in 5 U.S.C. §2101—i.e., all appointive positions in the executive, judicial, and legislative branches except positions in the uniformed services.)

This section requires the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to collect data annually from executive agencies, excluding intelligence community elements, on their blended workforce and to compile and post an annual report on its website containing the data. The required data includes (1) the total number of persons directly employed by the agency; (2) the total number of prime contractor and subcontractor employees issued credentials for agency property or computer system access; (3) the total number of employees of federal grant and cooperative agreement recipients issued such credentials; and (4) a total workforce count across all categories.

This section states congressional findings on the federal blended workforce—approximately 2 million federal employees supplemented by more than 5 million contractor and grantee employees—and expresses the sense of Congress that executive agencies should manage the entire workforce holistically to advance missions effectively and cost-efficiently, without artificial numerical limits on headcounts or full-time-equivalent positions, including by conducting a review and developing a comprehensive plan.

This section establishes the Federal Fellowship and Scholarship Center (Center) within the Office of Personnel Management to administer, manage, and promote federal fellowship and scholarship programs that attract individuals to civilian federal service in covered agencies (i.e., executive agencies or military departments). The Center, led by a Senior Executive Service Executive Director appointed for a five-year term, must (1) operate a public online platform listing all such opportunities and application processes; (2) approve, promote, and facilitate agency programs, particularly for critical skills; (3) develop a standard application process; and (4) ensure program completers receive noncompetitive eligibility for competitive service employment. It further establishes a Virtual Student Federal Service platform through which executive agencies may solicit remote interns (averaging 10 hours per week with no required travel). Sponsoring agencies set program terms (including fellowships of not more than two years), select recipients, provide program details to the Center, and disburse scholarship payments directly or to institutions.

This section establishes a Public Service Corps Program within the Center to provide scholarships to students at selected institutions of higher education (PSC hosts) in exchange for a four-year civil service obligation upon graduation and completion of agency requirements. The Executive Director selects PSC hosts through a competitive process based on commitment to public service careers, develops program standards, and requires hosts with a Senior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program or Defense Civilian Training Corps to offer joint leadership training, courses, and cross-enrollment on a space-available basis; hosts must also consider integrating similar state, local, and Tribal scholarship programs. Sponsoring covered agencies select scholarship recipients enrolled in or admitted to a PSC host, reserve a portion for Federal Pell Grant-eligible students to promote socioeconomic diversity, and offer scholarships of two, three, or four years' duration with an annual minimum equal to the maximum Federal Pell Grant award for the relevant year. Agency-PSC member contracts require full-time enrollment, potential agency-specific academic or experiential obligations (e.g., internships), and a four-year civil service commitment post-graduation.

This section establishes a competitive grant program administered by the Secretary of Education to support the development of public service academies—leadership development programs at institutions of higher education (IHEs) designed to prepare students for public service careers (i.e., civilian employment in federal, state, local, or Tribal government) through curricula, extracurricular activities, experiential learning, and internships—at up to 50 IHEs. Grant applications must include a development plan, four-year cost assessment with non-federal funding sources, and information on enrollment of needy students; awards are limited to four years, cover up to 75% of public service academy costs in year one and 50% in years two through four (excluding existing programs), reserve at least 50% of funds for IHEs enrolling needy students, and ensure equitable geographic distribution to the extent practicable. Grant funds may be used to develop curricula and programs (including scholarships), collaborate with governments and nonprofits for work experiences, and evaluate academy effectiveness; grantees must submit annual reports to the Secretary, who must submit annual reports to Congress (including a fourth-year recommendation on continued funding). Authorizes appropriations.

This section directs the Superintendent of each military service academy, in consultation with the Secretaries of the military departments and the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, to develop a plan for a public service cadet program and submit it to the Senate and House Armed Services Committees within one year of enactment. The plan must (1) provide for appointing public service cadets representing at least 5% of each academy's incoming class without reducing military cadet or midshipman enrollment; (2) require program graduates to accept a federal civil service appointment and serve five years; (3) impose education cost repayment on graduates who fail to serve the full period or resign early—consistent with military cadet requirements—with a waiver option; (4) specify training, curricular, and other requirements for public service cadets; (5) address applicability of the Uniform Code of Military Justice or alternative disciplinary procedures; and (6) include a detailed implementation timeline.

This section requires heads of legislative branch offices—including employing offices under the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (i.e., Members' personal offices, committees, joint committees, and other offices with appointment authority), the Government Accountability Office, and the Government Publishing Office—to compensate interns at the Fair Labor Standards Act minimum wage (29 U.S.C. 206) unless the intern is a student receiving academic credit from their institution for voluntary service. (1) Compensated legislative interns, defined as those serving not more than 120 days in a 12-month period primarily for educational experience, are excluded from Federal Employees Retirement System (5 U.S.C. ch. 84), life insurance (ch. 87), and health insurance (ch. 89) benefits; (2) a Senate allowance is established for compensating interns in Senators' offices. The section also (1) amends executive branch student volunteer authority (5 U.S.C. 3111) to limit unpaid service to students receiving academic credit and to authorize reimbursement of transportation and subsistence expenses per Office of Personnel Management regulations; (2) directs the Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts to regulate compensation for judicial interns, similarly defined; and (3) authorizes necessary appropriations.

This section establishes the Pathways Program under the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to promote federal employment opportunities for students and recent graduates by excepting participants from competitive service hiring requirements for certain civil service positions. For purposes of the program, the term "agency" includes an executive agency, as defined in 5 U.S.C. §105, and the Government Publishing Office. The program consists of (1) an Internship Program providing paid work and career exploration opportunities to enrolled students (including high school, community college, four-year higher education, trade school, or other qualifying programs as determined by OPM); and (2) a Recent Graduates Program providing developmental experiences to individuals who completed a qualifying degree or career/technical education program within the three years preceding application (six years for veterans precluded by military service). OPM must issue regulations describing (1) excepted positions due to good administration needs; (2) public notice requirements; (3) career development, training, and mentorship; (4) performance assessments for potential conversion to career civil service; (5) oversight to ensure the program supplements (not substitutes for) competitive hiring and develops civil service talent; (6) evaluations of agency recruiting/retention effectiveness and participant satisfaction; and (7) standard naming conventions across agencies. Pathways appointments are in the excepted service, with Recent Graduates appointments limited to two years (extendable by up to 120 days); such appointments confer no automatic right to further federal employment, though agencies may noncompetitively convert qualifying participants to term, career, or career-conditional appointments.

This section revises the post-secondary student hiring authority (5 U.S.C. 3116), which enables federal agency heads to appoint students pursuing baccalaureate or graduate degrees on a part-time basis to time-limited competitive service positions at the GS-11 level or below, bypassing specified competitive hiring procedures, subject to Office of Personnel Management (OPM) regulations and public notice requirements. (Students appointed under the authority may be converted to permanent competitive service positions.) Specifically, this section does the following in subsection (d): (1) changes the fiscal year appointment limit to the greater of (A) 15% of the agency's prior fiscal year appointments to permanent employment or (B) 1% of the agency's average number of permanent employees during the prior fiscal year (from 15% of prior fiscal year appointments of students to positions at the GS-11 level or equivalent or below); (2) strikes OPM Director authority to establish a lower limit; and (3) requires the OPM Director to increase the limit as necessary via regulation to meet hiring targets for recent college graduates and post-secondary students under section 368 of the Inspired to Serve Act of 2025, with the increase terminating no later than September 30, 2031. This section further decreases a numerical value in subsection (e)(2) to 400 (from 640). (Thus, the revised limit likely permits more appointments by scaling to agency size rather than prior student hires.)

This section establishes aggregate hiring targets for recent college graduates and post-secondary students into term or permanent competitive service positions at federal agencies under the Pathways Programs (as modified by section 366 of this Act), section 1106 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017, and 5 U.S.C. §§3115-3116 (as amended by section 367 of this Act): not less than 30,000 by September 30, 2029, and not less than 50,000 by September 30, 2034. (As background, these programs provide noncompetitive appointment authorities to expedite federal hiring of eligible students and recent graduates.) It further directs the Director of the Office of Personnel Management to (1) determine each agency's annual pro rata share of the targets based on its proportion of governmentwide competitive service positions and (2) calculate each agency's annual hiring shortfall by subtracting actual hires from its pro rata obligation.

This section directs the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), pursuant to the demonstration project authority in 5 U.S.C. §4703 (i.e., authority to test alternatives to standard civil service rules on personnel actions such as recruitment, qualifications, and appointments, subject to advance planning, Federal Register notice, public hearings, and congressional notification), to conduct a demonstration project under which executive agencies appoint students to internships or recent graduates to full-time positions requiring critical skills. The project assesses the sufficiency of existing hiring authorities for such positions and determines whether changes are needed to qualification, recruitment, and appointment methods. Not later than 60 days after the project's termination, OPM must report to Congress on these matters, and such sums as necessary are authorized to be appropriated.

This section authorizes the head of any Executive agency or military department to noncompetitively appoint to the competitive service (i.e., the principal federal civil service category requiring open competition under 5 U.S.C. §2102) any individual certified by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) as having successfully completed, within the prior 12 months, a federal internship, fellowship (up to two years), scholarship for critical skills training, or third-party equivalent. The OPM Director, through the Federal Fellowship and Scholarship Center, issues certifications documenting such noncompetitive eligibility.

This section establishes a Federal reskilling program, approved by the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), to provide federal employees in the competitive or excepted service with technical skills or expertise for different positions in the competitive or excepted service. Employees who complete the program and transfer to a qualifying position serve in the new position at the same or higher class and grade, notwithstanding classification requirements under 5 U.S.C. ch. 51. (Thus, the provision facilitates employee retention and workforce adaptation amid technological changes.) The OPM Director must issue, not later than 120 days after enactment, (1) guidance on the approval process for such programs and (2) regulations ensuring participants' rights under this section.

This section authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Director of the National Security Agency to establish pilot projects for Civilian Cybersecurity Reserves to provide the federal government with trained civilian personnel who have prior federal government or uniformed services experience and cybersecurity expertise. The pilot projects allow noncompetitive appointments to temporary positions in the competitive service; require eligibility criteria including an agreement on rights and obligations; prohibit members of the Selected Reserve (i.e., trained units within the Ready Reserve of each reserve component under 10 U.S.C. 10143) from participating; and permit different reserve components with varying activation obligations and benefits. Agency heads must issue implementing guidance within 180 days of enactment, ensure active security clearances for all members, and may impose penalties for non-response to activation (e.g., loss of clearance or recoupment of pay or benefits). Not later than five years after establishment at each agency, the Comptroller General must evaluate the pilot project, report results to Congress, and recommend whether to modify, extend, or make it permanent. This section authorizes appropriations as necessary.

This section authorizes the head of any executive agency (i.e., an executive department, government corporation, or independent establishment, as defined in 5 U.S.C. 105) to exercise the authorities of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Cyber Talent Management System—under which DHS may use special hiring, compensation, and personnel flexibilities to recruit and retain cyber professionals—to the same extent as the DHS Secretary. The DHS Secretary must coordinate with executive agency heads to facilitate such exercises of authority.

This section directs the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), in consultation with specified agency heads, to develop and implement a 10-year personnel demonstration project (extendable by OPM for an additional 10 years) to test innovative personnel policies for employees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Those policies may include (1) more flexible job classifications, (2) competency-based hiring, (3) market-based pay, (4) promotion based on experience, skill, and performance, and (5) streamlined personnel transfers between agencies. Participating agencies include the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, Department of Commerce, Department of the Interior, Environmental Protection Agency, and up to two additional agencies designated by OPM that have significant numbers of STEM employees; agency heads determine whether and how (e.g., current employees, new hires, or agency components) to participate, subject to a cap of 10% of total Federal civilian employees in all Executive agencies (as defined in 5 U.S.C. §105) in the preceding year. Authorizes appropriations.

This section directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to develop a legislative proposal for a single personnel system under title 38, United States Code, applicable to all positions in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) that (1) applies private sector best practices to human capital management and (2) supports pay and benefits competitive with private sector health care systems. In developing the proposal, the Secretary must draw from recommendation 15 in the 2016 final report of the Commission on Care and consult with other federal health care agency heads, VHA employees, and relevant labor unions. This section further requires the Secretary to make the proposal available to other federal health care agencies and to submit it, in a report, to the Senate and House Committees on Veterans’ Affairs not later than one year after enactment.

This section establishes interstate portability of health care licensure for qualifying Federal employees, allowing them to practice medicine, osteopathic medicine, dentistry, psychology, nursing, therapy, or another health profession anywhere in a state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or other U.S. territory or possession—regardless of the location of the employee or patient—if the practice is within the scope of their authorized Federal duties. Qualifying individuals are Federal employees who are credentialed and privileged at a Federal health care facility and hold a current license for the relevant profession. (Thus, this overrides state licensure requirements for such Federal duties.)