“A bill to expand the opportunities of recent graduates for employment in Executive agencies, and for other purposes.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section designates the Act as the “Pipeline to Service Act” and sets forth the table of contents.
This section establishes an Office of Personnel Management (OPM) program, to be implemented not later than one year after enactment, under which OPM partners with institutions of higher education (as defined in the Higher Education Act of 1965, 20 U.S.C. 1001) to recruit and appoint students to positions in executive agencies (as defined in 5 U.S.C. 105). The program must advise students on relevant courses of study and the Pathways Program (i.e., federal internships and recent graduate appointments under 5 C.F.R. pt. 362), provide professional development and resume workshops, assist with USAJobs.gov searches, prioritize recruitment from historically underrepresented communities, and coordinate with executive agencies including through cost-sharing and agency-specific partnerships; OPM must report annually to designated congressional committees on placements, recruiting institutions, and locations. The section authorizes $15 million annually for FY2026 through FY2030 to carry out the program, of which at least 30% must support recruitment from minority-serving institutions, junior or community colleges, and land-grant colleges and universities. This section requires executive agency interns, including those in programs under 5 U.S.C. 3111a, to receive a minimum stipend of $15 per hour, adjusted annually effective January 30 by the percentage change in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers beginning the following year. This section directs OPM to publish annually on its website beginning January 30, 2026, demographic data (e.g., race, age, position type and location, hours worked) on executive agency interns, Pathways Program participants, and students in the new recruitment program, without revealing personally identifiable information. This section permits conversion of executive agency interns not in the Pathways Program, subject to OPM regulations.
This section defines 12 terms used in this title for the Presidential Management Fellows Program, including "agency" as an executive agency under 5 U.S.C. §105 or the Government Publishing Office. It further defines "agency PMF Coordinator," "Executive Resources Board," "Federal Executive Board," "principal area officer," "principal regional officer," and "special representative" largely by reference to specified regulations or agency structure; "Director" as the Director of the Office of Personnel Management; "Fellow" as an individual appointed under the program; "metropolitan area" as a geographic zone surrounding a major city, as delimited by the Director; and "Program" as the Presidential Management Fellows Program.
This section establishes the Presidential Management Fellows Program to attract outstanding individuals from diverse academic and career backgrounds committed to federal leadership and management of public policies and programs. The Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must (1) determine the annual number of finalist positions based on agency input, with positions required to increase to 200% of the number available in the fiscal year preceding enactment during FY2026 through FY2031; and (2) establish applicant qualifications. Agencies may appoint finalists to meet short-, medium-, and long-term leadership needs, including in field locations outside the Washington, DC, metropolitan area, where agencies must—to the extent practicable—offer and fund developmental rotations to agency headquarters and facilitate interactions with the relevant Federal Executive Board.
This section establishes requirements for the annual announcement of, eligibility for, and selection of finalists for the Program. To be eligible to apply, an individual must have obtained an advanced degree from a qualifying educational institution not more than 2 years before the announcement date or, if still attending graduate or professional school, expect to complete such a degree by August 31 of the competition year; to serve as a Fellow, the individual must have completed the degree not more than 2 years before beginning service, and multiple applications are permitted except that prior finalists forfeit that status upon reapplying the next year. The Director selects finalists through a rigorous structured assessment process that grants preference to preference eligible individuals (i.e., certain veterans, disabled veterans, spouses, and parents) as defined in 5 U.S.C. 2108 and publishes the list for agencies.
This section authorizes federal agencies to make two-year appointments of Fellows to the Program using specified excepted service authorities under Schedule D and 5 C.F.R. § 213.3402(c) (or successors), with an eligibility period set by the Director for appointing finalists. The section further (1) permits extensions of up to 120 days for rare or unusual circumstances per agency criteria, (2) allows appointments at GS-9, GS-11, or GS-12 levels (or equivalents), (3) designates the appointment term as a trial period (not probationary), (4) requires full-time work schedules but permits agency-approved part-time schedules for up to 180 days if they will not prevent meeting Program requirements, and (5) deems such appointments to use an agency's direct-hire authority under 5 U.S.C. §§ 3115-3116.
This section establishes requirements for individual development plans (IDPs), developmental activities, mentors, assignments, promotion, and certification of completion for Fellows in the Presidential Management Fellows Program (PMF), the federal government's flagship two-year leadership development program for advanced-degree graduates entering federal civilian service. Specifically, it (1) requires each agency head to approve an IDP for each Fellow within 90 days of the Program's start in a fiscal year, setting mutually agreed developmental activities developed with the supervisor and agency PMF coordinator or mentor; (2) directs the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Director to provide leadership development and training information for each Fellow cohort and agencies to provide onboarding and at least 80 hours of annual formal interactive training per Fellow (excluding mandatory training such as on information security or ethics); (3) requires agencies to assign each Fellow a managerial mentor outside their chain of command within 90 days of appointment; (4) requires at least one rotational or developmental assignment of 120 to 180 days with full-time management or technical responsibilities consistent with the IDP, in a different work unit, and of a challenging nature (e.g., implementing a new executive order or major legislation), with optional additional short-term assignments of 30 to 180 days; (5) permits Fellows, at agency request, to assist OPM in assessing subsequent Program classes, with related training counting toward the 80-hour requirement; (6) authorizes agencies to promote qualified Fellows without conferring entitlement; and (7) requires each agency's Executive Resources Board (ERB) to evaluate Fellows up to 45 days before Program end, certify successful completion based on performance plan and IDP (after possible mentor consultation), notify Fellows 30 days before end, forward certifications to OPM (conferring conversion eligibility under section 210), and reconsider non-certifications upon Fellow request within 15 days.
This section establishes procedures allowing a Fellow to transfer to another participating agency during their appointment if the receiving agency meets Program requirements, the original agency releases the Fellow, and the new agency appoints without a break in service. Upon transfer, prior service time counts toward Program completion without starting a new period; the new agency must notify the Director; and if the move occurs within the first 180 days, the original agency may request reimbursement of 1/4 of the placement fee.
This section establishes procedures for Fellows' withdrawal from and readmission to the Program. It treats withdrawal as a resignation from federal service (with prior obligations such as recruitment incentives remaining), requires agency notification to the Director, and authorizes discretionary placement of eligible Fellows (i.e., those with prior permanent competitive service appointments who withdrew for reasons unrelated to misconduct, poor performance, or suitability) into permanent competitive service positions (not subject to appeal). It bars readmission for Fellows who withdrew due to misconduct, poor performance, or suitability and permits others to petition their original agency for readmission (with agency-approved petitions submitted to the Director, who may overrule the approval without appeal).
This section establishes removal procedures for Fellows and places them in excepted service group II for reduction-in-force purposes under 5 C.F.R. § 351.502 (or successor regulation). It authorizes agencies to remove a Fellow for misconduct, poor performance, or suitability, requiring written notification to the Director; provides that a Fellow's appointment ends at the conclusion of the two-year program period plus any approved extensions under section 205(b) unless converted under section 210, with non-converted appointments expiring 30 days after denial of program completion certification under section 206(d)(3) or an agency extension request.
This section establishes procedures for converting a Fellow to a term or permanent position in the competitive service upon successful program completion and certification under section 206(d)(2). It authorizes an employing agency to effect such a conversion without a break in service if the Fellow is qualified and permits conversion to a position in a different agency if (1) the original agency cannot convert the Fellow due to budget constraints, reorganization, position abolishments, or other appropriate reasons unrelated to the Fellow's certification, performance, misconduct, or suitability; (2) the conversion occurs before the end of the program period under section 205 (including any agency-approved extension); and (3) the new position's full performance level is equivalent to or less than the level of the position to which the Fellow would have been converted at the original agency.
This section establishes Federal Executive Boards (FEBs)—or continues existing FEBs—in 26 metropolitan areas (i.e., Albuquerque-Santa Fe through Seattle) to strengthen executive branch management and administration in field operations centers, with authority vested in the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to dissolve, merge, divide, or create new FEBs as needed. It requires agency heads to designate principal regional or area officers (and special representatives) as FEB members, who may name alternates; directs FEBs to adopt bylaws subject to OPM Director approval, elect a Chair for a term of up to one year, and designate staff from member agencies (with additional staff requiring Director approval); terminates FEB subunits and external affiliations upon Chair term expiration unless reestablished; and requires majority member approval for actions, which must conform to law. The section further assigns the OPM Director responsibility for overseeing FEB activities consistent with presidential directives, with Chairs reporting through OPM regional representatives and specified communication channels maintained.
This section directs the Director to submit to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, not later than 3 years after enactment and not less frequently than every 3 years thereafter, a report on the Program that includes an analysis of structural challenges facing the Program and recommendations to strengthen it.