S. 79 — ACCESS Act

This section prohibits executive agencies from including minimum education requirements (i.e., associate degrees or higher, specified coursework, or equivalent from accredited institutions, including those met via education alone, experience, or a combination) for proposed contractor personnel in solicitations unless the contracting officer provides a written justification explaining why such a requirement is necessary to meet agency needs. It requires the OMB Director to issue implementing guidance within 180 days of enactment, including instructions on justifications and encouragement of alternatives to education requirements (e.g., experience); applies the prohibition to solicitations issued 15 months after enactment; repeals Section 813 of the Floyd D. Spence National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001 (as implemented in Federal Acquisition Regulation subpart 39.104) upon effectiveness of the guidance; and directs the Comptroller General to evaluate agency compliance in a report to Congress within three years of enactment.