S. 2079 — Introduced in Senate

II 113th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2079 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 5, 2014Mr. Rubio introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs A BILL To establish a pilot program to hire individuals with alternative educational experience. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Alternative Qualifications for Federal Employment Act of 2014. 2. Definitions In this Act— (1) the term agency has the meaning given the term Executive agency in section 105 of title 5, United States Code; (2) the term Director means the Director of the Office of Personnel Management; and (3) the term individual with alternative educational experience means an individual who— (A) does not have a degree from an institution of higher education (as defined in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a))); and (B) has received training or education in 1 or more subject areas or occupational fields from an educational provider that does not meet the requirements of such section 101(a). 3. Establishment of pilot program; pilot program specifications (a) Establishment of pilot program Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall establish a pilot program to appoint to positions in the civil service individuals with alternative educational experience, in accordance with subsection (b). (b) Pilot program specifications (1) In general In carrying out the pilot program established under subsection (a), the Director shall select positions in the civil service for which the employing agency— (A) is accepting applications for employment as of the date of establishment of the pilot program, or is likely to accept applications for employment within 1 year of such date; (B) may not require an individual to have a degree from an institution of higher education (as defined in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a))) in order to be appointed to such positions; and (C) shall consider an application for employment, if any, from an individual with alternative educational experience. (2) Scope and number of positions selected (A) Positions selected The Director shall select not less than 25 positions under paragraph (1) during each of fiscal years 2015 through 2019. (B) Occupational fields covered The positions selected under subparagraph (A) shall be from across not less than 10 diverse occupational fields. 4. Report to Congress Not later than December 31, 2020, the Director shall submit to Congress a report on the pilot program established under section 3(a), which shall include— (1) the number and description of the positions selected under section 3(b), including the geographic locations and occupational fields of such positions; (2) the number of individuals with alternative educational experience whose applications were considered for a position selected under section 3(b); (3) the number of individuals with alternative educational experience who were appointed to a position selected under section 3(b); and (4) the number of individuals described in paragraph (2) who, as of the end of fiscal year 2019, with respect to the position to which the individual was appointed under the pilot program— (A) continued to occupy the position; (B) were promoted; or (C) were terminated.