,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #eia  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,february #ac1      
#bjbe,mr4 ,scott of ,florida 7for       
himself1 ,mrs4 ,blackburn1 ,mrs4        
,hyde-,smith1 and ,mr4 ,tuberville7     
introduced the following bill2 which was
 read twice and referred to the         
,committee on ,homeland ,security and   
,governmental ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to  
reform the ,federal hiring process1 to  
restore merit to ,government service1   
and for other purposes4  #a4 ,short     
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,restore ,merit to ,government ,service 
,act of #bjbe4  #b4 ,definitions ,in    
this ,act3 7#a7 ,administrator ,the term
 ,administrator means the ,administrator
 of the ,u4,s4 ,,doge ,service          
,temporary ,organization1 or the head of
 any successor organization4  7#b7      
,agency ,the term agency means the      
following3 7,a7 ,each of the ,executive 
departments4  7,b7 ,the ,environmental  
,protection ,agency4  7,c7 ,the ,office 

of ,management and ,budget4  7,d7 ,the  
,small ,business ,administration4  7,e7 
,the ,social ,security ,administration4 
7,f7 ,the ,national ,science            
,foundation4  7,g7 ,the ,office of      
,personnel ,management4  7,h7 ,the      
,general ,services ,administration4     
7#c7 ,executive departments ,the term   
,executive departments has the meaning  
given the term in section #aja of title 
#e1 ,united ,states ,code4  7#d7 ,plan  
,the term ,plan means the ,federal      
,hiring ,plan developed under section   
#d7;a74  7#e7 ,senior ,executive        
,service position ,the term ,senior     
,executive ,service position has the    
meaning given the term in section       
#cacb7;a7 of title #e1 ,united ,states  
,code4  #c4 ,findings ,congress finds   
the following3 7#a7 ,the people of the  
,united ,states deserve an excellent and
 efficient ,federal workforce that      
attracts the highest caliber of civil   
servants committed to achieving the     
freedom1 prosperity1 and democratic rule

 promoted by the ,constitution of the   
,united ,states4  7#b7 ,as of the date  
of enactment of this ,act1 the          
appointment practices of the ,federal   
,government are broken1 insular1 and    
outdated and no longer focus on merit1  
practical skill1 and dedication to the  
,constitution of the ,united ,states4   
7#c7 ,appointments in the ,federal      
,government should not be focused on    
impermissible factors1 such as a        
commitment to-- 7,a7 illegal racial     
discrimination under the guise of       
equity2 or  7,b7 the invented concept of
 gender identity over sex4  7#d7        
,inserting factors described in         
paragraph 7#c7 into the ,federal        
appointment process subverts the will of
 the people of the ,united ,states1 puts
 critical ,government functions at risk1
 and risks losing the best-qualified    
candidates4  #d4 ,federal ,hiring ,plan 
7a7 ,in general ,not later than #abj    
days after the date of enactment of this
 ,act1 the ,assistant to the ,president 

for ,domestic ,policy1 in consultation  
with the ,director of the ,office of    
,management and ,budget1 the ,director  
of the ,office of ,personnel            
,management1 and the ,administrator1    
shall develop and submit to the head of 
each agency a ,federal ,hiring ,plan    
that brings to the ,federal workforce   
only highly skilled people of the       
,united ,states who are dedicated to the
 furtherance of the ideals1 values1 and 
interests of the ,united ,states4  7b7  
,contents ,the ,plan shall-- 7#a7       
prioritize the recruitment1 by agencies1
 of individuals who are-- 7,a7 committed
 to-- 7i7 improving the efficiency of   
the ,federal ,government2 and  7ii7     
upholding the rule of law and the       
,constitution of the ,united ,states2   
and  7,b7 passionate about the ideals of
 the ,united ,states2  7#b7 prevent the 
appointment1 by an agency1 of any       
individual-- 7,a7 based on the race1    
sex1 or religion of the individual2 or  
7,b7 who is unwilling to defend the     

,constitution of the ,united ,states or 
faithfully serve the executive branch of
 the ,federal ,government2  7#c7        
implement1 to the greatest extent       
possible1 technical and alternative     
assessments described in subparagraphs  
7,a7 and 7,b71 respectively1 of section 
#ccjd7;c77#b7 of title #e1 ,united      
,states ,code1 for use by agencies2     
7#d7 establish that the amount of time  
to appoint an individual to a position  
in an agency shall be less than #hj     
days1 as measured from the date on which
 the agency first lists the position2   
7#e7 improve communication with         
candidates for positions in agencies to 
provide greater clarity regarding       
application status1 timelines1 and      
feedback1 including by providing regular
 updates on the progress of applications
 and explanations of appointment        
decisions1 where appropriate2  7#f7     
integrate modern technology to support  
the recruitment and selection process at
 agencies1 including-- 7,a7 through the 

use of data analytics to identify       
trends1 gaps1 and opportunities with    
respect to appointments2 and  7,b7 by   
leveraging digital platforms to improve 
candidate engagement2  7#g7 ensure that 
the heads of agencies1 or the designees 
of those agency heads1 are active       
participants in implementing the        
processes established by the ,plan      
throughout the appointment process2     
7#h7 include particularized a plan for  
each agency to improve the allocation of
 ,senior ,executive ,service positions  
within the agency to best facilitate    
democratic leadership1 as required by   
law1 within the agency2 and  7#i7       
provide specific best practices for the 
human resources functions within each   
agency1 which the head of each agency   
shall implement with advice and         
recommendations1 as appropriate1 from   
the ,administrator4  #e4 ,accountability
 and reporting ,the ,director of the    
,office of ,personnel ,management       
shall-- 7#a7 establish clear performance

 metrics to evaluate the success of the 
,plan2  7#b7 on a regular basis1 request
 analysis from the heads of agencies in 
order to perform the evaluations        
required under paragraph 7#a72 and  7#c7
 consult with the heads of agencies1    
labor organizations1 and other          
stakeholders to monitor progress with   
respect to the implementation of the    
,plan and ensure that the ,plan is      
meeting the needs of candidates and     
agencies4  #f4 ,general provisions  7a7 
,rule of construction ,nothing in this  
,act may be construed to impair or      
otherwise affect-- 7#a7 the functions of
 the ,director of the ,office of        
,management and ,budget relating to     
budgetary1 administrative1 or           
legislative proposals2 or  7#b7 the     
functions of the ,board of ,governors of
 the ,federal ,reserve ,system or the   
,federal ,open ,market ,committee       
relating to the conduct of monetary     
policy4  7b7 ,implementation ,this ,act 
shall be implemented consistent with    

applicable law and subject to the       
availability of appropriations4  7c7 ,no
 creation of rights or benefits ,this   
,act is not intended to1 and does not1  
create any right or benefit1 substantive
 or procedural1 enforceable at law or in
 equity by any party against the ,united
 ,states1 any agency of the ,united     
,states1 any employee of the ,united    
,states1 any agent of the ,united       
,states1 or any other person4