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119-hr-7003119th CongressWALLET

BIS STRENGTH Act

Sponsored By: Representative Shreve, Jefferson [R-IN-6]

In Committee

Summary

Bring outside experts into the Bureau of Industry and Security to fill critical technical gaps while limiting pay, headcount, and duration. This bill would create a temporary authority for the Under Secretary to appoint non‑civil service experts to BIS positions when civil service hiring leaves gaps.

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  • Requires an annual gaps assessment to identify where BIS lacks expertise and to guide targeted recruiting.
  • Allows up to 25 outside appointees and sets a standard term of 5 years with a possible 1 year extension for national security or foreign policy reasons. Pay would be set at or below the senior‑level maximum under 5 U.S.C. 5376 with locality adjustments under 5 U.S.C. 5304 and a hard yearly cap tied to the Vice President's pay under 3 U.S.C. 104.
  • Would require reporting to specified congressional committees 180 days after enactment and annually thereafter on identified gaps, hires, qualifications, and mission impact. It preserves background checks, protects appointees' pay while they serve, and sunsets the authority after five years.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

1 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

Temporary hiring authority for BIS

If enacted, the Under Secretary would be allowed to hire experts from outside the civil service for the Bureau of Industry and Security when an annual study finds hard-to-fill gaps. Appointees' pay would be set up to the senior-level maximum plus locality pay, but no appointee's total annual pay could exceed the Vice President's statutory annual pay. No more than 25 outside experts could serve at once. Appointments would generally be limited to five years, with a one-year extension possible for national security or foreign policy reasons. The Under Secretary would report to Congress within 180 days and then annually. Background checks and applicant qualification rules would still apply. If the authority ends, current appointees could finish their appointed term and their pay could not be reduced while they continue to serve without a break.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Shreve, Jefferson [R-IN-6]

IN • R

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Kamlager-Dove, Sydney [D-CA-37]

    CA • D

    Sponsored 1/9/2026

  • Rep. Wilson, Joe [R-SC-2]

    SC • R

    Sponsored 1/14/2026

  • Rep. Johnson, Julie [D-TX-32]

    TX • D

    Sponsored 2/4/2026

  • Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17]

    NY • R

    Sponsored 4/20/2026

  • Rep. Sherman, Brad [D-CA-32]

    CA • D

    Sponsored 4/22/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

View on Congress.gov
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