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119-hr-7102119th CongressWALLET

Federal Workforce Civics Competency and Accountability Act

Sponsored By: Representative Hamadeh, Abraham J. [R-AZ-8]

Introduced

Summary

This bill would require federal career civil servants to pass the U.S. naturalization civics test to be hired and to remain employed, and it would impose annual testing and penalties for failures.

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  • People applying for competitive service jobs or career appointments would be ineligible if they fail the full naturalization civics test.
  • Existing career employees would need to take the full test within one year of enactment and then face annual testing, with re-tests and discipline up to removal for failing a full test. It excludes positions that are excepted for confidentiality or policymaking reasons.
  • The Office of Personnel Management, in consultation with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, would administer the test, provide online study materials and records, maintain a test website, and send an annual report to Congress on compliance and disciplinary actions.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

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

Civics test for federal employees

This bill would require the USCIS naturalization civics test for federal competitive-service job applicants and career employees. If you apply for a competitive federal job, you would be ineligible for appointment if you fail the test. If you are a career employee on enactment, you would have to take the test within 1 year and then take it every year to keep your job. Annual tests would be 20 random questions and require 15 correct; failing the annual test would trigger a full re-test of all questions and failing that could lead to discipline up to removal. The bill would treat career employees as those in the competitive service or career appointees and would exclude positions excepted from the competitive service for confidential or policy-making reasons.

OPM to run civics testing

This bill would make the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), working with USCIS, in charge of the civics test program. OPM would have to build and run a website and recordkeeping systems, provide official study materials and online training, and send an annual report to Congress on pass rates and discipline. These steps would start upon enactment and aim to help applicants and employees prepare and track compliance.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Hamadeh, Abraham J. [R-AZ-8]

AZ • R

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

View on Congress.gov
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