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119-hr-7413119th Congress

HIRE DEA Act

Sponsored By: Representative Fong, Vince [R-CA-20]

Introduced

Summary

Gives the Attorney General temporary direct-hire power for Drug Enforcement Administration jobs to speed staffing against drug trafficking. This bill would allow direct appointments of qualified candidates to DEA positions without most competitive hiring rules, limited to fiscal years 2027 through 2034.

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  • DEA managers: Could use direct-hire authority to place staff in locations the Attorney General deems necessary to support the Administration's mission.
  • Job candidates and specific roles: Qualified individuals could be appointed to "covered positions" such as program and project managers, criminal investigators/Special Agents (Classification Series 1811), intelligence analysts, forensic specialists, and community outreach coordinators.
  • Operational response: The authority is designed to create a faster, more flexible hiring mechanism so the DEA can staff roles tied to emerging drug trafficking trends and threats.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

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

Faster DEA hiring for drug threats

If enacted, the Attorney General would be able to directly hire qualified people into Drug Enforcement Administration jobs during fiscal years 2027 through 2034. The authority would let the Attorney General appoint candidates without most usual federal competitive hiring rules, but sections 3303 and 3328 of title 5 would still apply. Covered jobs would include program managers, project managers, Special Agents (criminal investigators), intelligence analysts, forensic specialists, and community outreach coordinators. Appointments could be made to work in locations the Attorney General deems necessary, and the authority would expire at the end of fiscal year 2034. The bill does not provide new funding or set a numerical cap on hires.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Fong, Vince [R-CA-20]

CA • R

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Knott, Brad [R-NC-13]

    NC • R

    Sponsored 2/9/2026

  • Rep. Kiley, Kevin [I-CA-3]

    CA • I

    Sponsored 2/9/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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