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119-s-2605119th CongressWALLET

A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to improve recruitment and retention of the cyber workforce of the Department of Defense, and for other purposes.

Sponsored By: Senator Rounds, Mike [R-SD]

Introduced

Summary

This bill would create a new hiring track in the Department of Defense to recruit and retain senior cyber experts. It authorizes excepted-service cyber positions, flexible pay up to 150% of Level I Executive Schedule, and a Defense Digital Executive Service to compete for high-end talent.

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  • Cyber workers: Enables direct appointments into qualified excepted-service cyber jobs with pay set to comparable federal rates and up to 150 percent of Level I of the Executive Schedule. New hires serve a two-year probationary period.
  • Current DoD staff and veterans: Employees chosen for conversion to the new track can refuse conversion. Hiring must follow veterans' preference rules and standard candidate assessments.
  • Managers and oversight: Requires an implementation plan and annual Office of Personnel Management reports for five years on hires, separations, placements, and incentives. The Comptroller General must assess cross-agency differences in cyber hiring and report within five years.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

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

Higher pay, hiring rules for cyber workers

If enacted, the Secretary of Defense could hire cyber experts outside the usual Title 5 rules. You could be paid up to 150% of the Executive Schedule Level I rate for some cyber jobs. The Secretary could also offer bonuses, relocation and retention incentives, and allowances, but not if you already receive the special maximum basic pay. New hires would serve a two-year probationary period. No extra pay could push your yearly total above the legal cap set under section 104 of title 3. This authority would start 30 days after the Secretary sends an implementation plan to Congress.

New Defense cyber job categories

If enacted, the bill would let the Defense Department create special excepted-service cyber jobs outside the Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System. It would set up a Defense Digital Executive Service like the Senior Executive Service and allow Defense Digital Senior Level roles above GG-15 with limited supervision. The Department could make transfer agreements so people move between these new excepted cyber jobs and competitive-service jobs inside the Department. Current employees chosen for conversion could refuse the move. This authority would start 30 days after the Secretary sends an implementation plan to Congress, and regulations would be written with the Office of Personnel Management.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Rounds, Mike [R-SD]

SD • R

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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