§353 Acquisition Professional Career Program

Summary

Creates a Department program to train and hire a group of acquisition professionals. The Under Secretary for Management will run the program. The Under Secretary must pick which job types, grades, and how many positions are in the program and manage them centrally. The Department must post who can apply on its website. The program must recruit from colleges (including schools with acquisition programs, historically Black colleges and universities, and Hispanic-serving institutions), people with nonfederal work experience, and those with military service. The Department must hire eligible people and give them a structured plan of training, on-the-job experience, Department-wide rotations, mentors, shadowing, and other career development. It must also offer extra specialized training, such as small business contracting and innovative acquisition techniques. No later than one year after December 27, 2021, and annually through 2027, the Secretary must report to the House Committee on Homeland Security and the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Each report must cover number approved and started (with general background but no personal data), job-type breakdown, participating offices and rotation times, attrition and post-graduation retention with year-to-year comparison, recruiting efforts, and retention efforts. Definitions: Hispanic-serving institution — defined in section 1101a of title 20. Historically Black colleges and universities — defined in section 1061(2) of title 20. Institution of higher education — defined in section 1001 of title 20.