Sponsors (8)
The bill expands federal hiring pathways and training supports for people without bachelor’s degrees and increases hiring transparency, but it creates administrative and enforcement burdens, risks gaps or misclassification in coverage, and could require additional federal spending.
Job seekers without bachelor’s degrees (including apprentices, community college grads, veterans, bootcamp completers, and workers with relevant experience) gain a clearer pathway into federal jobs through a STAR hiring track and alternative-qualification rules.
Federal hiring will face stricter scrutiny of degree requirements and more transparency/audit reviews, reducing unnecessary credential barriers and making hiring more consistent and accountable across the executive branch.
Federal employees who enter the STAR program would have access to tuition assistance, apprenticeships, fellowships, and scholarships to upgrade skills and advance their careers while employed.
Federal agencies and OPM will likely face increased administrative and enforcement burdens (staff time, rule changes, audits), which could slow hiring and strain agency capacity unless matched with new resources.
Positions that legitimately require specialized academic training could be misclassified under relaxed degree rules, risking hires with lower qualifications for some mission‑critical roles.
Limiting the definition of ‘employee’ to appointments under 5 U.S.C. § 2101 may leave contractors, some non‑career appointees, or other workers outside the Act’s coverage, creating unequal access to benefits or protections.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Limits agency degree requirements, requires OPM to set alternative-qualification rules and a STAR hiring path, and orders a study on training/education pathways for non‑degree federal workers.
Official title: To remove educational barriers to Federal employment for workers who are skilled through alternative routes, and for other purposes.
Introduced July 6, 2026 by S. Raja Krishnamoorthi · Last progress July 6, 2026
Requires OPM to limit agency degree requirements, set acceptable alternative qualifications, and create a dedicated hiring path for "STAR" workers — individuals in the labor force without a bachelor’s degree who have job-ready skills from alternative routes. Also directs OPM and OMB to study the feasibility and resources needed for a program giving STAR employees access to fellowships, apprenticeships, tuition assistance, and other training while employed, with a report due to Congress within 180 days.