Sponsors (3)
The bill increases contracting access and competition by limiting unnecessary degree requirements and requiring documentation, but it creates additional administrative work, transitional uncertainty, and risks to consistent skill assessment and service quality.
Small businesses, nontraditional applicants, and government contractors will face fewer automatic disqualifications and can compete using experience-based qualifications, expanding the bidder pool and broadening hiring from non-degree talent.
A larger bidder pool and increased competition may lower acquisition costs for taxpayers by reducing price pressure and procurement inefficiencies.
Federal agencies must document and review any use of education requirements, improving transparency and accountability in contracting decisions.
Contracting officers and agencies will incur additional administrative burden and temporary implementation uncertainty from mandatory written justifications, new OMB-prescribed procedures, and the repeal of existing statutory/FAR provisions.
Restricting degree requirements could make it harder for some agencies to ensure specialized skills and technical competence, potentially affecting service quality or operational safety for taxpayers.
If agencies substitute subjective experience-based proxies, disadvantaged applicants without formal credentials could face inconsistent evaluations and uneven access to contracts.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Stops solicitations from requiring minimum education for contractor staff unless a contracting officer gives a written justification and OMB guidance is followed.
Prohibits federal solicitations from including minimum education requirements for proposed contractor personnel unless a contracting officer provides a written justification explaining why the requirement is necessary and how agency needs will be met. Requires the OMB Director to issue guidance within 180 days on justification content and alternatives to education requirements, makes the rule apply to solicitations issued 15 months after enactment, repeals an existing statutory provision that permitted certain education requirements when OMB guidance becomes effective, and mandates a GAO compliance report to Congress within three years.
Introduced September 9, 2025 by Nancy Mace · Last progress February 24, 2026