H.R. 5161

119th CONGRESS 1st Session

To establish in the Executive Office of the President an Office of Young Americans, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES · September 4, 2025 · Sponsor: Mr. Soto · Committee: Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

Table of contents

• H.R. 5161
  • SEC. 1. Office of Young Americans

SEC. 1. Office of Young Americans

• (a) In general
  • There is established in the Executive Office of the President an Office of Young Americans (referred to in this section as the ), which shall be headed by a Director (referred to in this section as the ).
• (b) Office leadership
  • (1) Appointments
    • (A) In general
      • The President shall appoint the Director and may appoint an Associate Director of the Office.
    • (B) Single Associate Director
      • The President may not appoint an Associate Director to serve in the Office concurrently with another Associate Director.
  • (2) Functions of Director
    • (A) Director
      • The Director shall—
        • (i) identify issues that primarily and substantially affect young Americans, including employment issues, education, mental health, housing, and climate change;
        • (ii) advise the President on—
        • the engagement and involvement of young Americans in the Federal Government; and
        • the issues that primarily and substantially affect young Americans;
        • (iii) support strategic coordination and communication between the Executive Office of the President and Federal agencies with respect to activities pertaining to issues primarily and substantially affecting young Americans;
        • (iv) serve as the principal advisor to the President on all issues primarily and substantially affecting young Americans;
        • (v) make recommendations to the President regarding youth engagement in the Federal Government;
        • (vi) coordinate Federal activities to prepare for, and respond to, issues affecting young Americans and engagement in the Federal Government, by—
        • providing strategic direction to the heads of applicable Federal departments, agencies, and offices;
        • facilitating coordination and communication between such Federal departments, agencies, and offices to improve youth engagement and involvement across all Federal departments; and
        • ensuring that the authorities, capabilities, and expertise of each such department, agency, and office are appropriately leveraged to facilitate the whole-of-government response to issues related to young Americans;
        • (vii) identify opportunities to leverage current and emerging technologies, including through public-private partnerships, as appropriate, to address the future of the Nation’s workforce through the development of skilled young Americans in these fields and advance the preparedness and response goals of the Federal Government;
        • (viii) work with relevant Federal officials to request funding through the President’s Budgets and leverage programs of Federal Agencies to address the issues identified in the reports submitted under subparagraph (e); and
        • (ix) perform such other functions and activities as prescribed by the President.
    • (B) Associate Director
      • The Associate Director of the Office shall perform such functions as the Director may prescribe.
  • (3) Compensation
    • (A) Director
      • The annual rate of basic pay for the Director shall be the rate payable for level II of the Executive Schedule under section 5313 of title 5, United States Code.
    • (B) Associate Director
      • The annual rate of basic pay for the Associate Director shall be the rate determined by the Director not exceeding the rate payable for level III of the Executive Schedule under section 5314 of title 5, United States Code.
• (c) Additional functions of the Director
  • The Director, in addition to the other duties and functions set forth in this section—
    • shall—
      • serve as a member of the Domestic Policy Council; and
      • seek to consult with State, Tribal, local, and territorial governments, industry, academia, professional societies, and other individuals and entities, as the Director deems appropriate, to identify issues that primarily and substantially affect young Americans; and
    • may—
      • use for the administration of the Office, on a reimbursable basis, the available services, equipment, personnel, and facilities of Federal agencies; and
      • hold such hearings in various parts of the United States as the Director determines necessary to determine the views of the entities and individuals described in paragraph (1)(B) and of the general public concerning national needs and trends in—
        • (i) the engagement and involvement of young Americans in the Federal Government; and
        • (ii) issues that primarily and substantially affect young Americans.
• (d) Staffing and detailees
  • In carrying out functions under this section, the Director may—
    • appoint individuals to not more than two full time equivalent positions in the Office;
    • fix the compensation of individuals appointed to such positions at a rate to be determined by the Director, up to the amount of annual compensation (excluding expenses) specified in section 102 of title 3, United States Code; and
    • use the services of consultants, which may include by obtaining services described under section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, at rates not to exceed the rate of basic pay payable for level IV of the Executive Schedule under section 5315 of such title.
• (e) Preparedness outlook reports
  • Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, and not less frequently than once every five years thereafter, the Director, in consultation with the heads of relevant Federal agencies and other officials within the Executive Office of the President, shall submit to the President, the Committees on Finance and on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, and the Committees on Financial Services and on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives, and make publicly available, a report—
    • identifying and describing issues that warrant special attention from the President or the heads of such Federal agencies within the next 5 years regarding issues that primarily and substantially affect young Americans, including the effects of the policies, actions, and personnel of Federal agencies on the engagement and involvement of young Americans in the Federal Government; and
    • providing recommendations and resource requirement for addressing the issues identified under paragraph (1).
• (f) Definitions
  • In this section:
    • The term Federal agency has the meaning given in section 105 of title 5, United States Code. The term has the meaning given in section 105 of title 5, United States Code. Executive agency
    • The term young American means an individual who is a citizen or lawful permanent resident of the United States between the ages of 18 and 40 years old.