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HR 7003

BIS STRENGTH Act

119th Congress Introduced by Julie Johnson and 5 co-sponsors

The bill lets BIS hire up to 25 non-civil-service experts for up to 5 years, with pay up to VP-level, to fill identified expertise gaps and strengthen national security missions.

Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
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Bill Summary · HR 7003

Summary of Bill: H.R. 7003 (119th Congress) – BIS STRENGTH Act

Title: BIS STRENGTH Act (BIS Strategic Talent Recruitment to Enhance National Guardrails for Technological Handling)

Sponsor(s): Reps. Shreve, Kamlager, Sherman, Lawler, Johnson, Wilson (and others as listed); Co-sponsors include Sydney Kamlager, Brad Sherman, Jefferson Shreve, Joe Wilson, Julie Johnson

Committee Actions: Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and, in parallel, to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Reported out on April 22, 2026 (Yeas 42, Nays 2).

Date Introduced: January 9, 2026

1) Main Purpose and Intent

  • The bill would authorize the Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security (BIS) to recruit and hire highly qualified experts from outside the federal civil service for the BIS, to fill identified expertise gaps that impede BIS’s mission.
  • The aim is to bolster BIS capabilities by attracting specialized talent quickly, especially in areas where traditional civil service hiring has proven difficult.

2) Key Provisions and Changes

  • Section 2(a) General Authority
    • BIS Under Secretary may: 1) Conduct an annual study to identify gaps in BIS expertise that hinder fulfilling BIS’s mandate. 2) Appoint non-civil-service personnel (from outside the civil service) to BIS positions to address identified gaps. 3) Set pay for these appointed positions at rates not exceeding the maximum for senior-level federal positions, adjusted for locality-based pay (as provided in 5 U.S.C. 5376 and 5304), and notwithstanding typical pay/classification restrictions in Title 5.
  • Section 2(b) Term of Appointment
    • Non-civil-service appointments may generally last up to 5 years.
    • Extensions of up to 1 additional year may be granted if necessary to promote national security or U.S. foreign policy.
  • Section 2(c) Compensation Cap
    • Total annual compensation for an individual under this authority cannot exceed the maximum annual compensation paid to the Vice President (per 3 U.S.C. §104).
  • Section 2(d) Cap on Number of Experts
    • The number of highly qualified experts appointed and retained under this authority is limited to 25 at any given time.
  • Section 2(e) Reporting Requirement
    • A biannual reporting framework to specified committees (Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; House Oversight and Government Reform; House Foreign Affairs) is established.
    • Reports must include:
    • Identified expertise gaps.
    • Civil service steps taken to fill those gaps.
    • The number of individuals appointed under this authority in the relevant period.
    • Qualifications and duties of those individuals.
    • The impact of those individuals on BIS mission execution.
    • Initial report due within 180 days after enactment; subsequent reports on a yearly cycle (for the period specified).
  • Section 2(f) Savings Provisions
    • If authority terminates, existing appointees can complete the remainder of their appointment term or the extended period, whichever is shorter, without a pay reduction so long as they remain in service.
  • Section 2(g) Construction
    • The bill does not waive background checks or general qualifications requirements for BIS appointments.
  • Section 2(h) Termination
    • The authority in this section expires 5 years after enactment.

3) Who or What Is Affected

  • BIS Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security (primary agency)
  • BIS operations and mission areas requiring specialized expertise (e.g., licensing, enforcement, export controls, technology security)
  • Prospective non-civil-service hires (up to 25 concurrently), with pay set to senior-level, locality-adjusted rates, not exceeding VP-level total compensation
  • Legislative committees and oversight bodies via new reporting requirements

4) Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • Effective period: Authority lasts for 5 years from enactment.
  • Initial implementation: Annual gap analysis and identification of expertise needs; first report due within 180 days post-enactment, followed by annual or period-based reports.
  • Restrictions: Background checks and qualifications remain applicable; pay and appointment terms capped; number of expert appointments capped at 25.

Potential Impacts and Considerations

  • Pros:
    • Faster access to specialized talent to address critical BIS gaps.
    • Enhanced capability to fulfill BIS’s national security and foreign policy-related mandates.
    • Clear oversight via annual reporting to Congress.
  • Cons/ cautions:
    • Temporary bypass of certain civil service hiring norms, which may raise questions about civil service protections and career paths.
    • Financial implications of higher-than-Civil-Service pay for a limited pool of experts.
    • Need to ensure robust background checks and appropriate guardrails given sensitive export-control and technology-security responsibilities.

If you’d like, I can provide a side-by-side comparison with BIS’s existing hiring authorities and a potential implementation timeline with milestone examples.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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