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HR 8930

Federal Biotechnology Workforce Assessment Act

119th Congress Introduced by Ro Khanna and 2 co-sponsors

The act requires OPM and federal agencies to assess and project bioscience staffing needs, qualifications, clearances, and training over 5–10 years.

Introduced in House
0
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Bill Summary · HR 8930

Federal Biotechnology Workforce Assessment Act — Summary

Purpose and intent

  • The bill, titled the Federal Biotechnology Workforce Assessment Act, aims to assess the biotechnology workforce needs of certain federal agencies. It directs the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), in coordination with the heads of appropriate federal agencies, to identify current and future biotechnology staffing needs and to evaluate how to strengthen the federal biotechnology workforce.

Key provisions and changes

  • Definitions (Section 2):
    • Appropriations committees: Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee; House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
    • Appropriate Federal Agency: Lists major departments and agencies (e.g., Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Energy, HHS, DHS, Interior, State, Treasury, EPA, NASA, NSF, ODNI, USTR) and allows the Director of OPM to include other agencies deemed appropriate.
    • Biotechnology Position: Any position within an appropriate agency whose primary duties relate to biotechnology or support such duties.
    • Biotechnology Workforce: Individuals holding biotechnology positions.
    • Public-Private Talent Exchanges: Temporary assignments between Federal employees and non-Federal organizations, or vice versa.
  • Federal Biotechnology Workforce Assessment (Section 3):
    • General duty (a): The Director, with heads of appropriate agencies, must identify the biotechnology workforce and assess current and future needs for each appropriate agency.
    • Contents of the assessment (subsection b):
    • For each agency, determine:
      • Total biotechnology positions required as of enactment date, plus projections for 5-year and 10-year horizons.
    • Number of biotechnology positions currently filled.
    • Detailed description of each biotechnology position, including:
      • Role in achieving agency biotech objectives.
      • Required qualifications: seniority level, education, credentials, training, and security clearances (including required infrastructure for clearances).
    • Total number of security clearances needed for identified positions.
    • How many of these clearances can be obtained with current appropriations.
    • Additional appropriations needed to obtain the remaining clearances.
    • Whether current OPM classifications and codes adequately track biotechnology positions within each agency.
    • Feasibility of creating new OPM occupational series or codes for biotechnology positions.
    • Challenges hindering the development of the agency’s biotechnology workforce.
    • Proposed solutions to the challenges identified.
    • Feasibility of training current agency employees to meet biotech needs, including scope of training.
    • Feasibility of detailing current agency staff to other Federal agencies (and vice versa) to meet biotech needs, and any required training.
    • Mechanisms to access outside biotech expertise, including building a pool of prequalified experts (potentially with security clearances) for temporary or intermittent assistance.
    • Mechanisms to develop the agency’s biotech workforce through public-private talent exchanges.
  • Reporting (Section 3, subsection c):
    • Not later than 180 days after enactment, the Director must submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees detailing the findings and assessments described above.

Who is affected

  • Affects personnel policies and planning within multiple federal agencies identified as “appropriate Federal agencies” (e.g., Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Energy, HHS, Homeland Security, Interior, State, Treasury, EPA, NASA, NSF, ODNI, USTR, and potentially others designated by the Director of OPM).
  • Involves agency workforce planning for biotechnology positions, including hiring projections, qualifications, and security clearance needs.
  • Potentially affects OPM’s classification and coding for biotechnology roles, and may influence use of public-private talent exchanges and cross-agency staffing.

Timelines and procedural aspects

  • Enactment date: The act would apply as of the date of enactment.
  • Reporting deadline: A comprehensive assessment and accompanying report must be submitted to the appropriate congressional committees within 180 days of enactment.
  • Long-term planning: The assessment requires 5-year and 10-year projections for biotechnology staffing and needs.

Potential impact

  • Improves visibility into federal biotechnology workforce gaps and future needs.
  • Informs budgeting decisions related to personnel costs, training, and security clearances for biotech positions.
  • Could lead to new or revised OPM classifications or codes for biotechnology roles.
  • Encourages leveraging outside expertise and cross-agency or public-private talent exchanges to address shortages or specialized skills.
  • Provides a framework for strategic workforce planning in federal biotechnology domains, potentially affecting hiring policies, security clearance planning, and interagency staffing arrangements.

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

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