{"format":1,"id":"118-hr-159","congress":118,"number":"H.R. 159","kind":"bill","group":"bills","title":"Chance to Compete Act of 2023","title_source":"Short Title(s) as Passed House","official_title":"To implement merit-based reforms to the civil service hiring system that replace degree-based hiring with skills- and competency-based hiring, and for other purposes.","titles":[{"type":"Official Title as Introduced","title":"To implement merit-based reforms to the civil service hiring system that replace degree-based hiring with skills- and competency-based hiring, and for other purposes."},{"type":"Display Title","title":"Chance to Compete Act of 2023"},{"type":"Short Titles from RFS (Referred to Senate) bill text","title":"Chance to Compete Act of 2023"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Passed House","title":"Chance to Compete Act of 2023"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Introduced","title":"Chance to Compete Act of 2023"}],"outcome":"passed_house","law_number":null,"introduced":"2023-01-09","chambers":{"house":{"status":"roll_call","date":"2023-01-24","vote":{"id":"118-2023-h32","question":"On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended","title":"Chance to Compete Act of 2023","result":"Passed","yea":422,"nay":2,"present":0,"not_voting":10,"source":"https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2023/roll032.xml"}},"senate":{"status":"na","date":null,"vote":null}},"president":{"status":"na","date":null},"vice_president_tie_breaker":null,"latest_action":{"text":"Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.","date":"2023-01-25"},"nominees":null,"amendments":[],"other_votes":[],"crs_summary":{"date":"2023-01-24","stage":"Passed House","blocks":[{"k":"h","t":"Chance to Compete Act of 2023"},{"k":"p","t":"This bill modifies examination requirements and other components of the federal hiring process for positions in the competitive service."},{"k":"p","t":"Specifically, the bill provides that a qualifying examination includes a résumé review that is conducted by a subject matter expert. Additionally, beginning two years after the bill's enactment, the bill prohibits examinations from consisting solely of a self-assessment from an automated examination, a résumé review that is not conducted by a subject matter expert, or any other method of assessing an applicant's experience or education; an agency may waive these requirements when necessary but must report any such waivers and may not use waivers to fill more than 10% of agency positions."},{"k":"p","t":"Agencies may use subject matter experts to develop position-specific technical assessments that allow applicants to demonstrate job-related skills, abilities, and knowledge; assessments may include structured interviews, work-related exercises, procedures to measure career-related qualifications and interests, or other similar assessments. The bill also allows agencies to establish talent teams to support and improve hiring practices."},{"k":"p","t":"The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must create online platforms through which agencies may share and customize technical assessments and share the résumés of qualifying applicants. The OPM must also create online platforms with information about (1) the types of assessments used and hiring outcomes, (2) educational requirements for certain positions and related justifications, and (3) authorities and programs that support agency recruitment and retention."}],"words":236},"summary":{"main_subject":{"text":"Changes how federal agencies examine applicants for competitive service positions by defining 'examination' in law, limiting reliance on self-assessments and non-expert résumé reviews, and requiring the Office of Personnel Management to create hiring tools and reports.","cites":[{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/159/text/eh#H200E9DFECE79401E8556E6F139EF3031"},{"label":"Sec. 4","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/159/text/eh#H75BD4D98CB9C431D9545D978E625656C"},{"label":"Sec. 5","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/159/text/eh#H9CB30818B6864984B530B9E0BD66109B"},{"label":"Sec. 6","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/159/text/eh#H1CD342FE73E24743ADDDCF1EC5EF2428"}]},"core_areas":["Definition of examination for competitive service hiring","Technical assessments and subject matter experts","Waivers of examination requirements","Office of Personnel Management online tools and reports","Minimum educational requirements for positions","Sharing of certificates of eligibles and résumés","Agency talent teams","Privacy Act records for hiring actions"],"what_it_does":[{"text":"Amends title 5, United States Code, to define 'examination' as an opportunity to demonstrate knowledge, skills, abilities and competencies through a passing score assessment, including a résumé review conducted by a subject matter expert.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/159/text/eh#H200E9DFECE79401E8556E6F139EF3031"}},{"text":"Allows an agency's Chief Human Capital Officer to waive the bar on relying alone on self-assessments or other résumé reviews, requires waivers to be posted publicly, and limits waivers to not more than 10 percent of an agency's positions filled through competitive hiring procedures in a fiscal year.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/159/text/eh#H200E9DFECE79401E8556E6F139EF3031"}},{"text":"Requires the Director of the Office of Personnel Management to operate an online platform on which examining agencies share and customize technical assessments.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/159/text/eh#H200E9DFECE79401E8556E6F139EF3031"}},{"text":"Requires the Director to establish an online tool on which appointing authorities share the résumés of individuals on certificates of eligibles, and to provide Congress a plan with estimated costs.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 4","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/159/text/eh#H75BD4D98CB9C431D9545D978E625656C"}},{"text":"Requires the Director to review examinations for positions that have a minimum educational requirement and to create an online tool listing the duties requiring those requirements and the information that justifies them.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 5","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/159/text/eh#H9CB30818B6864984B530B9E0BD66109B"}},{"text":"Allows an agency to establish talent teams that provide hiring support, including improving examinations, facilitating the writing of job announcements, and sharing certificates of eligibles.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 6","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/159/text/eh#H1CD342FE73E24743ADDDCF1EC5EF2428"}}],"unexpected":[],"version":{"type":"Engrossed in House","date":"2023-01-24","rule":"passed","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/159/text/eh"},"current":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","approved":"2026-10-03","approved_by":"checks"},"sources":{"congress_gov":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/159","text":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/159/text"},"card":{"image":"card/item/118-hr-159.png","v":"a58ce0970505","alt":"Votes on Record. H.R. 159, 118th Congress: Chance to Compete Act of 2023. House: 422 Yea, 2 Nay. Outcome: Passed House, 24 Jan 2023."}}