H.R. 10265: White House Fellows Program Authorization Act

This bill would put the White House Fellows Program into federal law and give it formal authorization through fiscal year 2031.

What the program is

The White House Fellows Program is a leadership and public service program that places a small number of promising Americans in high-level federal offices for about one year. Fellows work closely with senior government officials to gain direct experience in how the federal government operates.

What the bill changes

• It creates the White House Fellows Program as a statutory program within the Executive Office of the President.
• It establishes a new President’s Commission on White House Fellowships to carry out the program’s functions.
• It keeps the existing role of the program as a way to recruit, screen, and select Fellows, and to arrange their education and assignments.
• It authorizes federal funding for the Office of Personnel Management to support the program for fiscal years 2027 through 2031.

How Fellows would be selected and serve

• The Commission would recommend between 11 and 19 Fellows each year, depending on available funding.
• Applicants must be U.S. citizens, have a bachelor’s degree, be early in their careers, and show strong leadership potential, moral character, motivation, and future promise.
• Selection must be made without discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, or political affiliation.
• Current federal employees generally would not be eligible, except active-duty military members.
• The President would make the final choice from the Commission’s recommendations.

What Fellows would do

Each Fellow would generally serve for 12 months, with a possible extension of up to 3 additional months. Fellows would be full-time employees of the office or agency they are assigned to and would receive pay and benefits tied to federal General Schedule rates, as determined by the Office of Personnel Management.

Fellows could be assigned to senior officials in the Executive Office of the President, executive departments, federal agencies, or other senior federal offices. The program would also include educational activities such as seminars, roundtable discussions, and study travel.

Administration and reporting

The Office of Personnel Management would provide administrative, budgetary, and personnel support for the program. The Director of OPM could also appoint staff and arrange for other federal agencies to detail personnel to help administer the program.

The Commission would have to report to Congress within one year of enactment and then every year after that. The report would cover:

• how many Fellows were selected;
• where they were assigned;
• how much money was spent;
• any recommendations for changes to improve the program.

Relationship to existing executive orders

The bill says the President could still issue executive orders about the program’s internal administration, as long as they do not conflict with the law. If any part of the current executive order conflicts with the bill, the bill would control.

Relevant Companies

None found