H.R. 7102: Federal Workforce Civics Competency and Accountability Act

This bill, titled the Federal Workforce Civics Competency and Accountability Act, proposes a requirement for federal civilian career employees to pass a citizenship test as a condition for both new appointments and continued employment. Here’s a breakdown of the bill’s main points:

Key Provisions

• Eligibility for Appointment: Individuals who do not pass the citizenship test will be ineligible for appointment to competitive service positions or as career appointees.
• Current Employees: Existing career employees will have to take the citizenship test no later than one year after the bill becomes law. Their continued employment will be contingent on passing this test.
• Annual Testing: Employees will be required to take the citizenship test every year. If an employee fails the test, they will need to retake the complete citizenship test. Failure to pass may result in disciplinary action, including termination.
• Test Format: The citizenship test will consist of questions derived from the standard U.S. citizenship test. For the annual test, employees will answer 20 randomly chosen questions, while a complete test will cover all questions.
• Passing Criteria: To pass, an employee must answer at least 90% of the questions correctly on the complete test, and at least 15 out of 20 on the annual test.
• Administration of the Test: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM), in collaboration with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, will oversee the testing process and develop necessary systems for record-keeping and test administration.
• Resources for Preparation: OPM will provide access to study materials and training resources for employees preparing for the citizenship test.
• Reporting Requirements: The OPM is required to submit annual reports to Congress that detail compliance rates, test results, and any disciplinary actions related to this testing requirement.

Definitions

The bill defines several key terms:

• Career Employee: This includes employees in competitive service positions and those classified as career appointees.
• Career Appointee: This term has a specific legal definition laid out in the relevant U.S. Code.
• Citizenship Test: Refers to the test used to assess eligibility for naturalization under U.S. immigration laws.

Implementation Timeline

If passed, the act would require current federal employees to comply with the new testing requirement within one year. Future applicants would need to pass the citizenship test before being appointed to federal positions.

Relevant Companies

None found.