H.R. 9063: Hire American Act

This bill would generally prohibit the federal government from hiring anyone who is not a U.S. citizen or national, with a few specific exceptions.

What it changes

• It adds a new rule to federal employment law saying that, unless an exception applies, no one may be hired as a federal employee unless they are a U.S. citizen or national.
• Before someone is hired, they would have to sign an affidavit stating that they meet the citizenship or nationality requirement.
• The hiring agency would also have to verify that the person meets the requirement.

Exceptions

The citizenship requirement would not apply in a few limited cases:

• Temporary or intermittent translators
• Temporary or intermittent field service workers hired in response to an emergency
• International broadcasters employed by the United States Agency for Global Media
• Nonresident aliens hired as wildland firefighters by the Forest Service or the Department of the Interior for up to 120 days under an agreement with another country

Implementation and reporting

• The Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) would have to issue guidance to federal agencies within 180 days on how to carry out the new rule.
• If agencies hire anyone under the exceptions, OPM would have to publish information in the Federal Register, including:
  • which exception was used,
  • which agency made the hire,
  • how long the appointment lasts, and
  • an explanation of the government’s efforts to hire people who meet the citizenship requirement.
• Within 180 days, OPM would also have to send Congress a report on current employees who are not U.S. citizens or nationals, broken down by agency and position, as well as how many employees are covered by the exceptions.

Penalty for false statements

A person who knowingly makes a false affidavit about meeting the requirement could be fined up to $50,000, imprisoned for up to 5 years, or both.

Employees covered

The bill says the term “employee” includes employees of the U.S. Postal Service and the Postal Regulatory Commission.

Relevant Companies

None found.