Senate advances bill to eliminate education requirements in federal contracting jobs

Source: FEDSCOOP

House-passed bill to scrap educational requirements in federal contracting jobs cleared a key Senate panel Thursday, putting it on track for a vote before the full chamber.

The Skills-Based Federal Contracting Act (H.R. 5235) advanced out of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee by a 10-0 vote. No senators commented on the legislation during the business meeting.    

The bill, led by Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., would block federal solicitations from including any minimum education standards, unless the contracting officer provides a written justification on why the agency needs an exemption.

“Washington created the paper ceiling. This bill tears it down,” Mace said in a statement. “A four-year degree should not be a government-mandated checkbox when hardworking Americans have already proven they can do the job. Demonstrated ability should open doors in this country.”

The legislation passed the House in February and has been a pet project of Mace’s for years. She previously recounted testimony from an IBM executive who said “federal contractors are rarely able to place an individual without a four-year degree on a technology services contract, regardless of their qualifications.”

While much of the federal contracting space is focused on IT, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and modernization, the South Carolina Republican told her colleagues before that February vote that the issue extends “beyond technology and service contracts,” impacting work across government. 

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