Federal Biotechnology Workforce Assessment Act

This Act may be cited as the “Federal Biotechnology Workforce Assessment Act”.

In this Act:

(1) Appropriate congressional committees.— The term appropriate congressional committees means—

(A) the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate; and

(B) the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of Representatives.

(2) Appropriate Federal agency.— The term appropriate Federal agency means—

(A) the Department of Agriculture;

(B) the Department of Commerce;

(C) the Department of Defense;

(D) the Department of Energy;

(E) the Department of Health and Human Services;

(F) the Department of Homeland Security;

(G) the Department of the Interior;

(H) the Department of State;

(I) the Department of the Treasury;

(J) the Environmental Protection Agency;

(K) the National Aeronautics and Space Administration;

(L) the National Science Foundation;

(M) the Office of the Director of National Intelligence;

(N) the Office of the United States Trade Representative; or

(O) such other Federal departments and agencies as the Director of the Office of Personnel Management considers appropriate.

(3) Biotechnology position.— The term biotechnology position means a position in an appropriate Federal agency for which the primary duties are—

(A) directly related to biotechnology or carrying out the activities of such appropriate Federal agency with respect to biotechnology; or

(B) supporting the positions at such appropriate Federal agency for which the primary duties are described in subparagraph (A).

(4) Biotechnology workforce.— The term biotechnology workforce means the individuals holding biotechnology positions.

(5) Director.— The term Director means the Director of the Office of Personnel Management.

(6) Public-private talent exchanges.— The term public-private talent exchanges means arrangements involving the temporary assignment of a Federal employee to a non-Federal organization, or the temporary assignment of a non-Federal employee to a Federal agency.

(a) In general.— The Director shall, in coordination with the head of each appropriate Federal agency, identify the biotechnology workforce of each appropriate Federal agency and conduct an assessment of the current and future biotechnology workforce needs of each appropriate Federal agency.

(b) Contents.— The assessment required under subsection (a) shall, with respect to each appropriate Federal agency—

(1) identify the total number of biotechnology positions required in such appropriate Federal agency to support the objectives of such appropriate Federal agency in biotechnology—

(A) as of the date of enactment of this Act; and

(B) over each of the 5-year and 10-year periods beginning on such date;

(2) indicate the number of biotechnology positions identified under paragraph (1) that are filled as of the date of the assessment;

(3) describe each biotechnology position identified under paragraph (1), including—

(A) the role of each such biotechnology position in supporting the objectives of such appropriate Federal agency in biotechnology; and

(B) the qualifications required for each such biotechnology position, including seniority level, education, credentials, training, and security clearances, including the level of security clearance and any required infrastructure with respect to such security clearance;

(4) quantify the total number of security clearances needed for the biotechnology positions identified under paragraph (1);

(5) indicate the number of security clearances identified in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (4) that can be obtained with current appropriations;

(6) quantify the additional appropriations, if any, required to obtain the security clearances identified in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (4);

(7) assess whether the classifications and codes used by the Office of Personnel Management for biotechnology positions in such appropriate Federal agency appropriately tracks and categorizes the biotechnology positions that comprise the biotechnology workforce of such appropriate Federal agency;

(8) assess the feasibility of developing new occupational series or codes by the Office of Personnel Management for biotechnology positions;

(9) identify any challenges affecting the ability of such appropriate Federal agency to develop the biotechnology workforce of such appropriate Federal agency;

(10) propose solutions to the challenges identified under paragraph (8);

(11) assess the practicability and effectiveness of using current employees of such appropriate Federal agency to help meet the biotechnology workforce needs of such appropriate Federal agency with additional training, including the nature and scope of the training required;

(12) assess the practicability and effectiveness of detailing current employees of such appropriate Federal agency to and from other Federal agencies to meet biotechnology workforce needs of such appropriate Federal agency and such other Federal agencies, and whether additional training may be required, including the nature and scope of any such required training;

(13) identify mechanisms to enable such appropriate Federal agency to access outside expertise on biotechnology, including mechanisms to assemble a pool of outside experts who have been prequalified (including by obtaining any necessary security clearances) to assist such appropriate Federal agency on matters relating to biotechnology as needed on a temporary or intermittent basis; and

(14) identify mechanisms to enable such appropriate Federal agency to develop the biotechnology workforce of such appropriate Federal agency through the use of public-private talent exchanges.

(c) Report.— Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the findings assessments completed under subsection (a), including the information described in subsection (b).