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<PRE>[DOCID: f:h2403ih.txt]






107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2403

 To direct the head of each executive agency to conduct a study on the 
     improvement of employment readiness in the respective agency.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 28, 2001

 Ms. Millender-McDonald (for herself and Mr. Manzullo) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Government 
                                 Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To direct the head of each executive agency to conduct a study on the 
     improvement of employment readiness in the respective agency.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Readiness for Work Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds as follows:
            (1) The United States workforce will experience profound 
        demographic shifts as individuals born after 1945 and before 
        1965, commonly referred to as ``baby boomers'', retire from 
        employment.
            (2) According to the United States Census Bureau, by 2010, 
        while the number of individuals whose age is between 24 and 55 
        years will have increased by only 1.5 million, the number of 
        people whose age is between 54 and 65 years will have increased 
        by 11.3 million.
            (3) Of the civilian employees of the Federal Government, 
        excluding the employees of the United States Postal Service, 32 
        percent are 50 years of age or older. By contrast, 20 percent 
        of employees in the private sector are 50 years of age or 
        older.
            (4) Ten percent of Federal employees are eligible to 
        retire, and another 20 percent will be eligible to retire in 5 
        years or less.
            (5) In 1998, the average age of the 62,000 Federal 
        employees who took voluntary, non-disability retirement was 
        59.4.
            (6) The Federal Government should prepare for the loss of 
        retiring senior executive and mid-level personnel, including 
        by--
                    (A) requiring agencies to conduct assessments of 
                their future needs for employees; and
                    (B) after reviewing such assessments, establishing 
                Government-wide guidelines for promoting the readiness 
                of individuals to compete and perform in the Federal 
                workforce.

SEC. 3. STUDIES ON PROGRAMS REGARDING READINESS FOR EMPLOYMENT IN 
              EXECUTIVE AGENCIES.

    (a) In General.--The head of each executive agency shall conduct a 
study to--
            (1) identify Federal programs that are--
                    (A) administered or participated in by the 
                executive agency; and
                    (B) used for the improvement of the readiness of 
                individuals to compete and perform as applicants for 
                employment and employees in that executive agency; and
            (2) formulate recommendations for Federal use of such 
        programs and establishment of new programs, for improving such 
        readiness.
    (b) Focus.--In formulating recommendations under this section, the 
head of each executive agency shall consider the employment readiness 
of individuals generally and the employment readiness of socially and 
economically disadvantaged workers (including female and racial or 
ethnic minority workers who are so disadvantaged), new workers, 
displaced workers, and under-skilled workers.
    (c) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the head of each executive agency shall submit a report to 
the Congress on the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the 
study conducted by the agency head.
    (d) Executive Agency Defined.--For purposes of this section, the 
term ``executive agency'' includes any executive department or agency, 
and any independent establishment of the United States.
                                 &lt;all&gt;

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