119th CONGRESS 1st Session |
December 16, 2025
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
To provide for mandatory training for Federal Government supervisors and the assessment of management competencies, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
This Act may be cited as the “Federal Supervisor Education Act”.
SEC. 2. Mandatory training programs for supervisors.
(a) In general.—Section 4121 of title 5, United States Code, is amended to read as follows:
“§ 4121. Specific training programs
“(a) Definitions.—In this section—
“(1) the term ‘program’ has the meaning given that term in section 1122(a)(1)(C) of title 31; and
“(2) the term ‘supervisor’ means—
“(A) a supervisor (as that term is defined in section 7103(a)(10));
“(B) a management official (as that term is defined under such section); or
“(C) any other employee as the Director of the Office of Personnel Management may by regulation prescribe.
“(b) Establishment of training programs.—In consultation with the Office of Personnel Management, the head of each agency shall establish—
“(1) a comprehensive management succession program to provide training to employees to develop managers for the agency; and
“(A) under which supervisors have individual development plans, established by the head, that provide for training on actions, options, and strategies a supervisor may use in—
“(i) developing and discussing relevant performance goals and objectives with the employee and ensuring the performance goals and objectives align to the mission and priority goals of the agency;
“(ii) communicating and discussing progress relative to performance goals and objectives, and conducting performance appraisals;
“(iii) mentoring and coaching employees and improving employee engagement, performance, and productivity;
“(iv) fostering a work environment characterized by fairness, respect, equal opportunity, and attention paid to the merit of the work of employees;
“(v) effectively managing employees with unacceptable performance, including training to understand the disciplinary options and procedures available to the supervisor;
“(vi) effectively using the probationary period to examine whether an employee has demonstrated successful performance or conduct to continue past the probationary period;
“(vii) addressing reports of a hostile work environment, retaliation, or harassment of, or by, another supervisor or employee;
“(viii) meeting supervisor competencies established by the Office of Personnel Management or the employing agency of the supervisor; and
“(ix) collaborating with human resources employees to recruit, select, appraise, and reward employees to build a workforce based on organizational goals, budget considerations, and staffing needs;
“(B) to provide training to supervisors on the prohibited personnel practices under section 2302, employee rights, and the procedures and processes used to enforce employee rights; and
“(C) under which experienced supervisor mentors are identified, evaluated, and approved to provide guidance and advice to new or underperforming supervisors to—
“(i) transfer knowledge and advice in areas such as communication, critical thinking, responsibility, flexibility, motivating and engaging employees, teamwork, leadership, and professional development; and
“(ii) identify strengths and areas for development.
“(c) Requirements for training design.—Training in the program components established under subparagraphs (A) and (B) of subsection (b)(2) shall—
“(1) be designed using principles of adult learning and an industry standard instructional design model; and
“(2) to the extent practicable, as determined by the agency, be training that is instructor-based.
“(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the date an individual is appointed to the position of supervisor, such individual shall be required to have completed each program component established under subsection (b)(2).
“(B) EXTENSIONS.—The Director of the Office of Personnel Management may establish and administer procedures under which an agency may extend the 1-year period described under subparagraph (A) with respect to an individual.
“(2) SUBSEQUENT TRAINING.—After completion of a program component under subparagraphs (A) and (B) of subsection (b)(2), each supervisor shall be required to complete each program component under such subparagraphs not less frequently than once every 3 years.
“(3) CREDIT FOR SIMILAR TRAINING.—Each program component established under subsection (b)(2) shall include provisions under which the agency gives a supervisor credit toward a period of training that the agency determines is similar to training that the supervisor previously completed.
“(4) EFFECTIVENESS EVALUATION.—Each agency shall measure the effectiveness of training program components established under subsection (b)(2).
“(e) Information on developmental opportunities.—An agency shall make available, in a manner that may be determined by the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, to each supervisor—
“(1) a detailed list of developmental opportunities available to the supervisor; and
“(2) the policies of the agency for requiring supervisor development.
“(f) Regulations.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the Federal Supervisor Education Act, and notwithstanding section 4118(c), the Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall prescribe regulations to carry out this section, including the monitoring of agency compliance with this section. Regulations prescribed under this subsection shall include measures by which to assess the effectiveness of agency supervisor training programs.”.
(b) Regulations.—Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall prescribe regulations under section 4121(f) of title 5, United States Code, as amended by subsection (a) of this section.
(c) Effective date and application.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The amendments made by this section shall take effect 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act.
(2) APPLICABILITY.—The amendments made by this section shall apply to—
(A) each individual appointed to the position of a supervisor (as that term is defined in section 4121(a) of title 5, United States Code, as added by subsection (a) of this section) on or after the effective date in paragraph (1); and
(B) each individual who is employed in the position of a supervisor on the effective date in paragraph (1).
SEC. 3. Management competencies.
(a) In general.—Chapter 43 of title 5, United States Code, is amended—
(1) by redesignating section 4305 as section 4306; and
(2) by inserting after section 4304 the following:
“§ 4305. Management competencies
“(a) Definition.—In this section, the term ‘supervisor’ has the meaning given that term in section 4121(a).
“(b) Guidance.—The Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall issue guidance to agencies on competencies supervisors are expected to meet in order to effectively manage, and be accountable for managing, the performance of employees to fulfill the organizational goals and mission of the agency.
“(c) Assessment by agencies.—Based on guidance issued under subsection (b) and on any additional competencies developed by an agency, each agency shall assess the performance of the supervisors and the overall capacity of the supervisors in that agency.”.
(b) Technical and conforming amendments.—
(1) TABLE OF SECTIONS.—The table of sections for chapter 43 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by striking the item relating to section 4305 and inserting the following:
“4305. Management competencies
“4306. Regulations”.
(2) REFERENCE.—Section 4304(b)(3) of title 5, United States Code, is amended by striking “section 4305” and inserting “section 4306”.
Passed the House of Representatives December 15, 2025.
| Attest: | kevin f. mccumber, |
| Clerk. |