Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5235, the Skills-Based Federal Contracting Act, which reins in unnecessary degree requirements in Federal contracting. The Federal Government relies heavily on contract employees. Many jobs in fields like IT and building construction are available through nondegree pathways such as apprenticeships and boot camps. That is why private-sector employers have pared back degree requirements for hiring in recent years.
H.R. 5235: Skills-Based Federal Contracting Act of 2025
Introduced Sep 9, 20252 cosponsors
Sponsor
Nancy Mace
Republican · SC-1
Bill Progress
IntroducedSep 9
Committee
Pass HouseFeb 23
Pass Senate
Signed
Law
Latest Action · Feb 24, 2026
1/2
Passed the House, received in Senate
Skills over diplomas for federal contract jobs
3 min readLast updated June 14, 2026
Why it matters
Roughly two-thirds of American adults don't hold a bachelor's degree, yet a diploma is often the first filter for work on federal contracts. H.R. 5235 flips the default: agencies could no longer require a degree for contractor jobs unless they put in writing why one is truly needed.
Federal contractors staff a huge share of government work, and the solicitations they bid on routinely demand a minimum degree. H.R. 5235 bars that as the automatic default. A contracting officer can still require education, but only after writing down why the agency's needs can't be met without it.
The rule reaches further than diploma-only listings. It also covers requirements you could meet through education or experience, or a blend of the two, so agencies can't quietly slip the screen back in under a different label.
This isn't instant. The Office of Management and Budget gets 180 days to write guidance telling agencies how to document and review any education requirement, and to push them toward alternatives. The new rules then apply only to solicitations issued 15 months after the bill becomes law. An older rule governing education requirements in federal IT contracting gets repealed once the OMB guidance kicks in, and the Government Accountability Office reviews how well agencies are complying within three years.
H.R. 5235 Bill Summary
What H.R. 5235 actually does.
1
Degree requirements can't be the default
Federal contract solicitations couldn't require a minimum education level for contractor personnel unless the contracting officer includes a written justification.
2
Agencies must put the reason in writing
A contracting officer would have to explain why the agency's needs cannot be met without the education requirement and how the requirement ensures those needs are met.
3
Loopholes through 'education or experience' are closed
The rule covers not just degree-only listings but also requirements met through education, education or experience, or a combination of both.
4
OMB writes the playbook in 180 days
Within 180 days of enactment, OMB must tell agencies how to document, justify, and review any education requirement, and encourage alternatives to it.
5
A 15-month runway before it bites
The new rules would apply only to solicitations issued 15 months after enactment, giving agencies time to rework their contracting language.
6
Old IT contracting rule repealed, compliance audited
An older statutory rule on education requirements in federal IT contracting is repealed once the OMB guidance takes effect, and GAO reviews agency compliance within 3 years.
Who benefits from H.R. 5235?
Skilled workers without a four-year degree
Nearly two in three U.S. adults don't hold a bachelor's degree. Many could compete for federal contract roles that a diploma requirement currently screens out.
Veterans and military-trained technicians
People who learned trades and IT skills in the service could lean on that experience instead of being filtered out for lacking a campus credential.
Federal contractors and subcontractors
Companies could staff contracts based on certifications, hands-on skills, and work history rather than formal degrees.
Agencies struggling to fill hard-to-hire roles
A wider candidate pool could make it easier to find qualified people in specialized fields where talent is scarce.
Who is affected by H.R. 5235?
Contracting officers
They take on new paperwork: any time they want an education requirement in a solicitation, they have to document and justify it.
Executive agencies issuing service contracts
They would need to rewrite standard qualification language and shift toward skills-based criteria unless a degree requirement is justified.
Workers in roles where degrees stay required
Some specialized positions may still carry education requirements, but agencies would have to spell out why.
Degree-based credential pipelines
College credentials may carry less automatic weight in federal contracting where experience can substitute more easily.
On the Record
What Congress Is Saying
H.R. 5235 has come up 7 times in the Congressional Record so far.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5235. This bill makes it easier for Americans who have valuable skills and experience to be hired as contractors, even if they don't have college degrees. It gets rid of minimum education and experience requirements that don't make sense in some of these Federal contracting solicitations. That is not to say a college education isn't valuable; but, too often, Federal agencies put unnecessary degree requirements on contractor positions. These unnecessary requirements hurt a lot of people.
H.R. 5235 also appeared in 2 routine cosponsor filings.
HR5235 Legislative Journey
Committee Action
Feb 24, 2026
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
House: Vote Held
Feb 23, 2026
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H2247)
House: Vote: 44-0
Dec 2, 2025
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 44 - 0.
House: Committee Action
Sep 9, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
About the Sponsor
Nancy Mace
Republican, South Carolina's 1st congressional district · 5 years in Congress
Committees: Armed Services, Oversight and Government Reform, Veterans' Affairs
View full profile →
Cosponsors (2)
No new cosponsors in 189 days — momentum stalled
All 2 cosponsors are Democrats. Cosponsors represent 2 states: Illinois, Washington.
2Democrats·2 states
Committee Sponsors
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
7D8R
|0 signed15 not yet0 of 15 committee members cosponsored
No committee members have cosponsored this bill
Oversight and Government Reform Committee
21D26R
|1 signed46 not yet1 of 47 committee members cosponsored
34 Republicans across these committees haven't cosponsored yet. Mobilize their constituents
H.R. 5235 Quick Facts
Cosponsors
2
- Committee
- Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
- Chamber
- House
- Policy
- Government Operations and Politics
- Introduced
- Sep 9, 2025
Passed the House, received in Senate
Feb 24, 2026
Official Sources
H.R. 5235 on Congress.gov
The official record for the Skills-Based Federal Contracting Act, including text, actions, and current Senate status.
41 U.S.C. Chapter 33 — Planning and Solicitation
The procurement chapter of the U.S. Code where the bill adds a new section 3313 governing contractor education requirements.
FAR 39.104 — Information Technology Services
The existing Federal Acquisition Regulation rule limiting education requirements in IT contracting that this bill's repeal provision targets.
41 U.S.C. 133 — Definition of 'Executive Agency'
The statutory definition the bill uses to set which agencies the new contracting rules apply to.
Office of Management and Budget
OMB must issue the implementing guidance for agencies within 180 days of enactment.
GAO Federal Contracting
The Government Accountability Office, which the bill directs to review agency compliance within three years.
H.R. 5235 Common Questions
Can you be turned down for a federal contract job just for not having a degree?
Under H.R. 5235, generally no. A federal solicitation couldn't require a minimum degree for contractor personnel unless the contracting officer writes a justification explaining why the work can't be done without it.
Does H.R. 5235 ban degree requirements completely?
No. Agencies can still require education, but only after a contracting officer documents in writing why the agency's needs can't be met without it and how the requirement helps meet them. The default flips from 'degree required' to 'justify it first.'
Can agencies get around it by asking for 'education or experience' instead?
No. The bill defines an education requirement broadly: it covers education alone, education or experience, and any combination of the two. That closes the obvious workaround.
When would the new federal contracting rules actually take effect?
They apply only to solicitations issued 15 months after the bill becomes law. Separately, OMB has 180 days after enactment to issue guidance telling agencies how to document and review any education requirement.
Who does H.R. 5235 apply to?
Executive agencies and the federal contractor personnel who bid on their solicitations. It targets the qualification rules baked into federal contract listings government-wide.
Will anyone check whether agencies actually follow the rules?
Yes. The Government Accountability Office must evaluate how well executive agencies are complying and report back to Congress within 3 years of enactment.
Has H.R. 5235 passed Congress yet?
Not fully. The House passed it by voice vote in February 2026 after a 44-0 committee vote. It's now in the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, where it needs to advance before becoming law.
Based on H.R. 5235 bill text
H.R. 5235 Bill Text
“To amend title 41, United States Code, to prohibit minimum educational requirements for proposed contractor personnel in certain contract solicitations, and for other purposes.”
Source: U.S. Government Publishing Office
Bill Alerts
Get notified when H.R. 5235 moves
Committee votes, floor action, cosponsor changes — straight to your inbox.
Bill alerts + Legisletter's monthly briefing. Unsubscribe anytime.
Government Operations and Politics Bills
9 related bills we're tracking
H.R. 1065
Protect Our Letter Carriers Act of 2025
Brian FitzpatrickR-PA
+181
185 cosponsors
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Feb 6, 2025
HouseGovernment Operations and Politics
H.R. 2086
Rights for the TSA Workforce Act
Bennie ThompsonD-MS
+148
152 cosponsors
Referred to the Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security.
Mar 11, 2025
HouseGovernment Operations and Politics
H.R. 5657
Fair Pay for Federal Contractors Act of 2025
Ayanna PressleyD-MA
+131
135 cosponsors
Referred to the Committee on Appropriations, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Sep 30, 2025
HouseGovernment Operations and Politics
H.R. 7296
SAVE America Act
Chip RoyR-TX
+107
111 cosponsors
Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.
Jan 30, 2026
HouseGovernment Operations and Politics
H.R. 22
SAVE Act
Chip RoyR-TX
+106
110 cosponsors
Received in the Senate.
Apr 10, 2025
HouseGovernment Operations and Politics
H.R. 492
Saving the Civil Service Act
Gerald ConnollyD-VA
+94
98 cosponsors
ASSUMING FIRST SPONSORSHIP - Mr. Walkinshaw asked unanimous consent that he may hereafter be considered as the first sponsor of H.R. 492, a bill originally introduced by Representative Connolly, for the purpose of adding cosponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII. Agreed to without objection.
Sep 16, 2025
HouseGovernment Operations and Politics
H.R. 4894
Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act of 2025
Jennifer McClellanD-VA
+30
34 cosponsors
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Aug 5, 2025
HouseGovernment Operations and Politics
H.R. 2332
SHARE Act of 2025
Tracey MannR-KS
+24
28 cosponsors
Referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Mar 25, 2025
HouseGovernment Operations and Politics
S. 1668
End Crypto Corruption Act of 2025
Jeff MerkleyD-OR
+21
25 cosponsors
Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 71.
May 8, 2025
SenateGovernment Operations and Politics
Trending Right Now
Bills gaining momentum across Congress
H.R. 3747
AADAPT Act
Troy BaldersonR-OH
+78
82 cosponsors
+2 this monthOrdered to be Reported by the Yeas and Nays: 48 - 0.
May 21, 2026
HouseHealth
H.R. 7230
Buying American Cotton Act of 2026
Gregory MurphyR-NC
+72
76 cosponsors
+4 this monthReferred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
Jan 22, 2026
HouseTaxation
H.R. 3045
West Bank Violence Prevention Act of 2025
Jerrold NadlerD-NY
+146
150 cosponsors
+2 this monthReferred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Apr 28, 2025
HouseInternational Affairs
Tracking Government Operations and Politics in Congress? Monitor bills, track cosponsor momentum, and launch advocacy campaigns — all from one advocacy platform.