H.R. 1199 would authorize the Secretary of State to waive job requirements specified by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) for certain positions under the Foreign Affairs series of the General Schedule. Under the bill, the department could waive requirements for education or previous work experience if an employee or applicant otherwise had the scientific, technological, engineering, or mathematical expertise necessary for a position. The department would be required to submit written justification to OPM for each waiver.
CBO expects that implementing the bill would not affect compensation; that is, employees would be paid the same salary and receive the same benefits regardless of whether the department waived job requirements. On the basis of information about the number of department employees under the Foreign Affairs series and the costs of preparing similar reports, CBO estimates that notifying OPM would cost less than $500,000 over the 2021‑2026 period. Such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.
