PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
Congressional Research Service
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People & committees
Rep. Fuller, Clay [R-GA-14] · R–GA
Legislative record
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Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Sep 22, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2026-09-03 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
The proposed White House Fellows Program Authorization Act would give the fellowship program a statutory framework. It would offer eligible U.S. citizens early in their careers paid, full-time experience working with senior federal officials, generally for 12 months. A presidential commission would oversee selection and education. The bill would authorize future funding for fiscal years 2027–2031, but would not itself provide that money.
This Act may be cited as the White House Fellows Program Authorization Act.
There is established in the Executive Office of the President a program to be known as the White House Fellows Program
(1) be a citizen of the United States; (2) have completed an undergraduate degree; (3) be early in his or her chosen career;
Except as provided in subsection (b), a fellowship under the Program shall be for a term of 12 months
A Fellow shall serve as a full-time employee of the agency or office to which the Fellow is assigned and shall receive pay and benefits
Fellows shall be assigned to serve senior officials of the Executive Office of the President, the heads of executive departments and agencies, or other senior Federal officials
The Commission shall— (1) establish criteria and procedures for the recruitment, screening, and selection of Fellows, consistent with section 5; (2) recommend to the President the individuals to be selected as Fellows in each program year; (3) design and oversee an educational program for Fellows, including seminars, roundtable discussions, and study travel
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Office of Personnel Management such sums as may be necessary to carry out this Act for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031.
The bill's findings state that Executive Order 11183 established the program on October 3, 1964, and that it has never been authorized by statute. They describe continuity and stable administration and funding as reasons to put the program into law. These are the bill's stated background and rationale, not demonstrated future effects.
The White House Fellows Program was established by Executive Order 11183, issued October 3, 1964
Despite its longstanding contribution to public service and leadership development, the Program has never been authorized by statute.
Codifying the Program in law will ensure its continuity, provide a stable statutory basis for its administration and funding, and formally recognize its value to the United States Government.
The bill would establish the program in the Executive Office of the President and establish a commission continuing the functions performed under Executive Order 11183, as amended, at enactment.
There is established in the Executive Office of the President a program to be known as the White House Fellows Program
There is established the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships (in this Act referred to as the Commission), which shall continue the functions performed under Executive Order 11183 (as amended) as of the date of enactment of this Act.
The President would appoint up to 30 unpaid commission members and choose its chair. Members would be private U.S. citizens selected on a nonpartisan basis to broadly represent the country's regions, professions, and backgrounds. They would serve for as long as the President wishes.
The Commission shall be composed of not more than 30 members, appointed by the President, who shall serve without compensation for their service on the Commission.
Members shall be private citizens of the United States broadly representative of the regions, professions, and backgrounds of the Nation, and shall be selected on a nonpartisan basis.
The President shall designate a Chair of the Commission from among its members. (4) Terms Members shall serve at the pleasure of the President.
The commission would set recruitment, screening, and selection procedures consistent with the bill's eligibility rules. It would also design and oversee fellows' education, including seminars, roundtable discussions, and study travel.
The Commission shall— (1) establish criteria and procedures for the recruitment, screening, and selection of Fellows, consistent with section 5
(3) design and oversee an educational program for Fellows, including seminars, roundtable discussions, and study travel
Subject to available funding, the commission would recommend 11 to 19 people each program year. The President would make the final selection from those recommended.
The Commission shall recommend not fewer than 11 and not more than 19 individuals for selection as Fellows in each program year, subject to the availability of appropriations.
The President shall make the final selection of Fellows from among the individuals recommended by the Commission.
Applicants would need U.S. citizenship, a completed undergraduate degree, and to be early in their chosen careers. They would also need to demonstrate the specified qualities of ability, character, motivation, leadership, and promise of future development.
To be eligible for selection as a Fellow, an individual shall— (1) be a citizen of the United States; (2) have completed an undergraduate degree; (3) be early in his or her chosen career; (4) demonstrate unusual ability, high moral character, outstanding motivation, and a broad capacity for leadership; and (5) show exceptional promise of future development.
Selection could not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, or political affiliation.
Selection of Fellows shall be made without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, or political affiliation.
People who are federal officers or employees when they apply would be ineligible, with an exception preserving eligibility for active-duty Armed Forces members.
An individual who is an officer or employee of the Federal Government at the time of application shall not be eligible for selection as a Fellow, except that active-duty members of the Armed Forces shall remain eligible.
A fellowship would last 12 months, starting on a date set by the commission. The commission could extend it by up to three additional months.
Except as provided in subsection (b), a fellowship under the Program shall be for a term of 12 months, beginning on the date specified by the Commission.
The Commission may, in its discretion, extend the term of a fellowship for not more than an additional 3 months.
Fellows would be full-time employees of their assigned agencies or offices. The Director of the Office of Personnel Management would determine pay and benefits consistent with applicable General Schedule rates—the federal pay schedule referenced in the bill. The bill does not specify a salary or pay grade.
The term Director means the Director of the Office of Personnel Management.
A Fellow shall serve as a full-time employee of the agency or office to which the Fellow is assigned and shall receive pay and benefits consistent with the applicable rates of pay under the General Schedule under section 5332 of title 5, United States Code, as determined by the Director.
The commission would determine assignments in consultation with the officials involved. Fellows would serve senior officials in the Executive Office of the President, department and agency heads, or other senior federal officials.
Fellows shall be assigned to serve senior officials of the Executive Office of the President, the heads of executive departments and agencies, or other senior Federal officials, as determined by the Commission in consultation with such officials.
Military fellows would remain subject to title 10 of the U.S. Code and applicable military fellowship rules, including any requirement imposed by the relevant Secretary to continue serving after the fellowship.
A member of the Armed Forces selected as a Fellow shall remain subject to the provisions of title 10, United States Code, and to applicable service regulations governing fellowship participation, including any post-fellowship service obligation established by the Secretary concerned.
The Office of Personnel Management Director would have to provide administrative, budget, and personnel support. The Director could hire staff and set their pay under applicable title 5 rules. Federal agencies could temporarily assign personnel to help administer the program without reimbursement, at the Director's request and with the employing agency's consent.
The term Director means the Director of the Office of Personnel Management.
The Director shall provide administrative, budgetary, and personnel support necessary for the operation of the Program and the Commission.
The Director may appoint and fix the pay of such staff as may be necessary to carry out this Act, in accordance with applicable provisions of title 5, United States Code.
Federal agencies may, upon request of the Director and with the consent of the employing agency, detail personnel to assist in the administration of the Program without reimbursement.
Within one year after enactment, and annually thereafter, the commission would report to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Reports would cover the preceding program year's selections, fellows' assignments, program spending, and any recommendations for legislative or administrative improvements.
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Commission shall submit to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate a report
(1) the number of individuals selected as Fellows during the preceding program year; (2) a summary of the agencies and offices to which Fellows were assigned; (3) an accounting of amounts expended in carrying out the Program; and (4) any recommendations of the Commission for legislative or administrative changes to improve the Program.
The bill would authorize Congress to provide the Office of Personnel Management whatever amounts are necessary for fiscal years 2027 through 2031. This is permission for future appropriations, not an appropriation of money. The provision sets a funding-authorization period without stating that the program must end in 2031.
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Office of Personnel Management such sums as may be necessary to carry out this Act for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031.
The President could continue issuing executive orders governing the program's internal administration if they are consistent with the bill. If enacted, the bill would take priority over conflicting provisions of Executive Order 11183, as amended.
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to limit the authority of the President to issue further executive orders governing the internal administration of the Program that are not inconsistent with this Act.
To the extent any provision of Executive Order 11183, as amended, is inconsistent with this Act, this Act shall control.
The bill would take effect upon enactment and apply beginning with the program year following enactment.
This Act shall take effect on the date of enactment of this Act and shall apply beginning with the program year following such date of enactment.
The supplied September 22, 2026 source snapshot records introduction in the House and referral to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on September 3, 2026. It does not establish subsequent action or enactment.
Source snapshot updated 2026-09-22T15:23:41Z. 2026-09-03: Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. 2026-09-03: Introduced in House
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2026-09-03. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No provision unrelated to the fellowship program's main subject was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for particular recipients or places outside competitive or formula allocation was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to this version and does not establish formal earmark status or absence in accompanying materials.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
Findings to examine
The supplied introduced text contains a narrow eligibility exception within the program's main policy. Identifying the exception is not a judgment about its justification.
Active-duty Armed Forces members would retain eligibility for selection despite the exclusion of people who are federal officers or employees when they apply. This gives that group a specific exception to the program's federal-employment restriction.
An individual who is an officer or employee of the Federal Government at the time of application shall not be eligible for selection as a Fellow, except that active-duty members of the Armed Forces shall remain eligible.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Sep 22, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI