# The ACCESS Act: Making It Easier for Companies to Hire Less Experienced Workers on Government Contracts

Right now, when the federal government puts out contracts for work—whether it's building infrastructure, providing services, or developing technology—they often require that the workers assigned to the job have a certain amount of experience or specific educational credentials. The ACCESS Act changes this by making it much harder for government agencies to demand these kinds of minimum requirements.

Under this new rule, federal agencies can no longer automatically require that contractors bring experienced or highly educated workers to the table. Instead, if an agency wants to set experience or education requirements, they have to write down and explain exactly why they need those requirements and how those requirements will actually solve their problem. They can't just say "we want someone with five years of experience"—they have to justify it. The bill also says that if an agency does allow education or experience requirements, they have to consider alternative qualifications like industry certifications, apprenticeships, and other work-based learning programs as acceptable substitutes.

The practical effect is that this opens doors for contractors to hire less experienced workers, younger workers, or people from non-traditional backgrounds who might not have formal degrees or years on the job but could still do the work. Companies bidding on government contracts will have more flexibility in who they can propose for positions. The bill gives the Office of Management and Budget 60 days to issue guidance on how agencies should handle this, and it won't take effect for 180 days, giving everyone time to adjust. Congress also asked for a report 18 months later to see how well agencies are following the new rules.

ACCESS Act

Mace, Nancy

Allowing Contractors to Choose Employees for Select Skills Act or the ACCESS ActThis bill prohibits federal agency solicitations from requiring minimum experience or educational requirements for proposed contractor personnel except in specified circumstances. (Solicitations identify agency needs and provide instructions and other information to would-be offerors.)&nbsp;A solicitation can require minimum experience or educational requirements if the contracting officer includes in the solicitation a written justification explaining why the needs of the agency cannot be met without such a requirement. &nbsp;This bill also requires the Office of Management and Budget to issue guidance not later than 60 days after enactment to federal agencies for implementing this bill.&nbsp;