A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to improve recruitment and retention of the cyber workforce of the Department of Defense, and for other purposes.

This bill would create a specialized framework within the Department of Defense (DoD) to recruit, hire, and retain cyber professionals more aggressively than under standard civil service rules. It authorizes the DoD Secretary to establish “qualified positions” in an excepted service for cyber missions, including new Defense Digital Executive Service positions and Defense Digital Senior Level positions. The bill grants broad personnel management authority to set pay and benefits, including compensation above typical government pay scales (up to 150% of the Executive Schedule Level I cap) and various incentives, while also allowing interagency transfers to or from the competitive service. It requires an implementation plan, periodic reporting to Congress, and assessments by the Comptroller General. Employment under this authority would be subject to a two-year probationary period, with protections for incumbents who refuse conversion from existing competitive-service roles. Regulations would be issued in coordination with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).