Hire American Act

Key Points

• This bill would ban the federal government from hiring anyone who is not a U.S. citizen or national. The restriction would apply broadly across all agencies, including the Postal Service.
• Anyone applying for a federal job would have to sign a sworn statement confirming they are a citizen. Lying on this form could result in a fine of up to $50,000, up to five years in prison, or both.
• There are narrow exceptions for temporary translators, emergency field workers, international broadcasters at the U.S. Agency for Global Media, and nonresident alien wildland firefighters working under international agreements for up to 120 days.
• The Office of Personnel Management would need to issue implementation guidance within 180 days and report to Congress on how many current federal employees are non-citizens, broken down by agency and position.
• Whenever a non-citizen is hired under one of the exceptions, the government must publish details in the Federal Register, including which exception was used, which agency made the hire, and what efforts were made to find a citizen for the role.