Strategic Defense Fellows Act of 2023
HR 5321, the Strategic Defense Fellows Act of 2023, amends the John S. McCain Strategic Defense Fellows Program to improve geographic diversity and streamline career pathways. It limits any single U.S. region (including Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, West, or Alaska/Hawaii/territories) to no more than 20% of annual participants. The bill establishes a one-year appointment (extendable to two years) at GS-10 to GS-12 pay levels for fellows, with potential education loan repayment and noncompetitive hiring into senior leadership roles (up to GS-13) after program completion. This directly affects Defense Department fellows by creating a structured career track within the Department of Defense.
Bill status
in committee
1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Sep 2023
Committee Review
Floor Vote
President
Introduced Sep 1, 2023
Last action Sep 1, 2023
Floor votes
How they voted
No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
2
Key actions
0
Committee
1
Sep 1, 2023
House · Referred to committee
Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
Sep 1, 2023
House · Introduced
Introduced in House
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Don Bacon
RRepublican
Ask Maddy
·
AI policy assistant
Ask Maddy about HR 5321
Scope: US
Hi! I can help you understand HR 5321. What would you like to know?
Try one of these
i
Maddy answers using official bill text and legislative records. Always verify before sharing.
Sources cited inline