Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act

“96 PERSONNEL FLEXIBILITIES RELATING TO LAND MANAGEMENT AGENCIES

“9601. Definitions

“For purposes of this chapter—

“(1) the term land management agency means—

“(A) the Forest Service of the Department of Agriculture;

“(B) the Bureau of Land Management of the Department of the Interior;

“(C) the National Park Service of the Department of the Interior;

“(D) the Fish and Wildlife Service of the Department of the Interior;

“(E) the Bureau of Indian Affairs of the Department of the Interior; and

“(F) the Bureau of Reclamation of the Department of the Interior;

“(2) the term successor permanent position means, with respect to a time-limited position, a permanent position in the competitive service with the same or substantially similar major duties and qualification requirements in the same major subdivision of the same land management agency as the time-limited position; and

“(3) the term time-limited appointment includes a temporary appointment and a term appointment, as defined by the Office of Personnel Management.

“9602. Competitive service; time-limited appointments

“(a) Eligibility To compete for permanent appointments—Notwithstanding chapter 33 or any other provision of law relating to the examination, certification, and appointment of individuals in the competitive service, an employee of a land management agency serving under a time-limited appointment in the competitive service is eligible to compete for a permanent appointment in the competitive service under the merit promotion procedures of the land management agency if—

“(1) the employee was appointed initially under open, competitive examination under subchapter I of chapter 33 to the time-limited appointment;

“(2) the employee has served under 1 or more time-limited appointments by the land management agency for a period or periods totaling not less than 24 months without an intervening break of 2 or more years; and

“(3) the performance of the employee under the time-limited appointments has been at an acceptable level of performance during the period of service described in paragraph (2).

“(b) Conversion to successor permanent positions

“(1) In general—Notwithstanding chapter 33 or any other provision of law relating to the examination, certification, and appointment of individuals in the competitive service, an employee of a land management agency serving under a time-limited appointment in the competitive service shall be offered any successor permanent position that the land management agency decides to fill and, with the agreement of the employee, be appointed to the successor permanent position if—

“(A) the employee was appointed initially under open, competitive examination under subchapter I of chapter 33 to the time-limited appointment;

“(B)

“(i) the job announcement for the time-limited position stated that there was potential for the position to become permanent; or

“(ii) the first time-limited appointment of the employee by the land management agency occurred before the date of enactment of this chapter;

“(C) the employee has served under 1 or more time-limited appointments in a position or positions in the land management agency with the same or substantially similar major duties and qualification requirements as the successor permanent position for a period or periods totaling not less than 24 months without an intervening break of 2 or more years; and

“(D) the performance of the employee under the time-limited appointments has been at an acceptable level of performance during the period of service described in subparagraph (C).

“(2) Preference eligibles—If 2 or more employees are eligible to be offered a successor permanent position under paragraph (1), the land management agency shall give priority to such an employee who is a preference eligible.

“(3) Equal preference—If 2 or more employees are eligible to be offered a successor permanent position under paragraph (1) and have equal priority for the successor permanent position, the land management agency shall use competitive procedures consistent with merit system principles to determine to which employee the successor permanent position will be offered.

“(c) Treatment of appointed employees—An appointment to a position under subsection (a) or (b) shall be a career-conditional appointment, unless the employee has otherwise completed the service requirements for a career appointment.

“(d) Competitive status—An employee appointed to a position under subsection (a) or (b) shall acquire competitive status upon appointment.

“(e) Time-Limited employees separated from service

“(1) In general—This section shall apply with respect to an employee of a land management agency serving under a time-limited appointment who has been separated from service for reasons other than misconduct or unacceptable performance.

“(2) Application—For an employee described in paragraph (1)—

“(A) this section shall apply as if the employee occupied the time-limited position from which the employee was most recently separated; and

“(B) a land management agency shall be deemed to have met the requirements under this section relating to the employee if notice is sent to the last known address of the employee not later than 21 days before a successor permanent position for which the employee is eligible is filled.

“(f) Regulations—The Office of Personnel Management shall prescribe such regulations as may be necessary to carry out this section.”