---
kind: "section"
citation: "5 U.S.C. § 9905"
title: "5"
title_heading: "Government Organization and Employees"
number: "9905"
heading: "Direct hire authority for certain personnel of the Department of Defense"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/5/9905"
units:
  - "Part III — Employees"
  - "Subpart I — Miscellaneous"
  - "Chapter 99 — Department of Defense Personnel Authorities"
---

# §9905. Direct hire authority for certain personnel of the Department of Defense

- (a) **In General.—** The [Secretary](/usc/5/9901.md?p=2) of Defense may appoint, without regard to the provisions of subchapter I of [chapter 33](/usc/5/chptIII/sptB/ch33.md) (other than sections [3303](/usc/5/3303.md), [3307](/usc/5/3307.md), and [3328](/usc/5/3328.md) of such chapter), qualified candidates to any of the following [positions](/usc/5/5102.md?p=a-3) in the competitive [service](/usc/5/8401.md?p=26) in the [Department](/usc/5/10101.md?p=4) of Defense:
  - (1) Any [position](/usc/5/5102.md?p=a-3) involved with [Department](/usc/5/10101.md?p=4) maintenance activities, including depot-level maintenance and repair.
  - (2) Any cyber workforce [position](/usc/5/5102.md?p=a-3).
  - (3) Any individual in the acquisition workforce that manages any [services](/usc/5/8401.md?p=26) contracts necessary to the operation and maintenance of programs of the [Department](/usc/5/10101.md?p=4).
  - (4) Any science, technology, or engineering [position](/usc/5/5102.md?p=a-3), including any such [position](/usc/5/5102.md?p=a-3) at the Major Range and Test Facilities Base, in order to allow development of new [systems](/usc/5/8401.md?p=29) and provide for the maintenance of legacy [systems](/usc/5/8401.md?p=29).
  - (5) Any scientific, technical, engineering, or mathematics [positions](/usc/5/5102.md?p=a-3), including technicians, within the defense acquisition workforce, or any category of acquisition [positions](/usc/5/5102.md?p=a-3) within the [Department](/usc/5/10101.md?p=4) designated by the [Secretary](/usc/5/9901.md?p=2) as a shortage or [critical need](/usc/5/9801.md?p=3) category.
  - (6) Any scientific, technical, engineering, or mathematics [position](/usc/5/5102.md?p=a-3), except any such [position](/usc/5/5102.md?p=a-3) within any defense Scientific and Technology Reinvention Laboratory, for which a qualified candidate is required to possess a bachelor’s degree or an advanced degree, or for which a veteran candidate is being considered.
  - (7) Any category of medical or health professional [positions](/usc/5/5102.md?p=a-3) within the [Department](/usc/5/10101.md?p=4) designated by the [Secretary](/usc/5/9901.md?p=2) as a shortage category or [critical need](/usc/5/9801.md?p=3) occupation.
  - (8) Any childcare [services](/usc/5/8401.md?p=26) [position](/usc/5/5102.md?p=a-3) for which there is a critical hiring need and a shortage of childcare providers.
  - (9) Any financial management, accounting, auditing, actuarial, cost estimation, operational research, or business or business [administration](/usc/5/9801.md?p=1) [position](/usc/5/5102.md?p=a-3) for which a qualified candidate is required to possess a finance, accounting, management or actuarial science degree or a related degree, or a related degree of equivalent experience.
  - (10) Any [position](/usc/5/5102.md?p=a-3), as determined by the [Secretary](/usc/5/9901.md?p=2), for the purpose of assisting and facilitating the efforts of the [Department](/usc/5/10101.md?p=4) in business transformation and management innovation.
  - (11) Any [position](/usc/5/5102.md?p=a-3) in the military housing [office](/usc/5/5402.md?p=3) of a military installation whose primary function is supervision of military housing covered by subchapter IV of chapter 169 of title 10.
  - (12) Any [position](/usc/5/5102.md?p=a-3) in support of aircraft operations for which the [Secretary](/usc/5/9901.md?p=2) determines there is a critical hiring need or shortage of candidates.
  - (13) Any [position](/usc/5/5102.md?p=a-3) in support of the safety of the public, law enforcement, or first response for which the [Secretary](/usc/5/9901.md?p=2) determines there is a critical hiring need or shortage of candidates.
  - (14) Any [position](/usc/5/5102.md?p=a-3) in support of Special Inspector General for Operation Atlantic Resolve for which the [Secretary](/usc/5/9901.md?p=2) determines there is a critical hiring need and shortage of candidates.
- (b) **Sunset.—**
  - (1) **In general.—** Except as provided in [paragraph (2)](#b-2), effective on September 30, 2030, the [authority](/usc/5/7103.md?p=a-6) provided under [subsection (a)](#a) shall expire.
  - (2) **Exception.—** [Paragraph (1)](#b-1) shall not apply to the [authority](/usc/5/7103.md?p=a-6) provided under [subsection (a)](#a) to make appointments to [positions](/usc/5/5102.md?p=a-3) described under [paragraph (5)](#a-5) of such subsection.
- (c) **Suspension of Other Hiring Authorities.—** During the period beginning on the effective date of the regulations issued to carry out the hiring [authority](/usc/5/7103.md?p=a-6) with respect to [positions](/usc/5/5102.md?p=a-3) described in paragraphs [(5)](#a-5) through [(10)](#a-10) of subsection (a) and ending on the date described in [subsection (b)(1)](#b-1), the [Secretary](/usc/5/9901.md?p=2) of Defense may not exercise or otherwise use any hiring [authority](/usc/5/7103.md?p=a-6) provided under the following provisions of law:
  - (1) Sections 1599c(a)(2) and 1705(h) of title 10.
  - (2) Sections 1112 and 1113 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 (Public Law 114–92; 129 Stat. 1033).
  - (3) Sections 1110 and 1643(a)(3) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–328; 130 Stat. 2450 and 2602).
  - (4) Sections 559 and 1101 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (Public Law 115–91; 131 Stat. 1406 and 1627).

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title XI, § 1101(a), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 2000; amended Pub. L. 116–92, div. A, title XI, § 1109(a), Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 1598; Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XI, § 1117, Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3897; Pub. L. 118–31, div. A, title XI, § 1104, title XII, § 1250B(i), Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 427, 467.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

Sections 1112 and 1113 of Pub. L. 114–92, referred to in subsec. (c)(2), are sections 1112 and 1113 of Pub. L. 114–92, div. A, title XI, Nov. 25, 2015, 129 Stat. 1033, which are set out as notes under section 1701 of Title 10, Armed Forces.

Sections 1110 and 1643(a)(3) of Pub. L. 114–328, referred to in subsec. (c)(3), are section 1110 of Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title XI, Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2450, which is set out as a note preceding section 1580 of Title 10, Armed Forces, and section 1643(a)(3) of Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title XVI, Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2602, which is set out in a note under section 1599f of Title 10.

Sections 559 and 1101 of Pub. L. 115–91, referred to in subsec. (c)(4), are section 559 of Pub. L. 115–91, div. A, title V, Dec. 12, 2017, 131 Stat. 1406, which is set out as a note under section 1792 of Title 10, Armed Forces, and section 1101 of Pub. L. 115–91, div. A, title XI, Dec. 12, 2017, 131 Stat. 1627, which is set out as a note preceding section 1580 of Title 10.

### Amendments

2023—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 118–31, § 1104(1), inserted “, 3307,” after “3303”.

Subsec. (a)(12), (13). Pub. L. 118–31, § 1104(2), added pars. (12) and (13).

Subsec. (a)(14). Pub. L. 118–31, § 1250B(i)(1), added par. (14).

Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 118–31, § 1250B(i)(2), substituted “September 30, 2030” for “September 30, 2025”.

2021—Subsec. (a)(11). Pub. L. 116–283 added par. (11).

2019—Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 116–92, § 1109(a)(1)(A), amended par. (2) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (2) read as follows: “Any position involved with cybersecurity.”

Subsec. (a)(5) to (10). Pub. L. 116–92, § 1109(a)(1)(B), added pars. (5) to (10).

Subsecs. (b), (c). Pub. L. 116–92, § 1109(a)(2), added subsecs. (b) and (c) and struck out former subsec. (b) which provided that effective on Sept. 30, 2025, the authority provided under subsec. (a) would expire.