[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1531 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        H.R.1531

                     One Hundred Fourteenth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE FIRST SESSION

          Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,
           the sixth day of January, two thousand and fifteen


                                 An Act


 
To amend title 5, United States Code, to provide a pathway for temporary 
 seasonal employees in Federal land management agencies to compete for 
 vacant permanent positions under internal merit promotion procedures, 
                         and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
    This Act may be cited as the ``Land Management Workforce 
Flexibility Act''.
SEC. 2. PERSONNEL FLEXIBILITIES RELATING TO LAND MANAGEMENT AGENCIES.
    (a) In General.--Subpart I of part III of title 5, United States 
Code, is amended by inserting after chapter 95 the following:

   ``CHAPTER 96--PERSONNEL FLEXIBILITIES RELATING TO LAND MANAGEMENT 
                                AGENCIES

``Sec.
``9601. Definitions.
``9602. Competitive service; time-limited appointments.

``Sec. 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; and
        ``(2) the term `time-limited appointment' includes a temporary 
    appointment and a term appointment, as defined by the Office of 
    Personnel Management.
``Sec. 9602. Competitive service; time-limited appointments
    ``(a) 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 at any land management agency or any other 
agency (as defined in section 101 of title 31) under the internal merit 
promotion procedures of the applicable 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 a land management agency for a period or periods 
    totaling more than 24 months without a break of 2 or more years; 
    and
        ``(3) the employee's performance has been at an acceptable 
    level of performance throughout the period or periods (as the case 
    may be) referred to in paragraph (2).
    ``(b) In determining the eligibility of a time-limited employee 
under this section to be examined for or appointed in the competitive 
service, the Office of Personnel Management or other examining agency 
shall waive requirements as to age, unless the requirement is essential 
to the performance of the duties of the position.
    ``(c) An individual appointed under this section--
        ``(1) becomes a career-conditional employee, unless the 
    employee has otherwise completed the service requirements for 
    career tenure; and
        ``(2) acquires competitive status upon appointment.
    ``(d) A former employee of a land management agency who served 
under a time-limited appointment and who otherwise meets the 
requirements of this section shall be deemed a time-limited employee 
for purposes of this section if--
        ``(1) such employee applies for a position covered by this 
    section within the period of 2 years after the most recent date of 
    separation; and
        ``(2) such employee's most recent separation was for reasons 
    other than misconduct or performance.
    ``(e) The Office of Personnel Management shall prescribe such 
regulations as may be necessary to carry out this section.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The analysis for part III of title 5, 
United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item for chapter 
95 the following:

``96. Personnel flexibilities relating to land management agencie9601''.


                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.