### §3318. Competitive service; selection from certificates

(a) The nominating or appointing authority shall select for appointment to each vacancy from the highest three eligibles available for appointment on the certificate furnished under section 3317(a) of this title, unless objection to one or more of the individuals certified is made to, and sustained by, the Office of Personnel Management for proper and adequate reason under regulations prescribed by the Office.

(b) Other Appointing Authorities.—

(1) In general.—During the 240-day period beginning on the date of issuance of a certificate of eligibles under section 3317(a), an appointing authority other than the appointing authority requesting the certificate (in this subsection referred to as the "other appointing authority") may select an individual from that certificate in accordance with this subsection for an appointment to a position that is—

(A) in the same occupational series as the position for which the certification of eligibles was issued (in this subsection referred to as the "original position"); and

(B) at a similar grade level as the original position.

(2) Applicability.—An appointing authority requesting a certificate of eligibles may share the certificate with another appointing authority only if the announcement of the original position provided notice that the resulting list of eligible candidates may be used by another appointing authority.

(3) Requirements.—The selection of an individual under paragraph (1)—

(A) shall be made in accordance with subsection (a); and

(B) subject to paragraph (4), may be made without any additional posting under section 3327.

(4) Internal notice.—Before selecting an individual under paragraph (1), and subject to the requirements of any collective bargaining obligation of the other appointing authority, the other appointing authority shall—

(A) provide notice of the available position to employees of the other appointing authority;

(B) provide up to 10 business days for employees of the other appointing authority to apply for the position; and

(C) review the qualifications of employees submitting an application.

(5) Collective bargaining obligations.—Nothing in this subsection limits any collective bargaining obligation of an agency under chapter 71.

(c)(1) If an appointing authority proposes to pass over a preference eligible on a certificate in order to select an individual who is not a preference eligible, such authority shall file written reasons with the Office for passing over the preference eligible. The Office shall make the reasons presented by the appointing authority part of the record of the preference eligible and may require the submission of more detailed information from the appointing authority in support of the passing over of the preference eligible. The Office shall determine the sufficiency or insufficiency of the reasons submitted by the appointing authority, taking into account any response received from the preference eligible under paragraph (2) of this subsection. When the Office has completed its review of the proposed passover, it shall send its findings to the appointing authority and to the preference eligible. The appointing authority shall comply with the findings of the Office.

(2) In the case of a preference eligible described in section 2108(3)(C) of this title who has a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more, the appointing authority shall at the same time it notifies the Office under paragraph (1) of this subsection, notify the preference eligible of the proposed passover, of the reasons therefor, and of his right to respond to such reasons to the Office within 15 days of the date of such notification. The Office shall, before completing its review under paragraph (1) of this subsection, require a demonstration by the appointing authority that the passover notification was timely sent to the preference eligible's last known address.

(3) A preference eligible not described in paragraph (2) of this subsection, or his representative, shall be entitled, on request, to a copy of—

(A) the reasons submitted by the appointing authority in support of the proposed passover, and

(B) the findings of the Office.

(4) In the case of a preference eligible described in paragraph (2) of this subsection, the functions of the Office under this subsection may not be delegated.

(d) When three or more names of preference eligibles are on a reemployment list appropriate for the position to be filled, a nominating or appointing authority may appoint from a register of eligibles established after examination only an individual who qualifies as a preference eligible under section 2108(3)(C)–(G) of this title.

(Pub. L. 89–554, Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 421; Pub. L. 90–83, §1(8), Sept. 11, 1967, 81 Stat. 197; Pub. L. 95–454, title III, §307(d), title IX, §906(a)(2), (3), Oct. 13, 1978, 92 Stat. 1148, 1224; Pub. L. 114–137, §2(a), Mar. 18, 2016, 130 Stat. 310.)

#### Repeal and Reenactment of Section

Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title XI, §1107(a), (d), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 2003, 2005, provided that, effective on the date on which the Director of the Office of Personnel Management issues final regulations for implementation, with such regulations due not later than one year after Aug. 13, 2018, this section is repealed and a new section 3318 is enacted to read as follows:

#### §3318. Competitive service; selections using numerical ratings

(a) In General.—An appointing authority shall select for appointment from the eligibles certified for appointment on a certificate furnished under section 3317(a), unless objection to one or more of the individuals certified is made to, and sustained by, the Director of the Office of Personnel Management or the head of an agency to which the Director has delegated examining authority under section 1104(a)(2), for proper and adequate reason under regulations prescribed by the Director.

(b) Other Appointing Authorities.—

(1) In general.—During the 240-day period beginning on the date of issuance of a certificate of eligibles under section 3317(a), an appointing authority other than the appointing authority requesting the certificate (in this subsection referred to as the "other appointing authority") may select an individual from that certificate in accordance with this subsection for an appointment to a position that is—

(A) in the same occupational series as the position for which the certification of eligibles was issued (in this subsection referred to as the "original position"); and

(B) at a similar grade level as the original position.

(2) Applicability.—An appointing authority requesting a certificate of eligibles may share the certificate with another appointing authority only if the announcement of the original position provided notice that the resulting list of eligible candidates may be used by another appointing authority.

(3) Requirements.—The selection of an individual under paragraph (1)—

(A) shall be made in accordance with subsection (a); and

(B) subject to paragraph (4), may be made without any additional posting under section 3327.

(4) Internal notice.—Before selecting an individual under paragraph (1), the other appointing authority shall—

(A) provide notice of the available position to employees of the other appointing authority;

(B) provide up to 10 business days for employees of the other appointing authority to apply for the position; and

(C) review the qualifications of employees submitting an application.

(c) Pass Over.—

(1) In general.—Subject to subparagraph (2), if an appointing authority proposes to pass over a preference eligible certified for appointment under subsection (a) and select an individual who is not a preference eligible, the appointing authority shall file written reasons with the Director or the head of the agency for passing over the preference eligible. The Director or the head of the agency shall make the reasons presented by the appointing authority part of the record of the preference eligible and may require the submission of more detailed information from the appointing authority in support of the passing over of the preference eligible. The Director or the head of the agency shall determine the sufficiency or insufficiency of the reasons submitted by the appointing authority, taking into account any response received from the preference eligible under paragraph (2). When the Director or the head of the agency has completed review of the proposed pass-over of the preference eligible, the Director or the head of the agency shall send its findings to the appointing authority and to the preference eligible. The appointing authority shall comply with the findings.

(2) Preference eligible individuals who have a compensable service-connected disability.—In the case of a preference eligible described in section 2108(3)(C) who has a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more, the appointing authority shall notify the Director under paragraph (1) and, at the same time, notify the preference eligible of the proposed pass-over, of the reasons for the proposed pass-over, and of the individual's right to respond to those reasons to the Director within 15 days of the date of the notification. The Director shall, before completing the review under paragraph (1), require a demonstration by the appointing authority that the notification was timely sent to the preference eligible's last known address.

(3) Further consideration not required.—When a preference eligible, for reasons considered sufficient by the Director, or in the case of a preference eligible described in paragraph (1), by the head of an agency, has been passed over in accordance with this subsection for the same position, the appointing authority is not required to give further consideration to that preference eligible while selecting from the same list for a subsequent appointment to such position.

(4) Delegation prohibition.—In the case of a preference eligible described in paragraph (2), the functions of the Director under this subsection may not be delegated to an individual who is not an officer or employee of the Office of Personnel Management.

(d) Special Rule Regarding Reemployment Lists.—When the names of preference eligibles are on a reemployment list appropriate for the position to be filled, an appointing authority may appoint from a register of eligibles established after examination only an individual who qualifies as a preference eligible under subparagraph (C), (D), (E), (F), or (G) of section 2108(3).

(e) Consideration Not Required.—In accordance with regulations prescribed by the Director, an appointing officer is not required to consider an eligible who has been considered by the appointing officer for three separate appointments from the same or different certificates for the same position.

(f) Regulations.—The Director shall prescribe regulations for the administration of this section.

(d)[sic] Definition.—In this section, the term "Director" means the Director of the Office of Personnel Management.

| Derivation | U.S. Code | Revised Statutes and Statutes at Large |
| --- | --- | --- |
| (a), (b) | 5 U.S.C. 633(2)2. | Jan. 16, 1883, ch. 27, §2(2)2, 22 Stat. 404. |
| | 5 U.S.C. 857 (less 1st sentence, 2d proviso, and last sentence). | June 27, 1944, ch. 287, §8 (less 1st sentence, 2d proviso, and last sentence), 58 Stat. 389.Aug. 14, 1953, ch. 485, §2, 67 Stat. 582. |
| (c) | 5 U.S.C. 864 (less 1st sentence). | June 27, 1944, ch. 287, §15 (less 1st sentence), 58 Stat. 391. |

Statutes at Large

Aug. 14, 1953, ch. 485, §2, 67 Stat. 582.

The word "authority" is substituted for "officer" in recognition of the several appointing authorities named in section 2105(a)(1).

In subsection (a), the provisions of former section 633(2)2 are merged in the requirement of former section 857, since the certificate must be of the three highest on the register and the nominating or appointing employee may select one of the three.

In subsection (c), the prohibition in former section 864 is restated in positive form. The words "an individual who qualifies as a preference eligible under section 2108(3)(B)–(F)" are substituted for "ten-point preference eligibles".

Standard changes are made to conform with the definitions applicable and the style of this title as outlined in the preface to the report.

#### **Editorial Notes**

#### Amendments

2016—Subsecs. (b) to (d). Pub. L. 114–137 added subsec. (b) and redesignated former subsecs. (b) and (c) as (c) and (d), respectively.

1978—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 95–454, §906(a)(2), (3), substituted "Office of Personnel Management" and "Office" for "Civil Service Commission" and "Commission", respectively.

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 95–454, §307(d), designated existing provisions as par. (1), substituted provisions respecting authority of the Office with respect to the selection procedures applicable, for provisions respecting authority of the Commission with respect to the selection procedures applicable, and added pars. (2) to (4).

1967—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 90–83 substituted "section 2108(3)(C)–(G)" for "section 2108(3)(B)–(F)." See Historical and Revision Notes under section 3305 of this title.

#### **Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries**

#### Effective Date of 2018 Amendment

Repeal and reenactment of section effective on the date on which the Director of the Office of Personnel Management issues final regulations for implementation, with such regulations due not later than one year after Aug. 13, 2018, see section 1107(d) of Pub. L. 115–232, set out as a note under section 3317 of this title.

#### Effective Date of 1978 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 95–454 effective 90 days after Oct. 13, 1978, see section 907 of Pub. L. 95–454, set out as a note under section 1101 of this title.

#### Regulations

Pub. L. 114–137, §2(d), Mar. 18, 2016, 130 Stat. 312, provided that: "Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act [Mar. 18, 2016], the Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall issue an interim final rule with comment to carry out the amendments made by this section [amending this section and sections 3319 and 9510 of this title]."