I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1531 
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 proce-
dures, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 23, 2015 
Mr. CONNOLLY (for himself, Mr. YOUNG of Alaska, and Mr. BISHOP of Utah) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Oversight and Government Reform 
A BILL 
To amend title 5, United States Code, to provide a pathway 
for temporary seasonal employees in Federal land man-
agement agencies to compete for vacant permanent posi-
tions under internal merit promotion procedures, and 
for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives 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’’. 
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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 
FLEXIBILI-
TIES RELATING TO LAND MANAGE-
MENT AGENCIES 
‘‘Sec. 
‘‘9601. Definitions. 
‘‘9602. Competitive service; time-limited appointments. 
‘‘§ 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 De-
partment 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 De-
partment of the Interior; and 
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‘‘(2) the term ‘time-limited appointment’ in-
cludes a temporary appointment and a term appoint-
ment, as defined by the Office of Personnel Manage-
ment. 
‘‘§ 9602. Competitive service; time-limited appoint-
ments 
‘‘(a) Notwithstanding chapter 33 or any other provi-
sion 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 eli-
gible to compete for a permanent appointment in the com-
petitive 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 pe-
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riod 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 ap-
pointed in the competitive service, the Office of Personnel 
Management or other examining agency shall waive re-
quirements 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, un-
less the employee has otherwise completed the serv-
ice requirements for career tenure; and 
‘‘(2) acquires competitive status upon appoint-
ment. 
‘‘(d) A former employee of a land management agen-
cy 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 sec-
tion if— 
‘‘(1) such employee applies for a position cov-
ered 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 perform-
ance. 
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‘‘(e) The Office of Personnel Management shall pre-
scribe 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 
agencies ..................................................................... 9601’’. 
Æ 
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