H. R. 5515—369 
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 pro-
posed 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 pref-
erence 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 accord-
ance 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 appro-
priate 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 regu-
lations 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) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘Director’ means 
the Director of the Office of Personnel Management.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Such subchapter is further 
amended—
H. R. 5515—370 
(1) in section 3319— 
(A) by amending the section heading to read as follows: 
‘‘§ 3319. Competitive service; selection using category rating’’; 
and 
(B) in subsection (c), by striking paragraph (6), redesig-
nating paragraph (7) as paragraph (6), and amending para-
graph (6) (as so redesignated) to read as follows: 
‘‘(6) PREFERENCE ELIGIBLES.— 
‘‘(A) SATISFACTION OF CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS.—Not-
withstanding paragraphs (1) and (2), an appointing official 
may not pass over a preference eligible in the same category 
from which selection is made, unless the requirements 
of sections 3317(b) and 3318(c), as applicable, are satisfied. 
‘‘(B) 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 section 3318(c)(1), by the head of an agency, has been 
passed over in accordance with section 3318(c) 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 appoint-
ment to such position. 
‘‘(C) LIST OF ELIGIBLES ISSUED FROM A STANDING REG-
ISTER; DISCONTINUATION
OF
CERTIFICATION.—In the case 
of lists of eligibles issued from a standing register, when 
an appointing authority, for reasons considered sufficient 
by the Director or the head of an agency, has three times 
considered and passed over a preference eligible who was 
certified from a register, certification of the preference 
eligible for appointment may be discontinued. However, 
the preference eligible is entitled to advance notice of dis-
continuance of certification in accordance with regulations 
prescribed by the Director.’’; and 
(2) in the first sentence of section 3320, by striking ‘‘sections 
3308–3318’’ and inserting ‘‘sections 3308 through 3319’’. 
(c) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections at the begin-
ning of such chapter is amended by striking the items relating 
to sections 3317, 3318, and 3319 and inserting the following: 
‘‘3317. Competitive service; certification using numerical ratings 
‘‘3318. Competitive service; selection using numerical ratings 
‘‘3319. Competitive service; selection using category rating’’. 
(d) EFFECTIVE DATE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The amendments made by this section 
shall take effect on the date on which the Director of the 
Office of Personnel Management issues final regulations to 
implement sections 3317, 3318, and 3319 of title 5, United 
States Code, as amended or added by this section. 
(2) REGULATIONS REQUIRED.—The Director shall issue regu-
lations under paragraph (1) not later than one year after the 
date of enactment of this section. 
SEC. 1108. EXPEDITED HIRING AUTHORITY FOR COLLEGE GRADUATES 
AND POST SECONDARY STUDENTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter I of chapter 31 of title 5, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
H. R. 5515—371 
‘‘§ 3115. Expedited hiring authority for college graduates; 
competitive service 
‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘Director’ means the Director 
of the Office of Personnel Management. 
‘‘(2) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The term ‘institu-
tion of higher education’ has the meaning given the term in 
section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1001(a)). 
‘‘(b) APPOINTMENT.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The head of an agency may appoint, 
without regard to any provision of sections 3309 through 3319 
and 3330, a qualified individual to a position in the competitive 
service classified in a professional or administrative occupa-
tional category at the GS–11 level, or an equivalent level, 
or below. 
‘‘(2) RESTRICTIONS.—An appointment under paragraph (1) 
shall be made in accordance with regulations prescribed by 
the Director. 
‘‘(c) QUALIFICATIONS FOR APPOINTMENT.—The head of an agency 
may make an appointment under subsection (b) only if the indi-
vidual being appointed— 
‘‘(1) has received a baccalaureate or graduate degree from 
an institution of higher education; 
‘‘(2) applies for the position— 
‘‘(A) not later than 2 years after the date on which 
the individual being appointed received the degree 
described in paragraph (1); or 
‘‘(B) in the case of an individual who has completed 
a period of not less than 4 years of obligated service in 
a uniformed service, not later than 2 years after the date 
of the discharge or release of the individual from that 
service; and 
‘‘(3) meets each minimum qualification standard prescribed 
by the Director for the position to which the individual is 
being appointed. 
‘‘(d) PUBLIC NOTICE AND ADVERTISING.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The head of an agency making an 
appointment under subsection (b) shall publicly advertise posi-
tions under this section. 
‘‘(2) REQUIREMENTS.—In carrying out paragraph (1), the 
head of an agency shall— 
‘‘(A) adhere to merit system principles; 
‘‘(B) advertise positions in a manner that provides for 
diverse and qualified applicants; and 
‘‘(C) ensure potential applicants have appropriate 
information relevant to the positions available. 
‘‘(e) LIMITATION ON APPOINTMENTS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in paragraph (2), 
the total number of employees that the head of an agency 
may appoint under this section during a fiscal year may not 
exceed the number equal to 15 percent of the number of individ-
uals that the agency head appointed during the previous fiscal 
year to a position in the competitive service classified in a 
professional or administrative occupational category, at the GS– 
11 level, or an equivalent level, or below, under a competitive 
examining procedure.
H. R. 5515—372 
‘‘(2) EXCEPTIONS.—Under a regulation prescribed under 
subsection (f), the Director may establish a lower limit on 
the number of individuals that may be appointed under para-
graph (1) of this subsection during a fiscal year based on 
any factor the Director considers appropriate. 
‘‘(f) REGULATIONS.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
of enactment of this section, the Director shall issue interim regula-
tions, with an opportunity for comment, for the administration 
of this section. 
‘‘(g) REPORTING.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than September 30 of each 
of the first 3 fiscal years beginning after the date of enactment 
of this section, the head of an agency that makes an appoint-
ment under this section shall submit a report to— 
‘‘(A) Congress that assesses the impact of the use of 
the authority provided under this section during the fiscal 
year in which the report is submitted; and 
‘‘(B) the Director that contains data that the Director 
considers necessary for the Director to assess the impact 
and effectiveness of the authority described in subpara-
graph (A). 
‘‘(2) CONTENT.—The head of an agency shall include in 
each report under paragraph (1)— 
‘‘(A) the total number of individuals appointed by the 
agency under this section, as well as the number of such 
individuals who are— 
‘‘(i) minorities or members of other underrep-
resented groups; or 
‘‘(ii) veterans; 
‘‘(B) recruitment sources; 
‘‘(C) the total number of individuals appointed by the 
agency during the applicable fiscal year to a position in 
the competitive service classified in a professional or 
administrative occupational category at the GS–11 level, 
or an equivalent level, or below; and 
‘‘(D) any additional data specified by the Director. 
‘‘(h) SPECIAL
PROVISION
REGARDING
THE
DEPARTMENT
OF 
DEFENSE.— 
‘‘(1) AUTHORITY.—Nothing in this section shall preclude 
the Secretary of Defense from exercising any authority to 
appoint a recent graduate under section 1106 of the National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (10 U.S.C. 
note prec. 1580), or any applicable successor statute. 
‘‘(2) REGULATIONS.—Any regulations prescribed by the 
Director for the administration of this section shall not apply 
to the Department of Defense during the period ending on 
the date on which the appointment authority of the Secretary 
of Defense under section 1106 of the National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (10 U.S.C. note prec. 
1580), or any applicable successor statute, terminates. 
‘‘§ 3116. Expedited hiring authority for post-secondary stu-
dents; competitive service 
‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘Director’ means the Director 
of the Office of Personnel Management.