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. 
‘‘§ 9601. Definitions 
‘‘For purposes of this chapter— 
‘‘(1) the term ‘land management agency’ means— 
‘‘(A) the Forest Service of the Department of Agri-
culture; 
‘‘(B) the Bureau of Land Management of the Depart-
ment 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 tem-
porary appointment and a term appointment, as defined by 
the Office of Personnel Management. 
‘‘§ 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
H. R. 1531—2 
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.’’.
H. R. 1531—3 
(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’’. 
Speaker of the House of Representatives. 
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.