I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2827 
To allow additional appointing authorities to select individuals from 
competitive service certificates, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 18, 2015 
Mr. CONNOLLY (for himself and Mr. WITTMAN) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform 
A BILL 
To allow additional appointing authorities to select individ-
uals from competitive service certificates, 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 ‘‘Competitive Service 
Act of 2015’’. 
SEC. 2. ADDITIONAL APPOINTING AUTHORITIES FOR COM-
PETITIVE SERVICE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 3318 of title 5, United 
States Code, is amended— 
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(1) by redesignating subsections (b) and (c) as 
subsections (c) and (d), respectively; and 
(2) by inserting after subsection (a) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(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 au-
thority other than the appointing authority request-
ing the certificate (in this subsection referred to as 
the ‘other appointing authority’) may select an indi-
vidual 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 origi-
nal 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 
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notice that the resulting list of eligible candidates 
may be used by another appointing authority. 
‘‘(3) REQUIREMENTS.—The selection of an in-
dividual under paragraph (1)— 
‘‘(A) shall be made in accordance with sub-
section (a); and 
‘‘(B) subject to paragraph (4), may be 
made without any additional posting under sec-
tion 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 appoint-
ing authority shall— 
‘‘(A) provide notice of the available posi-
tion to employees of the other appointing au-
thority; 
‘‘(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 bar-
gaining obligation of an agency under chapter 71.’’. 
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(b) ALTERNATIVE RANKING AND SELECTION PROCE-
DURES.—Section 3319 of title 5, United States Code, is 
amended by striking subsection (c) and inserting the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(c) SELECTION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—An appointing official may 
select any applicant in the highest quality category 
or, if fewer than 3 candidates have been assigned to 
the highest quality category, in a merged category 
consisting of the highest and the second highest 
quality categories. 
‘‘(2) USE BY OTHER APPOINTING OFFICIALS.— 
Under regulations prescribed by the Office of Per-
sonnel Management, appointing officials other than 
the appointing official described in paragraph (1) (in 
this subsection referred to as the ‘other appointing 
official’) may select an applicant 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 origi-
nal position. 
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‘‘(3) 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. 
‘‘(4) REQUIREMENTS.—The selection of an in-
dividual under paragraph (2)— 
‘‘(A) shall be made in accordance with this 
subsection; and 
‘‘(B) subject to paragraph (5), may be 
made without any additional posting under sec-
tion 3327. 
‘‘(5) INTERNAL NOTICE.—Before selecting an 
individual under paragraph (2), and subject to the 
requirements of any collective bargaining obligation 
of the other appointing authority (within the mean-
ing given that term in section 3318(b)(1)), the other 
appointing official shall— 
‘‘(A) provide notice of the available posi-
tion to employees of the appointing authority 
employing the other appointing official; 
‘‘(B) provide up to 10 business days for 
employees of the other appointing authority to 
apply for the position; and 
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‘‘(C) review the qualifications of employees 
submitting an application. 
‘‘(6) COLLECTIVE BARGAINING OBLIGATIONS.— 
Nothing in this subsection limits any collective bar-
gaining obligation of an agency under chapter 71. 
‘‘(7) 
PREFERENCE
ELIGIBLES.—Notwith-
standing paragraphs (1) and (2), an appointing offi-
cial may not pass over a preference eligible in the 
same category from which selection is made, unless 
the requirements of section 3317(b) and 3318(c), as 
applicable, are satisfied.’’. 
(c) TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
(1) Section 3319(c)(2) of title 5, United States 
Code, is amended by striking ‘‘3318(b)’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘3318(c)’’. 
(2) Section 9510(b)(5) of title 5, United States 
Code, is amended by striking ‘‘3318(b)’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘3318(c)’’. 
(d) REGULATIONS.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this Act, 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. 
Æ 
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