Source: http://thefederalregister.com/2008/12/05/E8-28747.html
Timestamp: 2019-02-23 20:50:59
Document Index: 378735490

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 315', 'art 316', '§ 315', '§ 315', '§ 315', '§ 315', '§ 315', '§ 315', '§ 315', '§ 316', '§ 315', 'art 315', 'art 316', '§ 315', '§ 315', '§ 315', '§ 315']

RIN 3206-AL73
SUMMARY: The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing proposed regulations that allow agencies to noncompetitively appoint certain military spouses to positions in the competitive service. These regulations implement Executive Order 13473, 73 FR 56703 (Sept. 28, 2008), which authorizes noncompetitive appointments in the Civil Service for spouses of certain members of the armed forces. These regulations facilitate the entry of military spouses into the Federal civil service as part of an effort to recruit and retain skilled and experienced members of the armed forces and to recognize and honor the service of members injured, disabled, or killed in connection with their service.
DATES: Comments will be considered if received by January 5, 2009.
ADDRESSES: Send, fax, or deliver written comments to Angela Bailey, Deputy Associate Director, Center for Talent and Capacity Policy, U.S. Office of Personnel Management, 1900 E Street, NW., Room 6500, Washington, DC 20415, e-mail toemploy@opm.gov,or FAX to 202-606-2329.
Comments may also be sent through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at:http://www.regulations.gov.All submissions received through the Portal must include the agency name and docket number or Regulation Identifier Number (RIN) for this rulemaking.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jacquelyn Carrington at (202) 606-0960, FAX at (202) 606-2329, TDD at (202) 418-3134, or e-mailjacquelyn.carrington@opm.gov.
On September 25, 2008, the President signed Executive Order 13473 (73 FR 56703) allowing agencies to make noncompetitive appointments of spouses of certain members of the armed forces. To implement this Executive order, the Office of Personnel Management is proposing to add a new section 315.612 to subpart F of part 315, title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, and revise part 316, Temporary and Term Appointment, subpart C, section 316.302, and subpart D, section 316.402, to permit noncompetitive permanent, term, or temporary appointment of military spouses, respectively. This authority allows agencies to recruit and noncompetitively appoint spouses of certain members of the armed forces to positions in the competitive service. These regulations do not provide a hiring preference for military spouses, nor do they establish selection priority for these individuals. Consistent with other noncompetitive appointment authorities, these individuals must apply to a Federal vacancy announcement to be considered. This proposal creates a pool of applicants from which agencies may make noncompetitive selections if they choose to do so.
Paragraph (a) of the proposed new § 315.612 explains the intent of the Executive order, which authorizes agencies to noncompetitively appoint certain military spouses to competitive service positions under certain circumstances. Specifically, agencies are authorized to appoint noncompetitively the spouse of a service member serving on active duty in the armed forces who has received permanent change of station orders, the spouse of a 100 percent disabled service member whose disability resulted from active duty in the armed forces, or the un-remarried widow or widower of a service member who was killed while on active duty in the armed forces.
Paragraph (b) of proposed § 315.612 contains six definitions necessary for the administration of the section.
Paragraph (c) of proposed § 315.612 provides the criteria that a military spouse must meet to be eligible for noncompetitive appointment under this section. This paragraph also contains the eligibility criteria that a member of the armed forces on active duty must meet in order for his or her spouse to be eligible for noncompetitive appointment under this section.
This paragraph specifies that to be eligible for appointment under this section, the spouse of a member of the armed forces who is serving on active duty must be married to the member of the armed forces on, or before, the date of the service member's orders relocating him or her to another permanent duty station. It also specifies that the spouse must accompany the service member to the new permanent duty station.
This paragraph makes clear that the spouse of a deceased service member must be the un-remarried widow or widower of a member of the armed forces killed while on active duty in order to be eligible for noncompetitive appointment under this section.
Lastly, this paragraph provides that under this section agencies may appoint eligible spouses only to positions within the geographic area containing the permanent duty station to which the service member has been transferred or reassigned. The head of an agency, however, may waive this limitation if there are no Federal agencies within the geographic area in which the new duty station is located. Eligible spouses of 100 percent disabled service members, or service members who were killed while on active duty, are not subject to the geographic area limitation.
Paragraph (d) of proposed § 315.612 provides the conditions under which an agency may appoint a military spouse noncompetitively under this section. This paragraph specifies that a spouse remains eligible for a noncompetitive appointment for a maximum of 2 years from the date of the (a) service member's orders authorizing a permanent change of station; (b) the documentation showing the service member is 100 percent disabled; or (c) the documentation showing the service member was killed while on active duty.
This paragraph also specifies that an eligible spouse may receive only one noncompetitive appointment to a permanent Federal job per each set of orders authorizing the service member'spermanent change of station. OPM is not proposing a limitation on the number of temporary or term appointments an eligible spouse may have per permanent change of duty location authorization.
This paragraph provides that individuals who accompany their military spouses to the new duty station within 1 year of the effective date of these regulations are eligible for noncompetitive appointment under this section.
Lastly, this paragraph provides that any provision that would disqualify an applicant for Federal appointment also disqualifies a spouse for appointment under these provisions.
Paragraph (e) of proposed § 315.612 explains the documentation that an agency hiring representative must have received from a spouse before making a noncompetitive appointment under this section. Spouses of active duty military members must submit to the hiring agency the following information: A copy of the military member's active duty orders authorizing a permanent change of duty station, and proof that the spouse was married to the military member at the time of the orders' issuance.
The spouse of an individual with a 100 percent disability rating must submit to the hiring agency documentation that states the individual is 100 percent disabled as a result of a service-connected disability that occurred while the individual was on active military duty, and proof that the spouse is married to the military member.
The spouse of an individual killed while on active duty must submit to the hiring agency documentation that shows the military member was serving on active military duty at the time of his or her death, proof that the spouse was married to the military member at the time of his or her death, and a statement certifying that he or she is the un-remarried widow or widower of the service member.
Paragraph (f) of proposed § 315.612 provides the military spouse appointed under this section acquires competitive status upon completion of a probationary period.
Paragraph (g) of proposed § 315.612 specifies that an eligible military spouse hired under this authority has a career-conditional appointment until the employee fulfills the requirements for career tenure.
The proposed regulations also revise §§ 316.302 and 316.402 to authorize agencies to make noncompetitive term or temporary appointments, respectively, of spouses eligible under the proposed provisions of § 315.612.
OPM is imposing a 30-day comment period on this proposed rule.
Office of Personnel Management. Michael W. Hager, Acting Director.
Accordingly, OPM proposes to amend title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, part 315, subpart F, and part 316, as follows:
2. Add § 315.612 to subpart F to read as follows:
(a)Agency authority.In accordance with the provisions of this section, an agency may appoint noncompetitively a spouse of a member of the armed forces serving on active duty who has orders specifying a permanent change of station, a spouse of a 100 percent disabled service member injured while on active duty, or the un-remarried widow or widower of a service member who was killed while performing active duty.
(1)Active dutymeans full-time duty in the armed forces including full-time National Guard duty, except that for Reserve Component members the term “active duty” does not include training duties or attendance at service schools.
(2)Armed forceshas the meaning given that term in 10 U.S.C. 101.
(3)Duty stationmeans the permanent location to which a member of the armed forces is assigned for duty as specified on the individual's permanent change of station (PCS) orders.
(4)Member of the armed forcesorservice membermeans an individual who:
(ii) Retired from active duty in the armed forces with a disability rating of 100 percent as documented by a branch of the armed forces, or, retired or was released or discharged from active duty in the armed forces and has a disability rating of 100 percent as documented by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
(5)Permanent change of stationmeans the assignment, reassignment, or transfer of a member of the armed forces from his or her present duty station or location without return to the previous duty station or location.
(6)Spousemeans the husband or wife of a member of the armed forces.
(c)Eligibility.
(3) A spouse's eligibility for noncompetitive appointment under this section is limited to the geographic area, as specified on the member of the armed forces' permanent change of station orders. It includes the service member's duty station and the surrounding area from which people reasonably can be expected to travel daily to and from work. The head of an agency may waive this limitation (i.e., accept applications from spouses) if no Federal agency exists in the spouse's geographic area.
(1) In accordance with the provisions of this section, spouses are eligible for noncompetitive appointment for a maximum of 2 years from the date of:
(ii) Documentation verifying the member of the armed forces is 100 percent disabled; or
(3) In accordance with the provisions of this section, spouses who relocated with a member of the armed forces to the location provided in the service member's permanent change of station orders within 1 year prior to the effective date of these regulations are eligible for noncompetitive appointment under this section.
(e)Proof of Eligibility.
(ii) Documentation verifying marriage to the member of the armed forces (e.g., a marriage license or other legal documentation verifying marriage).
(iii) Documentation verifying marriage to the member of the armed forces (e.g., a marriage license or other legal documentation verifying marriage).
(iii) Documentation verifying marriage to the member of the armed forces (e.g., a marriage license or other legal documentation verifying marriage); and
(f)Acquisition of competitive status.A person appointed under paragraph (a) of this section acquires competitive status automatically upon completion of probation.
(g)Tenure on appointment.An appointment under paragraph (a) of this section is career-conditional unless the appointee has already satisfied the requirements for career tenure or is exempt from the service requirement pursuant to § 315.201.
(3) Career-conditional appointment under § 315.601, 315.604, 315.605, 315.606, 315.607, 315.608, 315.609, 315.612, or 315.711 of this chapter;
(3) Career-conditional appointment under § 315.601, 315.604, 315.605, 315.606, 315.607, 315.608, 315.609, 315.612, 315.703, or 315.711 of this chapter;