Competitive Service Act of 2015
PL 114-137 (S.1580), enacted 03/18/2016

130 STAT. 310 
PUBLIC LAW 114–137—MAR. 18, 2016 
Public Law 114–137 
114th Congress 
An Act 
To allow additional appointing authorities to select individuals from competitive 
service certificates. 
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 ‘‘Competitive Service Act of 2015’’. 
SEC. 2. ADDITIONAL APPOINTING AUTHORITIES FOR COMPETITIVE 
SERVICE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 3318 of title 5, United States Code, 
is amended— 
(1) by redesignating subsections (b) and (c) as subsections 
(c) and (d), respectively; and 
(2) by inserting after subsection (a) the following: 
‘‘(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 authority other than the appointing 
authority requesting the certificate (in this subsection referred 
to as the ‘other appointing authority’) may select an individual 
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 original 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 notice that the resulting list of eligible can-
didates may be used by another appointing authority. 
‘‘(3) REQUIREMENTS.—The selection of an individual under 
paragraph (1)— 
‘‘(A) shall be made in accordance with subsection (a); 
and 
‘‘(B) subject to paragraph (4), may be made without 
any additional posting under section 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 appointing authority shall— 
‘‘(A) provide notice of the available position to 
employees of the other appointing authority; 
Time period. 
Effective date. 
5 USC 101 note. 
Competitive 
Service Act of 
2015. 
Mar. 18, 2016 
[S. 1580] 
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130 STAT. 311 
PUBLIC LAW 114–137—MAR. 18, 2016 
‘‘(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 bargaining obligation of an 
agency under chapter 71.’’. 
(b) ALTERNATIVE RANKING AND SELECTION PROCEDURES.—Sec-
tion 3319 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by striking 
subsection (c) and inserting the following: 
‘‘(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 regula-
tions prescribed by the Office of Personnel 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 original position. 
‘‘(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 can-
didates may be used by another appointing authority. 
‘‘(4) REQUIREMENTS.—The selection of an individual 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 section 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 meaning given that term in section 
3318(b)(1)), the other appointing official shall— 
‘‘(A) provide notice of the available position 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 
‘‘(C) review the qualifications of employees submitting 
an application. 
‘‘(6) COLLECTIVE BARGAINING OBLIGATIONS.—Nothing in this 
subsection limits any collective bargaining obligation of an 
agency under chapter 71. 
‘‘(7) PREFERENCE ELIGIBLES.—Notwithstanding paragraphs 
(1) and (2), an appointing official may not pass over a preference 
eligible in the same category from which selection is made, 
Time period. 
Regulations. 
Time period. 
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130 STAT. 312 
PUBLIC LAW 114–137—MAR. 18, 2016 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 1580: 
HOUSE REPORTS: No. 114–367 (Comm. on Oversight and Government Reform). 
SENATE REPORTS: No. 114–143 (Comm. on Homeland Security and Governmental 
Affairs). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD: 
Vol. 161 (2015): Sept. 17, considered and passed Senate. 
Vol. 162 (2016): Feb. 29, considered and passed House, amended. 
Mar. 8, Senate concurred in House amendment. 
unless the requirements of section 3317(b) and 3318(c), as 
applicable, are satisfied.’’. 
(c) 
TECHNICAL
AND
CONFORMING
AMENDMENT.—Section 
9510(b)(5) of title 5, United States Code, is amended by striking 
‘‘3318(b)’’ and inserting ‘‘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. 
Approved March 18, 2016. 
Deadline. 
5 USC 3318 note. 
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