WASHINGTON — H.R.1531, the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act, would allow employees serving in the Department of the Interior on a lime-limited basis eligible to compete for permanent positions within the agency. The bill passed the House on July 7 and moved to the Senate on the 8th.

The House bill was submitted to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs without amendments or reports. It was placed on the Senate legislative calendar yesterday.

The measure would allow employees in certain positions of the Department of the Interior to compete for permanent positions if they have served in temporary competitive service in one or more time-limited appointment for more than 24-months without a break of two, or more, years and the employee performance has been acceptable.

Temporary employees who were separated not more than two years who otherwise meets the eligibility of this measure would be allowed to compete for permanent positions if their separation was not for misconduct or poor performance.

The bill would require the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) or other examining agency, in determining the eligibility of a time-limited employee to be examined for or appointed in the competitive service. The person would becomes a career-conditional employee and acquire competitive status upon appointment.

The bill would waive age requirements for appointees under this measure unless the age requirement is essential to the performance of the duties of a particular position.