§3115 Expedited hiring authority for college graduates; competitive service

Summary

Federal agencies may quickly hire recent college graduates into certain professional or administrative jobs at GS‑11 level or below without using some usual competitive hiring rules. The hires must meet the job’s minimum qualifications set by the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, follow OPM’s rules, and the agency must publicly advertise the jobs, use merit-based hiring, reach diverse applicants, and give clear job information. To qualify, a person must have a bachelor’s or higher degree and apply within 2 years of getting that degree. If the person finished at least 4 years of required military service, they may apply within 2 years after their discharge. Definitions: Director — the Director of the Office of Personnel Management. Institution of higher education — a college or university as defined in the Higher Education Act. Each agency can use this authority only up to a limit each year equal to 15 percent of how many similar GS‑11 (or equivalent) hires the agency made the previous year by competitive exam, though the Director can set a lower cap. The Director must issue interim rules within 180 days and allow comment. For the first three fiscal years after the law starts, agencies that use this hiring must report to Congress and OPM by September 30 each year. Reports must include totals hired, how many are minorities/underrepresented or veterans, recruitment sources, the agency’s total similar competitive hires that year, and other data OPM asks for. The Defense Department may use its separate recent‑graduate hiring authority and is not covered by OPM’s rules while that authority continues.