§3504 — Title 5 Government Organization and Employees | U.S. Code

§3504 Preference eligibles; retention; physical qualifications; waiver

Title 5 › Part PART III— - EMPLOYEES › Subpart Subpart B— - Employment and Retention › Chapter CHAPTER 35— - RETENTION PREFERENCE, VOLUNTARY SEPARATION INCENTIVE PAYMENTS, RESTORATION, AND REEMPLOYMENT › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - RETENTION PREFERENCE › § 3504

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Agencies must drop rules about age, height, and weight for a preference-eligible person unless those rules are really needed for the job. They must also drop other physical rules if the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) or another examining agency, after getting advice from an accredited doctor, decides the person can do the job well. If an examining agency thinks a preference-eligible person with a service-connected disability of 30 percent or more cannot meet the job’s physical needs, the agency must tell OPM and the person, explain why, and tell the person they have 15 days to reply. OPM will check that the notice was mailed to the person’s last known address, review any response, make the final decision before anyone else is hired, send the decision to the agency and the person, and the hiring agency must follow OPM’s decision. OPM cannot give this review job to someone else.

Title 5, §3504

Government Organization and Employees — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In determining qualifications of a preference eligible for retention in a position in the competitive service, an Executive agency, or the government of the District of Columbia, the Office of Personnel Management or other examining agency shall waive—

(1)requirements as to age, height, and weight, unless the requirement is essential to the performance of the duties of the position; and

(2)physical requirements if, in the opinion of the Office or other examining agency, after considering the recommendation of an accredited physician, the preference eligible is physically able to perform efficiently the duties of the position.

(b)If an examining agency determines that, on the basis of evidence before it, a preference eligible described in section 2108(3)(C) of this title who has a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more is not able to fulfill the physical requirements of the position, the examining agency shall notify the Office of the determination and, at the same time, the examining agency shall notify the preference eligible of the reasons for the determination and of the right to respond, within 15 days of the date of the notification, to the Office. The Office shall require a demonstration by the appointing authority that the notification was timely sent to the preference eligible’s last known address and shall, before the selection of any other person for the position, make a final determination on the physical ability of the preference eligible to perform the duties of the position, taking into account any additional information provided in the response. When the Office has completed its review of the proposed disqualification on the basis of physical disability, it shall send its findings to the appointing authority and the preference eligible. The appointing authority shall comply with the findings of the Office. The functions of the Office under this subsection may not be delegated.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

DerivationU.S. CodeRevised Statutes andStatutes at Large 5 U.S.C. 854 (1st 2 sentences, so much as relates to retention).June 27, 1944, ch. 287, § 5 (1st 2 sentences, so much as relates to retention), 58 Stat. 388. The words “in the competitive service, an Executive agency, or the government of the District of Columbia” are added on authority of former section 851, 858, and 869 which are carried into this title. The words “preference eligible” are substituted for “veteran”. Standard changes are made to conform with the definitions applicable and the style of this title as outlined in the preface to the report.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1978—Pub. L. 95–454 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), substituted “Office of Personnel Management” for “Civil Service Commission” and “Office” for “Commission”, and added subsec. (b).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1978 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 95–454 effective 90 days after Oct. 13, 1978, see section 907 of Pub. L. 95–454, set out as a note under section 1101 of this title.