Title 5Government Organization and EmployeesRelease 119-73

§9602 Competitive service; time-limited appointments

Title 5 › Part PART III— - EMPLOYEES › Subpart Subpart I— - Miscellaneous › Chapter CHAPTER 96— - PERSONNEL FLEXIBILITIES RELATING TO LAND MANAGEMENT AGENCIES › § 9602

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Allows an employee at a land management agency who holds a time-limited competitive job to compete for a permanent competitive job when the agency is hiring from its workforce, or when another agency is taking outside applicants. To be eligible, the person must have been first hired by an open, competitive exam; must have served one or more time-limited appointments adding up to more than 24 months without a break of 2 or more years; and must have had acceptable performance during that time. Age limits must be waived unless age is essential for the job. If hired, the person becomes a career-conditional employee (unless they already met career-tenure rules) and gets competitive status. A former employee can count as time-limited for 2 years after leaving if they apply within 2 years and did not leave for misconduct or poor performance. The Office of Personnel Management must write rules to make this work.

Full Legal Text

Title 5, §9602

Government Organization and Employees — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Notwithstanding chapter 33 or any other provision of law relating to the examination, certification, and appointment of individuals in the competitive service, an employee of a land management agency serving under a time-limited appointment in the competitive service is eligible to compete for a permanent appointment in the competitive service at such land management agency when such agency is accepting applications from individuals within the agency’s workforce under merit promotion procedures, or any agency, including a land management agency, when the agency is accepting applications from individuals outside its own workforce under the merit promotion procedures of the applicable agency if—
(1)the employee was appointed initially under open, competitive examination under subchapter I of chapter 33 to the time-limited appointment;
(2)the employee has served under 1 or more time-limited appointments by a land management agency for a period or periods totaling more than 24 months without a break of 2 or more years; and
(3)the employee’s performance has been at an acceptable level of performance throughout the period or periods (as the case may be) referred to in paragraph (2).
(b)In determining the eligibility of a time-limited employee under this section to be examined for or appointed in the competitive service, the Office of Personnel Management or other examining agency shall waive requirements as to age, unless the requirement is essential to the performance of the duties of the position.
(c)An individual appointed under this section—
(1)becomes a career-conditional employee, unless the employee has otherwise completed the service requirements for career tenure; and
(2)acquires competitive status upon appointment.
(d)A former employee of a land management agency who served under a time-limited appointment and who otherwise meets the requirements of this section shall be deemed a time-limited employee of the agency from which the former employee was most recently separated for purposes of this section if—
(1)such employee applies for a position covered by this section within the period of 2 years after the most recent date of separation; and
(2)such employee’s most recent separation was for reasons other than misconduct or performance.
(e)The Office of Personnel Management shall prescribe such regulations as may be necessary to carry out this section.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2016—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 114–328, § 1135(1), substituted in introductory provisions “such land management agency when such agency is accepting applications from individuals within the agency’s workforce under merit promotion procedures, or any agency, including a land management agency, when the agency is accepting applications from individuals outside its own workforce under the merit promotion procedures of the applicable agency” for “any land management agency or any other agency (as defined in section 101 of title 31) under the internal merit promotion procedures of the applicable agency”. Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 114–328, § 1135(2), inserted “of the agency from which the former employee was most recently separated” after “deemed a time-limited employee” in introductory provisions.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

5 U.S.C. § 9602

Title 5Government Organization and Employees

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73