Sponsors (104)
The bill increases OPM oversight to protect federal employees and reduce politicized hiring, at the cost of reduced agency staffing flexibility, potential delays in emergency staffing, and added administrative expense.
Federal employees will face stronger protections against reclassification and transfers into excepted schedules (like Schedule C) because OPM rulemaking and required approvals limit agency ability to move positions for political reasons, increasing transparency and reducing politicized hiring for taxpayers.
Agencies and the public may see slower hiring, reassignment, or creation of excepted positions during urgent missions or emergencies because OPM approval requirements can introduce delays and reduce flexibility.
Agencies (and thus taxpayers) may incur additional administrative costs and delays to obtain required consents and comply with new OPM regulations and processes.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Introduced January 16, 2025 by Gerald E. Connolly · Last progress January 16, 2025
Prohibits agencies from moving competitive-service jobs into new excepted-service categories except by using the preexisting schedules A–E and limits how many competitive positions can be converted to excepted service during a presidential term. It requires employee consent for transfers between competitive and excepted service or among excepted schedules, requires OPM approval before moving occupied jobs into Schedule C, and directs the OPM Director to issue implementing regulations. One brief provision establishes a short title for the law.