Congress has passed and sent to the White House legislation (HR-658) allowing the Securities and Exchange Commission to use “excepted service” hiring authority for accountant, economist and securities compliance examiner positions designated as being in the competitive service.
The change means that the SEC can use the generally quicker excepted service hiring procedures in which there is not the often lengthy type of competition among candidates as there is in competitive service hiring. SEC will have to report to Congress on the procedures used to select candidates through the streamlined hiring authority and the effects on the procedures on veterans and other demographic groups. The bill specifies that even though the positions may be filled through excepted service hiring procedures, the jobs remain in the competitive service. The two systems have different rules regarding probationary periods, appeals and certain other policies. Meanwhile, the Office of Personnel Management has granted the agency new hiring authorities under its recently issued “direct hire” rules.
