§3198. Local hire
(a) Program
After consultation with the Office of Personnel Management, the Secretary shall establish a program under which any individual who, by reason of having lived or worked in or near public lands, has special knowledge or expertise concerning the natural or cultural resources of public lands and the management thereof (as determined by the Secretary) shall be considered for selection for any position within public lands without regard to-
(1) any provision of the civil service laws or regulations thereunder which require minimum periods of formal training or experience,
(2) any such provision which provides an employment preference to any other class of applicant is such selection, and
(3) any numerical limitation on personnel otherwise applicable.
Individuals appointed under this subsection shall not be taken into account in applying any personnel limitation described in paragraph (3).
(b) Preference eligibles within local hire
Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, any individual who is eligible to be selected for a position under the provisions of subsection (a) of this section and is a preference eligible as defined in section 2108(3) of title 5 shall be given an employment preference, consistent with the preference in the competitive service as defined in section 2102 of such title for which such person is eligible under subchapter I of chapter 33 of such title, in selection to such position.
(c) Reports
The Secretary shall from time to time prepare and submit to the Congress reports indicating the actions taken in carrying out the provisions of subsection (a) of this section together with any recommendations for legislation in furtherance of the purposes of this section.
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References in Text
The civil service laws, referred to in subsec. (a)(1), are set forth in Title 5, Government Organization and Employees. See, particularly, section 3301 et seq. of Title 5.
Amendments
1992-Subsec. (a).
1988-Subsecs. (b), (c).