INTERAGENCY PLACEMENT PROGRAM FOR FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AFFECTED BY REDUCTIONS IN FORCE.

SEC. 1066. INTERAGENCY PLACEMENT PROGRAM FOR FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AFFECTED BY REDUCTIONS IN FORCE. (a) Study and Report.— (1) The Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall conduct a study on the feasibility of establishing a mandatory interagency placement program for Federal employees affected by reductions in force. (2) For purposes of paragraph (1), an interagency placement program is a program that provides a system to require the offering of a position in an agency to an employee of another agency affected by a reduction in force if— (A) the position cannot be filled through a placement program of the agency in which the position is located; (B) the employee to whom the offer is made is qualified for the offered position; and (C) the geographic location of the offered position is within the commuting area of— (i) the residence of the employee; or (ii) the employee’s present or last-held position. (3) The Director shall carry out this subsection in consultation with the Secretary of Defense. 108 STAT. 2851 (4) The Director shall seek comments from the heads of all appropriate Federal agencies in conducting the study required by paragraph (1). (5) Not later than six months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director shall submit to Congress a report on the results of the study required by paragraph (1) and on any action taken by the Director under subsection (b). (b) Agreements To Establish Interagency Placement Program.— (1) The Director may establish a Government-wide inter-agency placement program for Federal employees affected by reductions in force if, during the 6-month period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, determines that such a program is feasible. To carry out the program, the Director may enter into an agreement with the head of each agency that agrees to participate in the program. If the Director establishes a program under this subsection, it is not necessary that the program be an interagency placement program within the meaning of subsection (a)(2). (2) If the Director establishes a program pursuant to paragraph (1), the report required by subsection (a)(5) shall identify each agency that does not agree to participate in the program and the reasons of the head of that agency for not agreeing to participate. (c) Definitions.— For purposes of this section: (1) The term “agency” means an Executive agency as defined in section 105 of title 5, United States Code, except that such term does not include the General Accounting Office. (2) The term “Federal employees affected by reductions in force” means Federal employees who are separated, or are scheduled to be separated, from service under a reduction in force pursuant to— (A) regulations prescribed under section 3502 of title 5, United States Code; or (B) procedures established under section 3595 of such title.