ACQUISITION WORKFORCE RECRUITMENT PROGRAM.

SEC. 1413. ACQUISITION WORKFORCE RECRUITMENT PROGRAM.(a) Determination of Shortage Category Positions.—For purposes of sections 3304, 5333, and 5753 of title 5, United States Code, the head of a department or agency of the United States (other than the Secretary of Defense) may determine, under regulations prescribed by the Office of Personnel Management, that certain Federal acquisition positions (as described in section 37(g)(1)(A) of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act (41 U.S.C. 433(g)(1)(A)) are shortage category positions in order to use the authorities in those sections to recruit and appoint highly qualified persons directly to such positions in the department or agency.(b) Termination of Authority.—The head of a department or agency may not appoint a person to a position of employment under this section after September 30, 2007. (c) Report.—Not later than March 31, 2007, the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, in consultation with the Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy, shall submit to Congress a report on the implementation of this section. The report shall include—(1) a list of the departments and agencies that exercised the authority provided in this section, and whether the exercise of the authority was carried out in accordance with the regulations prescribed by the Office of Personnel Management;(2) the Director’s assessment of the efficacy of the exercise of the authority provided in this section in attracting employees with unusually high qualifications to the acquisition workforce; and(3) any recommendations considered appropriate by the Director on whether the authority to carry out the program should be extended.117 STAT. 1666