UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT HIRING AUTHORITY

UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT HIRING AUTHORITYSec. 588. (a) Authority.—Up to $37,500,000 of the funds made available in this Act to carry out the provisions of part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, including funds appropriated under the heading “Assistance for Eastern Europe and the Baltic States”, may be used by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to hire and employ individuals in the United States and overseas on a limited appointment basis pursuant to the authority of sections 308 and 309 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980.(b) Restrictions.—(1) The number of individuals hired in any fiscal year pursuant to the authority contained in subsection (a) may not exceed 175, of which not more than 75 may be hired for employment in the United States.(2) The authority to hire individuals contained in subsection (a) shall expire on September 30, 2007.(c) Conditions.—The authority of this section may only be used—(1) to the extent that an equivalent number of positions that are filled by personal services contractors or other nondirect-hire employees of USAID, who are compensated with funds appropriated to carry out part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, including funds appropriated under the heading “Assistance for Eastern Europe and the Baltic States”, are eliminated; and 118 STAT. 3035(2) after consultations between the Committees on Appropriations and the USAID Administrator on the implementation of this section and USAID work force issues more generally.(d) Priority Sectors.—In exercising the authority of this section, primary emphasis shall be placed on enabling USAID to meet personnel positions in technical skill areas currently encumbered by contractor or other nondirect-hire personnel.(e) Consultations.—After the initial consultations required by subsection (c)(2), the USAID Administrator shall consult with the Committees on Appropriations at least on a quarterly basis thereafter concerning the implementation of this section.(f) Program Account Charged.—The account charged for the cost of an individual hired and employed under the authority of this section shall be the account to which such individual’s responsibilities primarily relate. Funds made available to carry out this section may be transferred to and merged and consolidated with funds appropriated for “Operating Expenses of the United States Agency for International Development”.(g) Relation to Prior Law.—Upon completion of the consultations required by subsection (c)(2), the authority contained in this section shall supersede the authority contained in section 525 of the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2004.(h) Disaster Surge Capacity.—Funds appropriated by this Act to carry out part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, including funds appropriated under the heading “Assistance for Eastern Europe and the Baltic States”, may be used, in addition to funds otherwise available for such purposes, for the cost (including the support costs) of individuals detailed to or employed by the United States Agency for International Development whose primary responsibility is to carry out programs in response to natural disasters.