Competitive Service Act of 2015
Public Law 114-137 · S. 1580 · 114th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Mar 18, 2016 · Government Operations and Politics
Sponsor: Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT)
Cosponsors (6): Sen. Rob Portman, Sen. Benjamin Cardin,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Competitive Service Act of 2015
(Sec. 2) This bill authorizes an appointing authority (i.e., a federal agency appointing an individual to a position in the competitive service), other than the appointing authority that requested a certificate of eligibles for filling a position, to select an individual from that certificate for appointment to a position that is: (1) in the same occupational series as the position for which the certificate of eligibles was issued, and (2) at a similar grade level as the original position. The appointing authority must select an individual from the certificate of eligibles within 240 days after the issuance of the certificate. The bill sets forth further requirements relating to the sharing of certificates by agencies, notice to agency employees of available positions, and alternative ranking and selection procedures for job applicants.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 2827Identical bill
Competitive Service Act of 2015
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 24 actions.
- Mar 18, 2016Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 114-137.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Mar 15, 2016FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Mar 9, 2016FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Mar 8, 2016Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendment to the Senate bill by Unanimous Consent.
- OtherOther · Resolving differences -- Senate actions: Senate agreed to House amendment to the Senate bill by Unanimous Consent.
- Mar 1, 2016FloorFloor · Message on House action received in Senate and at desk: House amendment to Senate bill.
- Feb 29, 2016FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 1580.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Hice, Jody B. moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Dec 3, 2015CalendarCalendar · Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 280.
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. H. Rept. 114-367.
- Oct 9, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported by Unanimous Consent.
- Sep 17, 2015FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
- Sep 15, 2015CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 228.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Johnson without amendment. With written report No. 114-143.
- Jun 24, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
- Jun 16, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
No amendments to this bill are on record.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.