§ 1725a. Direct hire authority

• (1) During fiscal year 2012 and thereafter, the Secretary (as defined in section 1722 of this title ) may appoint, without regard to the provisions of subchapter I of chapter 33 of title 5, other than sections 3303 and 3328 of such title, a qualified candidate described in paragraph (2) directly to a position for which the candidate meets Office of Personnel Management qualification standards.
• (2) Paragraph (1) applies with respect to a former resource assistant (as defined in section 1722 of this title ) who—
  • (A) completed a rigorous undergraduate or graduate summer internship with the Secretary (as so defined), such as the National Park Service Business Plan Internship;
  • (B) successfully fulfilled the requirements of the internship program; and
  • (C) subsequently earned an undergraduate or graduate degree from an accredited institution of higher education.
• (3) The direct hire authority under this section may not be exercised with respect to a specific qualified candidate after the end of the two-year period beginning on the date on which the candidate completed the undergraduate or graduate degree, as the case may be.