S. 3180: Flexible HIRE Act

114th Congress · introduced 2016-07-13 · Government Operations and Politics · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2016-07-13 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Heitkamp, Heidi [D-ND] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Flexible HIRE Act

Plain summary

Flexible Hiring and Improving Recruitment, Retention, and Education Act of 2016 or the Flexible HIRE Act This bill allows the President to authorize agencies to appoint candidates directly to positions that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has determined are in geographic areas affected by a unique situation or circumstance that has directly and significantly affected employee recruitment and retention. In areas within the continental United States in which recruitment and retention have become a severe challenge as the direct result of a dramatic economic development, hardship, or remoteness, the President may permit agencies to appoint candidates without using the statutory preference eligible veteran procedures that would otherwise require such agencies to provide experience credits, award examination points, or restrict competition to certain veterans and families of disabled or deceased veterans. Agencies must still prioritize the hiring of veterans by following regulatory principles regarding the appointment of qualified veterans to competitive service positions. For positions in such areas, the OPM may establish higher minimum rates of pay and authorize agencies to pay bonuses for recruitment, relocation, or retention. The OPM must replace the $10 per day cap on the commuting allowance for employees assigned to remote worksites with the mileage reimbursement rate prescribed by the General Services Administration for the use of privately owned automobiles for official government business. Agencies may pay an allowance to employees assigned to sites remote from: (1) established communities, suitable residences, or affordable housing; (2) medical care, child care, or schools; (3) employment options for spouses; or (4) consumer goods and services. The OPM must establish a permanent hiring working group to help agencies prepare and deal with such geographic areas. Agencies must: (1) create pilot programs to increase the number of new employees placed in these unique geographic areas; (2) develop strategies to aide employees' spouses and families; and (3) enhance recruiting methods targeting colleges, veterans transition centers, and job placement programs in such areas. The OPM must establish a centralized electronic database of individuals completing a federal internship program who are seeking full-time federal employment.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Flexible HIRE Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Heitkamp, Heidi [D-ND] · 0 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (3)

Authorization: A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Statute: A written law passed by a legislature. A statute can be changed by a later law; changing a constitution needs an amendment.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-114s3180.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/114/s>

Record fed-us-cong114-s3180 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114