Enhancement of special hiring authorities for military veterans

(a) Exception to preference eligibility Section 2108 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by striking paragraph (4) and inserting the following: (4) except for the purposes of chapters 43 and 75 of this title, preference eligible does not include— (A) a retired member of the Armed Forces unless— (i) the individual is a disabled veteran; or (ii) the individual retired below the rank of major or its equivalent; (B) a veteran who has been discharged or released from active duty for more than 10 years, as of the date on which the individual would be appointed; or (C) a veteran who is an employee who has been in the competitive service for more than two years, as of the date on which the individual would be appointed; and. (b) Veterans’ preference as a tiebreaker among equally qualified candidates (1) Registers of eligibles Section 3313 of title 5, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: 3313. Competitive service; registers of eligibles The names of applicants who have qualified in examinations for the competitive service shall be entered on appropriate registers or lists of eligibles in the order of their ratings, including points added under section 3309 of this title. The names of preference eligibles shall be entered ahead of others having the same rating.. (2) Alternative ranking and selection procedures Section 3319(b) of title 5, United States Code, is amended by striking the second sentence. (c) Veterans recruitment appointment improvements (1) Definition of recently separated veteran Section 4211(6) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by striking three-year and inserting 10-year. (2) Definition of qualified covered veteran Section 4214(a)(2)(B) of title 38, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: (B) The term qualified covered veteran means a veteran described in section 4212(a)(3) of this title, but does not include a retired member of the Armed Forces unless the individual qualifies for retirement under chapter 61 of title 10..