Schedule A Authority

By Human Capital

Schedule A Appointing Authority for Persons with Disabilities - 5 CFR 213.3102 (U)

General Information

The purpose of the Schedule A appointing authority for persons with disabilities is to increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities in the Federal Government. Using this hiring authority, provides an expedited streamlined process to recruit, hire, advance, and retain diverse talented individuals with disabilities including veterans by providing flexibility to hire non-competitively without posting a vacancy announcement. This means that if the individual meets the eligibility requirement of the appointment and the minimum qualifications for a position, they may be hired for the position without having to compete. The Schedule A hiring authority can be used to hire in all occupations.

Appointing Authority

The Schedule A appointing authority is an excepted service appointing authority that may be used to appoint individuals with intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, and psychiatric disabilities. Under this authority, individuals may be appointed under time-limited, permanent, or temporary appointments in the excepted service.

Benefits to the Hiring Manager

Develop a potential pipeline of qualified diverse candidates for permanent positions.
Expedite the hiring process to bring in talented individuals with disabilities without posting a vacancy announcement.
Opportunity to assess candidates on a temporary basis with the ability to convert to a permanent position.
Ensure that the opportunities for Government service are open to everyone and demonstrate commitment to disability inclusion.
Meet workforce needs while also increasing diversity and inclusion.

Eligibility Requirements

An applicant's disability must fall within at least one of the following categories:

Intellectual Disability
Psychiatric Disability
Severe Physical Disability

Proof of Disability

An individual requesting to be hired under the Schedule A appointing authority, Title 5, CFR § 213.3102(u), must provide proof of eligibility from the following before being appointed:

A licensed medical practitioner (e.g., a physician or other medical practitioner duly certified by a State, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory, to practice medicine);
A licensed vocational rehabilitation practitioner (i.e., State or private); or
Any Federal, State, District of Columbia, or U.S. territory agency that issues or provides disability benefits.
Note: The document only needs to state that the person is eligible to be considered for employment under this Schedule A hiring authority. It is not necessary to identify the specific disability. See the link for the sample letters below.

The following documents may be accepted as proof of a qualifying disability:

Statements or letters on a physician/medical practitioner's letterhead stationery.
Statements, records, or letters from a Federal Government agency that issues or provides disability benefits;
Statements, records, or letters from a State Vocational Rehabilitation Agency Counselor; or
Certification from a private vocational rehabilitation or other counselors that issues or provides disability benefits.

Sample Schedule A Letters

Appointment Options

Temporary (1-year or less) Excepted Appointment Not-to-Exceed	Time-limited (at least 13 months) Excepted Appointment Not-to-Exceed	Excepted Appointment (Without Time Limit)
An individual may be given a temporary excepted appointment based upon proof of disability when either of the following circumstances exists: 1. It is necessary to observe the individual on the job to determine whether the individual is able or ready to perform the duties of the position. If this option is used to determine an individual's job readiness, the hiring organization may convert the individual to a permanent excepted appointment once it’s determined the individual is able to perform the duties of the position, OR 2. The work is temporary in nature.	An individual may be given an excepted appointment on a time-limited basis when the duties of the position do not require it to be filled on a permanent basis. The individual must provide proof of disability and his/her previous employment, educational, or other relevant experience must support the determination that the individual will likely succeed in the performance of the duties of the position to which appointed.	An individual may be given an excepted appointment without time limit based upon proof of disability and his/her previous employment, education, or other relevant experience must support the determination that the individual will likely succeed in the performance of the duties of the position to which appointed. After completing 2 years of satisfactory service, the individual may be noncompetitively converted to a permanent career or career-conditional appointment.

Temporary (1-year or less) Excepted Appointment Not-to-Exceed

Time-limited (at least 13 months) Excepted Appointment Not-to-Exceed

Excepted Appointment (Without Time Limit)

An individual may be given a temporary excepted appointment based upon proof of disability when either of the following circumstances exists:

1. It is necessary to observe the individual on the job to determine whether the individual is able or ready to perform the duties of the position. If this option is used to determine an individual's job readiness, the hiring organization may convert the individual to a permanent excepted appointment once it’s determined the individual is able to perform the duties of the position, OR

2. The work is temporary in nature.

An individual may be given an excepted appointment on a time-limited basis when the duties of the position do not require it to be filled on a permanent basis.

The individual must provide proof of disability and his/her previous employment, educational, or other relevant experience must support the determination that the individual will likely succeed in the performance of the duties of the position to which appointed.

An individual may be given an excepted appointment without time limit based upon proof of disability and his/her previous employment, education, or other relevant experience must support the determination that the individual will likely succeed in the performance of the duties of the position to which appointed.

After completing 2 years of satisfactory service, the individual may be noncompetitively converted to a permanent career or career-conditional appointment.

Non-competitive Conversion to Career and Career-conditional Appointments

An employee under this appointing authority may be non-competitively converted to a permanent career or career-conditional appointment after completing 2 years of satisfactory service. Time spent on a temporary appointment does not count towards the 2-year requirement. Time-limited appointments made for more than 1 year are not considered to be temporary; therefore, time served on a time-limited appointment is creditable toward the 2-year requirement for noncompetitive conversion.

Reasonable Accommodations

Federal agencies are required by law to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants and employees with disabilities unless doing so will result in undue hardship to the agency. The accommodations make it easier for an employee with a disability to successfully perform the duties of the position. Contact the Disability Program Manager or your servicing HR Specialist if you have questions about the reasonable accommodation process.

Outreach/Recruitment Efforts to Recruit and Attract Persons with Disabilities

People with disabilities can apply for jobs on USAJOBS and request to be considered as a non-competitive candidate through the Schedule A hiring authority or may also apply for jobs through the traditional competitive process, in the same manner as applicants without disabilities.

As a hiring manager, when you are recruiting for a position through competitive procedures, let your servicing HR Specialist know that you want to consider non-competitive candidates. The candidates that apply for consideration under the Schedule A hiring authority will be reviewed by HR to ensure eligibility and minimum qualifications are met and will be referred on a separate non-competitive certificate for further consideration by the hiring manager.

Developing targeted outreach and recruitment to disability organizations and employment service providers can help build a pipeline of qualified Schedule A eligible candidates.

Below are some best practices to recruit candidates with disabilities:

Partner with career centers and disability student services at local colleges and universities to recruit students and recent graduates with disabilities.
Utilize the Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP) for Students and Recent Graduates with Disabilities database to recruit and hire current students and recent graduates.
Partner with state Vocational Rehabilitation agencies, Centers for Independent Living (CILs), Department of Veterans Affairs, and Employment Networks. These organizations can disseminate job postings and identify candidates.

Additional Resources

The ABCs of Schedule A Tips for Hiring Managers on using the Schedule A Appointing Authority | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (eeoc.gov)

AskEARN | Resources for Finding Candidates with Disabilities and Job Posting Websites

Requirements for Considering Displaced/Surplus Employees

Provisions of the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) do not apply to the appointment of an individual under an excepted service appointing authority or to the potential subsequent conversion to a permanent career or career-conditional appointment.

Probationary/Trial Period Requirements

Probationary/trial period requirements are dependent on the appointment option. Reach out to your servicing HR Specialist with questions.