,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bcdh  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,july #ca1     
#bjai,ms4 ,cantwell 7for herself and    
,ms4 ,collins7 introduced the following 
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,homeland ,security
 and ,governmental ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  
,to restore administrative law judges to
 the competitive service1 and for other 
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,,alj ,competitive  
,service ,restoration ,act4  #b4        
,appointment of administrative law      
judges  7a7 ,in general ,section #caje  
of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code is   
amended to read as follows3  #caje4     
,appointment of administrative law      
judges  7a7 ,appointment  7#a7          
,authority ,the head of each ,executive 
department and agency shall appoint as  
many administrative law judges as are   
necessary for proceedings required to be
 conducted in accordance with sections  
#eef and #eeg4  7#b7 ,selection2        

examination ,administrative law judges  
shall be appointed by the head of an    
,executive department or an agency from 
a list of eligible candidates provided  
by the ,office of ,personnel ,management
 based upon successful examination and  
approval of the qualifications of the   
individual by the ,office4  7b7 ,minimum
 qualifications and conditions of       
employment  7#a7 ,licensure ,at the time
 of application for a position and while
 serving as an administrative law judge1
 the individual must possess a          
professional license to practice law    
under the laws of a ,state1 the         
,district of ,columbia1 the             
,commonwealth of ,puerto ,rico1 or any  
territorial court4  7#b7 ,qualifying    
experience ,to be eligible to serve as  
an administrative law judge1 an         
individual shall have not less than #g  
years of experience as a licensed       
attorney litigating or adjudicating     
formal hearings or trials involving     
civil1 criminal1 or administrative law  

at the ,federal1 ,state1 or local level4
  7c7 ,competitive service              
,administrative law judge positions     
shall be positions in the competitive   
service4  7d7 ,assignment               
,administrative law judges shall be     
assigned to cases in rotation as far as 
practicable1 and may not perform duties 
inconsistent with their duties and      
responsibilities as administrative law  
judges4  7e7 ,authority and role of     
administrative law judges in relation to
 ,executive department or agency heads  
7#a7 ,chief ,,alj ,a chief              
administrative law judge shall report   
directly to the head of the ,executive  
department or agency at which the chief 
is appointed4  7#b7 ,,alj ,an           
administrative law judge shall report   
directly to the chief administrative law
 judge 7if any7 of the ,executive       
department or agency at which the       
administrative law judge is appointed4  
,if there is no chief administrative law
 judge1 the administrative law judge    

shall report directly to the head of the
 ,executive department or agency4  7#c7 
,clarification ,nothing in this         
subsection shall be construed to limit  
or otherwise mitigate the ability or    
independence of an administrative law   
judge in carrying out the duties and    
responsibilities of an administrative   
law judge4  4  7b7 ,exemption from      
probationary period ,section #ccba7;c7  
of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code1 is  
amended to read as follows3  7c7        
,subsections 7a7 and 7b7 of this section
 shall not apply with respect to        
appointments in the ,senior ,executive  
,service1 the ,federal ,bureau of       
,investigation and ,drug ,enforcement   
,administration ,senior ,executive      
,service1 any individual covered by     
section #aeii;e of title #aj1 or any    
individual appointed to an              
administrative law judge position4  4   
7c7 ,clarification of application of    
disciplinary procedures ,notwithstanding
 the amendments made by this ,act that  

classify administrative law judges      
within the competitive service1 an      
administrative law judge--  7#a7 shall  
not be subject to subchapter ,i or ,,ii 
of chapter #ge of title #e1 ,united     
,states ,code2 and  7#b7 shall be       
subject to the requirements of          
subchapter ,,iii of that chapter4  7d7  
,conversion of positions ,with respect  
to any individual serving on the date of
 the enactment of this ,act in an       
excepted service position as an         
administrative law judge appointed under
 section #caje of title #e1 ,united     
,states ,code1 as in effect on the day  
before the date of enactment of this    
,act1 not later than #cj days after the 
date of enactment of this ,act1 the head
 of an ,executive department listed in  
section #aja of title #e1 ,united       
,states ,code1 or the agency employing  
the administrative law judge shall      
convert the appointment to a permanent  
appointment in the competitive service  
in the ,executive department or agency1 

as applicable4