Flexible HIRE Act

[AI summary unavailable — showing source text] 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 p…