PREP Act Cuts Federal Employee Probationary Periods to 6 Months for Internal Transfers

The newly introduced Probationary Reduction for Employee Protections Act, or the PREP Act, is looking to streamline how quickly federal employees can achieve permanent status when they change jobs within the government. Essentially, it shortens the initial trial period, known as the probationary period, for experienced staff moving between roles.

For anyone appointed to a regular federal job (competitive service) who is already working in a civil service job in the Executive Branch, the maximum probationary period is cut down to just six months. If you’re a new hire coming in off the street without prior federal experience, your maximum probationary period remains 12 months. This change is designed to make internal movement less of a waiting game, recognizing that these employees already know how the federal government works (Section 3321).

Speeding Up the Federal Ladder

This same six-month rule applies if you’re moving into an “excepted service” job—positions not covered by the standard competitive hiring process—provided you’re coming from another Executive Branch civil service role (Section 3330g). Think of an IT specialist who has been working for the Department of Defense for five years and takes a new, specialized role at the Department of Energy; they won’t have to spend a full year proving themselves all over again. They get to skip the second long probationary period.

The Senior Executive Fast Track

The PREP Act also targets the top tier: the Senior Executive Service (SES). These are the folks managing entire agencies and programs. If you’re moving into an SES position and you already held a civil service job in the Executive Branch right beforehand, your required service time before being fully vested is also reduced to six months. For everyone else, it stays at 12 months (Section 3393(d)). This helps agencies quickly integrate experienced internal talent into leadership roles without unnecessary delay.

What This Means for the Workforce

This bill is a clear win for federal workforce mobility. Currently, a high-performing employee might hesitate to take a promotion or lateral move because it means restarting a full 12-month probationary period, during which their job security is technically lower. By cutting this period in half for internal transfers, the PREP Act removes a significant hurdle, making it easier for agencies to move skilled personnel where they are needed most. The government is essentially saying, “If you’ve already proven yourself once, we trust you to get up to speed faster in your new role.” The only other provision is a minor technical cleanup regarding a subsection concerning the Internal Revenue Service within Title 5, which doesn't impact the core hiring changes.