5 U.S.C. § 3593

(a) A former career appointee may be reinstated, without regard to section 3393(b) and (c) of this title, to any Senior Executive Service position for which the appointee is qualified if— (1) the appointee has successfully completed the probationary period established under section 3393(d) of this title ; and (2) the appointee left the Senior Executive Service for reasons other than misconduct, neglect of duty, malfeasance, or less than fully successful executive performance as determined under subchapter II of chapter 43. (b) A career appointee who is appointed by the President to any civil service position outside the Senior Executive Service and who leaves the position for reasons other than misconduct, neglect of duty, or malfeasance shall be entitled to be placed in the Senior Executive Service if the appointee applies to the Office of Personnel Management within 90 days after separation from the Presidential appointment. (c) (1) A former career appointee shall be reinstated, without regard to section 3393(b) and (c) of this title, to any vacant Senior Executive Service position in an agency for which the appointee is qualified if— (A) the individual was a career appointee on May 31, 1981 ; (B) the appointee was removed from the Senior Executive Service under section 3595 of this title before October 1, 1984 , due to a reduction in force in that agency; (C) before the removal occurred, the appointee successfully completed the probationary period established under section 3393(d) of this title ; and (D) the appointee applies for that vacant position within one year after the Office receives certification regarding that appointee pursuant to section 3595(b)(3)(B) of this title . (2) A career appointee is entitled to appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board under section 7701 of this title any determination by the agency that the appointee is not qualified for a position for which the appointee applies under paragraph (1) of this subsection.