Administrative Law Judges Competitive Service Restoration Act

HR 7225 would require federal administrative law judges (ALJs) to be hired through the standard competitive federal hiring process, rather than through non-competitive appointments. It sets specific qualifications: ALJs must have a law license and at least 7 years of experience handling legal cases in federal, state, or local courts. The bill also clarifies that ALJs report directly to agency heads or chief ALJs (not lower-level managers) and exempts them from standard probationary periods. This directly affects current and future ALJ positions across federal agencies, changing how they are recruited, qualified, and structured within government.