In this section, the term competitive service has the meaning given the term in section 2102 of title 5, United States Code. . (b) Clerical amendment The table of sections in section 1 of the Act entitled An Act to authorize the Hydrographic Services Improvement Act of 1998, and for other purposes ( Public Law 107–372 ) is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 269, as added by section 203, the following new item: Sec. 269A. Treatment of commission in commissioned officer corps as employment in Administration for purposes of certain hiring decisions. . 213. Direct hire authority (a) In general The head of a Federal agency may appoint, without regard to the provisions of subchapter I of chapter 33 of title 5, United States Code, other than sections 3303 and 3328 of such title, a qualified candidate described in subsection (b) directly to a position in the agency for which the candidate meets qualification standards of the Office of Personnel Management. (b) Candidates described A candidate described in this subsection is a current or former member of the commissioned officer corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration who— (1) fulfilled his or her obligated service requirement under section 216 of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps Act of 2002, as added by section 103