1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Political Appointee Burrowing Prevention Act . 2. Temporary prohibition on employment of political appointees in career civil service positions (a) In general Subchapter I of chapter 31 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: 3115. Employment of former political appointees; restrictions (a) A political appointee employed in a political position in the civil service may not be appointed to a career position in the civil service during the period of 2 years immediately following the date the individual separates from such political position. (b) Subsection (a) shall not apply to a political appointee who has not personally and substantially participated in any particular matter while employed in a political position. (c) In this section— (1) the term political appointee has the meaning given the term in section 3101(a); (2) the term political position means— (A) a position which has been excepted from the competitive service by reason of its confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character; (B) a position described under sections 5312 through 5316 of title 5, United States Code (relating to the Executive Schedule); or (C) a position in the Senior Executive Service as a limited term appointee, limited emergency appointee, or noncareer appointee (as those terms are defined in paragraphs (5), (6), and (7), respectively, of section 3132(a)); (3) the term career position means— (A) a position in the competitive service; or (B) a position in the Senior Executive Service as a career appointee (as that term is defined in section 3132(a)(4)); (4) the term participated means an action taken as an officer or employee through decision, approval, disapproval, recommendation, the rendering of advice, investigation, or other such action