§ 65. Provisional appointments. 1. Provisional appointments authorized. Whenever there is no appropriate eligible list available for filling a vacancy in the competitive class, the appointing officer may nominate a person to the state civil service department or municipal commission for non-competitive examination, and if such nominee shall be certified by such department or municipal commission as qualified after such non-competitive examination, he may be appointed provisionally to fill such vacancy until a selection and appointment can be made after competitive examination. Such non-competitive examination may consist of a review and evaluation of the training, experience and other qualifications of the nominee, without written, oral or other performance tests.

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2. Time limitation on provisional appointments. No provisional appointment shall continue for a period in excess of nine months. The civil service department shall for competitive positions within its jurisdiction, and a municipal civil service commission shall for competitive positions within its jurisdiction, order a civil service examination for any position held by provisional appointment for a period of one month and such department or commission shall conduct a civil service examination, or see that such an examination is conducted, as soon as practicable thereafter, in order to prevent the provisional appointment from continuing for a period in excess of nine months.

3. Termination of provisional appointments. A provisional appointment to any position shall be terminated within two months following the establishment of an appropriate eligible list for filling vacancies in such positions; provided, however, that where there are a large number of provisional appointees in any department or agency in the service of the state or any civil division thereof to be replaced by permanent appointees from a newly established eligible list, and the appointing officer or body deems that the termination of the employment of all such provisional appointees within two months following establishment of such list would disrupt or impair essential public services, evidence thereof may be presented to the civil service department or municipal commission having jurisdiction which, after due inquiry, and upon finding that it is in the best interest of the public service, may waive the provisions of this subdivision requiring the termination of the employment of provisional appointees within two months following the establishment of an appropriate eligible list and authorize the termination of the employment of various numbers of such provisional appointees at stated intervals prescribed by such commission; provided, however, that in no case shall the employment of any such provisional appointee be continued longer than four months following the establishment of such eligible list.

4. Successive provisional appointments. Successive provisional appointments shall not be made to the same position after the expiration of the authorized period of the original provisional appointment to such position; provided, however, that where an examination for a position or group of positions fails to produce a list adequate to fill all positions then held on a provisional basis, or where such list is exhausted immediately following its establishment, a new provisional appointment may be made to any such position remaining unfilled by permanent appointment, and such new provisional appointment may, in the discretion of the appointing authority, be given to a current or former provisional appointee in such position, except that a current or former provisional appointee who becomes eligible for permanent appointment to any such position shall, if he is then to be continued in or appointed to any such position be afforded permanent appointment to such position.