In this section, “Program” means the Expedited Hiring Program in the Department. There is an Expedited Hiring Program in the Department for the purpose of hiring eligible applicants for vacant positions in the State Personnel Management System subject to the requirements of this section. Subject to the availability of funds, the Secretary may contract with another entity to assist with the implementation of the Program. Notwithstanding any other provision of this subtitle, an appointing authority: may recruit for a vacant position in accordance with this section; and shall aim to complete the recruitment for the position within 40 days. An eligible applicant for the Program shall be an individual applying for a vacant position in State government who: self–certifies and, on request, provides documentation that the individual: has served in the federal government in any capacity, including during a probationary period; and left federal service after January 15, 2025; and has relevant federal expertise or experience to meet the requirements, based on the position description, for the vacant State position. The Program shall: develop guidance for appointing authorities on aligning job titles and position descriptions with the federal equivalent positions without requiring substantive changes to the descriptions or classifications of the positions; conduct marketing and recruitment activities to recruit eligible applicants for vacant positions; rate the qualifications of each applicant while a vacant position is open; communicate with applicants throughout the hiring process to maintain the applicants’ interest in the position; develop a process to refer applicants to other vacant positions in State government; and explore opportunities to expand the Program to support hiring by interested county governments. The Secretary shall: implement the Program in phases, with initial focus on critical and hard–to–fill positions, as determined by the Secretary; establish reasonable timelines for each phase of implementation; and adopt regulations to: implement the Program; and revise the conditions for eligibility under subsection (d) of this section to include review of applications from former federal contractors.