Final answer:
Direct-hire authority is true to permit hiring without regard to Veterans' Preference or rating procedures, enabling agencies to rapidly fill positions in critical need or with a severe shortage of candidates.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement is true. Direct-hire authority does permit hiring without regard to Veterans' Preference or rating procedures. This special hiring authority is granted to federal agencies by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and allows them to fill vacancies more rapidly when a critical hiring need or severe shortage of candidates exists. Direct-hire authority is typically used for jobs that are difficult to fill due to a high demand for the required skills in the labor market. Although it provides a more streamlined hiring process, it must still be used consistently with the merit system principles and prohibited personnel practices.