TITLE 5 - US CODE - SUBCHAPTER I - EMPLOYMENT AUTHORITIES

5 USC 3101 - General authority to employ

Each Executive agency, military department, and the government of the District of Columbia may employ such number of employees of the various classes recognized by chapter 51 of this title as Congress may appropriate for from year to year.

5 USC 3102 - Employment of personal assistants for handicapped employees, including blind and deaf employees

(a) For the purpose of this section

(1) agency means

(A) an Executive agency;

(B) the Library of Congress; and

(2) handicapped employee means an individual employed by an agency who is blind or deaf or who otherwise qualifies as a handicapped individual within the meaning of section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794); and

(3) nonprofit">nonprofit organization means an organization determined by the Secretary of the Treasury to be an organization described in section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. 501 (c)) which is exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of such Code.

(b)

(1) The head of each agency may employ one or more personal assistants who the head of the agency determines are necessary to enable a handicapped employee of that agency to perform the employees official duties and who shall serve without pay from the agency without regard to

(A) the provisions of this title governing appointment in the competitive service;

(B) chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of this title; and

Such employment may include the employing of a reading assistant or assistants for a blind employee or an interpreting assistant or assistants for a deaf employee.

(2) A personal assistant, including a reading or interpreting assistant, employed under this subsection may receive pay for services performed by the assistant from the handicapped employee or a nonprofit">nonprofit organization, without regard to section 209 of title 18.

(c) The head of each agency may also employ or assign one or more personal assistants who the head of the agency determines are necessary to enable a handicapped employee of that agency to perform the employees official duties. Such employment may include the employing of a reading assistant or assistants for a blind employee or an interpreting assistant or assistants for a deaf employee.

(d)

(1) In the case of any handicapped employee (including a blind or deaf employee) traveling on official business, the head of the agency may authorize the payment to an individual to accompany or assist (or both) the handicapped employee for all or a portion of the travel period involved. Any payment under this subsection to such an individual may be made either directly to that individual or by advancement or reimbursement to the handicapped employee.

(2) With respect to any individual paid to accompany or assist a handicapped employee under paragraph (1) of this subsection

(A) the amount paid to that individual shall not exceed the limit or limits which the Office of Personnel Management shall prescribe by regulation to ensure that the payment does not exceed amounts (including pay and, if appropriate, travel expenses and per diem allowances) which could be paid to an employee assigned to accompany or assist the handicapped employee; and

(B) that individual shall be considered an employee, but only for purposes of chapter 81 of this title (relating to compensation for injury) and sections 2671 through 2680 of title 28 (relating to tort claims).

(e) This section may not be held or considered to prevent or limit in any way the assignment to a handicapped employee (including a blind or deaf employee) by an agency of clerical or secretarial assistance, at the expense of the agency under statutes and regulations currently applicable at the time, if that assistance normally is provided, or authorized to be provided, in that manner under currently applicable statutes and regulations.

5 USC 3103 - Employment at seat of Government only for services rendered

An individual may be employed in the civil service in an Executive department at the seat of Government only for services actually rendered in connection with and for the purposes of the appropriation from which he is paid. An individual who violates this section shall be removed from the service.

5 USC 3104 - Employment of specially qualified scientific and professional personnel

(a) The Director of the Office of Personnel Management may establish, and from time to time revise, the maximum number of scientific or professional positions for carrying out research and development functions which require the services of specially qualified personnel which may be established outside of the General Schedule. Any such position may be established by action of the Director or, under such standards and procedures as the Office prescribes and publishes in such form as the Director may determine (including procedures under which the prior approval of the Director may be required), by agency action.

(b) The provisions of subsection (a) of this section shall not apply to any Senior Executive Service position (as defined in section 3132 (a) of this title).

(c) In addition to the number of positions authorized by subsection (a) of this section, the Librarian of Congress may establish, without regard to the second sentence of subsection (a) of this section, not more than 8 scientific or professional positions to carry out the research and development functions of the Library of Congress which require the services of specially qualified personnel.

5 USC 3105 - Appointment of administrative law judges

Each agency shall appoint as many administrative law judges as are necessary for proceedings required to be conducted in accordance with sections 556 and 557 of this title. Administrative law judges shall be assigned to cases in rotation so far as practicable, and may not perform duties inconsistent with their duties and responsibilities as administrative law judges.

5 USC 3106 - Employment of attorneys; restrictions

Except as otherwise authorized by law, the head of an Executive department or military department may not employ an attorney or counsel for the conduct of litigation in which the United States, an agency, or employee thereof is a party, or is interested, or for the securing of evidence therefor, but shall refer the matter to the Department of Justice. This section does not apply to the employment and payment of counsel under section 1037 of title 10.

5 USC 3107 - Employment of publicity experts; restrictions

Appropriated funds may not be used to pay a publicity expert unless specifically appropriated for that purpose.

5 USC 3108 - Employment of detective agencies; restrictions

An individual employed by the Pinkerton Detective Agency, or similar organization, may not be employed by the Government of the United States or the government of the District of Columbia.

5 USC 3109 - Employment of experts and consultants; temporary or intermittent

(a) For the purpose of this section

(1) agency has the meaning given it by section 5721 of this title; and

(2) appropriation includes funds made available by statute under section 9104 of title 31.

(b) When authorized by an appropriation or other statute, the head of an agency may procure by contract the temporary (not in excess of 1 year) or intermittent services of experts or consultants or an organization thereof, including stenographic reporting services. Services procured under this section are without regard to

(1) the provisions of this title governing appointment in the competitive service;

(2) chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of this title; and

(3) section 5 of title 41, except in the case of stenographic reporting services by an organization.

However, an agency subject to chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of this title may pay a rate for services under this section in excess of the daily equivalent of the highest rate payable under section 5332 of this title only when specifically authorized by the appropriation or other statute authorizing the procurement of the services.

(c) Positions in the Senior Executive Service or the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Drug Enforcement Administration Senior Executive Service may not be filled under the authority of subsection (b) of this section.

(d) The Office of Personnel Management shall prescribe regulations necessary for the administration of this section. Such regulations shall include

(1) criteria governing the circumstances in which it is appropriate to employ an expert or consultant under the provisions of this section;

(2) criteria for setting the pay of experts and consultants under this section; and

(3) provisions to ensure compliance with such regulations.

(e) Each agency shall report to the Office of Personnel Management on an annual basis with respect to

(1) the number of days each expert or consultant employed by the agency during the period was so employed; and

(2) the total amount paid by the agency to each expert and consultant for such work during the period.

5 USC 3110 - Employment of relatives; restrictions

(a) For the purpose of this section

(1) agency means

(A) an Executive agency;

(B) an office, agency, or other establishment in the legislative branch;

(D) the government of the District of Columbia;

(2) public official means an officer (including the President and a Member of Congress), a member of the uniformed service, an employee and any other individual, in whom is vested the authority by law, rule, or regulation, or to whom the authority has been delegated, to appoint, employ, promote, or advance individuals, or to recommend individuals for appointment, employment, promotion, or advancement in connection with employment in an agency; and

(3) relative means, with respect to a public official, an individual who is related to the public official as father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, first cousin, nephew, niece, husband, wife, father-in-law, mother-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, stepfather, stepmother, stepson, stepdaughter, stepbrother, stepsister, half brother, or half sister.

(b) A public official may not appoint, employ, promote, advance, or advocate for appointment, employment, promotion, or advancement, in or to a civilian position in the agency in which he is serving or over which he exercises jurisdiction or control any individual who is a relative of the public official. An individual may not be appointed, employed, promoted, or advanced in or to a civilian position in an agency if such appointment, employment, promotion, or advancement has been advocated by a public official, serving in or exercising jurisdiction or control over the agency, who is a relative of the individual.

(c) An individual appointed, employed, promoted, or advanced in violation of this section is not entitled to pay, and money may not be paid from the Treasury as pay to an individual so appointed, employed, promoted, or advanced.

(d) The Office of Personnel Management may prescribe regulations authorizing the temporary employment, in the event of emergencies resulting from natural disasters or similar unforeseen events or circumstances, of individuals whose employment would otherwise be prohibited by this section.

(e) This section shall not be construed to prohibit the appointment of an individual who is a preference eligible in any case in which the passing over of that individual on a certificate of eligibles furnished under section 3317 (a) of this title will result in the selection for appointment of an individual who is not a preference eligible.

5 USC 3111 - Acceptance of volunteer service

(a) For the purpose of this section, student means an individual who is enrolled, not less than half-time, in a high school, trade school, technical or vocational institute, junior college, college, university, or comparable recognized educational institution. An individual who is a student is deemed not to have ceased to be a student during an interim between school years if the interim is not more than 5 months and if such individual shows to the satisfaction of the Office of Personnel Management that the individual has a bona fide intention of continuing to pursue a course of study or training in the same or different educational institution during the school semester (or other period into which the school year is divided) immediately after the interim.

(b) Notwithstanding section 1342 of title 31, the head of an agency may accept, subject to regulations issued by the Office, voluntary service for the United States if the service

(1) is performed by a student, with the permission of the institution at which the student is enrolled, as part of an agency program established for the purpose of providing educational experiences for the student;

(2) is to be uncompensated; and

(3) will not be used to displace any employee.

(c)

(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), any student who provides voluntary service under subsection (b) of this section shall not be considered a Federal employee for any purpose other than for purposes of section 7905 (relating to commuting by means other than single-occupancy motor vehicles), chapter 81 (relating to compensation for injury) and sections 2671 through 2680 of title 28 (relating to tort claims).

(2) In addition to being considered a Federal employee for the purposes specified in paragraph (1), any student who provides voluntary service as part of a program established under subsection (b) of this section in the Internal Revenue Service, Department of the Treasury, shall be considered an employee of the Department of the Treasury for purposes of

(A) section 552a of this title (relating to disclosure of records);

(B) subsections (a)(1), (h)(1), (k)(6), and (l)(4) of section 6103 of title 26 (relating to confidentiality and disclosure of returns and return information);

(C) sections 7213 (a)(1) and 7431 of title 26 (relating to unauthorized disclosures of returns and return information by Federal employees and other persons); and

(D) section 7423 of title 26 (relating to suits against employees of the United States);

except that returns and return information (as defined in section 6103 (b) of title 26) shall be made available to students under such program only to the extent that the Secretary of the Treasury or his designee determines that the duties assigned to such students so require.

(d) Notwithstanding section 1342 of title 31, the head of an agency may accept voluntary service for the United States under chapter 37 of this title and regulations of the Office of Personnel Management.

5 USC 3112 - Disabled veterans; noncompetitive appointment

Under such regulations as the Office of Personnel Management shall prescribe, an agency may make a noncompetitive appointment leading to conversion to career or career-conditional employment of a disabled veteran who has a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more.

5 USC 3113 - Restriction on reemployment after conviction of certain crimes

An employee shall be separated from service and barred from reemployment in the Federal service, if

(1) the employee is convicted of a violation of section 201 (b) of title 18; and

(2) such violation related to conduct prohibited under section 1010(a) of the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act (21 U.S.C. 960 (a)).

5 USC 3114 - Appointment of accountants, economists, and examiners by the Securities and Exchange Commission

(a) Applicability.—
This section applies with respect to any position of accountant, economist, and securities compliance examiner at the Commission that is in the competitive service.

(b) Appointment Authority.—

(1) In general.—
The Commission may appoint candidates to any position described in subsection (a)

(A) in accordance with the statutes, rules, and regulations governing appointments in the excepted service; and

(B) notwithstanding any statutes, rules, and regulations governing appointments in the competitive service.

(2) Rule of construction.—
The appointment of a candidate to a position under authority of this subsection shall not be considered to cause such position to be converted from the competitive service to the excepted service.

(c) Reports.—
No later than 90 days after the end of fiscal year 2003 (for fiscal year 2003) and 90 days after the end of fiscal year 2005 (for fiscal years 2004 and 2005), the Commission shall submit a report with respect to its exercise of the authority granted by subsection (b) during such fiscal years to the Committee on Government Reform and the Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Governmental Affairs and the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate. Such reports shall describe the changes in the hiring process authorized by such subsection, including relevant information related to

(1) the quality of candidates;

(2) the procedures used by the Commission to select candidates through the streamlined hiring process;

(3) the numbers, types, and grades of employees hired under the authority;

(4) any benefits or shortcomings associated with the use of the authority;

(5) the effect of the exercise of the authority on the hiring of veterans and other demographic groups; and

(6) the way in which managers were trained in the administration of the streamlined hiring system.

(d) Commission Defined.—
For purposes of this section, the term Commission means the Securities and Exchange Commission.