TITLE 7 - US CODE - SUBCHAPTER I - GENERAL REORGANIZATION AUTHORITIES

7 USC 6911 - Transfer of Department functions to Secretary of Agriculture

(a) Transfer of functions 
Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, there are transferred to the Secretary of Agriculture all functions of all agencies, offices, officers, and employees of the Department that are not already vested in the Secretary on October 13, 1994.
(b) Exceptions 
Subsection (a) of this section shall not apply to the following functions:
(1) Functions vested by subchapter II of chapter 5 of title 5 in administrative law judges employed by the Department.
(2) Functions vested by the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) in the Inspector General of the Department.
(3) Functions vested by chapter 9 of title 31 in the Chief Financial Officer of the Department.
(4) Functions vested in the corporations of the Department or the boards of directors and officers of such corporations.

7 USC 6912 - Authority of Secretary to delegate transferred functions

(a) Delegation of authority 

(1) Delegation authorized 
Subject to paragraph (2), the Secretary may delegate to any agency, office, officer, or employee of the Department the authority to perform any function transferred to the Secretary under section 6911 (a) of this title or any other function vested in the Secretary as of October 13, 1994. The authority provided in the preceding sentence includes the authority to establish, consolidate, alter, or discontinue any agency, office, or other administrative unit of the Department.
(2) Condition on authority 
The delegation authority provided by paragraph (1) shall be subject to
(A) sections 6942, 6971 (d),1 6993, and 2204e of this title and subsections (a) and (b)(1) of section 6981 of this title;
(B) sections 5692 and 5693 of this title; and
(C) section 590h (b)(5) of title 16.
(b) Cost-benefit analysis required for name change 

(1) Analysis required 
Except as provided in paragraph (2), the Secretary shall conduct a cost-benefit analysis before changing the name of any agency, office, division, or other unit of the Department to ensure that the benefits to be derived from changing the name of the agency, office, division, or other unit outweigh the expense of executing the name change.
(2) Exception 
Paragraph (1) shall not apply with respect to any name change required or authorized by this chapter.
(c) Public comment on proposed reorganization 
To the extent that the implementation of the authority provided to the Secretary by this chapter to reorganize the Department involves the creation of new agencies or offices within the Department or the delegation of major functions or major groups of functions to any agency or office of the Department (or the officers or employees of such agency or office), the Secretary shall, to the extent considered practicable by the Secretary
(1) give appropriate advance public notice of the proposed reorganization action or delegation; and
(2) afford appropriate opportunity for interested parties to comment on the proposed reorganization action or delegation.
(d) Interagency transfer of records, property, personnel, and funds 

(1) Related transfers 
Subject to paragraph (2), as part of the transfer or delegation of a function of the Department made or authorized by this chapter, the Secretary may transfer within the Department
(A) any of the records, property, or personnel affected by the transfer or delegation of the function; and
(B) unexpended balances (available or to be made available for use in connection with the transferred or delegated function) of appropriations, allocations, or other funds of the Department.
(2) Applicable law relating to funds transfer 
Section 1531 of title 31 shall apply to any transfer of funds under paragraph (1).
(e) Exhaustion of administrative appeals 
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a person shall exhaust all administrative appeal procedures established by the Secretary or required by law before the person may bring an action in a court of competent jurisdiction against
(1) the Secretary;
(2) the Department; or
(3) an agency, office, officer, or employee of the Department.
[1] So in original. Probably should be “6971(f),”.

7 USC 6913 - Reductions in number of Department personnel

(a) Definitions 
For purposes of this section:
(1) Headquarters offices 
The term headquarters offices, with respect to agencies, offices, or other administrative units of the Department, means the offices, functions, and employee positions that are located or performed
(A) in Washington, District of Columbia; or
(B) in such other locations as are identified by the Secretary for purposes of this section.
(2) Field structure 
The term field structure means the offices, functions, and employee positions of all agencies, offices, or other administrative units of the Department, other than the headquarters offices, except that the term does not include State, county, or area committees established under section 590h (b)(5) of title 16. The term includes the physical and geographic locations of such agencies, offices, or other administrative units.
(b) Number of reductions required 
The Secretary shall achieve Federal employee reductions of at least 7,500 staff years within the Department by the end of fiscal year 1999. Reductions in the number of full-time equivalent positions within the Department achieved under section 5 of the Federal Workforce Restructuring Act of 1994 (Public Law 103226; 108 Stat. 115; 5 U.S.C. 3101 note ) shall be counted toward the employee reductions required under this section.
(c) Emphasis on headquarters offices reductions 
In achieving the employee reductions required by subsection (b) of this section, the Secretary shall pursue a goal so that the percentage of the total number of employee staff years reduced in headquarters offices is at least twice the percentage of the total number of employee staff years reduced in the field structure.
(d) Schedule 
The personnel reductions in headquarters offices and in the field structure should be accomplished concurrently in a manner determined by the Secretary.

7 USC 6914 - Consolidation of headquarters offices

Subject to the availability of appropriated funds for this purpose, the Secretary shall develop and carry out a plan to consolidate offices located in Washington, District of Columbia, of agencies, offices, and other administrative units of the Department.

7 USC 6915 - Combination of field offices

(a) Combination of offices required 
Where practicable and to the extent consistent with efficient, effective, and improved service, the Secretary shall combine field offices of agencies within the Department to reduce personnel and duplicative overhead expenses.
(b) Joint use of resources and offices required 
When two or more agencies of the Department share a common field office, the Secretary shall require the agencies to jointly use office space, equipment, office supplies, administrative personnel, and clerical personnel associated with that field office.

7 USC 6916 - Improvement of information sharing

Whenever the Secretary procures or uses computer systems, as may be provided for in advance in appropriations Acts, the Secretary shall do so in a manner that enhances efficiency, productivity, and client services and is consistent with the goal of promoting computer information sharing among agencies of the Department.

7 USC 6917 - Reports by Secretary

(a) In general 
Subject to subsection (b) of this section, notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary may, but shall not be required to, prepare and submit any report solely to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate.
(b) Limitation 
For each fiscal year, the Secretary may not prepare and submit more than 30 reports referred to in subsection (a) of this section.
(c) Selection of reports 
In consultation with the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate, the Secretary shall determine which reports, if any, the Secretary will prepare and submit in accordance with subsection (b) of this section.

7 USC 6918 - Assistant Secretaries of Agriculture

(a) Authorization 
The Secretary is authorized to establish in the Department the positions of
(1) Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for Congressional Relations;
(2) Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for Administration; and
(3) Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for Civil Rights.
(b) Confirmation required 
If the Secretary establishes any position of Assistant Secretary authorized under subsection (a) of this section, the Assistant Secretary shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.
(c) Succession 
Any official who is serving as Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for Administration or Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for Congressional Relations on October 13, 1994, and who was appointed as such Assistant Secretary by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall not be required to be reappointed under subsection (b) of this section to the successor position authorized under subsection (a) of this section if the Secretary establishes the position, and the official occupies the new position, within 180 days after October 13, 1994 (or such later date set by the Secretary if litigation delays rapid succession).
(d) Duties of Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for Civil Rights 
The Secretary may delegate to the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights responsibility for
(1) ensuring compliance with all civil rights and related laws by all agencies and under all programs of the Department;
(2) coordinating administration of civil rights laws (including regulations) within the Department for employees of, and participants in, programs of the Department; and
(3) ensuring that necessary and appropriate civil rights components are properly incorporated into all strategic planning initiatives of the Department and agencies of the Department.

7 USC 6919 - Repealed. Pub. L. 105277, div. A, 101(e) [title III, 362], Oct. 21, 1998, 112 Stat. 2681231, 2681305

Section, Pub. L. 103–354, title II, § 219, Oct. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 3213, provided that compensation of any officer or employee of the Department on Oct. 13, 1994, was not to be increased as a result of enactment of this chapter.

7 USC 6920 - Office of Energy Policy and New Uses

The Secretary shall establish for the Department, in the Office of the Secretary, an Office of Energy Policy and New Uses.