TITLE 20 - US CODE - SUBCHAPTER IV - ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS

Part A - Personnel Provisions

20 USC 3461 - Officers and employees

(a) Appointment and compensation
The Secretary is authorized to appoint and fix the compensation of such officers and employees, including attorneys, as may be necessary to carry out the functions of the Secretary and the Department. Except as otherwise provided by law, such officers and employees shall be appointed in accordance with the civil service laws and their compensation fixed in accordance with title 5.

(b) Applicability of General Schedule; termination of authority; exemption from limitations on executive positions

(1) At the request of the Secretary, the Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall, under section 5108 of title 5, provide for the establishment in each of the grade levels GS16, GS17, and GS18 of a number of positions in the Department equal to the number of positions in that grade level which were used primarily for the performance of functions and offices transferred under this chapter and which were assigned and filled on the day before May 4, 1980.

(2) Repealed. Pub. L. 107–279, title IV, § 403(3), Nov. 5, 2002, 116 Stat. 1985.

(3) Appointments to positions provided for under this subsection may be made without regard to the provisions of section 3324 of title 5, if the individual appointed in such position is an individual who is transferred in connection with the transfer of functions and offices under this chapter and, on the day preceding May 4, 1980, holds a position and has duties comparable to those of the position to which appointed hereunder.

(4) The authority under this subsection with respect to any position shall terminate when the person first appointed to fill such position ceases to hold such position.

(5) For purposes of section 414(a)(3)(A) of the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, an individual appointed under this subsection shall be deemed to occupy the same position as the individual occupied on the day preceding May 4, 1980.

(d) Senior Executive Service
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall establish positions within the Senior Executive Service for 15 limited-term appointees. The Secretary shall appoint individuals to such positions as provided by section 3394 of title 5. Such positions shall expire on the later of three years after May 4, 1980, or three years after the initial appointment to each position. Positions in effect under this subsection shall be taken into account in applying the limitations on positions prescribed under section 3134 (e) and section 5108 of such title.

(e) Indian preference laws
Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prevent the application of any Indian preference law in effect on the day before October 17, 1979, to any function or office transferred by this chapter and subject to any such law on the day before October 17, 1979. Any function or office transferred by this chapter and subject to any such law shall continue to be subject to any such law.

20 USC 3462 - Experts and consultants

(a) In general
The Secretary may as provided in appropriation Acts obtain the services of experts and consultants in accordance with the provisions of section 3109 of title 5 and may compensate such experts and consultants at rates not to exceed the daily rate prescribed for GS18 of the General Schedule under section 5332 of such title.

(b) Special rule

(1) In general
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary may use not more than 1 percent of the funds appropriated for any education program that awards such funds on a competitive basis to pay the expenses and fees of non-Federal experts necessary to review applications and proposals for such funds.

(2) Applicability
The provisions of paragraph (1) shall not apply to any education program under which funds are authorized to be appropriated to pay the fees and expenses of non-Federal experts to review applications and proposals for such funds.

20 USC 3463 - Personnel reduction and annual limitations

(a) Work-years limitation; allocations; adjustments

(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, there shall be included in each appropriation Act containing appropriations for the administration of the Department for any fiscal year beginning after September 30, 1981 (other than an appropriation Act containing only supplemental appropriations for the Department), an annual limitation on the total number of work-years for the personnel of the Department.

(2) The Secretary shall prescribe the allocation of the work-years available under paragraph (1) among the organizational units and components of the Department.

(3) If the President transmits any reorganization plan under chapter 9 of title 5 which would result in the transfer of functions or offices to the Secretary or the Department, the message transmitting the plan shall include any adjustments which may be necessary in a work-year limitation established under paragraph (1) to reflect changes in the work-years required as a result of such plan.

(b) Full-time equivalent personnel reductions
Not later than the end of the first fiscal year beginning after May 4, 1980, the number of full-time equivalent personnel positions available for performing functions transferred to the Secretary or the Department by this chapter shall be reduced by 500.

(1) Computations required to be made for purposes of this section shall be made on the basis of all personnel employed by the Department, including experts and consultants employed under section 3109 of title 5 and all other part-time and full-time personnel employed to perform functions of the Secretary or the Department, except personnel employed under special programs for students and disadvantaged youth (including temporary summer employment).

(2) The Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall, by rule, establish a method for computing work-years for personnel of the Department as described in paragraph (1).

(d) Report on effects of reorganization on employees
The Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall, as soon as practicable, but not later than one year after May 4, 1980, prepare and transmit to the Congress a report on the effects on employees of the reorganization under this chapter, which shall include

(1) an identification of any position within the Department or elsewhere in the executive branch, which it considers unnecessary due to consolidation of functions under this chapter;

(2) a statement of the number of employees entitled to pay savings by reason of the organization under this chapter;

(3) a statement of the number of employees who are voluntarily or involuntarily separated by reason of such reorganization;

(4) an estimate of the personnel costs associated with such reorganization;

(5) the effects of such reorganization on labor management relations; and

(6) such legislative and administrative recommendations for improvements in personnel management within the Department as the Director considers necessary.

Part B - General Administrative Provisions

20 USC 3471 - General authority

(a) Force and effect of actions by Secretary
In carrying out any function transferred by this chapter, the Secretary, or any officer or employee of the Department, may exercise any authority available by law (including appropriation Acts) with respect to such function to the official or agency from which such function is transferred, and the actions of the Secretary in exercising such authority shall have the same force and effect as when exercised by such official or agency.

(b) Reporting requirements

(1) The director of any office continued in the Department the director of which was required, prior to May 4, 1980, to report to the Commissioner of Education or the Assistant Secretary for Education of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, shall report to the Secretary.

(2) The Secretary is authorized to delegate reporting requirements vested in the Secretary by paragraph (1) to any officer or employee of the Department.

20 USC 3472 - Delegation of functions

Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, the Secretary may delegate any function to such officers and employees of the Department as the Secretary may designate, and may authorize such successive redelegations of such functions within the Department as may be necessary or appropriate. No delegation of functions by the Secretary under this section or under any other provision of this chapter shall relieve the Secretary of responsibility for the administration of such functions.

20 USC 3473 - Reorganization of Department

(a) Authorization; limitations
The Secretary is authorized, subject to the requirements of section 3412 (f) of this title, to allocate or reallocate functions among the officers of the Department, and to establish, consolidate, alter, or discontinue such organizational entities within the Department as may be necessary or appropriate, but the authority of the Secretary under this subsection does not extend to

(1) any office, bureau, unit, or other entity transferred to the Department and established by statute or any function vested by statute in such an entity or officer of such an entity, except as provided in subsection (b) of this section;

(2) the abolition of organizational entities established by this chapter; or

(3) the alteration of the delegation of functions to any specific organizational entity required by this chapter.

(b) Alteration, consolidation, or discontinuance of statutory and organizational entities

(1) The Secretary may, in accordance with paragraph (2) of this subsection, consolidate, alter, or discontinue any of the following statutory entities, or reallocate any functions vested by statute in the following statutory entities:

(A) the Office of English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement for Limited English Proficient Students;

(B) the Teacher Corps;

(D) the National Center for Education Statistics;

(E) the National Institute of Education;

(F) the Office of Environmental Education;

(G) the Office of Consumers Education;

(H) the Office of Indian Education;

(I) the Office of Career Education;

(J) the Office of Non-Public Education;

(K) the bureau for the education and training for the handicapped; and

(L) the administrative units for guidance and counseling programs, the veterans cost of instruction program, and the program for the gifted and talented children.

(2) The Secretary may alter, consolidate, or discontinue any organizational entity continued within the Department and described in paragraph (1) of this subsection or reallocate any function vested by statute in such an entity, upon the expiration of a period of ninety days after the receipt by the Committee on Labor and Human Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of Representatives of notice given by the Secretary containing a full and complete statement of the action proposed to be taken pursuant to this subsection and the facts and circumstances relied upon in support of such proposed action.

20 USC 3474 - Rules and regulations

The Secretary is authorized to prescribe such rules and regulations as the Secretary determines necessary or appropriate to administer and manage the functions of the Secretary or the Department.

20 USC 3475 - Contracts

(a) Authorization of Secretary
Subject to the provisions of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949,^[1] the Secretary is authorized to make, enter into, and perform such contracts, grants, leases, cooperative agreements, or other similar transactions with Federal or other public agencies (including State and local governments) and private organizations and persons, and to make such payments, by way of advance or reimbursement, as the Secretary may determine necessary or appropriate to carry out functions of the Secretary or the Department.

(b) Limitations
Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, no authority to enter into contracts or to make payments under this subchapter shall be effective except to such extent or in such amounts as are provided in advance under appropriation Acts. This subsection shall not apply with respect to the authority granted under section 3481 of this title.

[1] See References in Text note below.

20 USC 3476 - Regional and field offices

The Secretary is authorized to establish, alter, discontinue, or maintain such regional or other field offices as the Secretary may find necessary or appropriate to perform functions of the Secretary or the Department.

20 USC 3477 - Acquisition and maintenance of property

(a) Authorized properties; establishment of necessary facilities
The Secretary is authorized

(1) to acquire (by purchase, lease, condemnation, or otherwise), construct, improve, repair, operate, and maintain

(A) schools and related facilities (but only to the extent that operation of schools and related facilities by the Department is authorized by this chapter);

(B) laboratories;

(D) quarters and related accommodations for employees and dependents of employees of the Department; and

(E) personal property (including patents), or any interest therein,

as may be necessary; and

(2) to provide by contract or otherwise for the establishment of eating facilities and other necessary facilities for the health and welfare of employees of the Department at its installations, and purchase and maintain equipment therefor.

(b) Day care center facilities
The authority available to the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare under section 2564 of this title, shall also be available to the Secretary.

(c) Special purpose facilities
The authority granted by subsection (a) of this section shall be available only with respect to facilities of a special purpose nature that cannot readily be reassigned from similar Federal activities and are not otherwise available for assignment to the Department by the Administrator of General Services.

20 USC 3478 - Facilities at remote locations

(a) Authorized services, supplies and facilities
The Secretary is authorized to provide, construct, or maintain for employees and their dependents stationed at remote locations as necessary and when not otherwise available at such remote locations

(1) emergency medical services and supplies;

(2) food and other subsistence supplies;

(3) dining facilities;

(4) audiovisual equipment, accessories, and supplies for recreation and training;

(5) reimbursement for food, clothing, medicine, and other supplies furnished by such employees in emergencies for the temporary relief of distressed persons;

(6) living and working quarters and facilities; and

(7) transportation for dependents of employees of the Department to the nearest appropriate educational facilities.

(b) Reimbursements
The furnishing of medical treatment under paragraph (1) of subsection (a) of this section and the furnishing of services and supplies under paragraphs (2), (3), and (4) of subsection (a) of this section shall be at prices reflecting reasonable value as determined by the Secretary.

(c) Appropriation credits and refunds
Proceeds from reimbursements under this section may be credited to the appropriation of funds that bear or will bear all or part of the cost of such work or services or used to refund excess sums when necessary.

20 USC 3479 - Use of facilities

(a) Federal, State, local and foreign government facilities
With their consent, the Secretary may, with or without reimbursement, use the research, equipment, services, and facilities of any agency or instrumentality of the United States, of any State or political subdivision thereof, or of any foreign government, in carrying out any function of the Secretary or the Department.

(b) Public and private permittees
The Secretary is authorized to permit public and private agencies, corporations, associations, organizations, or individuals to use any real property, or any facilities, structures, or other improvements thereon, under the custody and control of the Secretary for Department purposes. The Secretary shall permit the use of such property, facilities, structures, or improvements under such terms and rates and for such period as may be in the public interest, except that the periods of such uses may not exceed five years. The Secretary may require permittees under this section to recondition and maintain, at their own expense, the real property, facilities, structures, and improvements used by such permittees to a standard satisfactory to the Secretary. This subsection shall not apply to excess property as defined in section 102 (3) of title 40.

(c) Appropriation credits and refunds
Proceeds from reimbursements under this section may be credited to the appropriation of funds that bear or will bear all or part of the cost of such equipment or facilities provided or to refund excess sums when necessary.

(d) Interests in real property
Any interest in real property acquired pursuant to this chapter shall be acquired in the name of the United States Government.

20 USC 3480 - Copyrights and patents

The Secretary is authorized to acquire any of the following described rights if the property acquired thereby is for use by or for, or useful to, the Department:

(1) copyrights, patents, and applications for patents, designs, processes, and manufacturing data;

(2) licenses under copyrights, patents, and applications for patents; and

(3) releases, before suit is brought, for past infringement of patents or copyrights.

20 USC 3481 - Gifts and bequests

The Secretary is authorized to accept, hold, administer, and utilize gifts, bequests and devises of property, both real and personal, and to accept donations of services, for the purpose of aiding or facilitating the work of the Department. Gifts, bequests, and devises of money and proceeds from sales of other property received as gifts, bequests, or devises shall be deposited in the Treasury and shall be available for disbursement upon the order of the Secretary.

20 USC 3482 - Technical advice

(a) Authorization
The Secretary is authorized, upon request, to provide advice, counsel, and technical assistance to applicants or potential applicants for grants and contracts and other interested persons with respect to any functions of the Secretary or the Department.

(b) Consolidation of applications for grants and contracts
The Secretary may permit the consolidation of applications for grants or contracts with respect to two or more functions of the Secretary or the Department, but such consolidation shall not alter the statutory criteria for approval of applications for funding with respect to such functions.

20 USC 3483 - Working capital fund

(a) Establishment; administrative services included
The Secretary, with the approval of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, is authorized to establish for the Department a working capital fund, to be available without fiscal year limitation, for expenses necessary for the maintenance and operation of such common administrative services as the Secretary shall find to be desirable in the interests of economy and efficiency, including such services as

(1) a central supply service for stationery and other supplies and equipment for which adequate stocks may be maintained to meet in whole or in part the requirements of the Department and its components;

(2) central messenger, mail, telephone, and other communications services;

(3) office space, central services for document reproduction, and for graphics and visual aids; and

(4) a central library service.

(b) Capital; reimbursement of funds; credit; miscellaneous receipts; transfers
The capital of the fund shall consist of any appropriations made for the purpose of providing working capital and the fair and reasonable value of such stocks of supplies, equipment, and other assets and inventories on order as the Secretary may transfer to the fund, less the related liabilities and unpaid obligations. Such funds shall be reimbursed in advance from available funds of agencies and offices in the Department, or from other sources, for supplies and services at rates that will approximate the expense of operation, including the accrual of annual leave and the depreciation of equipment. The fund shall also be credited with receipts from sale or exchange of property and receipts in payment for loss or damage to property owned by the fund. There shall be covered into the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts any surplus of the fund (all assets, liabilities, and prior losses considered) above the amounts transferred or appropriated to establish and maintain such fund. There shall be transferred to the fund the stocks of supplies, equipment, other assets, liabilities, and unpaid obligations relating to the services which the Secretary determines, with the approval of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, will be performed.

20 USC 3484 - Funds transfer

The Secretary may, when authorized in an appropriation Act in any fiscal year, transfer funds from one appropriation to another within the Department, except that no appropriation for any fiscal year shall be either increased or decreased pursuant to this section by more than 5 percent and no such transfer shall result in increasing any such appropriation above the amount authorized to be appropriated therefor.

20 USC 3485 - Seal of Department

The Secretary shall cause a seal of office to be made for the Department of such design as the Secretary shall approve. Judicial notice shall be taken of such seal.

20 USC 3486 - Annual report

(a) Contents
The Secretary shall, as soon as practicable after the close of each fiscal year, make a single, comprehensive report to the President for transmission to the Congress on the activities of the Department during such fiscal year. The report shall include a statement of goals, priorities, and plans for the Department together with an assessment of the progress made toward

(1) the attainment of such goals, priorities, and plans;

(2) the more effective and efficient management of the Department and the coordination of its functions; and

(3) the reduction of excessive or burdensome regulation and of unnecessary duplication and fragmentation in Federal education programs,

accompanied where necessary by recommendations for proposed legislation for the achievement of such objectives.

(b) Estimate on non-Federal personnel employed
The report required by subsection (a) of this section shall also include an estimate of the extent of the non-Federal personnel employed pursuant to contracts entered into by the Department under section 3475 of this title or under any other authority (including any subcontract thereunder), the number of such contracts and subcontracts pursuant to which non-Federal personnel are employed, and the total cost of those contracts and subcontracts.

20 USC 3487 - Repealed. Pub. L. 103382, title II, 271(a)(1), Oct. 20, 1994, 108 Stat. 3929

Section, Pub. L. 96–88, title IV, § 427, Oct. 17, 1979, 93 Stat. 689, related to application of General Education Provisions Act, 20 U.S.C. 1221 et seq., to functions transferred by this chapter.

20 USC 3488 - Authorization of appropriations

Subject to any limitation on appropriations applicable with respect to any function or office transferred to the Secretary or the Department, there are authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 1980 and each succeeding fiscal year such sums as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter and to enable the Secretary to administer and manage the Department. Funds appropriated in accordance with this section shall remain available until expended.

20 USC 3489 - General extension of authorizations

Subject to the limitations contained in subtitle A of this title, there are authorized to be appropriated for fiscal years 1982, 1983, and 1984 such sums as may be necessary to carry out each of the following provisions of law:

(1) the Act of September 30, 1950^[1] (Public Law 874, 81st Congress);

(2) the Act of September 23, 1950^[1] (Public Law 815, 81st Congress);

(3) the General Education Provisions Act [20 U.S.C. 1221 et seq.];

(4) the Indian Education Act;

(5) titles XI [25 U.S.C. 2000 et seq.], XIV [20 U.S.C. 921 et seq.], and XV of the Education Amendments of 1978 and part H of title XIII of the Education Amendments of 1980;

(6) the Adult Education Act;^[1]

(7) section 342 of the Education Amendments of 1976 [20 U.S.C. 2532];

(8) the Asbestos School Hazards Detection and Control Act [20 U.S.C. 3601 et seq.];

(9) the Joint Resolution of October 19, 1972 (86 Stat. 907);

(10) the Vocational Education Act of 1963;^[1]

(11) title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 [42 U.S.C. 2000c et seq.];

(12) the Navajo Community College Act [25 U.S.C. 640a et seq.] and the Tribally Controlled College or University Assistance Act of 1978 [25 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.];

(13) part C of title IX of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965,^[1] relating to Womens Educational Equity; and

(14) title VII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.^[1]

[1] See References in Text note below.

20 USC 3490 - Potential financial interests or impaired objectivity of covered individuals or entities

(a) Maintenance of integrity and ethical values within Department of Education
Within 60 days after December 26, 2007, the Secretary of Education shall implement procedures

(1) to assess whether a covered individual or entity has a potential financial interest in, or impaired objectivity towards, a product or service purchased with, or guaranteed or insured by, funds administered by the Department of Education or a contracted entity of the Department; and

(2) to disclose the existence of any such potential financial interest or impaired objectivity.

(b) Review by Inspector General

(1) Within 60 days after the implementation of the procedures described in subsection (a), the Inspector General of the Department of Education shall report to the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate on the adequacy of such procedures.

(2) Within 1 year, the Inspector General shall conduct at least 1 review to ensure that such procedures are properly implemented and are effective to uncover and disclose the existence of potential financial interests or impaired objectivity described in subsection (a).

(3) The Inspector General shall report to such Committees any recommendations for modifications to such procedures that the Inspector General determines are necessary to uncover and disclose the existence of such potential financial interests or impaired objectivity.

(1) an officer or professional employee of the Department of Education;

(2) a contractor or subcontractor of the Department, or an individual hired by the contracted entity;

(3) a member of a peer review panel of the Department; or

(4) a consultant or advisor to the Department.