(a) Policy. Each employee of GAO has the right, freely and without fear of penalty or reprisal, to form, join, or assist an employee organization, or to refrain from such activity.

(b) Labor relations program. A labor relations program consistent with chapter 71 of title 5, United States Code will be developed for the Government Accountability Office.

(a) Policy. All personnel actions affecting employees or applicants for employment in GAO shall be taken without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, political affiliation, marital status or handicapping condition.

(b) Equal opportunity recruiting program. GAO shall conduct continuing programs for the recruitment of members of minorities and women for positions in GAO in a manner designed to eliminate underrepresentation of minorities and women in the various categories of employment in GAO. Special efforts will be directed at recruiting in minority communities, in educational institutions, and from other sources from which minorities can be recruited. GAO will conduct a continuing program of evaluation and oversight of such recruiting programs to determine their effectiveness in eliminating minority and women underrepresentation.

(c) Statutory rights and remedies. Nothing in this order shall be construed to abolish or diminish any right or remedy granted to employees of or applicants for employment in GAO—

(1) By section 717 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000e–16);

(2) By sections 12 and 15 of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (29 U.S.C. 631, 633a);

(3) By section 6(d) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206(d));

(4) By sections 501 and 505 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 791, 794a); or

(5) By any other law prohibiting discrimination in Federal employment on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, political affiliation, marital status or handicapping condition.

(d) Authorities granted thereunder to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Office of Personnel Management, the Merit Systems Protection Board, or any other agency in the executive branch concerning oversight and appeals shall be exercised by the GAO Personnel Appeals Board. Other responsibilities shall be exercised by the Comptroller General.

(a) In this section:

(1) Contribution means any gift, subscription, loan, advance, deposit of money, allotment of money, or anything of value given or transferred by one person to another, including in cash, by check, by draft, through a payroll deduction or allotment plan, by pledge or promise, whether or not enforceable, or otherwise.

(2) Election includes a primary, special, and general election.

(3) Employee means an individual who occupies a position in the Government Accountability Office.

(4) Employer or employing authority means the Comptroller General, his principals, or an employee's supervisor.

(5) Federal workplace means any place, site, installation, building, room, or facility in which any department or agency conducts official business, including, but not limited to, office buildings, forts, arsenals, navy yards, post offices, vehicles, ships, and aircraft.

(6) Nonpartisan election means—

(i) An election at which none of the candidates is to be nominated or elected as representing a political party any of whose candidates for presidential elector received votes in the last preceding election at which presidential electors were selected; and

(ii) An election involving a question or issue which is not specifically identified with a political party, such as a constitutional amendment, referendum, approval of a municipal ordinance, or any question or issue of a similar character.

(7) Partisan when used as an adjective refers to a political party.

(8) Political fund means any fund, organization, political action committee, or other entity that, for purposes of influencing in any way the outcome of any partisan election, receives or expends money or anything of value or transfers money or anything of value to any other fund, political party, candidate, organization, political action committee, or other entity.

(9) Political party means a national political party, a state political party, and an affiliated organization.

(b) All employees are free to engage in political activity to the widest extent consistent with the restrictions imposed by law and this section. Each employee retains the right to—

(1) Register and vote in any election;

(2) Express his opinion as an individual privately and publicly on political subjects and candidates;

(3) Display a political picture, sticker, badge, or button;

(4) Participate in the nonpartisan activities of a civic, community, social, labor, or professional organization, or of a similar organization;

(5) Be a member of a political party or other political organization and participate in its activities to the extent consistent with law;

(6) Attend a political convention, rally, fund-raising function, or other political gathering;

(7) Sign a political petition as an individual;

(8) Make a financial contribution to a political fund, political party, or organization;

(9) Take an active part, as an independent candidate, or in support of an independent candidate in a partisan election covered by paragraphs (h), (i), and (j) of this section;

(10) Take an active part, as a candidate or in support of a candidate, in a nonpartisan election;

(11) Be politically active in connection with a question which is not specifically identified with a political party, such as a constitutional amendment, referendum, approval of a municipal ordinance or any other question or issue of a similar character;

(12) Serve as an election judge or clerk, or in a similar position to perform nonpartisan duties as prescribed by state or local law; and

(13) Otherwise participate fully in public affairs, except as prohibited by law, in a manner which does not materially compromise his/her efficiency or integrity as an employee or the neutrality, efficiency, or integrity of the agency.

(c) Paragraph (b) of this section does not authorize an employee to engage in political activity in violation of law, while on duty. The Comptroller General may prohibit or limit the participation of an employee or class of employees in an activity permitted by paragraph (b) of this section, if participation in the activity would interfere with the efficient performance of official duties, or create a conflict or apparent conflict of interests.

(d) An employee may not use his/her official authority or influence for the purpose of interfering with or affecting the result of an election.

(e) An employee may not take an active part in political management or in a political campaign, except as permitted by this section.

(f) Activities prohibited by paragraph (e) of this section include but are not limited to—

(1) Serving as an officer of a political party, a member of a national, state, or local committee of a political party, an officer or member of a committee of a partisan political club, or being a candidate for any of these positions;

(2) Organizing or reorganizing a political party organization or political club;

(3) Directly or indirectly soliciting, receiving, collecting, handling, disbursing, or accounting for assessments, contributions, or other funds for a partisan political purpose;

(4) Organizing, selling tickets to, promoting, or actively participating in a fund-raising activity of a candidate in a partisan election or of a political party, or political club;

(5) Taking an active part in managing the political campaign of a candidate for public office in a partisan election or a candidate for political party office;

(6) Becoming a candidate for, or campaigning for, an elective public office in a partisan election;

(7) Soliciting votes in support of or in opposition to a candidate for public office in a partisan election or a candidate for political party office;

(8) Acting as recorder, watcher, challenger, or similar officer at the polls on behalf of a political party or a candidate in a partisan election;

(9) Driving voters to the polls on behalf of a political party or a candidate in a partisan election;

(10) Endorsing or opposing a candidate for public office in a partisan election or a candidate for political party office in a political advertisement, a broadcast, campaign, literature, or similar material;

(11) Serving as a delegate, alternate, or proxy to a political party convention;

(12) Addressing a convention, caucus, rally, or similar gathering of a political party in support of or in opposition to a partisan candidate for public office or political party office;

(13) Initiating or circulating a partisan nominating petition;

(14) Soliciting, collecting, or receiving a contribution at or in the federal workplace from any employee for any political party, political fund, or other partisan recipient;

(15) Paying a contribution at or in the federal workplace to any employee who is the employer or employing authority of the person making the contribution for any political party, political fund, or other partisan recipient; and

(16) Soliciting, paying, collecting, or receiving a contribution at or in the federal workplace from any employee for any political party, political fund, or other partisan recipient.

(g) Paragraph (f) of this section does not apply to—

(1) The Comptroller General or the Deputy Comptroller General;

(2) An employee who resides in a municipality or other political subdivision designated under paragraph (i), subject to the conditions of paragraphs (i) and (j) of this section; or

(3) An employee who works on an irregular or occasional basis, on the days that he/she performs no services.

(h) Paragraph (f) of this section does not prohibit activity in political management or in a political campaign by an employee in connection with—

(1) A nonpartisan election, or

(2) Subject to the conditions and limitations established by the Comptroller General, an election held in a municipality or political subdivision designated under paragraph (i) of this section.

(i) For the purpose of paragraph (h)(2) of this section, the Comptroller General may designate a municipality or political subdivision in Maryland or Virginia in the immediate vicinity of the District of Columbia or a municipality in which the majority of voters are employed by the Government of the United States, when the Comptroller General determines that, because of special or unusual circumstances, it is in the domestic interest of employees to participate in local elections. The following municipalities and political subdivisions have been designated:

(j) An employee who resides in a municipality or political subdivision listed in paragraph (i) of this section may take an active part in political management and political campaigns in connection with partisan elections for local offices of the municipality or political subdivision, subject to the following limitations:

(1) Participation in politics shall be as an independent candidate or on behalf of, or in opposition to, an independent candidate.

(2) Candidacy for, and service in, an elective office shall not result in neglect of or interference with the performance of the duties of the employee or create a conflict, or apparent conflict, of interests.

The provisions of subchapters II, IV, and V of chapter 73 of title 5, United States Code and implementing regulations thereunder continue to apply to this office.

(a) Policy. A GAO employee may be suspended for 14 days or less for such cause as will promote the efficiency of GAO (including discourteous conduct to the public confirmed by an immediate supervisor's report of four such instances within any 1-year period or any other pattern of discourteous conduct). Suspension means placing an employee, for disciplinary reasons, temporarily in a status without duties and pay.

(b) Employee entitlement. An employee against whom a suspension for 14 days or less is proposed is entitled to—

(1) An advance written notice stating the specific reasons for the proposed action;

(2) A reasonable time to answer orally and in writing and to furnish affidavits and other documentary evidence in support of the answer;

(3) Be represented by an attorney or other representative; and

(4) A written decision and the specific reasons therefore at the earliest practicable date.

(c) Documentation. Copies of the notice of proposed action, the answer of the employee if written, a summary thereof if made orally, the notice of decision and reasons therefor, and any order effecting the suspension, together with any supporting material, shall be maintained by Personnel and shall be furnished to the employee affected upon the employee's request.

(d) Nonapplicability. This section is not applicable to—(1) An employee who is serving a trial period under an initial appointment in GAO or who has not completed 1 year of current continuous employment in the same or similar positions in GAO under other than a temporary appointment limited to 1 year or less.

(2) A suspension in the interest of national security.

(a) Policy. A GAO employee may be removed, suspended for more than 14 days, reduction in grade or pay, or furlough for 30 days or less for such cause as will promote the efficiency of GAO. Furloughed means placing an employee in a temporary status without duties and pay because of lack of work or funds or other nondisciplinary reasons.

(b) Employee entitlement. An employee against whom an action is proposed under this section is entitled to—

(1) At least 30 days' advance written notice, unless there is reasonable cause to believe the employee has committed a crime for which a sentence of imprisonment may be imposed, stating the specific reasons for the proposed action,

(2) A reasonable time to answer orally and in writing and to furnish affidavits and other documents in support of the answer.

(3) Be represented by an attorney or other representative; and

(4) A written decision and the specific reasons therefor at the earliest practicable date.

(c) Appeals. After administrative remedies have been exhausted, an employee against whom an action is taken under this section is entitled to appeal to the GAO Personnel Appeals Board.

(d) Documentation. Copies of the notice of proposed action, the answer of the employee if written, a summary thereof when made orally, the notice of decision and reasons therefor, and any order affecting an action covered by this section, together with any supporting material, shall be maintained by Personnel and shall be furnished to the GAO Personnel Appeals Board upon its request and to the employee affected upon the employee's request.

(e) Nonapplicability. This section does not apply to—

(1) Employees who are serving a trial period under an initial appointment or who has not completed 1 year of current continuous employment under other than a temporary appointment limited to 1 year or less.

(2) A suspension or removal of an employee in the interests of national security.

(3) A reduction in force.

(4) The reduction in grade of a supervisor or manager who has not completed the probationary period.

(5) A reduction in grade or removal for unacceptable performance under part 4.

(6) An action ordered by the GAO Personnel Appeals Board.

The personnel system shall provide procedures for the processing of complaints and grievances which are not otherwise provided for.

The provisions of chapter 79 of title 5, United States Code, and the Office of Personnel Management implementing regulations apply to Government Accountability Office employees.