Collapse to view only § 1104. Delegation of authority for personnel management

§ 1101. Office of Personnel Management

The Office of Personnel Management is an independent establishment in the executive branch. The Office shall have an official seal, which shall be judicially noticed, and shall have its principal office in the District of Columbia, and may have field offices in other appropriate locations.

(Pub. L. 89–554, Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 398; Pub. L. 95–454, title II, § 201(a), Oct. 13, 1978, 92 Stat. 1119.)
§ 1102. Director; Deputy Director; Associate Directors
(a) There is at the head of the Office of Personnel Management a Director of the Office of Personnel Management appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The term of office of any individual appointed as Director shall be 4 years.
(b) There is in the Office a Deputy Director of the Office of Personnel Management appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Deputy Director shall perform such functions as the Director may from time to time prescribe and shall act as Director during the absence or disability of the Director or when the office of Director is vacant.
(c) No individual shall, while serving as Director or Deputy Director, serve in any other office or position in the Government of the United States except as otherwise provided by law or at the direction of the President. The Director and Deputy Director shall not recommend any individual for appointment to any position (other than Deputy Director of the Office) which requires the advice and consent of the Senate.
(d) There may be within the Office of Personnel Management not more than 5 Associate Directors, as determined from time to time by the Director. Each Associate Director shall be appointed by the Director.
(Pub. L. 89–554, Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 399; Pub. L. 95–454, title II, § 201(a), Oct. 13, 1978, 92 Stat. 1119.)
§ 1103. Functions of the Director
(a) The following functions are vested in the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, and shall be performed by the Director, or subject to section 1104 of this title, by such employees of the Office as the Director designates:
(1) securing accuracy, uniformity, and justice in the functions of the Office;
(2) appointing individuals to be employed by the Office;
(3) directing and supervising employees of the Office, distributing business among employees and organizational units of the Office, and directing the internal management of the Office;
(4) directing the preparation of requests for appropriations for the Office and the use and expenditure of funds by the Office;
(5) executing, administering, and enforcing—
(A) the civil service rules and regulations of the President and the Office and the laws governing the civil service; and
(B) the other activities of the Office including retirement and classification activities;
except with respect to functions for which the Merit Systems Protection Board or the Special Counsel is primarily responsible;
(6) reviewing the operations under chapter 87 of this title;
(7) aiding the President, as the President may request, in preparing such civil service rules as the President prescribes, and otherwise advising the President on actions which may be taken to promote an efficient civil service and a systematic application of the merit system principles, including recommending policies relating to the selection, promotion, transfer, performance, pay, conditions of service, tenure, and separation of employees;
(8) conducting, or otherwise providing for the conduct of, studies and research under chapter 47 of this title into methods of assuring improvements in personnel management; and
(9) incurring official reception and representation expenses of the Office subject to any limitation prescribed in any law.
(b)
(1) The Director shall publish in the Federal Register general notice of any rule or regulation which is proposed by the Office and the application of which does not apply solely to the Office or its employees. Any such notice shall include the matter required under section 553(b)(1), (2), and (3) of this title.
(2) The Director shall take steps to ensure that—
(A) any proposed rule or regulation to which paragraph (1) of this subsection applies is posted in offices of Federal agencies maintaining copies of the Federal personnel regulations; and
(B) to the extent the Director determines appropriate and practical, exclusive representatives of employees affected by such proposed rule or regulation and interested members of the public are notified of such proposed rule or regulation.
(3) Paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subsection shall not apply to any proposed rule or regulation which is temporary in nature and which is necessary to be implemented expeditiously as a result of an emergency.
(4) Paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subsection and section 1105 of this title shall not apply to the establishment of any schedules or rates of basic pay or allowances under subpart D of part III of this title. The preceding sentence does not apply to the establishment of the procedures, methodology, or criteria used to establish such schedules, rates, or allowances.
(c)
(1) The Office of Personnel Management shall design a set of systems, including appropriate metrics, for assessing the management of human capital by Federal agencies.
(2) The systems referred to under paragraph (1) shall be defined in regulations of the Office of Personnel Management and include standards for—
(A)
(i) aligning human capital strategies of agencies with the missions, goals, and organizational objectives of those agencies; and
(ii) integrating those strategies into the budget and strategic plans of those agencies;
(B) closing skill gaps in mission critical occupations;
(C) ensuring continuity of effective leadership through implementation of recruitment, development, and succession plans;
(D) sustaining a culture that cultivates and develops a high performing workforce;
(E) developing and implementing a knowledge management strategy supported by appropriate investment in training and technology; and
(F) holding managers and human resources officers accountable for efficient and effective human resources management in support of agency missions in accordance with merit system principles.
(Pub. L. 89–554, Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 399; Pub. L. 95–454, title II, § 201(a), Oct. 13, 1978, 92 Stat. 1119; Pub. L. 99–251, title III, §§ 301, 302, Feb. 27, 1986, 100 Stat. 26; Pub. L. 107–296, title XIII, § 1304, Nov. 25, 2002, 116 Stat. 2289.)
§ 1104. Delegation of authority for personnel management
(a) Subject to subsection (b)(3) of this section—
(1) the President may delegate, in whole or in part, authority for personnel management functions, including authority for competitive examinations, to the Director of the Office of Personnel Management; and
(2) the Director may delegate, in whole or in part, any function vested in or delegated to the Director, including authority for competitive examinations (except competitive examinations for administrative law judges appointed under section 3105 of this title, the cost of which examinations shall be reimbursed by payments from the agencies employing such judges to the revolving fund established under section 1304(e)), to the heads of agencies in the executive branch and other agencies employing persons in the competitive service.
(b)
(1) The Office shall establish standards which shall apply to the activities of the Office or any other agency under authority delegated under subsection (a) of this section.
(2) The Office shall establish and maintain an oversight program to ensure that activities under any authority delegated under subsection (a) of this section are in accordance with the merit system principles and the standards established under paragraph (1) of this subsection.
(3) Nothing in subsection (a) of this section shall be construed as affecting the responsibility of the Director to prescribe regulations and to ensure compliance with the civil service laws, rules, and regulations.
(4) At the request of the head of an agency to whom a function has been delegated under subsection (a)(2), the Office may provide assistance to the agency in performing such function. Such assistance shall, to the extent determined appropriate by the Director of the Office, be performed on a reimbursable basis through the revolving fund established under section 1304(e).
(c) If the Office makes a written finding, on the basis of information obtained under the program established under subsection (b)(2) of this section or otherwise, that any action taken by an agency pursuant to authority delegated under subsection (a)(2) of this section is contrary to any law, rule, or regulation, or is contrary to any standard established under subsection (b)(1) of this section, the agency involved shall take any corrective action the Office may require.
(Pub. L. 89–554, Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 399; Pub. L. 90–83, § 1(2), Sept. 11, 1967, 81 Stat. 195; Pub. L. 95–454, title II, § 201(a), Oct. 13, 1978, 92 Stat. 1120; Pub. L. 104–52, title IV, § 1, Nov. 19, 1995, 109 Stat. 489.)
§ 1105. Administrative procedure

Subject to section 1103(b) of this title, in the exercise of the functions assigned under this chapter, the Director shall be subject to subsections (b), (c), and (d) of section 553 of this title, notwithstanding subsection (a) of such section 553.

(Pub. L. 89–554, Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 400; Pub. L. 95–454, title II, § 201(a), Oct. 13, 1978, 92 Stat. 1121.)