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Title 15 — Commerce and TradeRelease 119-73

§42 Employees; expenses

Title 15 › Chapter CHAPTER 2— - FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION; PROMOTION OF EXPORT TRADE AND PREVENTION OF UNFAIR METHODS OF COMPETITION › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION › § 42

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Commissioners must be paid a salary the same way U.S. judges are paid. The Commission must hire a paid secretary and may hire and set pay for attorneys, special experts, examiners, clerks, and other staff when Congress provides money. Except for the secretary, one clerk per commissioner, the attorneys, and needed experts/examiners, most employees must join the federal classified civil service and follow rules set by the Commission and the Director of the Office of Personnel Management. The Commission will pay its necessary expenses, including travel outside Washington, D.C., when it approves itemized bills. It may rent offices until a law says otherwise. The Government Accountability Office will receive and review all the Commission’s spending records.

Full Legal Text

Title 15, §42

Commerce and Trade — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Each commissioner shall receive a salary, payable in the same manner as the salaries of the judges of the courts of the United States. The commission shall appoint a secretary, who shall receive a salary, and it shall have authority to employ and fix the compensation of such attorneys, special experts, examiners, clerks, and other employees as it may from time to time find necessary for the proper performance of its duties and as may be from time to time appropriated for by Congress. With the exception of the secretary, a clerk to each Commissioner, the attorneys, and such special experts and examiners as the Commission may from time to time find necessary for the conduct of its work, all employees of the Commission shall be a part of the classified civil service, and shall enter the service under such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the Commission and by the Director of the Office of Personnel Management. All of the expenses of the Commission, including all necessary expenses for transportation incurred by the Commissioners or by their employees under their orders, in making any investigation, or upon official business in any other places than in the city of Washington, shall be allowed and paid on the presentation of itemized vouchers therefor approved by the Commission. Until otherwise provided by law, the Commission may rent suitable offices for its use. The Government Accountability Office shall receive and examine all accounts of expenditures of the Commission.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The classified civil service, referred to in second par., means the “competitive service”, see section 2102 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.

Rules and Regulations

of the Civil Service Commission for entry into the service are prescribed generally under authority of section 3301 et seq. of Title 5. Codification In the first par., provisions that fixed the salary of the commissioners have been omitted as obsolete. The positions of chairman and members of the commission are now under the Executive Schedule, see section 5414 and 5315 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees. Provisions that fixed the salary of the secretary of the commission, payable in like manner, have been omitted as obsolete. The position is now subject to chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 (relating to classification and General Schedule pay rates) and section 5504 (relating to biweekly pay periods) of Title 5.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Transfer of Functions

“Government Accountability Office” substituted in text for “General Accounting Office” pursuant to section 8(b) of Pub. L. 108–271, set out as a note under section 702 of Title 31, Money and Finance, which redesignated the General Accounting Office and any references thereto as the Government Accountability Office. Previously, “General Accounting Office” substituted in text for “Auditor for the State and Other Departments” pursuant to act June 10, 1921, which transferred all powers and duties of the Comptroller, six auditors, and certain other employees of the Treasury to the General Accounting Office. See section 701 et seq. of Title 31.

Executive Documents

Transfer of Functions

“Director of the Office of Personnel Management” substituted in text for “Civil Service Commission” pursuant to Reorg. Plan No. 2 of 1978, § 102, 43 F.R. 36037, 92 Stat. 3783, set out under section 1101 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, which transferred all functions vested by statute in the United States Civil Service Commission to the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (except as otherwise specified), effective Jan. 1, 1979, as provided by section 1–102 of Ex. Ord. No. 12107, Dec. 28, 1978, 44 F.R. 1055, set out under section 1101 of Title 5. For

Transfer of Functions

of Federal Trade Commission, with certain exceptions, to Chairman of such Commission, see Reorg. Plan No. 8 of 1950, § 1, eff. May 24, 1950, 15 F.R. 3175, 64 Stat. 1264, set out under section 41 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

15 U.S.C. § 42

Title 15 — Commerce and Trade

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73