Title 22 › Chapter CHAPTER 51— - PANAMA CANAL › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - ADMINISTRATION AND REGULATIONS › Part Part 1— - Panama Canal Commission › § 3613
The President must appoint the Commission’s Administrator with the Senate’s approval, and the person serves as long as the President wants. The Board sets the Administrator’s pay, but it cannot be higher than level III of the Executive Schedule. Congress agrees, under the 8th clause of Article I, Section 9 of the Constitution, that a person serving as Commission Administrator may also accept appointment from the Republic of Panama as Administrator of the Panama Canal Authority only if that person, while holding both jobs, receives no pay from Panama except for travel and entertainment expenses, including per diem. If Panama appoints the Commission Administrator before the Canal Transfer Date and that person accepts, then while they hold both posts several federal rules do not apply: the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938 (22 U.S.C. 611 et seq.), 18 U.S.C. 208(a) when a matter affects the Panama Canal Authority only because it would directly and predictably affect that Authority’s finances, 18 U.S.C. 203 and 205 for official acts as an agent or attorney for the Panama Canal Authority, and 5 U.S.C. 13143(a) and 13144(a)(4) for pay and service. Once their Commission appointment ends at noon on the Canal Transfer Date, 18 U.S.C. 207 does not apply to acts they performed carrying out duties as Administrator of the Panama Canal Authority.
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Foreign Relations and Intercourse — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
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Citation
22 U.S.C. § 3613
Title 22 — Foreign Relations and Intercourse
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73