Title 22 — Foreign Relations and IntercourseRelease 119-73
§3652 Panama Canal Employment System; merit and other employment requirements
Title 22 › Chapter CHAPTER 51— - PANAMA CANAL › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - ADMINISTRATION AND REGULATIONS › Part Part 2— - Employees › Subpart subpart ii— - wage and employment practices › § 3652
Summary
The Commission must create a Panama Canal Employment System and write the rules to run it. The system must follow the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977 and other laws. It must hire and promote people based on merit and their fitness for the job. When possible, it should follow the same policies and standards used for the federal competitive service. For U.S. citizen employees, it must allow appropriate movement between Panama Canal jobs and competitive-service federal jobs. The system is not covered by Title 5 unless this law says Title 5 applies. Heads of other Executive agencies (not the Commission) and the Smithsonian can choose to have the Panama Canal Employment System apply to their staff in Panama. If they choose it, they must run hiring and pay for those employees under the system. Despite later related laws, the version of the rules in effect on September 22, 1996 continues to apply to any agency or the Smithsonian that made that choice. The Commission may exclude particular employees or jobs from the system, except it cannot remove the interchange rights for U.S. citizens.
Full Legal Text
Title 22, §3652
Foreign Relations and Intercourse — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)The Commission shall establish a Panama Canal Employment System and prescribe the regulations necessary for its administration. The Panama Canal Employment System shall—
(1)be established in accordance with and be subject to the provisions of the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977 and related agreements, the provisions of this part, and any other applicable provision of law;
(2)be based on the consideration of the merit of each employee or candidate for employment and the qualifications and fitness of the employee to hold the position concerned;
(3)conform, to the extent practicable and consistent with the provisions of this chapter, to the policies, principles, and standards applicable to the competitive service;
(4)in the case of employees who are citizens of the United States, provide for the appropriate interchange of those employees between positions under the Panama Canal Employment System and positions in the competitive service; and
(5)not be subject to the provisions of title 5, unless specifically made applicable by this chapter.
(b)(1)The head of any Executive agency (other than the Commission) and the Smithsonian Institution may elect to have the Panama Canal Employment System made applicable in whole or in part to personnel of that agency in the Republic of Panama.
(2)Any Executive agency (other than the Commission) and the Smithsonian Institution, to the extent of any election under paragraph (1), shall conduct its employment and pay practices relating to employees in accordance with the Panama Canal Employment System.
(3)Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the Panama Canal Act Amendments of 1996 (subtitle B of title XXXV of Public Law 104–201; 110 Stat. 2860), or the Panama Canal Transition Facilitation Act of 1997 (subtitle B of title XXXV of Public Law 105–85; 110 11 So in original. Probably should be “111”. Stat. 2062), or the Panama Canal Commission Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999, this subpart, as in effect on September 22, 1996, shall continue to apply to an Executive agency or the Smithsonian Institution to the extent of an election under paragraph (1) by the head of the agency or the Institution, respectively.
(c)The Commission may exclude any employee or position from coverage under any provision of this subpart, other than the interchange rights extended under subsection (a)(4).
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
References in Text
This chapter, referred to in subsecs. (a)(3), (5) and (b)(3), was in the original “this Act”, meaning Pub. L. 96–70, Sept. 27, 1979, 93 Stat. 452, known as the Panama Canal Act of 1979, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see
Short Title
note set out under section 3601 of this title and Tables. The Panama Canal Act
Amendments
of 1996, referred to in subsec. (b)(3), is subtitle B of title XXXV of div. C of Pub. L. 104–201, Sept. 23, 1996, 110 Stat. 2860. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see
Short Title
of 1996 Amendment note set out under section 3601 of this title and Tables. The Panama Canal Transition Facilitation Act of 1997, referred to in subsec. (b)(3), is subtitle B of title XXXV of div. C of Pub. L. 105–85, Nov. 18, 1997, 111 Stat. 2062. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see
Short Title
of 1997 Amendment note set out under section 3601 of this title and Tables. The Panama Canal Commission Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999, referred to in subsec. (b)(3), is title XXXV of div. C of Pub. L. 105–261, Oct. 17, 1998, 112 Stat. 2267, which amended this section and section 3612, 3612b, 3620, 3642, 3657, 3664, 3671, 3723, 3731, 3751, 3771, 3772, 3776, 3779, and 3862 of this title, repealed section 3646, 3647, and 3663 of this title, and enacted provisions set out as notes under section 3657 of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables.
Amendments
1998—Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 105–261, § 3512(a)(2), inserted “the” after “by the head of”. Pub. L. 105–261, § 3507(c), substituted “the Panama Canal Transition Facilitation Act of 1997 (subtitle B of title XXXV of Public Law 105–85; 110 Stat. 2062), or the Panama Canal Commission Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999” for “the Panama Canal Transition Facilitation Act of 1997”. 1997—Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 105–85, § 3550(d)(5), substituted “as in effect on
September 22, 1996” for “as last in effect before
September 23, 1996”. Pub. L. 105–85, § 3523(d), substituted “, the Panama Canal Act
Amendments
of 1996 (subtitle B of title XXXV of Public Law 104–201; 110 Stat. 2860), or the Panama Canal Transition Facilitation Act of 1997” for “or the Panama Canal Act
Amendments
of 1996”. 1996—Pub. L. 104–201 amended section generally, substituting subsecs. (a) to (c) requiring the Commission to establish a Panama Canal Employment System for former subsecs. (a) to (d) requiring the President to establish such a System.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Savings Provision
Pub. L. 104–201, div. C, title XXXV, § 3530(b), Sept. 23, 1996, 110 Stat. 2863, provided that: “The Panama Canal Employment System and all elections, rules,
Regulations
, and orders relating thereto, as last in effect before the amendment made by subsection (a) [amending this section] takes effect, shall continue in effect, according to their terms, until modified, terminated, or superseded under section 1212 of the Panama Canal Act of 1979 [this section], as amended by subsection (a).”
Executive Documents
Coordination of Pay and Employment PracticesFor provisions requiring consultations with the Secretary of Defense for agencies under this subpart with respect to the establishment of rates of pay and other matters deemed appropriate by the Secretary in order to develop compatible or unified systems of basic pay and employment practices, see section 1–201 of Ex. Ord. No. 12215, May 27, 1980, 45 F.R. 36043, set out as a note under section 3601 of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
22 U.S.C. § 3652
Title 22 — Foreign Relations and Intercourse
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73