§7132 Principal officers

Summary

Creates several top officials in the Department and says how they are chosen, paid, and what they must do. The Deputy Secretary is appointed by the President with Senate approval and is paid at the rate for level II of the Executive Schedule under section 5313 of title 5. The Deputy must act for the Secretary if the Secretary is absent, disabled, or the office is vacant. The Secretary must name the order in which the Under Secretary and other officials will act if both the Secretary and Deputy are absent, disabled, or the offices are vacant. Creates an Under Secretary for Science and an Under Secretary for Nuclear Security, plus a general Under Secretary and a General Counsel. The Under Secretary for Science is appointed by the President with Senate approval and paid at level III of the Executive Schedule under section 5314 of title 5. That person must have a strong science or engineering background and be able to manage civilian research and development. They serve as the Science and Technology Advisor and advise on R&D gaps or duplication, lab management, training and education, grants and funding, long-term planning, and other research duties including supervising related assistant secretaries. The Under Secretary for Nuclear Security is also appointed by the President with Senate approval and paid at level III under section 5314 of title 5. That person must have strong national security, management, and technical experience and be qualified to run the National Nuclear Security Administration’s weapons, nonproliferation, and materials programs to protect national security. That Under Secretary also serves as the Administrator for Nuclear Security under section 2402 of title 50 and is subject to the Secretary’s authority, which may be delegated only to the Deputy Secretary and not redelegated. The separate Under Secretary and the General Counsel are appointed the same way; the Under Secretary is paid at level III under section 5314 of title 5 and performs duties the Secretary assigns, and the General Counsel is paid at level IV under section 5315 of title 5 and performs legal duties the Secretary assigns.