PRIA Logo™
Take the PRIA Score
Title 43 — Public LandsRelease 119-73

§1464 Agents or attorneys representing claimants before department

Title 43 › Chapter CHAPTER 31— - DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR › § 1464

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of the Interior can make rules about who may act as an agent, attorney, or other representative for people making claims to the department. Before someone is allowed to represent claimants, the Secretary can require proof that the person has good moral character and reputation, the needed skills to help claimants, and is otherwise competent. If the Secretary gives notice and a chance for a hearing and finds a representative is incompetent, disreputable, refuses to follow the rules, or, with the intent to defraud, deceives, misleads, or threatens a claimant by speech, letter, circular, or advertisement, the Secretary can suspend or bar that person from practicing before the department.

Full Legal Text

Title 43, §1464

Public Lands — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The Secretary of the Interior may prescribe rules and regulations governing the recognition of agents, attorneys, or other persons representing claimants before his department, and may require of such persons, agents, and attorneys, before being recognized as representatives of claimants, that they shall show that they are of good moral character and in good repute, possessed of the necessary qualifications to enable them to render such claimants valuable service, and otherwise competent to advise and assist such claimants in the presentation of their claims and such Secretary may, after notice and opportunity for a hearing, suspend or exclude from further practice before his department any such person, agent, or attorney shown to be incompetent, disreputable, or who refuses to comply with the said rules and regulations, or who shall with intent to defraud in any manner, deceive, mislead, or threaten any claimant, or prospective claimant, by word, circular, letter, or by advertisement.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Section was formerly classified to section 493 of Title 5 prior to the general revision and enactment of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, by Pub. L. 89–554, § 1, Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 378.

Executive Documents

Transfer of Functions

For

Transfer of Functions

of other officers, employees, and agencies of Department of the Interior, with certain exceptions, to Secretary of the Interior, with power to delegate, see Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1950, §§ 1, 2, eff. May 24, 1950, 15 F.R. 3174, 64 Stat. 1262, set out under section 1451 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

43 U.S.C. § 1464

Title 43 — Public Lands

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73