Title 5 — Government Organization and EmployeesRelease 119-73

§1203 Chairman; Vice Chairman

Title 5 › Part PART II— - CIVIL SERVICE FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES › Chapter CHAPTER 12— - MERIT SYSTEMS PROTECTION BOARD, OFFICE OF SPECIAL COUNSEL, AND EMPLOYEE RIGHT OF ACTION › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - MERIT SYSTEMS PROTECTION BOARD › § 1203

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The President must pick one board member to be Chairman, with the Senate’s approval. The Chairman runs the Board. The President also names a Vice Chairman who fills in if the Chairman is unavailable. If both top posts are vacant or both are absent, the remaining member acts as Chairman.

Full Legal Text

Title 5, §1203

Government Organization and Employees — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The President shall from time to time appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, one of the members of the Merit Systems Protection Board as the Chairman of the Board. The Chairman is the chief executive and administrative officer of the Board.

(b)The President shall from time to time designate one of the members of the Board as Vice Chairman of the Board. During the absence or disability of the Chairman, or when the office of Chairman is vacant, the Vice Chairman shall perform the functions vested in the Chairman.

(c)During the absence or disability of both the Chairman and the Vice Chairman, or when the offices of Chairman and Vice Chairman are vacant, the remaining Board member shall perform the functions vested in the Chairman.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1989—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 101–12, § 3(a)(4), struck out the comma after “time” in first sentence. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 101–12, § 3(a)(5), substituted “the Chairman and the Vice Chairman” for “the Chairman and Vice Chairman” after “both”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1989 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 101–12 effective 90 days following Apr. 10, 1989, see section 11 of Pub. L. 101–12, set out as a note under section 1201 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

5 U.S.C. § 1203

Title 5 — Government Organization and Employees

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73