Title 5 — Government Organization and EmployeesRelease 119-73
§4301 Definitions
Title 5 › Part PART III— - EMPLOYEES › Subpart Subpart C— - Employee Performance › Chapter CHAPTER 43— - PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - GENERAL PROVISIONS › § 4301
Summary
Defines the main words used in this part of the law. An agency is an Executive branch agency and the Government Publishing Office, and it also covers government corporations, the Government Accountability Office, and certain intelligence agencies (for example CIA, DIA, NGA, NSA, or other Executive units the President names that mainly do foreign intelligence or counterintelligence). An employee is someone hired in or under an agency, but excludes certain groups: people working abroad paid local wages, Foreign Service members, VA health staff paid under chapter 73 of title 38, administrative law judges appointed under section 3105, Senior Executive Service members (including FBI and DEA SES), Presidential appointees, positions excluded by OPM rules, and temporary hires under one year who agree to no performance review and won’t be considered for reappointment or pay increases based on performance. Unacceptable performance means not meeting the set performance standards for one or more key job duties.
Full Legal Text
Title 5, §4301
Government Organization and Employees — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Except as otherwise expressly provided, for the purpose of this subchapter—
(1)“agency” means—
(A)an Executive agency; and
(B)the Government Publishing Office;
(i)a Government corporation;
(ii)the Central Intelligence Agency, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, or any Executive agency or unit thereof which is designated by the President and the principal function of which is the conduct of foreign intelligence or counterintelligence activities; or
(iii)the Government Accountability Office;
(2)“employee” means an individual employed in or under an agency, but does not include—
(A)an employee outside the United States who is paid in accordance with local native prevailing wage rates for the area in which employed;
(B)an individual in the Foreign Service of the United States;
(C)a physician, dentist, nurse, or other employee in the Veterans Health Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs whose pay is fixed under chapter 73 of title 38;
(D)an administrative law judge appointed under section 3105 of this title;
(E)an individual in the Senior Executive Service or the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Drug Enforcement Administration Senior Executive Service;
(F)an individual appointed by the President;
(G)an individual occupying a position not in the competitive service excluded from coverage of this subchapter by regulations of the Office of Personnel Management; or
(H)an individual who (i) is serving in a position under a temporary appointment for less than one year, (ii) agrees to serve without a performance evaluation, and (iii) will not be considered for a reappointment or for an increase in pay based in whole or in part on performance; and
(3)“unacceptable performance” means performance of an employee which fails to meet established performance standards in one or more critical elements of such employee’s position.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
DerivationU.S. CodeRevised Statutes andStatutes at Large 5 U.S.C. 2001.Sept. 30, 1950, ch. 1123, § 2, 64 Stat. 1098. Sept. 1, 1954, ch. 1208, § 601(a), 68 Stat. 1115.
June 17, 1957, Pub. L. 85–56, § 2201(21), 71 Stat. 159.
July 11, 1957, Pub. L. 85–101, 71 Stat. 293. Sept. 2, 1958, Pub. L. 85–857, § 13(p), 72 Stat. 1266. Mar. 26, 1964, Pub. L. 88–290, “Sec. 306(b)”, 78 Stat. 170. In paragraph (1), the term “Executive agency” is substituted for the reference to “executive departments, the independent establishments and agencies in the executive branch, including corporations wholly owned by the United States” and “the General Accounting Office”. The exception of “a Government controlled corporation” is added in subparagraph (vii) to preserve the application of this chapter to “corporations wholly owned by the United States”. The exceptions for Production credit corporations and Federal intermediate credit banks in former section 2001(b)(5), (6) are omitted as they are no longer “corporations wholly owned by the United States”. Under the Farm Credit Act of 1956, 70 Stat. 659, the production credit corporations were merged in the Federal intermediate credit banks, and pursuant to that Act the Federal intermediate credit banks have ceased to be corporations owned by the United States. The exceptions for Federal land banks and banks for cooperatives in former section 2001(b)(7), (8) are omitted as included within the exception of “a Government controlled corporation” in subparagraph (vii). Paragraph (2) is supplied because the definition of “employee” in section 2105 does not encompass individuals employed by the government of the District of Columbia. The definition in paragraph (2) does not encompass members of the uniformed services as they are not “employed” in or under an agency. Paragraph (2)(E) is based on the third and fifth sentences, respectively, of former section 1010 and 1011, which are carried into section 5362 and 559, respectively, and section 1106(a) of the Act of Oct. 28, 1949, ch. 782, 63 Stat. 972. Standard changes are made to conform with the definitions applicable and the style of this title as outlined in the preface to the report.
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2017—Pub. L. 115–91, in introductory provisions, substituted “Except as otherwise expressly provided, for the purpose of” for “For the purpose of”. 2008—Par. (1)(ii) Pub. L. 110–417 substituted “National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency” for “National Imagery and Mapping Agency”. 2004—Par. (1)(iii). Pub. L. 108–271 substituted “Government Accountability Office” for “General Accounting Office”. 1996—Par. (1)(ii). Pub. L. 104–201 substituted “National Imagery and Mapping Agency” for “Central Imagery Office”. 1994—Par. (1)(ii). Pub. L. 103–359 inserted “the Central Imagery Office,” after “Defense Intelligence Agency,”. 1991—Par. (2)(C). Pub. L. 102–54 substituted “Veterans Health Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs” for “Department of Medicine and Surgery, Veterans’ Administration”. 1990—Par. (1). Pub. L. 101–474 redesignated subpar. (C) as (B) and struck out former subpar. (B) which included Administrative Office of United States Courts within definition of “agency”. Par. (2)(H). Pub. L. 101–510 added subpar. (H). 1988—Par. (2)(E). Pub. L. 100–325 inserted reference to Federal Bureau of Investigation and Drug
Enforcement
Administration Senior Executive Service. 1978—Pub. L. 95–454 substituted provisions defining “agency”, “employee”, and “unacceptable performance” for provisions defining “agency” and “employee”. Par. (2)(E). Pub. L. 95–251 substituted “administrative law judge” for “hearing examiner”. 1970—Par. (1)(ii). Pub. L. 91–375 repealed cl. (ii) which excluded postal field service from definition of “agency”.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Change of Name
“Government Publishing Office” substituted for “Government Printing Office” in par. (1)(B) on authority of section 1301(b) of Pub. L. 113–235, set out as a note preceding section 301 of Title 44, Public Printing and Documents.
Effective Date
of 1996 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 104–201 effective Oct. 1, 1996, see section 1124 of Pub. L. 104–201, set out as a note under section 193 of Title 10, Armed Forces.
Effective Date
of 1978 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 95–454 effective 90 days after Oct. 13, 1978, see section 907 of Pub. L. 95–454, set out as a note under section 1101 of this title.
Effective Date
of 1970 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 91–375 effective within 1 year after Aug. 12, 1970, on date established therefor by Board of Governors of United States Postal Service and published by it in Federal Register, see section 15(a) of Pub. L. 91–375, set out as an
Effective Date
note preceding section 101 of Title 39, Postal Service.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
5 U.S.C. § 4301
Title 5 — Government Organization and Employees
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73