§572 — Title 5 Government Organization and Employees | U.S. Code

Summary

An agency can use a dispute resolution process to settle a contested issue in a government program, but only if the people involved agree. An agency should think about not using that process in six situations: when a clear, official decision is needed as an example for future cases; when big government policy questions are involved; when keeping consistent rules is important; when people or groups who are not in the dispute are greatly affected; when a full public record is needed; or when the agency must keep control so it can change the result later. These alternative procedures are voluntary and add to, not replace, other ways the agency can resolve disputes.

Title 5, §572

Government Organization and Employees — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)An agency may use a dispute resolution proceeding for the resolution of an issue in controversy that relates to an administrative program, if the parties agree to such proceeding.

(b)An agency shall consider not using a dispute resolution proceeding if—

(1)a definitive or authoritative resolution of the matter is required for precedential value, and such a proceeding is not likely to be accepted generally as an authoritative precedent;

(2)the matter involves or may bear upon significant questions of Government policy that require additional procedures before a final resolution may be made, and such a proceeding would not likely serve to develop a recommended policy for the agency;

(3)maintaining established policies is of special importance, so that variations among individual decisions are not increased and such a proceeding would not likely reach consistent results among individual decisions;

(4)the matter significantly affects persons or organizations who are not parties to the proceeding;

(5)a full public record of the proceeding is important, and a dispute resolution proceeding cannot provide such a record; and

(6)the agency must maintain continuing jurisdiction over the matter with authority to alter the disposition of the matter in the light of changed circumstances, and a dispute resolution proceeding would interfere with the agency’s fulfilling that requirement.

(c)Alternative means of dispute resolution authorized under this subchapter are voluntary procedures which supplement rather than limit other available agency dispute resolution techniques.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification section 572 of former Title 5, Executive Departments and Government Officers and Employees, was transferred to section 2257 of Title 7, Agriculture.

Prior Provisions

A prior section 572 was renumbered section 592 of this title.

Amendments

1992—Pub. L. 102–354 renumbered section 582 of this title as this section.

§572 General authority