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Title 5 — Government Organization and EmployeesRelease 119-73

§7521 Actions against administrative law judges

Title 5 › Part PART III— - EMPLOYEES › Subpart Subpart F— - Labor-Management and Employee Relations › Chapter CHAPTER 75— - ADVERSE ACTIONS › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER III— - ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGES › § 7521

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

An agency can discipline or remove an administrative law judge appointed under section 3105 only for good cause. That good cause must be proved and decided by the Merit Systems Protection Board based on a hearing record where the judge had a chance to be heard. Covered actions include removal, suspension, cuts in grade or pay, furloughs of 30 days or less, and certain actions under sections 7532, 3502, and 1215.

Full Legal Text

Title 5, §7521

Government Organization and Employees — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)An action may be taken against an administrative law judge appointed under section 3105 of this title by the agency in which the administrative law judge is employed only for good cause established and determined by the Merit Systems Protection Board on the record after opportunity for hearing before the Board.
(b)The actions covered by this section are—
(1)a removal;
(2)a suspension;
(3)a reduction in grade;
(4)a reduction in pay; and
(5)a furlough of 30 days or less;
(A)a suspension or removal under section 7532 of this title;
(B)a reduction-in-force action under section 3502 of this title; or
(C)any action initiated under section 1215 of this title.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 7521, Pub. L. 89–554, Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 528; Pub. L. 95–251, § 2(a)(1), Mar. 27, 1978, 92 Stat. 183, related to removal of an administrative law judge appointed under section 3105 of this title, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 95–454, § 204(a).

Amendments

1989—Subsec. (b)(C). Pub. L. 101–12 substituted “1215” for “1206”.

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.

Effective Date

Section effective 90 days after Oct. 13, 1978, see section 907 of Pub. L. 95–454, set out as an

Effective Date

of 1978 Amendment note under section 1101 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

5 U.S.C. § 7521

Title 5 — Government Organization and Employees

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73