Title 5 — Government Organization and EmployeesRelease 119-73
§7702 Actions involving discrimination
Title 5 › Part PART III— - EMPLOYEES › Subpart Subpart F— - Labor-Management and Employee Relations › Chapter CHAPTER 77— - APPEALS › § 7702
Summary
Gives federal employees or job applicants who appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) and say the action was discrimination the right to have the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) review the MSPB decision. The covered discrimination laws include section 717 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, section 6(d) of the Fair Labor Standards Act, section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act, sections 12 and 15 of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and rules under those laws. The person has 30 days after the MSPB decision to ask the EEOC to review it. The EEOC has 30 days to decide whether to take the case and, if it does, 60 days to either agree with the MSPB or write a different decision based on the record. If the MSPB and EEOC disagree, the case can go back and forth and, if needed, a three-person special panel (a presidentially appointed chair, one MSPB member, and one EEOC member) will make a final decision within set time limits. If agency review takes too long (generally 120 or 180 days at different stages), the employee may move the matter to the MSPB. Filing with the wrong agency still counts as timely if the case is later filed with the right agency.
Full Legal Text
Title 5, §7702
Government Organization and Employees — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)(1)Notwithstanding any other provision of law, and except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, in the case of any employee or applicant for employment who—
(A)has been affected by an action which the employee or applicant may appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board, and
(B)alleges that a basis for the action was discrimination prohibited by—
(i)section 717 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000e–16),
(ii)section 6(d) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206(d)),
(iii)section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 791),
(iv)section 12 and 15 of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (29 U.S.C. 631, 633a), or
(v)any rule, regulation, or policy directive prescribed under any provision of law described in clauses (i) through (iv) of this subparagraph,
(2)In any matter before an agency which involves—
(A)any action described in paragraph (1)(A) of this subsection; and
(B)any issue of discrimination prohibited under any provision of law described in paragraph (1)(B) of this subsection;
(3)Any decision of the Board under paragraph (1) of this subsection shall be a judicially reviewable action as of—
(A)the date of issuance of the decision if the employee or applicant does not file a petition with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission under subsection (b)(1) of this section, or
(B)the date the Commission determines not to consider the decision under subsection (b)(2) of this section.
(b)(1)An employee or applicant may, within 30 days after notice of the decision of the Board under subsection (a)(1) of this section, petition the Commission to consider the decision.
(2)The Commission shall, within 30 days after the date of the petition, determine whether to consider the decision. A determination of the Commission not to consider the decision may not be used as evidence with respect to any issue of discrimination in any judicial proceeding concerning that issue.
(3)If the Commission makes a determination to consider the decision, the Commission shall, within 60 days after the date of the determination, consider the entire record of the proceedings of the Board and, on the basis of the evidentiary record before the Board, as supplemented under paragraph (4) of this subsection, either—
(A)concur in the decision of the Board; or
(B)issue in writing another decision which differs from the decision of the Board to the extent that the Commission finds that, as a matter of law—
(i)the decision of the Board constitutes an incorrect interpretation of any provision of any law, rule, regulation, or policy directive referred to in subsection (a)(1)(B) of this section, or
(ii)the decision involving such provision is not supported by the evidence in the record as a whole.
(4)In considering any decision of the Board under this subsection, the Commission may refer the case to the Board, or provide on its own, for the taking (within such period as permits the Commission to make a decision within the 60-day period prescribed under this subsection) of additional evidence to the extent it considers necessary to supplement the record.
(5)(A)If the Commission concurs pursuant to paragraph (3)(A) of this subsection in the decision of the Board, the decision of the Board shall be a judicially reviewable action.
(B)If the Commission issues any decision under paragraph (3)(B) of this subsection, the Commission shall immediately refer the matter to the Board.
(c)Within 30 days after receipt by the Board of the decision of the Commission under subsection (b)(5)(B) of this section, the Board shall consider the decision and—
(1)concur and adopt in whole the decision of the Commission; or
(2)to the extent that the Board finds that, as a matter of law, (A) the Commission decision constitutes an incorrect interpretation of any provision of any civil service law, rule, regulation or policy directive, or (B) the Commission decision involving such provision is not supported by the evidence in the record as a whole—
(i)reaffirm the initial decision of the Board; or
(ii)reaffirm the initial decision of the Board with such revisions as it determines appropriate.
(d)(1)If the Board takes any action under subsection (c)(2) of this section, the matter shall be immediately certified to a special panel described in paragraph (6) of this subsection. Upon certification, the Board shall, within 5 days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays), transmit to the special panel the administrative record in the proceeding, including—
(A)the factual record compiled under this section,
(B)the decisions issued by the Board and the Commission under this section, and
(C)any transcript of oral arguments made, or legal briefs filed, before the Board or the Commission.
(2)(A)The special panel shall, within 45 days after a matter has been certified to it, review the administrative record transmitted to it and, on the basis of the record, decide the issues in dispute and issue a final decision which shall be a judicially reviewable action.
(B)The special panel shall give due deference to the respective expertise of the Board and Commission in making its decision.
(3)The special panel shall refer its decision under paragraph (2) of this subsection to the Board and the Board shall order any agency to take any action appropriate to carry out the decision.
(4)The special panel shall permit the employee or applicant who brought the complaint and the employing agency to appear before the panel to present oral arguments and to present written arguments with respect to the matter.
(5)Upon application by the employee or applicant, the Commission may issue such interim relief as it determines appropriate to mitigate any exceptional hardship the employee or applicant might otherwise incur as a result of the certification of any matter under this subsection, except that the Commission may not stay, or order any agency to review on an interim basis, the action referred to in subsection (a)(1) of this section.
(6)(A)Each time the Board takes any action under subsection (c)(2) of this section, a special panel shall be convened which shall consist of—
(i)an individual appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to serve for a term of 6 years as chairman of the special panel each time it is convened;
(ii)one member of the Board designated by the Chairman of the Board each time a panel is convened; and
(iii)one member of the Commission designated by the Chairman of the Commission each time a panel is convened.
(B)The chairman is entitled to pay at a rate equal to the maximum annual rate of basic pay payable under the General Schedule for each day he is engaged in the performance of official business on the work of the special panel.
(C)The Board and the Commission shall provide such administrative assistance to the special panel as may be necessary and, to the extent practicable, shall equally divide the costs of providing the administrative assistance.
(e)(1)Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if at any time after—
(A)the 120th day following the filing of any matter described in subsection (a)(2) of this section with an agency, there is no judicially reviewable action under this section or an appeal under paragraph (2) of this subsection;
(B)the 120th day following the filing of an appeal with the Board under subsection (a)(1) of this section, there is no judicially reviewable action (unless such action is not as the result of the filing of a petition by the employee under subsection (b)(1) of this section); or
(C)the 180th day following the filing of a petition with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission under subsection (b)(1) of this section, there is no final agency action under subsection (b), (c), or (d) of this section;
(2)If, at any time after the 120th day following the filing of any matter described in subsection (a)(2) of this section with an agency, there is no judicially reviewable action, the employee may appeal the matter to the Board under subsection (a)(1) of this section.
(3)Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect the right to trial de novo under any provision of law described in subsection (a)(1) of this section after a judicially reviewable action, including the decision of an agency under subsection (a)(2) of this section.
(f)In any case in which an employee is required to file any action, appeal, or petition under this section and the employee timely files the action, appeal, or petition with an agency other than the agency with which the action, appeal, or petition is to be filed, the employee shall be treated as having timely filed the action, appeal, or petition as of the date it is filed with the proper agency.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
References in Text
The General Schedule, referred to in subsec. (d)(6)(B), is set out under section 5332 of this title.
Amendments
1979—Subsec. (a)(1)(A). Pub. L. 96–54, § 2(a)(46)(A), substituted “affected” for “effected”. Subsec. (a)(1)(B)(i). Pub. L. 96–54, § 2(a)(46)(B), substituted “2000e–16” for “2000e–16c”. Subsec. (e)(1). Pub. L. 96–54, § 2(a)(46)(C), (D), substituted “of this section” for “of this title” in subpar. (C), and “216(b)” for “216(d)” in provision following subpar. (C).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 1979 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 96–54 effective July 12, 1979, see section 2(b) of Pub. L. 96–54, set out as a note under section 305 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. § 7702
Title 5 — Government Organization and Employees
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73