PRIA Logo™
Title 31 — Money and FinanceRelease 119-73not60

§1346 Commissions, Councils, Boards, and Inter­agency and Similar Groups

Title 31 › Subtitle SUBTITLE II— THE BUDGET PROCESS › Chapter 13— APPROPRIATIONS › Subchapter III— LIMITATIONS, EXCEPTIONS, AND PENALTIES › § 1346

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

Government money cannot be used to pay for a commission, council, board, or similar group, or to pay its members. It also cannot pay for expenses from the group's work or for the cost of agency staff detailed to the group, unless Congress gives a special appropriation. An accounting officer may not pay charges for the group unless there is a special appropriation. Agency budgets can pay for an interagency group's expenses if the agency has a representative on the group. Those representatives get no extra pay for being on the group, and other agency employees may not get extra pay for helping the group. As allowed under section 1347, the rule does not apply to three things: groups created by law, courts-martial or courts of inquiry, and the President’s foreign-relations contingent fund.

Full Legal Text

Title 31, §1346

Money and Finance — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Except as provided in this section—
(1)public money and appropriations are not available to pay—
(A)the pay or expenses of a commission, council, board, or similar group, or a member of that group;
(B)expenses related to the work or the results of work or action of that group; or
(C)for the detail or cost of personal services of an officer or employee from an executive agency in connection with that group; and
(2)an accounting or disbursing official, absent a special appropriation to pay the account or charge, may not allow or pay an account or charge related to that group.
(b)Appropriations of an executive agency are available for the expenses of an interagency group conducting activities of interest common to executive agencies when the group includes a representative of the agency. The representatives receive no additional pay because of membership in the group. An officer or employee of an executive agency not a representative of the group may not receive additional pay for providing services for the group.
(c)Subject to section 1347 of this title, this section does not apply to—
(1)commissions, councils, boards, or similar groups authorized by law;
(2)courts-martial or courts of inquiry of the armed forces; or
(3)the contingent fund related to foreign relations at the disposal of the President.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 1346(a)31:672(1st sentence less words between 4th and 5th commas).R.S. § 3681. 31:673(less words between 11th comma and semicolon).Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 299, § 9, 35 Stat. 1027. 1346(b)31:691.May 3, 1945, ch. 106, § 214, 59 Stat. 134. 1346(c)31:672(1st sentence words between 4th and 5th commas), (last sentence). 31:673(words between 11th comma and semicolon). In the section, the words “executive agency” are substituted for “any executive department or other Government establishment” for clarity and because of section 102 of the revised title. In subsection (a)(1), before subclause (A), the words “made by Congress” are omitted as surplus. In subclause (C), the words “the detail or cost of personal services of an officer” are substituted for “by detail, hereafter or heretofore made, or otherwise personal services” to eliminate unnecessary words and for clarity. In subsection (a)(2), the words “of the Government” are omitted as surplus. The words “absent a special appropriation” are substituted for “until special appropriations shall have been made by law” to eliminate unnecessary words. In subsection (b), the words “On or after May 3, 1945” are omitted as executed. The words “interagency group” are substituted for “committees, boards, or other interagency groups” to eliminate unnecessary words. The words “includes a representative of the agency” are substituted for “composed in whole or in part of representatives thereof” for clarity. In subsection (c)(1), the words “authorized by law” are substituted for “unless the creation . . . shall be or shall have been authorized by law” to eliminate unnecessary words. In subsection (c)(2), the words “armed forces” are substituted for “military or naval service of the United States” for consistency. Subsection (c)(3) is substituted for the last sentence of 31:672 to eliminate unnecessary words.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

31 U.S.C. § 1346

Title 31 — Money and Finance

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60