§308 Assistant Secretaries; Deputy Assistant Secretaries

Summary

Creates up to seven Assistant Secretaries in the Department. Most of them must be picked by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Four jobs can be filled without Senate approval: Management; Human Resources and Administration; Public and Intergovernmental Affairs; and Operations, Security, and Preparedness. The Secretary gives Assistant Secretaries the duties needed to run the Department, including things like budget and finances; hiring and labor relations; planning and reviews; management and logistics; information handling; buildings and property; equal opportunity and discrimination complaints; public and intergovernmental information; buying goods and services; and operations, security, preparedness, and law enforcement, plus other specific duties named elsewhere in the law. When the President sends a nomination to the Senate, the President must say which duties the nominee will do. The Secretary may also create up to 19 Deputy Assistant Secretary jobs and pick who fills them. At least two-thirds of filled Deputy Assistant Secretary posts must go to people who had five years of continuous federal civil service in the executive branch right before their appointment. Time in confidential or policy-making jobs, time as a noncareer Senior Executive Service appointee, or time in positions filled by the President does not count toward that five years.