§10704 Officers and Employees

Summary

Makes the Director run the Institute day-to-day under the Board’s policies. The Director hires and fires staff needed to do the Institute’s work and carries out duties the Board gives. No one may be hired, promoted, or otherwise treated based on political tests or political qualifications, and that rule also applies when choosing or watching grantees, contractors, or others who get money from the Institute. The Board sets pay for officers and employees, but no one can be paid more than the rate for level V of the Executive Schedule (section 5316 of title 5). The Institute is not treated as a federal department or agency for most purposes, but OMB may review its budget and the Institute can buy from the GSA. Staff are not federal employees except for certain benefits under title 5 (work-injury coverage, civil service retirement, life and health insurance—Subchapter I of chapter 81; chapters 83, 84, 87, and 89), even if section 8914 of title 5 says otherwise. The Institute must pay the same contribution rates as federal agencies. The Institute and its staff must follow the freedom-of-information rules in section 552 of title 5.