PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) can give a state money to help improve how state and local governments hire, train, and manage workers. OPM may pay up to 75 percent of the cost, or up to 50 percent for any fiscal year that begins after three years from the law’s effective date. The Governor must certify that the proposed projects follow the required principles in clauses (1)–(6) of the third paragraph of section 4701. Grants should encourage new ideas and let states and localities use different approaches. To get a grant, a state must apply when OPM says and give the information OPM asks for. The application must name the state office that will run the program, promise to create or improve merit-based personnel systems, and address specific state and local needs (including services for local governments). It must also promise the federal grant will not replace state or local funding. The plan must list clear steps to improve personnel work, covering things like statewide personnel systems, grants to local governments, workforce planning, better hiring, training and pay, research and demonstration projects, improving opportunities for handicapped people, women, and disadvantaged groups, training promising nonprofessional staff for advancement, using scarce skilled staff well, and more cooperation among governments on recruiting, training, pay, and benefits.

Title 42, §4722

The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Amount of grants; executive certification; systems of personnel administration: innovation and diversity in design, execution, and management

The Office of Personnel Management (hereinafter referred to as the “Office”) is authorized to make grants to a State for up to 75 per centum (or, with respect to fiscal years commencing after the expiration of three years following the effective date of the grant provisions of this chapter, for up to 50 per centum) of the costs of developing and carrying out programs or projects, on the certification of the Governor of that State that the programs or projects contained within the State’s application are consistent with the applicable principles set forth in clauses (1)–(6) of the third paragraph of section 4701 of this title, to strengthen personnel administration in that State government or in local governments of that State. The authority provided by this section shall be employed in such a manner as to encourage innovation and allow for diversity on the part of State and local governments in the design, execution, and management of their own systems of personnel administration.

(b)Application; time of making; information; terms and conditions; personnel administration improvement

An application for a grant shall be made at such time or times, and contain such information, as the Office may prescribe. The Office may make a grant under subsection (a) of this section only if the application therefor— (1)

(2)provides for the establishment of merit personnel administration where appropriate and the further improvement of existing systems based on merit principles;

(3)provides for specific personnel administration improvement needs of the State government and, to the extent appropriate, of the local governments in that State, including State personnel administration services for local governments;

(4)provides assurance that the making of a Federal Government grant will not result in a reduction in relevant State or local government expenditures or the substitution of Federal funds for State or local funds previously made available for these purposes; and

(5)sets forth clear and practicable actions for the improvement of particular aspects of personnel administration such as—

(A)establishment of statewide personnel systems of general or special functional coverage to meet the needs of urban, suburban, or rural governmental jurisdictions that are not able to provide sound career services, opportunities for advancement, adequate retirement and leave systems, and other career inducements to well-qualified professional, administrative, and technical personnel;

(B)making State grants to local governments to strengthen their staffs by improving their personnel administration;

(C)assessment of State and local government needs for professional, administrative, and technical manpower, and the initiation of timely and appropriate action to meet such needs;

(D)strengthening one or more major areas of personnel administration, such as recruitment and selection, training and development, and pay administration;

(E)undertaking research and demonstration projects to develop and apply better personnel administration techniques, including both projects conducted by State and local government staffs and projects conducted by colleges or universities or other appropriate nonprofit organizations under grants or contracts;

(F)strengthening the recruitment, selection, assignment, and development of handicapped persons, women, and members of disadvantaged groups whose capacities are not being utilized fully;

(G)training programs related directly to upgrading within the agency for nonprofessional employees who show promise of developing a capacity for assuming professional responsibility;

(H)achieving the most effective use of scarce professional, administrative, and technical manpower; and

(I)increasing intergovernmental cooperation in personnel administration, with respect to such matters as recruiting, examining, pay studies, training, education, personnel interchange, manpower utilization, and fringe benefits.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

For

Effective Date

of the grant provisions of this chapter, referred to in subsec. (a), as being 180 days after Jan. 5, 1971, see section 4772 of this title. This chapter, referred to in subsec. (a), was in the original “this Act”, meaning Pub. L. 91–648, Jan. 5, 1971, 84 Stat. 1909, known as the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 4701 of this title and Tables.

Executive Documents

Transfer of Functions

“Office of Personnel Management” and “Office” substituted in text for “United States Civil Service Commission” and “Commission”, respectively, pursuant to Reorg. Plan No. 2 of 1978, § 102, 43 F.R. 36037, 92 Stat. 3783, set out under section 1101 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, which transferred all functions vested by statute in United States Civil Service Commission and Chairman thereof to Director of Office of Personnel Management (except as otherwise specified), effective Jan. 1, 1979, as provided by section 1–102 of Ex. Ord. No. 12107, Dec. 28, 1978, 44 F.R. 1055, set out under section 1101 of Title 5.

§4722 State Government and Statewide Programs and Grants