§3151 The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Drug Enforcement Administration Senior Executive Service

Summary

The Attorney General must set up a special senior executive system for top leaders in the FBI and DEA. That system must follow the same basic rules as the regular Senior Executive Service for job qualifications, pay limits and pay adjustments, performance reviews, removals, furloughs, reductions in force (with efforts to place affected people elsewhere first), suspensions, and periodic recertification. Members can get performance awards and sabbaticals under the same rules that apply to the SES. The Attorney General may also apply other SES rules and may hire, promote, or assign people into this system without using the usual competitive hiring rules. The President, on the Attorney General’s recommendation, may give official ranks to members. The Attorney General can temporarily assign members to work outside the FBI or DEA without making them lose their status. Each year, when the President’s budget goes to Congress, the Attorney General must report totals by agency for the number of positions, how many people are at each pay rate, awards given (number and amounts), and how many people were removed and why (for poor performance, because of a reduction in force, or for other reasons).