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Title 5 — Government Organization and EmployeesRelease 119-73not60

§3522 Agency Plans; Approval

Title 5 › Part III— EMPLOYEES › Subpart B— Employment and Retention › Chapter 35— RETENTION PREFERENCE, VOLUNTARY SEPARATION INCENTIVE PAYMENTS, RESTORATION, AND REEMPLOYMENT › Subchapter II— VOLUNTARY SEPARATION INCENTIVE PAYMENTS › § 3522

Last updated Apr 3, 2026|Official source

Summary

Agency heads must send the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) a plan before spending any money on voluntary separation incentive payments. The plan must explain how the payments will be used, include a proposed organizational chart for the agency after the changes, and say which jobs or functions will be cut, which groups of employees will be offered the incentives, the time period for payments, how many payments and their amounts, and how the agency will operate afterward. The Director of OPM will review the plan and can change it after talking with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. The agency cannot put the plan into action without approval from the Director of the Office of Personnel Management.

Full Legal Text

Title 5, §3522

Government Organization and Employees — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Before obligating any resources for voluntary separation incentive payments, the head of each agency shall submit to the Office of Personnel Management a plan outlining the intended use of such incentive payments and a proposed organizational chart for the agency once such incentive payments have been completed.
(b)The plan of an agency under subsection (a) shall include—
(1)the specific positions and functions to be reduced or eliminated;
(2)a description of which categories of employees will be offered incentives;
(3)the time period during which incentives may be paid;
(4)the number and amounts of voluntary separation incentive payments to be offered; and
(5)a description of how the agency will operate without the eliminated positions and functions.
(c)The Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall review each agency’s plan an 11 So in original. Probably should be “and”. may make any appropriate modifications in the plan, in consultation with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. A plan under this section may not be implemented without the approval of the Directive 22 So in original. Probably should be “Director”. of the Office of Personnel Management.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section effective 60 days after Nov. 25, 2002, see section 1313(a)(4) of Pub. L. 107–296, set out as a note under section 3521 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

5 U.S.C. § 3522

Title 5 — Government Organization and Employees

Last Updated

Apr 3, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60