Title 5, Government Organization and EmployeesRelease 119-102
§4505 Awards to Former Employees
Title 5 › PART III — EMPLOYEES › Subpart C — Employee Performance › CHAPTER 45 — INCENTIVE AWARDS › SUBCHAPTER I — AWARDS FOR SUPERIOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS › § 4505
Summary
An agency can give an award even if the employee has died or left government work. The award is allowed only if the idea, invention, outstanding achievement, or other personal act or public service that earned it happened while the person was a government employee.
Full Legal Text
Title 5, §4505
Government Organization and Employees, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
An agency may pay or grant an award under this subchapter notwithstanding the death or separation from the service of the employee concerned, if the suggestion, invention, superior accomplishment, other personal effort, or special act or service in the public interest for which the award is proposed was made or performed while the employee was in the employ of the Government.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
DerivationU.S. CodeRevised Statutes andStatutes at Large 5 U.S.C. 2123(c).Sept. 1, 1954, ch. 1208 § 304(c), 68 Stat. 1113. The words “or grant” are added for clarity. Standard changes are made to conform with the definitions applicable and the style of this title as outlined in the preface to the report.
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1981—Pub. L. 97–35 substituted “subchapter” for “chapter”.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 1981 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 97–35 effective Oct. 1, 1981, see section 1703(c) of Pub. L. 97–35, set as a note under section 4501 of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
5 U.S.C. § 4505
Title 5, Government Organization and Employees
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102