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Title 5, Government Organization and EmployeesRelease 119-110

§4507 Awarding of Ranks in the Senior Executive Service

Title 5 › PART III — EMPLOYEES › Subpart C — Employee Performance › CHAPTER 45 — INCENTIVE AWARDS › SUBCHAPTER I — AWARDS FOR SUPERIOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS › § 4507

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

Agencies must each year send the Office recommendations of career appointees to be given the rank of Meritorious Executive or Distinguished Executive. Agency means a federal department or agency. Senior executive means a member of the Senior Executive Service. Career appointee means an SES employee with a career appointment. The Office reviews the agency nominations and advises the President, who may award the ranks to those recommended. Meritorious is for sustained accomplishment. Distinguished is for sustained extraordinary accomplishment. A person who gets a rank cannot get that same rank again for the next 4 fiscal years. Each year no more than 5 percent of the Senior Executive Service may receive Meritorious rank, and no more than 1 percent may receive Distinguished rank. A Meritorious award pays a one-time lump sum equal to 20 percent of annual basic pay. A Distinguished award pays a one-time lump sum equal to 35 percent of annual basic pay. These payments are in addition to basic pay under section 5382 and any award under section 5384.

Full Legal Text

Title 5, §4507

Government Organization and Employees, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)For the purpose of this section, “agency”, “senior executive”, and “career appointee” have the meanings set forth in section 3132(a) of this title.
(b)Each agency shall submit annually to the Office recommendations of career appointees in the agency to be awarded the rank of Meritorious Executive or Distinguished Executive. The recommendations may take into account the individual’s performance over a period of years. The Office shall review such recommendations and provide to the President recommendations as to which of the agency recommended appointees should receive such rank.
(c)During any fiscal year, the President may, subject to subsection (d) of this section, award to any career appointee recommended by the Office the rank of—
(1)Meritorious Executive, for sustained accomplishment, or
(2)Distinguished Executive, for sustained extraordinary accomplishment.
A career appointee awarded a rank under paragraph (1) or (2) of this subsection shall not be entitled to be awarded that rank during the following 4 fiscal years.
(d)During any fiscal year—
(1)the number of career appointees awarded the rank of Meritorious Executive may not exceed 5 percent of the Senior Executive Service; and
(2)the number of career appointees awarded the rank of Distinguished Executive may not exceed 1 percent of the Senior Executive Service.
(e)(1)Receipt by a career appointee of the rank of Meritorious Executive entitles such individual to a lump-sum payment of an amount equal to 20 percent of annual basic pay, which shall be in addition to the basic pay paid under section 5382 of this title or any award paid under section 5384 of this title.
(2)Receipt by a career appointee of the rank of Distinguished Executive entitles the individual to a lump-sum payment of an amount equal to 35 percent of annual basic pay, which shall be in addition to the basic pay paid under section 5382 of this title or any award paid under section 5384 of this title.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1998—Subsec. (e)(1). Pub. L. 105–277, § 101(h) [title VI, § 631(a)], substituted “an amount equal to 20 percent of annual basic pay” for “$10,000”. Subsec. (e)(2). Pub. L. 105–277, § 101(h) [title VI, § 631(b)], substituted “an amount equal to 35 percent of annual basic pay” for “$20,000”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1998 Amendment Pub. L. 105–277, div. A, § 101(h) [title VI, § 631(c)], Oct. 21, 1998, 112 Stat. 2681–480, 2681–523, provided that: “The

Amendments

made by this section [amending this section] shall take effect on October 1, 1998, or the date of enactment of this Act [Oct. 21, 1998], whichever is later.”

Effective Date

Section effective 9 months after Oct. 13, 1978, and congressional review of provisions of sections 401 through 412 of Pub. L. 95–454, see section 415(a)(1), (b), of Pub. L. 95–454, set out as a note under section 3131 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

5 U.S.C. § 4507

Title 5, Government Organization and Employees

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110