Title 6, Domestic SecurityRelease 119-110

§352 Annual Employee Award Program

Title 6 › CHAPTER 1 — HOMELAND SECURITY ORGANIZATION › SUBCHAPTER VII — MANAGEMENT › § 352

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary can set up a yearly award program to honor Department employees or teams for important work that helps the Department meet its goals. If created, the Secretary must make award categories with clear rules that focus on nonsupervisory staff; explain how anyone can be nominated; form an internal review board with representatives from components, headquarters, and field offices to recommend nominees; pick winners from those recommendations and hold a ceremony where the Secretary presents the awards; and tell Department staff about the program. The review board must talk with operational and headquarters representatives, including supervisors, nonsupervisors, and employee labor organizations. The program does not provide extra money and cannot require the Secretary to give cash bonuses.

Full Legal Text

Title 6, §352

Domestic Security, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In general

The Secretary may establish an annual employee award program to recognize Department employees or groups of employees for significant contributions to the achievement of the Department’s goals and missions. If such a program is established, the Secretary shall—

(1)establish within such program categories of awards, each with specific criteria, that emphasize honoring employees who are at the nonsupervisory level;

(2)publicize within the Department how any employee or group of employees may be nominated for an award;

(3)establish an internal review board comprised of representatives from Department components, headquarters, and field personnel to submit to the Secretary award recommendations regarding specific employees or groups of employees;

(4)select recipients from the pool of nominees submitted by the internal review board under paragraph (3) and convene a ceremony at which employees or groups of employees receive such awards from the Secretary; and

(5)publicize such program within the Department.

(b)Internal review board

The internal review board described in subsection (a)(3) shall, when carrying out its function under such subsection, consult with representatives from operational components and headquarters, including supervisory and nonsupervisory personnel, and employee labor organizations that represent Department employees.

(c)Rule of construction

Nothing in this section may be construed to authorize additional funds to carry out the requirements of this section or to require the Secretary to provide monetary bonuses to recipients of an award under this section.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

6 U.S.C. § 352

Title 6, Domestic Security

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110