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Title 7, AgricultureRelease 119-110

§6981 Under Secretary of Agriculture for Food Safety

Title 7 › CHAPTER 98 — DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE REORGANIZATION › SUBCHAPTER VII — FOOD SAFETY › § 6981

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

Creates a top food safety job in the Department of Agriculture called the Under Secretary of Agriculture for Food Safety. The President must appoint that person with the Senate’s OK, and the appointee must have special training or significant experience in food safety or public health. The Secretary of Agriculture must give the Under Secretary the Department’s food-safety duties and can assign other duties required by law or directed by the Secretary. The Secretary, through the Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics, can set up technical and scientific review groups and hire and pay their members without following the usual federal hiring and pay rules. Federal officers and employees do not get extra pay for serving on those groups.

Full Legal Text

Title 7, §6981

Agriculture, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Establishment
There is established in the Department of Agriculture the position of Under Secretary of Agriculture for Food Safety. The Under Secretary shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, from among individuals with specialized training or significant experience in food safety or public health programs.
(b)Functions of Under Secretary
(1)Principal functions
The Secretary shall delegate to the Under Secretary of Agriculture for Food Safety those functions and duties under the jurisdiction of the Department that are primarily related to food safety.
(2)Additional functions
The Under Secretary of Agriculture for Food Safety shall perform such other functions and duties as may be required by law or prescribed by the Secretary.
(c)Omitted
(d)Technical and scientific review groups
The Secretary, acting through the Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics, may, without regard to the provisions of title 5 governing appointment in the competitive service, and without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5 relating to classification and General Schedule pay rates—
(1)establish such technical and scientific review groups as are needed to carry out the functions of the Department; and
(2)appoint and pay the members of the groups, except that officers and employees of the United States shall not receive additional compensation for service as a member of a group.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Section is comprised of section 261 of Pub. L. 103–354. Subsec. (c) of section 261 of Pub. L. 103–354 amended section 5314 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

7 U.S.C. § 6981

Title 7, Agriculture

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110