Editorial Notes
References in Text

This chapter, referred to in text, was in the original “this Act”, meaning Pub. L. 87–293, Sept. 22, 1961, 75 Stat. 612, known as the Peace Corps Act. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 2501 of this title and Tables.

The Foreign Service Act of 1980, referred to in subsec. (a)(1), (2), is Pub. L. 96–465, Oct. 17, 1980, 94 Stat. 2071, which is classified principally to chapter 52 (§ 3901 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 3901 of this title and Tables.

Codification

Amendment by Pub. L. 98–473 is based on section 703 of H.R. 5119, Ninety-eighth Congress, as passed by the House of Representatives May 10, 1984, which was enacted into permanent law by Pub. L. 98–473.

Amendments

2018—Subsec. (a)(8). Pub. L. 115–256 added par. (8).

2011—Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 112–57, § 5(1), inserted “, or contracted with for personal services under section 2509(a)(5) of this title,” after “employed, appointed, or assigned under this subsection”.

Subsec. (a)(7). Pub. L. 112–57, § 6, added par. (7).

1985—Subsec. (a)(2)(A). Pub. L. 99–83, § 1103(a)(1), substituted “seven and one-half” for “five”, substituted “, subject to paragraph (5) and except as provided in paragraph (6)” for “unless the Director of the Peace Corps, under special circumstances, personally approves an extension of not more than one year on an individual basis”, and inserted reference to section 309 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980.

Subsec. (a)(5), (6). Pub. L. 99–83, § 1103(a)(2), added pars. (5) and (6).

1984—Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 98–473 inserted provision that subparagraphs (A) and (B) do not apply with respect to foreign national employees.

1980—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 96–465, § 2202(b)(1)(A), substituted “which are not authorized to utilize the Foreign Service personnel system, who shall receive compensation at any of the rates established under section 402 or 403 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980” for “, who shall receive compensation at any of the rates provided for persons appointed to the Foreign Service Reserve and Staff under the Foreign Service Act of 1946, as amended (22 U.S.C. 801 et seq.)” and “section 310” for “section 528” and struck out reference to the applicability of section 1005 of the Foreign Service Act of 1946.

Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 96–465, § 2202(b)(1)(B), among other changes, substituted references to the Foreign Service Act of 1980 for references to the Foreign Service Act of 1946 and references to class 9 for class 10, and inserted provision relating to section 206(a)(1) of title 29.

Subsec. (a)(4). Pub. L. 96–465, § 2202(b)(2), among other changes, struck out provisions relating to the time Congress enacts Foreign Service personnel reform legislation, inserted reference to September 30, 1982, and substituted “such individual” for “such person” and “continuous basis without a break in service of more than three days” for “substantially continuous basis”.

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 96–465, § 2205(9), struck out subsec. (b) which related to criteria for performance of foreign employment, separation, and severance benefits. See sections 3922 and 4007 to 4009 of this title.

1979—Subsec. (a)(4). Pub. L. 96–53 added par. (4).

1970—Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 91–352 substantially reenacted provisions and substituted references to section 5941 of title 5, and sections 5923 through 5925 of such title 5, for references to section 118h of title 5 and title II of the Overseas Differentials and Allowances Act.

1965—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 89–134, § 4(a), (b), redesignated subsec. (c) as (a), incorporated into par. (1) material formerly set out as introductory material, spelled out the authority of the President to utilize his authority to appoint and assign persons under the Foreign Service Act of 1946 by making specific reference to his authority as it related to Foreign Service Reserve Officers, Foreign Service Staff officers and employees, alien clerks and employees and other Government officers and employees apart from the Foreign Service, limited to five-year duration all Foreign Service Reserve or Staff appointments and assignments unless the Director of the Peace Corps personally approved one-years extensions on an individual basis, prohibited reappointment or reassignment under this par. before expiration of a period of time equal to the length of the appointee’s preceding tour of duty, inserted proviso in par. (2) allowing appointment of an unenumerated class of Foreign Service staff officers and employees ranking below class 10 to be paid basic compensation at rates lower than those of class 10 to perform duties of a more routine nature than are usually performed by Foreign Service staff officers and employees of class 10, and, in par. (3), inserted reference to section 118h of title 5 and substituted reference to subsec. (a) for reference to subsec. (c). Former subsec. (a), relating to domestic employment, was repealed.

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 89–134, § 4(c), redesignated subsec. (d) as (b), inserted “for the purpose of performing functions under this chapter outside the United States” after “or assigned”, and substituted reference to subsec. (a)(2) for reference to subsec. (c)(2). Former subsec. (b), relating to compensation for domestic employment, was repealed.

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 89–134, § 4(d), redesignated subsec. (e) as (c) and substituted reference to subsec. (a) of this section for reference to subsec. (c) of this section. Former subsec. (c) redesignated (a).

Subsecs. (d), (e). Pub. L. 89–134, § 4(c), (d), redesignated subsecs. (d) and (e) as (b) and (c), respectively.

1963—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 88–200 struck out “so” before “employed”.

1962—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 87–793 substituted “but not in excess of the highest grade 18 of such general schedule” for “and of these not to exceed two may be compensated at a rate in excess of the highest rate provided for grades of such general schedule but not in excess of $19,000 per year”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date of 1985 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 99–83 effective Oct. 1, 1985, see section 1301 of Pub. L. 99–83, set out as a note under section 2151–1 of this title.

Effective Date of 1980 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 96–465 effective Feb. 15, 1981, except as otherwise provided, see section 2403 of Pub. L. 96–465, set out as an Effective Date note under section 3901 of this title.

Effective Date of 1979 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 96–53 effective Oct. 1, 1979, see section 512(a) of Pub. L. 96–53, set out as a note under section 2151 of this title.

Effective Date of 1965 Amendment

Pub. L. 89–134, § 5(a), Aug. 24, 1965, 79 Stat. 551, provided that: “Section 4 of this Act [amending this section] shall not become effective until the first day of the fourth pay period which begins after the date this Act becomes law. [Aug. 24, 1965].”

Effective Date of 1962 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 87–793 effective on first day of first pay period which begins on or after Oct. 11, 1962, see section 1008 of Pub. L. 87–793.

Peace Corps Appointments or Assignments

Pub. L. 108–199, div. D, title II, Jan. 23, 2004, 118 Stat. 156, provided in part: “That during fiscal year 2004 and any subsequent fiscal year, the Director of the Peace Corps may make appointments or assignments, or extend current appointments or assignments, to permit United States citizens to serve for periods in excess of 5 years in the case of individuals whose appointment or assignment, such as regional safety security officers and employees within the Office of the Inspector General, involves the safety of Peace Corps volunteers: Provided further, That the Director of the Peace Corps may make such appointments or assignments notwithstanding the provisions of section 7 of the Peace Corps Act [this section] limiting the length of an appointment or assignment, the circumstances under which such an appointment or assignment may exceed 5 years, and the percentage of appointments or assignments that can be made in excess of 5 years.”

Similar provisions were contained in the following prior appropriation act:

Pub. L. 108–7, div. E, title II, Feb. 20, 2003, 117 Stat. 171.

Reports to Congress

Pub. L. 99–83, title XI, § 1103(b), Aug. 8, 1985, 99 Stat. 273, which required the Director of the Peace Corps to submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives reports on the exercise of certain appointment authority granted under section 1103(a) of Pub. L. 99–83 (amending subsec. (a) of this section), terminated, effective May 15, 2000, pursuant to section 3003 of Pub. L. 104–66, as amended, set out as a note under section 1113 of Title 31, Money and Finance. See, also, page 189 of House Document No. 103–7.

Transfer of Washington Headquarters Personnel from Civil Service to Foreign Service Appointments

Pub. L. 89–134, § 5(b), Aug. 24, 1965, 79 Stat. 551, provided that:

“Under such regulations as the President may prescribe, each person employed under authorities repealed by section 4(a) of this Act [which repealed former subsecs. (a) and (b) of this section providing for employment of Washington headquarters personnel in accordance with standard civil service laws] immediately prior to the effective date of that section [see Effective Date of 1965 Amendment note above] shall effective on that date be appointed a Foreign Service Reserve officer or Foreign Service staff officer or employee under the authority of section 7(a)(2) of the Peace Corps Act [subsec. (a)(2) of this section], as amended, and appointed or assigned to an appropriate class thereof; except that—
“(1)
no person who holds a career or career-conditional appointment immediately prior to the effective date of section 4(a) of this Act [see effective date of 1965 Amendment note above] shall, without his consent, be so appointed until three years after such effective date; and
“(2)
each person so appointed who, immediately prior to the effective date of section 4(a) of this Act [see effective date of 1965 Amendment note above], held a career or career-conditional appointment at grade 8 or below of the General Schedule established by the Classification Act of 1949, as amended [see § 5101 et seq. of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees], shall receive an appointment for the duration of operations under the Peace Corps Act, as amended [see Short Title note set out under section 2501 of this title].
Each person appointed under this subsection shall receive basic compensation at the rate of his class determined by the President to be appropriate, but the rate of basic compensation received by such person immediately prior to the effective date of his appointment under this subsection shall not be reduced by the provisions of this subsection.”

[Functions of the President conferred by section 5(b) of Pub. L. 89–134, set out above, to prescribe regulations and make determinations (relating to appointment of Peace Corps Employees in the Foreign Service System) were delegated to the Director of the Peace Corps, by section 1–105 of Ex. Ord. No. 12137, May 16, 1976, 44 F.R. 29023, set out as a note under section 2501 of this title. Such functions were previously transferred from the President to the Director of ACTION [now Corporation for National and Community Service] by section 102(c) of Ex. Ord. No. 11603, June 30, 1971, 36 F.R. 12675, set out as a note under section 2501 of this title, which was superseded by section 1–707 of Ex. Ord. No. 12137.]

Executive Documents
Delegation of Functions

Functions of President under this section delegated to Director of Peace Corps by section 1–103 of Ex. Ord. No. 12137, May 16, 1979, 44 F.R. 29023, eff. May 16, 1979, set out as a note under section 2501 of this title.

Coordination of Changes in Policy With Secretary of State

Any substantial changes in policies in effect on May 16, 1979, for the utilization of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (§ 3901 et seq. of this title) pursuant to this section are to be coordinated with the Secretary of State, see section 1–111 of Ex. Ord. No. 12137, May 16, 1979, 44 F.R. 29023, set out as a note under section 2501 of this title.

Benefits for Persons Appointed or Assigned Under Subsec. (a)

Persons appointed, employed, or assigned under subsec. (a) of this section are not, unless otherwise agreed by the agency in which such benefits may be exercised, entitled to the benefits provided by section 928 of this title in cases in which their service under the appointment, employment, or assignment exceeds thirty months, see section 1–401 of Ex. Ord. No. 12137, May 16, 1979, 44 F.R. 29023, set out as a note under section 2501 of this title.