---
kind: "section"
citation: "15 U.S.C. § 273a"
title: "15"
title_heading: "Commerce and Trade"
number: "273a"
heading: "Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/15/273a"
units:
  - "Chapter 7 — National Institute of Standards and Technology"
---

# §273a. Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology

- (a) **Establishment—** There shall be in the Department of Commerce an Under [Secretary](/usc/15/278g–3a.md?p=7) of Commerce for Standards and Technology (in this section referred to as the “Under [Secretary](/usc/15/278g–3a.md?p=7)”).
- (b) **Appointment—** The Under [Secretary](/usc/15/278g–3a.md?p=7) shall be appointed by the President by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.
- (c) **Compensation—** The Under [Secretary](/usc/15/278g–3a.md?p=7) shall be compensated at the rate in effect for level III of the Executive Schedule under [section 5314 of title 5](/usc/5/5314.md).
- (d) **Duties—** The Under [Secretary](/usc/15/278g–3a.md?p=7) shall serve as the [Director of the Institute](/usc/15/278g–3a.md?p=3) and shall perform such duties as required of the Director by the [Secretary](/usc/15/278g–3a.md?p=7) under this chapter or by law.
- (e) **Applicability—** The individual serving as the [Director of the Institute](/usc/15/278g–3a.md?p=3) on January 4, 2011, shall also serve as the Under [Secretary](/usc/15/278g–3a.md?p=7) until such time as a successor is appointed under [subsection (b)](#b).

## Source credit

(Mar. 3, 1901, ch. 872, § 4, as added Pub. L. 111–358, title IV, § 403(a), Jan. 4, 2011, 124 Stat. 4000.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 4 of act Mar. 3, 1901, ch. 872, 31 Stat. 1449, which was not classified to the Code, was repealed.