---
kind: "section"
citation: "28 U.S.C. § 3905"
title: "28"
title_heading: "Judiciary and Judicial Procedure"
number: "3905"
heading: "Attorney’s fees and interest"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/28/3905"
units:
  - "Part VI — Particular Proceedings"
  - "Chapter 179 — Judicial Review of Certain Actions by Presidential Offices"
---

# §3905. Attorney’s fees and interest

- (a) **Attorney’s Fees.—** If a covered employee, with respect to any claim under [chapter 5](/usc/3/chch5.md) of title 3, or a qualified [person](/usc/28/3002.md?p=10) with a disability, with respect to any claim under [section 421 of title 3](/usc/3/421.md), is a prevailing party in any proceeding under [section 1296](/usc/28/1296.md) or [section 1346(g)](/usc/28/1346.md?p=g), the [court](/usc/28/3002.md?p=2) may award attorney’s fees, expert fees, and any other costs as would be appropriate if awarded under section 706(k) of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
- (b) **Interest.—** In any proceeding under [section 1296](/usc/28/1296.md) or [section 1346(g)](/usc/28/1346.md?p=g), the same interest to compensate for delay in payment shall be made available as would be appropriate if awarded under section 717(d) of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
- (c) **Punitive Damages.—** Except as otherwise provided in [chapter 5](/usc/3/chch5.md) of title 3, no punitive damages may be awarded with respect to any claim under chapter 5 of title 3.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 104–331, § 3(c), Oct. 26, 1996, 110 Stat. 4070.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

Sections 706 and 717 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, referred to in subsecs. (a) and (b), are classified to sections 2000e–5 and 2000e–16, respectively, of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section effective Oct. 1, 1997, see section 3(d) of Pub. L. 104–331, set out as a note under section 1296 of this title.