--- kind: "section" citation: "42 U.S.C. § 2996d" title: "42" title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare" number: "2996d" heading: "Officers and employees" release: "119-102" date: "2026-07-12" url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/2996d" units: - "Chapter 34 — Economic Opportunity Program" - "Subchapter X — Legal Services Corporation" --- # §2996d. Officers and employees - (a) **Appointment of president; outside compensation of officers prohibited; terms—** The [Board](/usc/42/2996a.md?p=1) shall appoint the president of the [Corporation](/usc/42/2996a.md?p=2), who shall be a member of the bar of the highest court of a [State](/usc/42/2996a.md?p=8) and shall be a non-voting ex officio member of the [Board](/usc/42/2996a.md?p=1), and such other officers as the [Board](/usc/42/2996a.md?p=1) determines to be necessary. No officer of the [Corporation](/usc/42/2996a.md?p=2) may receive any salary or other compensation for services from any source other than the [Corporation](/usc/42/2996a.md?p=2) during his period of employment by the [Corporation](/usc/42/2996a.md?p=2), except as authorized by the [Board](/usc/42/2996a.md?p=1). All officers shall serve at the pleasure of the [Board](/usc/42/2996a.md?p=1). - (b) **Power of president to appoint and remove employees; nonpartisan appointments—** - (1) The president of the [Corporation](/usc/42/2996a.md?p=2), subject to general policies established by the [Board](/usc/42/2996a.md?p=1), may appoint and remove such employees of the [Corporation](/usc/42/2996a.md?p=2) as he determines necessary to carry out the purposes of the [Corporation](/usc/42/2996a.md?p=2). - (2) No political test or political qualification shall be used in selecting, appointing, promoting, or taking any other personnel action with respect to any officer, agent, or employee of the [Corporation](/usc/42/2996a.md?p=2) or of any [recipient](/usc/42/2996a.md?p=6), or in selecting or monitoring any grantee, contractor, or person or entity receiving financial assistance under this subchapter. - (c) **Conflict of interest—** No member of the [Board](/usc/42/2996a.md?p=1) may participate in any decision, action, or recommendation with respect to any matter which directly benefits such member or pertains specifically to any firm or organization with which such member is then associated or has been associated within a period of two years. - (d) **Compensation—** Officers and employees of the [Corporation](/usc/42/2996a.md?p=2) shall be compensated at rates determined by the [Board](/usc/42/2996a.md?p=1), but not in excess of the rate of level V of the Executive Schedule specified in [section 5316 of title 5](/usc/5/5316.md). - (e) **Officers and employees not deemed officers and employees of Federal Government; Corporation not deemed a department, agency, or instrumentality of Federal Government; review of annual budget—** - (1) Except as otherwise specifically provided in this subchapter, officers and employees of the [Corporation](/usc/42/2996a.md?p=2) shall not be considered officers or employees, and the [Corporation](/usc/42/2996a.md?p=2) shall not be considered a department, [agency](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1), or instrumentality, of the Federal Government. - (2) Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed as limiting the authority of the Office of Management and Budget to review and submit comments upon the [Corporation](/usc/42/2996a.md?p=2)’s annual budget request at the time it is transmitted to the Congress. - (f) **Exceptions—** Officers and employees of the [Corporation](/usc/42/2996a.md?p=2) shall be considered officers and employees of the Federal Government for purposes of the following provisions of [title 5](/usc/5.md): subchapter I of [chapter 81](/usc/42/chch81.md) (relating to compensation for work injuries); [chapter 83](/usc/42/chch83.md) (relating to civil service retirement); [chapter 87](/usc/42/chch87.md) (relating to life insurance); and [chapter 89](/usc/42/chch89.md) (relating to health insurance). The [Corporation](/usc/42/2996a.md?p=2) shall make contributions at the same rates applicable to [agencies](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1) of the Federal Government under the provisions referred to in this subsection. - (g) **Freedom of information—** The [Corporation](/usc/42/2996a.md?p=2) and its officers and employees shall be subject to the provisions of [section 552 of title 5](/usc/5/552.md) (relating to freedom of information). ## Source credit (Pub. L. 88–452, title X, § 1005, as added Pub. L. 93–355, § 2, July 25, 1974, 88 Stat. 380.) ## Notes ### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries ### Reimbursement of Officers or Employees Pub. L. 97–377, title I, § 101(d), Dec. 21, 1982, 96 Stat. 1876, provided: “That no officer or employee of the Legal Services Corporation or a recipient program shall be reimbursed for membership in a private club, or be paid severance pay in excess of what would be paid a Federal employee for comparable service.”