---
kind: "section"
citation: "5 U.S.C. § 5402"
title: "5"
title_heading: "Government Organization and Employees"
number: "5402"
heading: "Definitions"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/5/5402"
units:
  - "Part III — Employees"
  - "Subpart D — Pay and Allowances"
  - "Chapter 54 — Human Capital Performance Fund"
---

# §5402. Definitions


For the purpose of this chapter—

- (1) “[agency](/usc/5/3132.md?p=a-1)” means an [Executive agency](/usc/5/6501.md?p=2) under [section 105](/usc/5/105.md), but does not include the [Government](/usc/5/4101.md?p=3) Accountability [Office](#3);
- (2) “[employee](/usc/5/4701.md?p=a-2)” includes—
  - (A) an individual paid under a statutory [pay](/usc/5/7511.md?p=a-4) [system](/usc/5/8401.md?p=29) defined in [section 5302(1)](/usc/5/5302.md?p=1);
  - (B) a [prevailing rate employee](/usc/5/5342.md?p=a-2), as defined in [section 5342(a)(2)](/usc/5/5342.md?p=a-2); and
  - (C) a category of [employees](/usc/5/4701.md?p=a-2) included by the [Office](#3) of Personnel Management following the review of an [agency](/usc/5/3132.md?p=a-1) plan under [section 5403(b)(1)](/usc/5/5403.md?p=b-1);

  but does not include—

  - (i) an individual paid at an annual rate of [basic pay](/usc/5/8401.md?p=4) for a level of the Executive Schedule, under subchapter II of [chapter 53](/usc/5/chptIII/sptD/ch53.md), or at a rate provided for one of those levels under another provision of law;
  - (ii) a [member](/usc/5/8401.md?p=20) of the [Senior Executive](/usc/5/3132.md?p=a-3) [Service](/usc/5/8401.md?p=26) paid under subchapter VIII of [chapter 53](/usc/5/chptIII/sptD/ch53.md), or an equivalent [system](/usc/5/8401.md?p=29);
  - (iii) an administrative law judge paid under [section 5372](/usc/5/5372.md);
  - (iv) a contract appeals [board](/usc/5/8401.md?p=5) [member](/usc/5/8401.md?p=20) paid under [section 5372a](/usc/5/5372a.md);
  - (v) an administrative appeals judge paid under [section 5372b](/usc/5/5372b.md); and
  - (vi) an individual in a [position](/usc/5/5102.md?p=a-3) which is excepted from the competitive [service](/usc/5/8401.md?p=26) because of its confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character; and
- (3) “Office” means the Office of Personnel Management.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 108–136, div. A, title XI, § 1129(a), Nov. 24, 2003, 117 Stat. 1642; amended Pub. L. 108–271, § 8(b), July 7, 2004, 118 Stat. 814.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 5402, added Pub. L. 95–454, title V, § 501, Oct. 13, 1978, 92 Stat. 1181; amended Pub. L. 98–615, title II, § 201(a), Nov. 8, 1984, 98 Stat. 3208, related to applicability of chapter, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 103–89, § 3(a)(1), (c), Sept. 30, 1993, 107 Stat. 981, 983, eff. Nov. 1, 1993.

### Amendments

2004—Par. (1). Pub. L. 108–271 substituted “Government Accountability Office” for “General Accounting Office”.