---
kind: "section"
citation: "5 U.S.C. § 6391"
title: "5"
title_heading: "Government Organization and Employees"
number: "6391"
heading: "Authority for leave transfer program in disasters and emergencies"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/5/6391"
units:
  - "Part III — Employees"
  - "Subpart E — Attendance and Leave"
  - "Chapter 63 — Leave"
  - "Subchapter VI — Leave Transfer in Disasters and Emergencies"
---

# §6391. Authority for leave transfer program in disasters and emergencies

- (a) For the purpose of this section—
  - (1) “[employee](/usc/5/6381.md?p=1)” means an [employee](/usc/5/6381.md?p=1) as defined in [section 6331(1)](/usc/5/6331.md?p=1); and
  - (2) “[agency](/usc/5/3132.md?p=a-1)” means an [Executive agency](/usc/5/6501.md?p=2).
- (b) In the event of a major disaster or emergency, as declared by the President, that results in severe adverse effects for a substantial number of [employees](/usc/5/6381.md?p=1), the President may direct the [Office](/usc/5/5402.md?p=3) of Personnel Management to establish an emergency leave transfer program under which any [employee](/usc/5/6381.md?p=1) in any [agency](/usc/5/3132.md?p=a-1) may donate unused annual leave for transfer to [employees](/usc/5/6381.md?p=1) of the same or other [agencies](/usc/5/3132.md?p=a-1) who are adversely affected by such disaster or emergency.
- (c) The [Office](/usc/5/5402.md?p=3) shall establish appropriate requirements for the operation of the emergency leave transfer program under [subsection (b)](#b), including appropriate limitations on the donation and use of annual leave under the program. An [employee](/usc/5/6381.md?p=1) may receive and use leave under the program without regard to any requirement that any annual leave and sick leave to a leave recipient’s credit must be exhausted before any transferred annual leave may be used.
- (d) A leave bank established under subchapter IV may, to the extent provided in regulations prescribed by the [Office](/usc/5/5402.md?p=3), donate annual leave to the emergency leave transfer program established under [subsection (b)](#b).
- (e) Except to the extent that the [Office](/usc/5/5402.md?p=3) may prescribe by regulation, nothing in [section 7351](/usc/5/7351.md) shall apply to any solicitation, donation, or acceptance of leave under this section.
- (f) After consultation with the Administrative [Office](/usc/5/5402.md?p=3) of the [United States](/usc/5/7103.md?p=a-18) [Courts](/usc/5/8401.md?p=7), the [Office](/usc/5/5402.md?p=3) of Personnel Management shall provide for the participation of [employees](/usc/5/6381.md?p=1) in the judicial branch in any emergency leave transfer program under this section.
- (g) The [Office](/usc/5/5402.md?p=3) shall prescribe regulations necessary for the [administration](/usc/5/9801.md?p=1) of this section.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 105–18, title II, § 9004(a), June 12, 1997, 111 Stat. 196; amended Pub. L. 109–229, § 1, May 31, 2006, 120 Stat. 390.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2006—Subsecs. (f), (g). Pub. L. 109–229 added subsec. (f) and redesignated former subsec. (f) as (g).

### Executive Documents

### Ex. Ord. No. 13745. Delegation of Function to the Director of the Office of Personnel Management

Ex. Ord. No. 13745, Oct. 31, 2016, 81 F.R. 76493, provided:

By virtue of the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, including section 301 of title 3, United States Code, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. (a) The Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is hereby authorized to exercise the function vested in the President by section 6391 of title 5, United States Code, of directing OPM to establish an emergency leave transfer program. The Director of OPM shall exercise this authority in consultation with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget.

(b) The Director of OPM shall notify the President of the establishment of any emergency leave transfer program pursuant to the authority in subsection (a).

Sec. 2. This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.