---
kind: "section"
citation: "5 U.S.C. § 8478a"
title: "5"
title_heading: "Government Organization and Employees"
number: "8478a"
heading: "Investigative authority"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/5/8478a"
units:
  - "Part III — Employees"
  - "Subpart G — Insurance and Annuities"
  - "Chapter 84 — Federal Employees’ Retirement System"
  - "Subchapter VII — Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Management System"
---

# §8478a. Investigative authority


Any [authority](/usc/5/7103.md?p=a-6) available to the [Secretary](/usc/5/9901.md?p=2) of Labor under section 504 of the [Employee](/usc/5/4701.md?p=a-2) Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 is hereby made available to the [Secretary](/usc/5/9901.md?p=2) of Labor, and any officer designated by the [Secretary](/usc/5/9901.md?p=2) of Labor, to determine whether any [person](/usc/5/8471.md?p=4) has violated, or is about to violate, any provision of section [8477](/usc/5/8477.md) or 8478.


## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 99–556, title I, § 110(a), Oct. 27, 1986, 100 Stat. 3132.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

Section 504 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, referred to in text, is classified to section 1134 of Title 29, Labor.