---
kind: "section"
citation: "6 U.S.C. § 344"
title: "6"
title_heading: "Domestic Security"
number: "344"
heading: "Chief Human Capital Officer"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/6/344"
units:
  - "Chapter 1 — Homeland Security Organization"
  - "Subchapter VII — Management"
---

# §344. Chief Human Capital Officer

- (a) **In general—** The Chief Human Capital Officer shall report directly to the Under [Secretary](/usc/6/101.md?p=16) for Management.
- (b) **Responsibilities—** In addition to the responsibilities set forth in [chapter 14](/usc/5/chptII/ch14.md) of title 5 and other applicable law, the Chief Human Capital Officer of the [Department](/usc/6/101.md?p=5) shall—
  - (1) develop and implement strategic workforce planning policies, including with respect to leader development and employee engagement, that are consistent with Government-wide leading principles, in line with [Department](/usc/6/101.md?p=5) strategic human capital goals and priorities, and informed by best practices within the Federal Government and the private sector, taking into account the special requirements of members of the Armed Forces serving in the Coast Guard;
  - (2) use performance measures to evaluate, on an ongoing basis, [Department](/usc/6/101.md?p=5)-wide strategic workforce planning efforts;
  - (3) develop, improve, and implement policies that, to the extent practicable, are informed by employee feedback, including compensation flexibilities available to [Federal agencies](/usc/6/677a.md?p=4) where appropriate, to recruit, hire, train, and retain the workforce of the [Department](/usc/6/101.md?p=5), in coordination with all components of the [Department](/usc/6/101.md?p=5);
  - (4) identify methods for managing and overseeing human capital programs and initiatives, including leader development and employee engagement programs, in coordination with the head of each component of the [Department](/usc/6/101.md?p=5);
  - (5) develop a career path framework and create opportunities for leader development in coordination with all components of the [Department](/usc/6/101.md?p=5) that is informed by an assessment, carried out by the Chief Human Capital Officer, of the learning and developmental needs of employees in supervisory and nonsupervisory roles across the [Department](/usc/6/101.md?p=5) and appropriate workforce planning initiatives;
  - (6) lead the efforts of the [Department](/usc/6/101.md?p=5) for managing employee [resources](/usc/6/311.md?p=11), including training and development opportunities, in coordination with each component of the [Department](/usc/6/101.md?p=5);
  - (7) work to ensure the [Department](/usc/6/101.md?p=5) is implementing human capital programs and initiatives and effectively educating each component of the [Department](/usc/6/101.md?p=5) about these programs and initiatives;
  - (8) identify and eliminate unnecessary and duplicative human capital policies and guidance;
  - (9) maintain a catalogue of available employee development opportunities, including the [Homeland](/usc/6/101.md?p=1) Security Rotation Program pursuant to [section 414 of this title](/usc/6/414.md), departmental leadership development programs, interagency development programs, and other rotational programs;
  - (10) ensure that employee discipline and adverse action programs comply with the requirements of all pertinent laws, rules, regulations, and Federal guidance, and ensure due process for employees;
  - (11) analyze each [Department](/usc/6/101.md?p=5) or Government-wide Federal workforce satisfaction or morale survey not later than 90 days after the date of the publication of each such survey and submit to the [Secretary](/usc/6/101.md?p=16) such analysis, including, as appropriate, recommendations to improve workforce satisfaction or morale within the [Department](/usc/6/101.md?p=5);
  - (12) review and approve all component employee engagement action plans to ensure such plans include initiatives responsive to the root cause of employee engagement challenges, as well as outcome-based performance measures and targets to track the progress of such initiatives;
  - (13) provide input concerning the hiring and performance of the Chief Human Capital Officer or comparable official in each component of the [Department](/usc/6/101.md?p=5); and
  - (14) ensure that all employees of the [Department](/usc/6/101.md?p=5) are informed of their rights and remedies under chapters 12 and 23 of title 5.
- (c) **Component strategies—**
  - (1) **In general—** Each component of the [Department](/usc/6/101.md?p=5) shall, in coordination with the Chief Human Capital Officer of the [Department](/usc/6/101.md?p=5), develop a 5-year workforce strategy for the component that will support the goals, objectives, and performance measures of the [Department](/usc/6/101.md?p=5) for determining the proper balance of Federal employees and private labor [resources](/usc/6/311.md?p=11).
  - (2) **Strategy requirements—** In developing the strategy required under [paragraph (1)](#c-1), each component shall consider the effect on human [resources](/usc/6/311.md?p=11) associated with creating additional Federal full-time equivalent positions, converting private contractors to Federal employees, or relying on the private sector for goods and services.
- (d) **Chief Learning and Engagement Officer—** The Chief Human Capital Officer may designate an employee of the [Department](/usc/6/101.md?p=5) to serve as a Chief Learning and Engagement Officer to assist the Chief Human Capital Officer in carrying out this section.
- (e) **Annual submission—** Not later than 90 days after the date on which the [Secretary](/usc/6/101.md?p=16) submits the annual budget justification for the [Department](/usc/6/101.md?p=5), the [Secretary](/usc/6/101.md?p=16) shall submit to the congressional [homeland](/usc/6/101.md?p=1) security committees a report that includes a table, delineated by component with actual and enacted amounts, including—
  - (1) information on the progress within the [Department](/usc/6/101.md?p=5) of fulfilling the workforce strategies developed under [subsection (c)](#c);
  - (2) information on employee development opportunities catalogued pursuant to [paragraph (9)](#b-9) of subsection (b) and any available data on participation rates, attrition rates, and impacts on retention and employee satisfaction;
  - (3) information on the progress of Departmentwide strategic workforce planning efforts as determined under [paragraph (2)](#b-2) of subsection (b);
  - (4) information on the activities of the steering committee established pursuant to [section 351(a) of this title](/usc/6/351.md?p=a), including the number of meetings, types of materials developed and distributed, and recommendations made to the [Secretary](/usc/6/101.md?p=16);
  - (5) the number of on-board staffing for Federal employees from the prior fiscal year;
  - (6) the total contract hours submitted by each prime contractor as part of the service contract inventory required under [section 743](/usc/6/743.md) of the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2010 (division C of Public Law 111–117; [31 U.S.C. 501](/usc/31/501.md) note); and
  - (7) the number of full-time equivalent [personnel](/usc/6/101.md?p=15) identified under the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 ([42 U.S.C. 4701](/usc/42/4701.md) et seq.).
- (f) **Limitation—** Nothing in this section overrides or otherwise affects the requirements specified in [section 468 of this title](/usc/6/468.md).

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 107–296, title VII, § 704, Nov. 25, 2002, 116 Stat. 2219; Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title XIX, § 1904, Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2674; Pub. L. 117–81, div. F, title LXIV, § 6403, Dec. 27, 2021, 135 Stat. 2399.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

The Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970, referred to in subsec. (e)(7), is Pub. L. 91–648, Jan. 5, 1971, 84 Stat. 1909, which is classified principally to chapter 62 (§ 4701 et seq.) of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 4701 of Title 42 and Tables.

### Amendments

2021—Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 117–81, § 6403(a)(1), inserted “, including with respect to leader development and employee engagement,” after “policies” and “and informed by best practices within the Federal Government and the private sector,” after “priorities,”, and substituted “, in line” for “and in line”.

Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 117–81, § 6403(1)(B), substituted “use performance measures to evaluate, on an ongoing basis,” for “develop performance measures to provide a basis for monitoring and evaluating”.

Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 117–81, § 6403(1)(C), inserted “that, to the extent practicable, are informed by employee feedback” after “policies”.

Subsec. (b)(4). Pub. L. 117–81, § 6403(1)(D), inserted “including leader development and employee engagement programs,” before “in coordination”.

Subsec. (b)(5). Pub. L. 117–81, § 6403(1)(E), inserted “that is informed by an assessment, carried out by the Chief Human Capital Officer, of the learning and developmental needs of employees in supervisory and nonsupervisory roles across the Department and appropriate workforce planning initiatives” before semicolon at end.

Subsec. (b)(9) to (12). Pub. L. 117–81, § 6403(1)(G), added pars. (9) to (12). Former pars. (9) and (10) redesignated (13) and (14), respectively.

Subsec. (b)(13), (14). Pub. L. 117–81, § 6403(1)(F), redesignated pars. (9) and (10) as (13) and (14), respectively.

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 117–81, § 6403(3), added subsec. (d). Former subsec. (d) redesignated (e).

Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 117–81, § 6403(2), (4), redesignated subsec. (d) as (e), inserted pars. (2) to (4), and redesignated former pars. (2) to (4) as (5) to (7), respectively.

Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 117–81, § 6403(2), redesignated subsec. (e) as (f).

2016—Pub. L. 114–328 amended section generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “The Chief Human Capital Officer shall report to the Secretary, or to another official of the Department, as the Secretary may direct and shall ensure that all employees of the Department are informed of their rights and remedies under chapters 12 and 23 of title 5 by—

“(1) participating in the 2302(c) Certification Program of the Office of Special Counsel;

“(2) achieving certification from the Office of Special Counsel of the Department’s compliance with section 2302(c) of title 5; and

“(3) informing Congress of such certification not later than 24 months after November 25, 2002.”