---
kind: "section"
citation: "7 U.S.C. § 2272"
title: "7"
title_heading: "Agriculture"
number: "2272"
heading: "Volunteers for Department of Agriculture programs"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/7/2272"
units:
  - "Chapter 55 — Department of Agriculture"
---

# §2272. Volunteers for Department of Agriculture programs

- (a) **Establishment of program—** The [Secretary](/usc/7/499a.md?p=b-2) of Agriculture (hereafter referred to in this section as the “[Secretary](/usc/7/499a.md?p=b-2)”) may establish a program to use volunteers in carrying out the programs of the Department of Agriculture.
- (b) **Acceptance of personnel—** The [Secretary](/usc/7/499a.md?p=b-2) may accept, subject to regulations issued by the Office of Personnel Management, voluntary service for the Department of Agriculture for such purpose if the service:
  - (1) is to be without compensation; and
  - (2) will not be used to displace any employee of the Department of Agriculture including the local, county, and [State](/usc/7/198.md?p=5) committees established under [section 590h(b) of title 16](/usc/16/590h.md?p=b).
- (c) **Federal employee status—** Any individual who provides voluntary service under this section shall not be considered a Federal employee, except for purposes of [chapter 81](/usc/5/chptIII/sptG/ch81.md) of title 5 (relating to compensation for injury), and sections [2671](/usc/28/2671.md) through [2680](/usc/28/2680.md) of title 28 (relating to tort claims).

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 97–98, title XV, § 1526, Dec. 22, 1981, 95 Stat. 1337.)

## Notes

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section effective Dec. 22, 1981, see section 1801 of Pub. L. 97–98, set out as a note under section 4301 of this title.

### Authorization of Appropriations

Pub. L. 97–98, title XV, § 1527, Dec. 22, 1981, 95 Stat. 1337, provided that: “There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this subtitle [subtitle G (§§ 1526, 1527) of title XV of Pub. L. 97–98, enacting this section and this note], such sums to remain available until expended.”