---
kind: "section"
citation: "7 U.S.C. § 6981"
title: "7"
title_heading: "Agriculture"
number: "6981"
heading: "Under Secretary of Agriculture for Food Safety"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/7/6981"
units:
  - "Chapter 98 — Department of Agriculture Reorganization"
  - "Subchapter VII — Food Safety"
---

# §6981. Under Secretary of Agriculture for Food Safety

- (a) **Establishment—** There is established in the [Department](/usc/7/6902.md?p=1) of Agriculture the position of Under [Secretary](/usc/7/6902.md?p=3) of Agriculture for Food Safety. The Under [Secretary](/usc/7/6902.md?p=3) shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, from among individuals with specialized training or significant experience in food safety or public health programs.
- (b) **Functions of Under Secretary—**
  - (1) **Principal functions—** The [Secretary](/usc/7/6902.md?p=3) shall delegate to the Under [Secretary](/usc/7/6902.md?p=3) of Agriculture for Food Safety those [functions](/usc/7/6902.md?p=4) and duties under the jurisdiction of the [Department](/usc/7/6902.md?p=1) that are primarily related to food safety.
  - (2) **Additional functions—** The Under [Secretary](/usc/7/6902.md?p=3) of Agriculture for Food Safety shall perform such other [functions](/usc/7/6902.md?p=4) and duties as may be required by law or prescribed by the [Secretary](/usc/7/6902.md?p=3).
- (c) **Omitted—**
- (d) **Technical and scientific review groups—** The [Secretary](/usc/7/6902.md?p=3), acting through the Under [Secretary](/usc/7/6902.md?p=3) for Research, Education, and Economics, may, without regard to the provisions of [title 5](/usc/5.md) governing appointment in the competitive service, and without regard to the provisions of [chapter 51](/usc/7/chch51.md) and subchapter III of [chapter 53](/usc/5/chptIII/sptD/ch53.md) of title 5 relating to classification and General Schedule pay rates—
  - (1) establish such technical and scientific review groups as are needed to carry out the [functions](/usc/7/6902.md?p=4) of the [Department](/usc/7/6902.md?p=1); and
  - (2) appoint and pay the members of the groups, except that officers and employees of the United States shall not receive additional compensation for service as a member of a group.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 103–354, title II, § 261, Oct. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 3227.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Codification

Section is comprised of section 261 of Pub. L. 103–354. Subsec. (c) of section 261 of Pub. L. 103–354 amended section 5314 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.