31 U.S.C.
United States Code, 2023 Edition
Title 31 - MONEY AND FINANCE
SUBTITLE I - GENERAL
CHAPTER 9 - AGENCY CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICERS
Sec. 901 - Establishment of agency Chief Financial Officers
From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov

### §901. Establishment of agency Chief Financial Officers

(a) There shall be within each agency described in subsection (b) an agency Chief Financial Officer. Each agency Chief Financial Officer shall—

(1) for those agencies described in subsection (b)(1)—

(A) be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate; or

(B) be designated by the President, in consultation with the head of the agency, from among officials of the agency who are required by law to be so appointed;

(2) for those agencies described in subsection (b)(2)—

(A) be appointed by the head of the agency;

(B) be in the competitive service or the senior executive service; and

(C) be career appointees; and

(3) be appointed or designated, as applicable, from among individuals who possess demonstrated ability in general management of, and knowledge of and extensive practical experience in financial management practices in large governmental or business entities.

(b)(1) The agencies referred to in subsection (a)(1) are the following:

(A) The Department of Agriculture.

(B) The Department of Commerce.

(C) The Department of Defense.

(D) The Department of Education.

(E) The Department of Energy.

(F) The Department of Health and Human Services.

(G) The Department of Homeland Security.

(H) The Department of Housing and Urban Development.

(I) The Department of the Interior.

(J) The Department of Justice.

(K) The Department of Labor.

(L) The Department of State.

(M) The Department of Transportation.

(N) The Department of the Treasury.

(O) The Department of Veterans Affairs.

(P) The Environmental Protection Agency.

(Q) The National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

(2) The agencies referred to in subsection (a)(2) are the following:

(A) The Agency for International Development.

(B) The General Services Administration.

(C) The National Science Foundation.

(D) The Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

(E) The Office of Personnel Management.

(F) The Small Business Administration.

(G) The Social Security Administration.

(c)(1) There shall be within the Executive Office of the President a Chief Financial Officer, who shall be designated or appointed by the President from among individuals meeting the standards described in subsection (a)(3). The position of Chief Financial Officer established under this paragraph may be so established in any Office (including the Office of Administration) of the Executive Office of the President.

(2) The Chief Financial Officer designated or appointed under this subsection shall, to the extent that the President determines appropriate and in the interest of the United States, have the same authority and perform the same functions as apply in the case of a Chief Financial Officer of an agency described in subsection (b).

(3) The President shall submit to Congress notification with respect to any provision of section 902 that the President determines shall not apply to a Chief Financial Officer designated or appointed under this subsection.

(4) The President may designate an employee of the Executive Office of the President (other than the Chief Financial Officer), who shall be deemed "the head of the agency" for purposes of carrying out section 902, with respect to the Executive Office of the President.

(Added Pub. L. 101–576, title II, §205(a), Nov. 15, 1990, 104 Stat. 2842; amended Pub. L. 103–296, title I, §108(j)(1), Aug. 15, 1994, 108 Stat. 1488; Pub. L. 106–58, title VI, §638(a), Sept. 29, 1999, 113 Stat. 475; Pub. L. 108–330, §3(a), (d)(2), Oct. 16, 2004, 118 Stat. 1276, 1277.)

#### Editorial Notes

#### Amendments

2004—Subsec. (b)(1)(G) to (Q). Pub. L. 108–330, §3(a), added subpar. (G) and redesignated former subpars. (G) to (P) as (H) to (Q), respectively.

Subsec. (b)(2)(B) to (H). Pub. L. 108–330, §3(d)(2), redesignated subpars. (C) to (H) as (B) to (G), respectively, and struck out former subpar. (B) which read as follows: "The Federal Emergency Management Agency."

1999—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 106–58 added subsec. (c).

1994—Subsec. (b)(2)(H). Pub. L. 103–296 added subpar. (H).

#### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

#### Effective Date of 1999 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 106–58 effective at noon on Jan. 20, 2001, see section 638(h) of Pub. L. 106–58, set out as a note under section 503 of this title.

#### Effective Date of 1994 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 103–296 effective Mar. 31, 1995, see section 110(a) of Pub. L. 103–296, set out as a note under section 401 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare.

#### Transfer of Functions

For transfer of all functions, personnel, assets, components, authorities, grant programs, and liabilities of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, including the functions of the Under Secretary for Federal Emergency Management relating thereto, to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, see section 315(a)(1) of Title 6, Domestic Security.

For transfer of functions, personnel, assets, and liabilities of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, including the functions of the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency relating thereto, to the Secretary of Homeland Security, and for treatment of related references, see former section 313(1) and sections 551(d), 552(d), and 557 of Title 6, Domestic Security, and the Department of Homeland Security Reorganization Plan of November 25, 2002, as modified, set out as a note under section 542 of Title 6.

#### Chief Financial Officer of Department of Homeland Security

Pub. L. 108–330, §3(b), (c), Oct. 16, 2004, 118 Stat. 1276, provided that:

"(b) Appointment or Designation of CFO.—The President shall appoint or designate a Chief Financial Officer of the Department of Homeland Security under the amendment made by subsection (a) [amending this section] by not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 16, 2004].

"(c) Continued Service of Current Official.—An individual serving as Chief Financial Officer of the Department of Homeland Security immediately before the enactment of this Act, or another person who is appointed to replace such an individual in an acting capacity after the enactment of this Act, may continue to serve in that position until the date of the confirmation or designation, as applicable (under section 901(a)(1)(B) of title 31, United States Code), of a successor under the amendment made by subsection (a)."

#### Chief Financial Officer Within Executive Office of the President

Pub. L. 106–58, title VI, §638(b)–(e), Sept. 29, 1999, 113 Stat. 475, provided that:

"(b) Plan for Implementation.—Not later than 90 days after the effective date of this section [noon on Jan. 20, 2001], the President shall communicate in writing, to the Chairmen of the Committees on Appropriations, the Chairman of the Committee on Government Reform [now Committee on Oversight and Accountability] of the House of Representatives, and the Chairman of the Committee on Governmental Affairs [now Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs] of the Senate, a plan for implementation of the provisions of, and amendments made by, this section [amending this section and sections 503 and 1105 of this title].

"(c) Deadline for Appointment.—The Chief Financial Officer designated or appointed under section 901(c) of title 31, United States Code (as added by subsection (a)), shall be so designated or appointed not later than 180 days after the effective date of this section [noon on Jan. 20, 2001].

"(d) Pay.—The Chief Financial Officer designated or appointed under such section shall receive basic pay at the rate payable for level IV of the Executive Schedule under section 5315 of title 5, United States Code.

"(e) Transfer of Functions.—(1) The President may transfer such offices, functions, powers, or duties thereof, as the President determines are properly related to the functions of the Chief Financial Officer under section 901(c) of title 31, United States Code (as added by subsection (a)).

"(2) The personnel, assets, liabilities, contracts, property, records, and unexpended balances of appropriations, authorizations, allocations, and other funds employed, held, used, arising from, available or to be made available, of any office the functions, powers, or duties of which are transferred under paragraph (1) shall also be so transferred."

#### Chief Financial Officers of Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Housing and Urban Development

Pub. L. 101–576, title II, §205(c)(1), Nov. 15, 1990, 104 Stat. 2845, provided that: "The Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development may each designate as the agency Chief Financial Officer of that department for purposes of section 901 of title 31, United States Code, as amended by this section, the officer designated, respectively, under section 4(c) of the Department of Veterans Affairs Act (38 U.S.C. 201 note) and section 4(e) of the Department of Housing and Urban Development Act (42 U.S.C. 3533(e)), as in effect before the effective date of this Act [Nov. 15, 1990]."

#### Transfer of Functions and Personnel of Agency Chief Financial Officers

Pub. L. 101–576, title II, §206, Nov. 15, 1990, 104 Stat. 2845, provided that:

"(a) Agency Reviews of Financial Management Activities.—Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act [Nov. 15, 1990], the Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall require each agency listed in subsection (b) of section 901 of title 31, United States Code, as amended by this Act, to conduct a review of its financial management activities for the purpose of consolidating its accounting, budgeting, and other financial management activities under the agency Chief Financial Officer appointed under subsection (a) of that section for the agency.

"(b) Reorganization Proposal.—Not later than 120 days after the issuance of requirements under subsection (a) and subject to all laws vesting functions in particular officers and employees of the United States, the head of each agency shall submit to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget a proposal for reorganizing the agency for the purposes of this Act [see Short Title of 1990 Amendment note set out under section 501 of this title]. Such proposal shall include—

"(1) a description of all functions, powers, duties, personnel, property, or records which the agency Chief Financial Officer is proposed to have authority over, including those relating to functions that are not related to financial management activities; and

"(2) a detailed outline of the administrative structure of the office of the agency Chief Financial Officer, including a description of the responsibility and authority of financial management personnel and resources in agencies or other subdivisions as appropriate to that agency.

"(c) Review and Approval of Proposal.—Not later than 60 days after receiving a proposal from the head of an agency under subsection (b), the Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall approve or disapprove the proposal and notify the head of the agency of that approval or disapproval. The Director shall approve each proposal which establishes an agency Chief Financial Officer in conformance with section 901 of title 31, United States Code, as added by this Act, and which establishes a financial management structure reasonably tailored to the functions of the agency. Upon approving or disapproving a proposal of an agency under this section, the Director shall transmit to the head of the agency a written notice of that approval or disapproval.

"(d) Implementation of Proposal.—Upon receiving written notice of approval of a proposal under this section from the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the head of an agency shall implement that proposal."

#### Chief Financial Officers Council

Pub. L. 101–576, title III, §302, Nov. 15, 1990, 104 Stat. 2848, provided that:

"(a) Establishment.—There is established a Chief Financial Officers Council, consisting of—

"(1) the Deputy Director for Management of the Office of Management and Budget, who shall act as chairperson of the council;

"(2) the Controller of the Office of Federal Financial Management of the Office of Management and Budget;

"(3) the Fiscal Assistant Secretary of Treasury; and

"(4) each of the agency Chief Financial Officers appointed under section 901 of title 31, United States Code, as amended by this Act.

"(b) Functions.—The Chief Financial Officers Council shall meet periodically to advise and coordinate the activities of the agencies of its members on such matters as consolidation and modernization of financial systems, improved quality of financial information, financial data and information standards, internal controls, legislation affecting financial operations and organizations, and any other financial management matter."