Us Code § 319 - Office of Employment Discrimination Complaint Adjudication
Full text of Us Code United States Code § 319 — Office of Employment Discrimination Complaint Adjudication, with citation guidance and answers to common questions.
§ 319. Office of Employment Discrimination Complaint Adjudication
(a)(1) There is in the Department an Office of Employment Discrimination Complaint Adjudication. There is at the head of the Office a Director.
(2) The Director shall be a career appointee in the Senior Executive Service.
(3) The Director reports directly to the Secretary or the Deputy Secretary concerning matters within the responsibility of the Office.
(b)(1) The Director is responsible for making the final agency decision within the Department on the merits of any employment discrimination complaint filed by an employee, or an applicant for employment, with the Department. The Director shall make such decisions in an impartial and objective manner.
(2) No person may make any ex parte communication to the Director or to any employee of the Office with respect to a matter on which the Director has responsibility for making a final agency decision.
(c) Whenever the Director has reason to believe that there has been retaliation against an employee by reason of the employee asserting rights under an equal employment opportunity law, the Director shall report the suspected retaliatory action directly to the Secretary or Deputy Secretary, who shall take appropriate action thereon.
(d)(1) The Office shall employ a sufficient number of attorneys and other personnel as are necessary to carry out the functions of the Office. Attorneys shall be compensated at a level commensurate with attorneys employed by the Office of the General Counsel.
(2) The Secretary shall ensure that the Director is furnished sufficient resources in addition to personnel under paragraph (1) to enable the Director to carry out the functions of the Office in a timely manner.
(3) The Secretary shall ensure that any performance appraisal of the Director of the Office of Employment Discrimination Complaint Adjudication or of any employee of the Office does not take into consideration the record of the Director or employee in deciding cases for or against the Department.
(Added Pub. L. 105–114, title I, §102(a)(1), Nov. 21, 1997, 111 Stat. 2280.)
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
Pub. L. 105–114, title I, §102(c), Nov. 21, 1997, 111 Stat. 2281, provided that: "Section 319 of title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall take effect 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act [Nov. 21, 1997]."
Reports on Implementation
Pub. L. 105–114, title I, §102(b), Nov. 21, 1997, 111 Stat. 2281, required the Director of the Office of Employment Discrimination Complaint Adjudication of the Department of Veterans Affairs to submit to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and to Congress reports on the implementation and the operation of the office, with the first report due not later than Apr. 1, 1998, and subsequent reports due not later than Jan. 1, 1999, and Jan. 1, 2000.
About This Section
38 U.S.C. § 319 is part of Title 38 of the United States Code. The United States Code is the official codification of federal statutes maintained by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives. Congress amends the Code through new public laws, which are eventually incorporated into the relevant title.
This section may be cited in legal writing as 38 U.S.C. § 319. For the most current official text, including any recent amendments, use the official source links below. Do not rely on this page as the sole authority for legal citation or litigation.
How to Read This Statute
Statutes are organized by title, chapter, section, and subsection. Pay attention to words like "shall," "may," "and," and "or," because they determine whether a requirement is mandatory or permissive and whether multiple conditions must all be met. Historical notes and amendments often appear at the end of a section.
Using This Page
This page is intended for research and educational use. Lawyers, students, journalists, and compliance professionals can use it as a starting point, but should always verify the current text through an official government source before relying on it for legal advice, filings, or compliance decisions.