§ 4103. Establishment of training programs

§ 4103. Establishment of training programs

(a) In order to assist in achieving an agency’s mission and performance goals by improving employee and organizational performance, the head of each agency, in conformity with this chapter, shall establish, operate, maintain, and evaluate a program or programs, and a plan or plans thereunder, for the training of employees in or under the agency by, in, and through Government facilities and non-Government facilities. Each program, and plan thereunder, shall—

Two or more agencies jointly may operate under a training program.

(1) conform to the principles, standards, and related requirements contained in the regulations prescribed under section 4118 of this title;

(2) provide for adequate administrative control by appropriate authority;

(3) provide that information concerning the selection and assignment of employees for training and the applicable training limitations and restrictions be made available to employees of the agency; and

(4) provide for the encouragement of self-training by employees by means of appropriate recognition of resultant increases in proficiency, skill, and capacity.

(b)

(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, an agency may train any employee of the agency to prepare the employee for placement in another agency if the head of the agency determines that such training would be in the interests of the Government.

(2) In selecting an employee for training under this subsection, the head of the agency shall consider—

(A) the extent to which the current skills, knowledge, and abilities of the employee may be utilized in the new position;

(B) the employee’s capability to learn skills and acquire knowledge and abilities needed in the new position; and

(C) the benefits to the Government which would result from such training.

(c) The head of each agency shall, on a regular basis—

(1) evaluate each program or plan established, operated, or maintained under subsection (a) with respect to accomplishing specific performance plans and strategic goals in performing the agency mission; and

(2) modify such program or plan as needed to accomplish such plans and goals.

(Pub. L. 89–554, Sept. 6, 1966. 80 Stat. 433; Pub. L. 95–454, title III, § 304, Oct. 13, 1978, 92 Stat. 1146; Pub. L. 103–226, § 2(a)(2), Mar. 30, 1994, 108 Stat. 111; Pub. L. 108–411, title II, § 201(a), Oct. 30, 2004, 118 Stat. 2311.)

The words “Within two hundred and seventy days after the date of enactment of this Act [July 7, 1958]” are omitted as obsolete.

In paragraph (1), reference to the effective date of the regulations is omitted as obsolete.

Standard changes are made to conform with the definitions applicable and the style of this title as outlined in the preface to the report.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2004—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 108–411 added subsec. (c).

1994—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103–226, § 2(a)(2)(A)(i), in introductory provisions, substituted “In order to assist in achieving an agency’s mission and performance goals by improving employee and organizational performance, the head of each agency, in conformity with this chapter, shall establish, operate, maintain, and evaluate” for “In order to increase economy and efficiency in the operations of the agency and to raise the standards of performance by employees of their official duties to the maximum possible level of proficiency, the head of each agency, in conformity with this chapter, shall establish, operate, and maintain”.

Subsec. (a)(3), (4). Pub. L. 103–226, § 2(a)(2)(A)(ii)–(iv), added par. (3) and redesignated former par. (3) as (4).

Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 103–226, § 2(a)(2)(B)(i), substituted “determines that such training would be in the interests of the Government.” for “determines that the employee will otherwise be separated under conditions which would entitle the employee to severance pay under section 5595 of this title.”

Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 103–226, § 2(a)(2)(B)(ii), (iii), redesignated par. (3) as (2), in subpar. (C) substituted “such training” for “retaining the employee in the Federal service”, and struck out former par. (2) which read as follows: “Before undertaking any training under this subsection, the head of the agency shall obtain verification from the Office of Personnel Management that there exists a reasonable expectation of placement in another agency.”

Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 103–226, § 2(a)(2)(B)(ii), redesignated par. (3) as (2).

1978—Pub. L. 95–454 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a) and added subsec. (b).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 1978 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 95–454 effective 90 days after Oct. 13, 1978, see section 907 of Pub. L. 95–454, set out as a note under section 1101 of this title.

Ensuring Anti-Trafficking-In-Persons Trainings and Provisions Into Codes of Conduct of All Federal Departments and Executive Agencies

Pub. L. 117–348, title I, § 122, Jan. 5, 2023, 136 Stat. 6217, provided that: “(a) Findings.—Congress finds the following:“(1) Human trafficking is inimical to every Federal agency’s core values and inherently harmful and dehumanizing. “(2) Through the adoption of a Code of Conduct, Federal agencies hold their personnel to similar standards that are required of contractors and subcontractors of the agency under Federal law. “(3) Human trafficking is a violation of human rights and against Federal law. “(4) The United States Government seeks to deter activities that would facilitate or support trafficking in persons. “(b) Sense of Congress on Implementation of Anti-trafficking-in-persons Policies.—It is the sense of Congress that—“(1) beginning not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act [Jan. 5, 2023], the head of every Federal agency should incorporate a module on human trafficking into its staff training requirements and menu of topics to be covered in the annual ethics training of such agency; “(2) such staff trainings should teach employees how to prevent, identify, and report trafficking in persons; “(3) Federal agencies that already provide counter trafficking-in-persons training for staff should share their curricula with agencies that do not have such curricula; “(4) the head of each agency should inform all candidates for employment about the anti-trafficking provisions in the Code of Conduct of the agency; “(5) employees of each Federal agency should sign acknowledgment of the agency’s Code of Conduct, which should be kept in the file of the employee; and “(6) a violation of the Code of Conduct should lead to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment. “(c) Policy for Executive Branch Employees.—The President shall take such steps as may be necessary to ensure that each officer and employee (including temporary employees, persons stationed abroad while working for the United States, and detailees from other agencies of the Federal Government) of an agency in the executive branch of the Federal Government is subject to a policy with a minimum standard that contains—“(1) a prohibition from engaging in human trafficking while employed by the Government in a full-time or part-time capacity; “(2) a requirement that all Federal personnel, without regard to whether the person is stationed abroad, be sensitized to human trafficking and the ethical conduct requirements that prohibit the procurement of trafficking in persons; “(3) a requirement that all such personnel be equipped with the necessary knowledge and tools to prevent, recognize, report, and address human trafficking offenses through a training for new personnel and through regular refresher courses offered every 2 years; and “(4) a requirement that all such personnel report to the applicable inspector general and agency trafficking in persons point of contact any suspected cases of misconduct, waste, fraud, or abuse relating to trafficking in persons. “(d) Timing.—The policy described in subsection (c)—“(1) shall be established or integrated into all applicable employee codes of conduct not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act [Jan. 5, 2023]; “(2) may not replace any preexisting code of conduct that contains more robust requirements than the requirements described in subsection (c); and “(3) shall be signed by all personnel described in subsection (c) not later than 2 years after such date of enactment. “(e) Reporting.—The Office of Inspector General of a Federal department or agency, in consultation with the head of such agency, shall submit an annual report to Congress, which shall be publicly accessible, containing—“(1) the number of suspected violations reported; “(2) the number of investigations; “(3) the status and outcomes of such investigations; and “(4) any recommended actions to improve the programs and operations of such agency.”

Optional Participation of Federal Employees in AIDS Training Programs

Pub. L. 104–146, § 9, May 20, 1996, 110 Stat. 1373, provided that: “(a) In General.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a Federal employee may not be required to attend or participate in an AIDS or HIV training program if such employee refuses to consent to such attendance or participation, except for training necessary to protect the health and safety of the Federal employee and the individuals served by such employees. An employer may not retaliate in any manner against such an employee because of the refusal of such employee to consent to such attendance or participation. “(b) Definition.—As used in subsection (a), the term ‘Federal employee’ has the same meaning given the term ‘employee’ in section 2105 of title 5, United States Code, and such term shall include members of the armed forces.”

Experimental Program Relating to Acceptance of Voluntary Services From Participants in Executive Exchange Program

Pub. L. 101–416, § 1, Oct. 12, 1990, 104 Stat. 902, authorized a 90-day extension of programs established under Pub. L. 99–424 for individuals who were participating in the program on the expiration date.

Pub. L. 99–424, Sept. 30, 1986, 100 Stat. 964, as amended by Pub. L. 101–87, Aug. 16, 1989, 103 Stat. 595, authorized President to establish an experimental program, to be conducted during fiscal years 1987 through 1990, under which voluntary services could be accepted by the Government, without regard to 31 U.S.C. 1342.

Executive Documents

Department of Homeland Security

Exception from provisions of subsec. (a)(1) of this section of those elements of the Department of Homeland Security that are supervised by the Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection through the Department’s Assistant Secretary for Information Analysis, see Ex. Ord. No. 13286, § 86, Feb. 28, 2003, 68 F.R. 10632, set out as a note under section 111 of Title 6, Domestic Security.

Central Intelligence Agency

Exception of Central Intelligence Agency from certain provisions of subsec. (a)(1) of this section, see Ex. Ord. No. 10805, Feb. 18, 1959, 24 F.R. 1301, set out as a note under section 4102 of this title.

Ex. Ord. No. 11348. Further Training of Government Employees

Ex. Ord. No. 11348, Apr. 20, 1967, 32 F.R. 6335, as amended by Ex. Ord. No. 12107, Dec. 28, 1978, 44 F.R. 1055, provided:

By virtue of the authority vested in me by section 301 of Title 3 of the United States Code and by section 2 of the Act of July 7, 1958 (72 Stat. 327), it is ordered as follows:

Part I—General

Section 101. (a) As used in this order, the terms “agency”, “employee”, “Government”, and “training”, have meanings given to those terms, respectively, by section 4101 of Title 5, United States Code.

(b) “Interagency training” means training provided by one agency for other agencies or shared by two or more agencies.

Sec. 102. It is the policy of the Government of the United States to develop its employees through the establishment and operation of progressive and efficient training programs, thereby improving public service, increasing efficiency and economy, building and retaining a force of skilled and efficient employees, and installing and using the best modern practices and techniques in the conduct of the Government’s business.

Sec. 103. The Office of Personnel Management shall provide leadership and guidance to insure that the policy set forth in section 102 is carried out.

Part II—Office of Personnel Management Responsibilities

Sec. 201. The Office of Personnel Management shall plan and promote the development, improvement, coordination, and evaluation of training in accordance with chapter 41 of Title 5, United States Code, and with the policy set forth in section 102 of this order.

Sec. 202. In carrying out its responsibilities under chapter 41 of Title 5, United States Code, and section 201 of this order, the Office shall:

(a) Advise the President on means for furthering and strengthening programs of training;

(b) Counsel heads of agencies and other agency officials on the improvement of training;

(c) Assist agencies to develop sound programs and financial plans for training and provide advice, information, and assistance to agencies on planning, programming, budgeting, operating, and evaluating training programs;

(d) Identify functional areas in which new or expanded interagency training activity is needed and either conduct such training or arrange for agencies having the substantive competence to do so;

(e) Coordinate interagency training conducted by and for agencies (including agencies and portions of agencies excepted by section 4102(a) of Title 5, United States Code);

(f) Encourage agencies to make appropriate use of non-Government training resources;

(g) Develop, install, and maintain a system to provide the training data needed to carry out its own functions and to provide staff assistance to the President; and

(h) Provide for identification and dissemination of findings of research into training technology and undertake or assign to other agencies, such research projects as may be needed.

Part III—Agency Responsibilities and Operations

Sec. 301. The head of each agency shall plan, program, budget, operate, and evaluate training programs in accordance with chapter 41 of Title 5, United States Code, and with the policy set forth in section 102 of this order.

Sec. 302. The head of each agency shall:

(a) Foster employee self-development by creating a work environment in which self-development is encouraged, by assuring that opportunities for training and self-study materials are reasonably available, where the employee is stationed, and by recognizing self-initiated improvement in performance;

(b) Provide training for employees without regard to race, creed, color, national origin, sex, or other factors unrelated to the need for training;

(c) Establish and make full use of agency facilities for training employees;

(d) Extend agency training programs to employees of other agencies (including agencies and portions of agencies excepted by section 4102(a) of Title 5, United States Code) and assign his employees to interagency training whenever this will result in better training, improved service, or savings to the Government;

(e) Establish interagency training facilities in areas of substantive competence as arranged by the Office of Personnel Management; and

(f) Use non-Government training resources as appropriate.

Sec. 303. In carrying out his responsibilities, the head of each agency shall, consonant with chapter 41 of Title 5, United States Code, this order, and regulations of the Office of Personnel Management:

(a) Review periodically, but not less often than annually, the agency’s program to identify training needed to bring about more effective performance at the least possible cost;

(b) Conduct periodic reviews of individual employee’s training needs as related to program objectives;

(c) Conduct research related to training objectives and required for program improvement and effectiveness;

(d) Plan, program, and evaluate training for both short and longrange program needs by occupations, organizations, or other appropriate groups;

(e) Establish priorities for needed training, and provide for the use of funds and manhours in accordance with these priorities;

(f) Utilize the flexibility of work assignments to provide work experience which promotes growth leading to higher quality and greater quantity of work done;

(g) Establish training facilities and services as needed;

(h) Monitor the effectiveness with which self-development is encouraged and on-the-job training is provided at all levels; and

(i) Establish criteria for the selection of employees for training; and