republic-os/legal/us/code/title-05/chapter-31/section-3111.md

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LegalText	5 U.S.C. § 3111	Acceptance of volunteer service	us	united_states_code	code_section	5	GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION AND EMPLOYEES	31	AUTHORITY FOR EMPLOYMENT	3111	5 U.S.C. § 3111	current	119-100	2026-06-26	official	https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc05@119-100.zip	/us/usc/t5/s3111	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-05/usc05.xml	6736423e50e16c044b5e3f67621e036542f2a09d04dda6f8bcc197bc01f2b94e	719fdb18e7085aede50e1e97c1c129fa6058e2c5c12b3d77a9b9044b1769e540	f578bd21347b5078a2e9c899c925b8bf67b063d554cbd06c26d0ce165e9d365e	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

5 U.S.C. § 3111 - Acceptance of volunteer service

Text

(a) For the purpose of this section, “student” means an individual who is enrolled, not less than half-time, in a high school, trade school, technical or vocational institute, junior college, college, university, or comparable recognized educational institution. An individual who is a student is deemed not to have ceased to be a student during an interim between school years if the interim is not more than 5 months and if such individual shows to the satisfaction of the Office of Personnel Management that the individual has a bona fide intention of continuing to pursue a course of study or training in the same or different educational institution during the school semester (or other period into which the school year is divided) immediately after the interim.

(b) Notwithstanding section 1342 of title 31, the head of an agency may accept, subject to regulations issued by the Office, voluntary service for the United States if the service—

(1) is performed by a student, with the permission of the institution at which the student is enrolled, as part of an agency program established for the purpose of providing educational experiences for the student;

(2) is to be uncompensated; and

(3) will not be used to displace any employee.

(c) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), any student who provides voluntary service under subsection (b) of this section shall not be considered a Federal employee for any purpose other than for purposes of section 7905 (relating to commuting by means other than single-occupancy motor vehicles), chapter 81 (relating to compensation for injury) and sections 2671 through 2680 of title 28 (relating to tort claims).

(2) In addition to being considered a Federal employee for the purposes specified in paragraph (1), any student who provides voluntary service as part of a program established under subsection (b) of this section in the Internal Revenue Service, Department of the Treasury, shall be considered an employee of the Department of the Treasury for purposes of—

(A) section 552a of this title (relating to disclosure of records);

(B) subsections (a)(1), (h)(1), (k)(6), and (l)(4) of section 6103 of title 26 (relating to confidentiality and disclosure of returns and return information);

(C) sections 7213(a)(1) and 7431 of title 26 (relating to unauthorized disclosures of returns and return information by Federal employees and other persons); and

(D) section 7423 of title 26 (relating to suits against employees of the United States);

except that returns and return information (as defined in section 6103(b) of title 26) shall be made available to students under such program only to the extent that the Secretary of the Treasury or his designee determines that the duties assigned to such students so require.

(d) Notwithstanding section 1342 of title 31, the head of an agency may accept voluntary service for the United States under chapter 37 of this title and regulations of the Office of Personnel Management.

(e) (1) For purposes of this section the term “agency” shall include the Architect of the Capitol. With respect to the Architect of the Capitol, the authority granted to the Office of Personnel Management under this section shall be exercised by the Architect of the Capitol.

(2) In this section, the term “agency” includes the Congressional Budget Office, except that in the case of the Congressional Budget Office—

(A) any student who provides voluntary service in accordance with this section shall be considered an employee of the Congressional Budget Office for purposes of section 203 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (relating to the level of confidentiality of budget data); and

(B) the authority granted to the Office of Personnel Management under this section shall be exercised by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office.

(Added Pub. L. 95–454, title III, § 301(a), Oct. 13, 1978, 92 Stat. 1144; amended Pub. L. 97–258, § 3(a)(5), Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 1063; Pub. L. 97–437, Jan. 8, 1983, 96 Stat. 2285; Pub. L. 107–296, title XIII, § 1314(b), Nov. 25, 2002, 116 Stat. 2296; Pub. L. 107–347, title II, § 209(g)(1)(A), Dec. 17, 2002, 116 Stat. 2931; Pub. L. 111–68, div. A, title I, § 1303(a), Oct. 1, 2009, 123 Stat. 2034; Pub. L. 113–76, div. I, title I, § 1201(a), Jan. 17, 2014, 128 Stat. 426.)

Notes

Editorial Notes

References in TextSection 203 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, referred to in subsec. (e)(2)(A), is classified to section 603 of Title 2, The Congress.

Amendments2014—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 113–76 designated existing provisions as par. (1) and added par. (2). 2009—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 111–68 added subsec. (e). 2002—Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 107–296 substituted “section 7905 (relating to commuting by means other than single-occupancy motor vehicles), chapter 81” for “chapter 81 of this title”. Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 107–347 added subsec. (d). 1983—Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 97–437, § 1(1), substituted “(c)(1) Except as provided in par. (2), any” for “(c) Any”. Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 97–437, § 1(2), added par. (2). 1982—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 97–258 substituted “section 1342 of title 31” for “section 3679(b) of the Revised Statutes (31 U.S.C. 665(b))”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 2014 AmendmentPub. L. 113–76, div. I, title I, § 1201(b), Jan. 17, 2014, 128 Stat. 426, provided that: “The amendment made by subsection (a) [amending this section] shall apply with respect to fiscal year 2014 and each succeeding fiscal year.”

Effective Date of 2002 AmendmentsAmendment by Pub. L. 107–347 effective 120 days after Dec. 17, 2002, see section 402(a) of Pub. L. 107–347, set out as an Effective Date note under section 3601 of Title 44, Public Printing and Documents. Amendment by Pub. L. 107–296 effective 60 days after Nov. 25, 2002, see section 4 of Pub. L. 107–296, set out as an Effective Date note under section 101 of Title 6, Domestic Security.

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