republic-os/legal/us/code/title-05/chapter-55/section-5561.md

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LegalText	5 U.S.C. § 5561	Definitions	us	united_states_code	code_section	5	GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION AND EMPLOYEES	55	PAY ADMINISTRATION	5561	5 U.S.C. § 5561	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/s5561	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-05/usc05.xml	373b234a275918469a4f08d0c7dcb422b8f1961120ebdde2a78d497e16b00bd3	719fdb18e7085aede50e1e97c1c129fa6058e2c5c12b3d77a9b9044b1769e540	0242fffcf463f5cb585b003d2a6a345cda978ce522dcc20e723dc3ab126654ff	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

5 U.S.C. § 5561 - Definitions

Text

For the purpose of this subchapter—

(1) “agency” means an Executive agency and a military department;

(2) “employee” means an employee in or under an agency who is a citizen or national of the United States or an alien admitted to the United States for permanent residence, but does not include a part-time or intermittent employee or native labor casually hired on an hourly or daily basis. However, such an employee who enters a status listed in paragraph (5)(A)–(E) of this section—

(A) inside the continental United States; or

(B) who is a resident at or in the vicinity of his place of employment in a territory or possession of the United States or in a foreign country and who was not living there solely as a result of his employment;

is an employee for the purpose of this subchapter only on a determination by the head of the agency concerned that this status is the proximate result of employment by the agency;

(3) “dependent” means—

(A) a wife;

(B) an unmarried child (including an unmarried dependent stepchild or adopted child) under 21 years of age;

(C) a dependent mother or father;

(D) a dependent designated in official rec­ords; and

(E) an individual determined to be dependent by the head of the agency concerned or his designee;

(4) “active service” means active Federal service by an employee;

(5) “missing status” means the status of an employee who is in active service and is officially carried or determined to be absent in a status of—

(A) missing;

(B) missing in action;

(C) interned in a foreign country;

(D) captured, beleaguered, or besieged by a hostile force; or

(E) detained in a foreign country against his will;

but does not include the status of an employee for a period during which he is officially determined to be absent from his post of duty without authority; and

(6) “pay and allowances” means—

(A) basic pay;

(B) special pay;

(C) incentive pay;

(D) basic allowance for housing;

(E) basic allowance for subsistence; and

(F) station per diem allowances for not more than 90 days.

(Pub. L. 89–554, Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 489; Pub. L. 105–85, div. A, title VI, § 603(d)(3), Nov. 18, 1997, 111 Stat. 1783.)

Notes

Historical and Revision Notes DerivationU.S. CodeRevised Statutes andStatutes at Large (1)–(4)50A U.S.C. 1001.Mar. 7, 1942, ch. 166, § 1, 56 Stat. 143.   July 1, 1944, ch. 371, § 1, 58 Stat. 679.   May 16, 1947, ch. 70, § 1, 61 Stat. 96.   Aug. 29, 1957, Pub. L. 85–217, § 1(a), 71 Stat. 491.   Aug. 14, 1964, Pub. L. 88–428, § 1(1), (2), 78 Stat. 437. (5)50A U.S.C. 1002(a) (3d through 66th words of 1st sentence, and 1st 28 words of 3d sentence, for definition purposes).Mar. 7, 1942, ch. 166, § 2(a) (3d through 66th words and 96th through 120th words of 1st sentence, and 1st 28 words of 3d sentence, for definition purposes); addedJuly 1, 1944, ch. 371, § 2, 58 Stat. 679.Apr. 4, 1953, ch. 17, § 1(a), 67 Stat. 21.   Aug. 29, 1957, Pub. L. 85–217, § 1(b) (1st par.), 71 Stat. 491.   Aug. 14, 1964, Pub. L. 88–428, § 1(3)(A), (C), 78 Stat. 437. (5)50A U.S.C. 1014 (as applicable to § 1002(a) (1st sentence)).Mar. 7, 1942, ch. 166, § 14 (as applicable to § 2(a) (1st sentence)), 56 Stat. 147.Apr. 4, 1953, ch. 17, § 1(e), 67 Stat. 21. (6)50A U.S.C. 1002(a) (96th through 120th words of 1st sentence, for definition purposes). Only that portion of the source law which is applicable to civilian officers and employees and their dependents is codified in this section. In paragraph (1), the word “agency” is substituted for “department”. The words “including such term when used in the amendment made by section 16” are omitted as surplusage. The words “an Executive agency and a military department” are coextensive with and substituted for “any executive department, independent establishment, or agency (including corporations) in the executive branch of the Federal Government” in view of the definitions in sections 105 and 102, and on authority of 5 U.S.C. 933a which provides that general legislation governing employment, compensation, and the status of employees of the United States applies to employees of the General Accounting Office in the same manner as if they were in the executive branch. In paragraph (3)(A), the word “lawful” is omitted as unnecessary in view of the accepted recognition of the fact that the word “wife” means a lawful wife. In paragraph (3)(E), the words “head of the agency concerned or his designee” are substituted for “head of the department concerned, or subordinate designated by him”. The definitions in paragraphs (5) and (6), which do not appear in, but are based on, the source law are created for legislative convenience. 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

Amendments1997—Par. (6)(D). Pub. L. 105–85 substituted “housing” for “quarters”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 1997 AmendmentPub. L. 105–85, div. A, title VI, § 603(e), Nov. 18, 1997, 111 Stat. 1783, provided that: “This section [amending this section, sections 708, 2830, 2882, 7572, and 7573 of Title 10, Armed Forces, section 107 of Title 32, National Guard, sections 101, 403, 405, 406, 420, 427, 551, and 1014 of Title 37, Pay and Allowances of the Uniformed Services, and section 3803 of Title 50, War and National Defense, repealing section 403a of Title 37, and enacting provisions set out as a note under section 403 of Title 37] and the amendments made by this section shall take effect on January 1, 1998.”

Accounting for Civilian Employees and Contractors of United StatesPub. L. 104–106, div. A, title V, § 569(e), Feb. 10, 1996, 110 Stat. 352, directed Secretary of State to carry out comprehensive study of provisions of this subchapter and any other law or regulation establishing procedures for accounting for civilian employees of the United States or contractors of the United States who serve with or accompany the Armed Forces in the field to determine the means, if any, by which those procedures may be improved, and further provided for submission of report to Congress not later than one year after Feb. 10, 1996, on results of study.

Benefits for United States Hostages in Iraq and Kuwait and United States Hostages Captured in LebanonPub. L. 101–513, title V, § 599C, Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 2064, as amended by Pub. L. 102–138, title III, § 302(a), Oct. 28, 1991, 105 Stat. 707; Pub. L. 102–499, § 5(a), Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 3266, provided for payment of benefits during fiscal year 1991 and thereafter for United States hostages in Iraq and Kuwait and United States hostages captured in Lebanon.

Hostage ReliefPub. L. 96–449, Oct. 14, 1980, 94 Stat. 1967, as amended by Pub. L. 99–514, § 2, Oct. 22, 1986, 100 Stat. 2095; Pub. L. 102–83, § 5(c)(2), Aug. 6, 1991, 105 Stat. 406, known as the “Hostage Relief Act of 1980”, provided for benefits for United States civil service and uniformed service personnel who were placed in a captive status during a hostage period beginning on Nov. 4, 1979, due to the seizure of the United States Embassy in Iran.

Executive Documents

Executive Order No. 12268 Ex. Ord. No. 12268, Jan. 15, 1981, 46 F.R. 4671, provided for the implementation of the Hostage Relief Act of 1980 (Pub. L. 96–449).

Executive Order No. 12313 Ex. Ord. No. 12313, July 13, 1981, 46 F.R. 36689, designated Jan. 11, 1981, as date on which all citizens and resident aliens of the United States who had been placed in captive status as a result of seizure of United States Embassy in Iran were returned to United States or otherwise accounted for and were no longer under foreign control.