republic-os/legal/us/code/title-48/chapter-12/section-1597.md

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LegalText	48 U.S.C. § 1597	Reorganization of government	us	united_states_code	code_section	48	TERRITORIES AND INSULAR POSSESSIONS	12	VIRGIN ISLANDS [1954]	1597	48 U.S.C. § 1597	current	119-100	2026-06-26	official	https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc48@119-100.zip	/us/usc/t48/s1597	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-48/usc48.xml	fdb19c4909b7a03db587afac8f7794910b184cc12ab7097726a53b2386f5ef5b	2f9a72ec272e6666d7f55f52cc3186aefc6368ca4cc2b9053a531de2fb9288c2	b20a5b7ab5e91941d7a7e58aaa5ff73f1ff7b551bc399e94f68178e8f9965dcc	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

48 U.S.C. § 1597 - Reorganization of government

Text

(a) Consolidation of departments, bureaus, etc.; popular election of school board members The Governor shall, within one year after July 22, 1954, reorganize and consolidate the existing executive departments, bureaus, independent boards, agencies, authorities, commissions, and other instrumentalities of the government of the Virgin Islands or of the municipal governments into not more than nine executive departments except for independent bodies whose existence may be required by Federal law for participation in Federal programs. The head of each executive department other than the department of law shall be designated as the commissioner thereof, and the commissioner of finance shall be bonded. The head of the department of law shall be known as the attorney general of the Virgin Islands. Members of school boards, which entities of government have been duly organized and established by the government of the Virgin Islands, shall be popularly elected.

(b) Changes after examination from time to time The Governor shall, from time to time, after complying with the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, examine the organization of the executive branch of the government of the Virgin Islands, and shall make such changes therein, subject to the approval of the legislature, not inconsistent with this chapter, as he determines are necessary to promote effective management and to execute faithfully the purposes of this chapter and the laws of the Virgin Islands.

(c) Appointment of department heads; tenure; removal; powers and duties; appointments to boards, etc. The heads of the executive departments created by this chapter shall be appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the legislature. Each shall hold office during the continuance in office of the Governor by whom he is appointed and until his successor is appointed and qualified, unless sooner removed by the Governor. Each shall have such powers and duties as may be prescribed by the legislature. The chairman and members of any board, authority, or commission established by the laws of the Virgin Islands shall, if the laws of the Virgin Islands hereafter provide, also be appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the legislature, if such board, authority, or commission has quasi-judicial functions: Provided, That no law of the Virgin Islands dealing with the chairmanship, membership, or chairmanship and membership of any such board, authority, or commission, and requiring an appointment or appointments to be made with the advice and consent of the legislature, shall relate to more than one such board, authority, or commission, nor shall it relate to any other legislative matter.

(July 22, 1954, ch. 558, § 16, 68 Stat. 504; Pub. L. 85–224, Aug. 30, 1957, 71 Stat. 510; Pub. L. 86–289, § 3, Sept. 16, 1959, 73 Stat. 569; Pub. L. 90–496, § 8(a), Aug. 23, 1968, 82 Stat. 839.)

Notes

Editorial Notes

Amendments1968—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 90–496 substituted provisions that members of school boards which have been duly organized by the government of the Virgin Islands be popularly elected for provisions that required the approval of the Secretary of the Interior for the establishment of any new department, agency, or other instrumentality by the Governor or the legislature, unless such department, agency, etc., was required by Federal law for participation in Federal programs. 1959—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 86–289 provided that the head of the department of law should be known as the attorney general of the Virgin Islands. 1957—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 85–224 provided for appointments to boards, authorities or commissions.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 1968 AmendmentAmendment of provisions of section necessary to authorize the holding of an election for Governor and Lieutenant Governor on Nov. 3, 1970, effective Jan. 1, 1970, and all other amendments of provisions of section, unless otherwise expressly provided by Pub. L. 90–496, effective Jan. 4, 1971, see section 16 of Pub. L. 90–496, set out as a note under section 1591 of this title.