5 USC § 2305 - Responsibility of the Government Accountability Office

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t5/s2305"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "5 USC § 2305 - Responsibility of the Government Accountability Office"
title_number: 5
title_name: "GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION AND EMPLOYEES"
section_number: "2305"
section_name: "Responsibility of the Government Accountability Office"
chapter_number: 23
chapter_name: "MERIT SYSTEM PRINCIPLES"
part_number: "III"
part_name: "EMPLOYEES"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Added Pub. L. 95–454, title I, § 101(a), Oct. 13, 1978, 92 Stat. 1118, § 2304; amended Pub. L. 102–378, § 2(6), Oct. 2, 1992, 106 Stat. 1346; Pub. L. 104–66, title II, § 2181(e), Dec. 21, 1995, 109 Stat. 732; Pub. L. 108–271, § 8(b), July 7, 2004, 118 Stat. 814; renumbered § 2305, Pub. L. 112–199, title I, § 109(a)(1), Nov. 27, 2012, 126 Stat. 1470.)"
---


# § 2305. Responsibility of the Government Accountability Office

If requested by either House of the Congress (or any committee thereof), or if considered necessary by the Comptroller General, the Government Accountability Office shall conduct audits and reviews to assure compliance with the laws, rules, and regulations governing employment in the executive branch and in the competitive service and to assess the effectiveness and soundness of Federal personnel management.

---

**Source Credit**: (Added Pub. L. 95–454, title I, § 101(a), Oct. 13, 1978, 92 Stat. 1118, § 2304; amended Pub. L. 102–378, § 2(6), Oct. 2, 1992, 106 Stat. 1346; Pub. L. 104–66, title II, § 2181(e), Dec. 21, 1995, 109 Stat. 732; Pub. L. 108–271, § 8(b), July 7, 2004, 118 Stat. 814; renumbered § 2305, Pub. L. 112–199, title I, § 109(a)(1), Nov. 27, 2012, 126 Stat. 1470.)

## Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 2305 was renumbered .

### Amendments

2012— renumbered  as this section.

2004— substituted “Government Accountability Office” for “General Accounting Office” in section catchline and text.

1995— struck out subsec. (a) designation before “If requested by” and struck out subsec. (b) which read as follows: “The General Accounting Office shall prepare and submit an annual report to the President and the Congress on the activities of the Merit Systems Protection Board and the Office of Personnel Management. The report shall include a description of—

“(1) significant actions taken by the Board to carry out its functions under this title; and

“(2) significant actions of the Office of Personnel Management, including an analysis of whether or not the actions of the Office are in accord with merit system principles and free from prohibited personnel practices.”

1992—Subsec. (b).  substituted “The” for “the” at beginning of first sentence.